Television buying guide

Discover the range of the best TVs online or in-store, including OLED TVs, smart TVs, lifestyle TVs, QLED TVs, 8K TVs, Ultra HD TVs, Projectors and more. Plus, with a huge range of sizes to choose from, The Good Guys is here to help you find your dream screen from top brands like Samsung, LG, Hisense, Sony and more.

There are many different kinds of TV out there, and one of them is your perfect match. Whether you are keen to know your QLED from your OLED, or you just want to know what kind of TV you need without having to master a new language of acronyms, this TV guide is here to ensure you pick the perfect TV for your home, budget and favourite content.

OLED Televisions

OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode, and it’s one of the most respected technologies in TV. It’s considered to be the best possible technology for black tones because OLED pixels are able to turn themselves on and off independently and don’t use a backlight. That means no colour or light blooming from other parts of the scene, and clear definitions of contrast. Newer OLED panels are able to get brighter than previous generations, and are now better suited to reasonably bright rooms, as well as dark rooms.

QLED Televisions

A quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) TV uses Quantum Dots to produce vibrant and accurate colours, making them a popular choice for a top-quality viewing experience. These quantum dots are illuminated by LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) to create the images you see on the screen. QLED TVs are known for their excellent colour reproduction and brightness, making them a popular choice for those who want a top-quality viewing experience.

Mini LED Televisions

Instead of traditional backlighting, Mini LED TVs use thousands of tiny LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) that are smaller than regular LEDs. These Mini LEDs provide more precise control over brightness and local dimming, resulting in better contrast, improved picture quality, and more vibrant visuals, bringing HDR content to life at home.

Lifestyle Televisions

Lifestyle TVs blend more seamlessly with your surroundings and display art or other static images when they’re not being used, so they’re not just a black screen.LCD/LED TelevisionsLED and LCD TVs are the standard TV technology. LCD stands for "Liquid Crystal Display" and uses these liquid crystals to control the passage of light and create images. LED stands for "Light Emitting Diode", and are the backlight source to illuminate the liquid crystals, making the images visible.

Projectors

Experience entertainment on a large scale with projectors. Using laser technologies to display great, cinema-like qualities up to 130 inches in size!

Smart Televisions

Smart TVs are able to connect to the internet, meaning you can watch streaming services without an external box. Some even have voice control and can connect to your smart home.

To calculate the best size TV for your room, you need to know how far from the screen you plan on sitting and what definition the picture will be (more on that in the 8K and 4K sections below). You want to sit close enough to the TV so that you can make out all the little details, which is much better at higher definitions.

“Another way to pick is to work out which size you think you’d be comfortable with now, and then go one size bigger than that,” says John Milonas, The Good Guys Buyer – Televisions and Accessories. “The latest advancements in technology have improved picture quality in TVs so much that it’s generally better to go one size bigger than you’d imagine.”

8K - is the highest definition currently available for consumer TVs. What makes 8K TVs great is the upscaling, which means Full HD and 4K content look closer to 8K, levelling up everything you watch. While this may depend on the shape of your room and your personal preferences, an 8K TV is best viewed at a distance of at least 1.5 times the TV diagonal screen size.

For example, for a 55" 8K TV you would sit at least 1 metre away. For an 85" 8K TV you would sit at least 1.6 metres away.

4K - is currently considered the standard TV resolution. All the latest movies, TV shows and video games are released in 4K on game consoles and streaming platforms. Just like an 8K TV, a 4K TV is best viewed at a distance of at least 1.5 times the TV diagonal screen size

For example, for a 55" 4K TV you would sit at least 1 metre away. For an 85" 4K TV you would sit at least 1.6 metres away.

Full HD - is the resolution that standard Blu-rays screen at. If you generally watch free-to-air, have slow internet speed or subscribe to the base level of streaming services, a Full HD TV will suit you just fine. A Full HD TV is best viewed at a distance of at least 3 times the TV diagonal screen size.

For example, for a 55" Full HD TV you would sit at least 2.1 metres away. For an 85" Full HD TV you would sit 2.5 metres away.

HD (High Definition) - is great if you want a small, low-priced television for watching free-to-air and DVDs. Just like a Full HD TV, an HD TV is best viewed at a distance of at least 3 times the TV diagonal screen size.

For example, for a 55" HD TV you would sit at least 2.1 metres away. For an 85" HD TV you would sit 2.5 metres away.

Other things to consider

Donating or recycling your TV

Ready to get rid of your old TV? There are free recycling collection points for old or broken televisions across Australia. Alternatively, you can donate your old TV to a charity shop.

Australia TV badge scores

Want to buy the best TV in Australia? Look out for our 5 star review when shopping!

What to consider: audio / sound systems

The perfect entertainment system means an impressive audio system to match. A soundbar could help elevate your TV experience to the next level. For all the tips and tricks for buying the perfect Soundbar for you, check out our Soundbar Buying Guide.

Viewing angles

Wondering where the perfect placement of your TV. It depends on quite a few variables like personal preference, the size of your TV and the size of your room. A good rule of thumb is to place the TV directly in from or you ideally 15 degrees upwards or downwards, or around 40 degrees from left to right.

Refresh rates

Typically, refresh rates for TVs sit between 60Hz to 120Hz - all considered to be a range which is comfortable on the eyes. The higher the refresh rate, the more the picture will look lifelike and is therefore important for a greater gaming experience with the ideal Refresh Rate for gaming being one supporting HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4K 120Hz gaming. Higher end TVs will have a Refresh Rate roughly between 120Hz - 144Hz, offering a seamless viewing experience.

Smart features to consider

TVs nowadays have so many incredible smart features to look out for to take your viewing experience to the next level! Look out for Smart TVs, TVs that can stream entertainment straight to your TV via internet connection. This means you can watch all the latest movies, TVs and games! Other features to look out for are Dolby Vision and Atmos, 4K or 8K resolution and AI tech!

Other devices to consider

Media players could be the solution to elevating your entertainment system. Streaming devices like Apple TV, Chromecast and Amazon Fire Sticks could help you stream your favourite content and are a cost effective solution.

TV settings

There are so many TV settings that can be adjusted to suit your preferences and space best, these include: picture mode, brightness, backlight, contrast, colour settings and more.

Televisions glossary

We’ll break down all the tech talk and acronyms that you need to know.

Diode

Measuring 0.2mm, diodes are the ‘D’ in LED. These are used as the backlight to project the TV picture. Since they are smaller in size than the traditional LED TV diodes, more can be packed into the TV screen. This means that the diodes in Mini LED TVs give you more control to create a better quality image. It also means there is less backlight bleed.

LCD substrate

This is the glass panel on the TV screen that protects the technology encased inside. The tens of thousands of Mini LEDs sit behind this panel, and it works as a transistor for the display to produce the TV colours and picture.

LED

LED stands for "Light Emitting Diode." LED TVs utilise an LCD screen to project their picture. A backlight within the screen controls where light is displayed and when colours are lit up. LED screens are split up into zones that can be controlled independently. The more zones a screen contains, the greater the picture control the TV has.

OLED

OLED stands for "Organic Light-Emitting Diode." OLED screens are made of tiny organic compounds that emit light when an electric current passes through them. This allows each individual pixel to emit its own light, resulting in vibrant colours, deep blacks, and better contrast compared to traditional displays.

QLED

QLED stands for "Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode." QLED TVs use tiny particles called quantum dots to produce vibrant and accurate colours. These quantum dots are illuminated by LEDs to create the images you see on the screen. QLED displays are known for their excellent colour reproduction and brightnes.

Mini LED

Instead of traditional backlighting, mini LED TVs uses thousands of tiny LEDs that are smaller than regular LEDs. These mini LEDs provide more precise control over brightness and local dimming, resulting in better contrast, improved picture quality, and more vibrant visuals. In essence, Mini LED enhances the overall viewing experience by offering sharper and more dynamic images.

HDMI

HDMI stands for "High-Definition Multimedia Interface." It's a type of cable and connection used to transmit high-quality audio and video signals between devices like TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and computers. HDMI cables are commonly used to ensure sharp and clear pictures, as well as excellent sound quality when connecting different devices to your TV or monitor.

HDR content

High-dynamic range content has a higher contrast and a larger colour and brightness range than Standard (SDR) content. It is also more visually impactful than 4K content. Most Mini LED TVs fully support this level of output.

Zones

Premium TVs are able to locally control the colour in areas on a screen, known as zones. These zones can be brightened or dimmed independently, which results in deeper shadows, brighter highlights and more vivid colour.

Refresh rate

Refresh rate refers to how many times per second a display updates the images on screen. It's measured in Hertz (Hz). A higher refresh rate, such as 60Hz or 120Hz, means the screen can change what you see more frequently, making motion smoother and reducing blur in fast-moving scenes, like in video games or sports. A higher refresh rate is generally better for a smoother and more responsive visual experience.

AI upscaling

AI upscaling is a technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the quality of images and videos. It works by analysing and interpolating pixels in lower-resolution content to make it look sharper and more detailed. Essentially, AI upscaling takes something that might look a bit blurry or pixelated and uses smart algorithms to make it appear clearer and more refined. This can improve the viewing experience when watching older videos or content with lower resolutions on modern, high-resolution screens.

Lag input

Input lag refers to the delay between when you perform an action, such as pressing a button on a controller or remote, and when that action is reflected on the screen. In gaming, lower input lag is better because it means your commands are executed more quickly, leading to a more responsive and enjoyable gaming experience. High input lag can result in a noticeable delay between your actions and the on-screen response, which can be frustrating, especially in fast-paced games. So, the lower the input lag, the more responsive and enjoyable your gaming or interactive experience will be.

Dolby Atmos

An advanced audio technology that provides immersive, three-dimensional sound by placing audio "objects" in specific locations within the listening space.

Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision is an advanced HDR technology that offers dynamic metadata, optimising the HDR experience scene by scene for improved picture quality.

Bezel

The frame around the TV screen; thinner bezels provide a more immersive viewing experience.

Aspect ratio

The ratio of the width to the height of the TV screen. Common aspect ratios include 16:9 (widescreen) and 4:3 (traditional).

Casting/Mirroring

The ability to wirelessly display content from a mobile device or computer on the TV screen.

IMAX Enhanced

A certification program for audio and video quality. If a TV is IMAX Enhanced, it means it meets certain standards for delivering a more immersive and high-quality audio-visual experience, similar to what you'd get in an IMAX movie theatre. This can include better picture clarity, enhanced sound, and specialised content that's been optimised for home viewing.