ARTICLE
TVs: discover the best picks in Australia
Published Aug 24, 2026 • Updated Aug 25, 2026 - 5 min read
The best TV for your home comes down to matching a handful of key features to how and where you actually watch, rather than chasing a single "best" model.. Panel type (OLED, QLED or Mini-LED) decides how good the contrast and black levels are; refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 support decide how well it handles gaming; and screen size relative to your room decides whether you'll actually enjoy watching from your couch. This guide breaks the market down by the decision that matters most to you from overall performance, OLED-level contrast, budget, gaming, to large-screen viewing.
Key takeaways from this article
Feature checklists (panel type, refresh rate, HDMI 2.1, dimming zones) for choosing the best overall, OLED, budget, gaming, and large-screen TV rather than pinned model recommendations.
A plain-language breakdown of OLED vs QLED vs Mini-LED, including a quick-reference comparison table.
Practical buying guidance on screen size vs. viewing distance and how many HDMI ports you actually need.
FAQs covering 4K vs 8K, and budget picks.
How we chose the best TVs for Australian homes
We evaluate TVs against five criteria: picture quality (contrast, peak brightness and colour accuracy), smart platform and streaming app support, connectivity (particularly HDMI 2.1 for next-gen gaming and soundbars), how well the screen size and viewing angle suit typical Australian living and media rooms, and value relative to genuinely comparable features.
Rather than backing a single SKU that changes every model year, this guide focuses on the features that separate a good TV from a great one in each category. If you want the fundamentals before you start comparing spec sheets, how screen size relates to viewing distance, what resolution you actually need, and how to read a TV's connectivity specs, our television buying guide covers the groundwork this article builds on.
Best TV overall: What to look for
An all-rounder TV needs to perform well across everyday viewing, streaming and casual gaming without overspecialising in one area. When comparing options, check for:
Panel type: a current-generation OLED panel for the best contrast and true black levels, or a Mini-LED/QLED panel if brightness in a sunlit room matters more to you than absolute contrast.
Refresh rate: 120Hz or higher, so motion stays smooth in sport, action movies and games.
HDMI 2.1 ports: at least two full-bandwidth ports, so a games console and a soundbar aren't competing for the same connection.
Smart platform: native access to the major Australian streaming apps (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Binge, ABC iview, SBS On Demand) without needing a separate streaming box.
Screen size: 55 to 65 inches suits most Australian living rooms; see our sizing guidance further down before you commit to a number.
Best OLED TV in Australia
OLED remains the top choice for anyone who prioritises picture quality over price, but not all OLED TVs are built the same, the differences show up in brightness and gaming features more than in headline resolution. Look for:
Panel generation: newer "four-stack" or tandem OLED panels run noticeably brighter than older two-stack designs, which matters if your room isn't fully darkened.
Peak brightness: measured in nits, this varies widely between OLED models and matters most for daytime viewing and HDR highlights.
Anti-glare coating: some OLED panels use a matte or polarising coating that cuts reflections in rooms with windows facing the screen, worth checking if your living room gets afternoon sun.
Refresh rate: premium OLEDs now reach up to 165Hz, a spec that benefits PC gaming more than console gaming.
Wall-mount design: flagship OLED ranges are often designed to sit flush against a wall with a slim bracket, built for a feature-wall installation.
Best budget TV under $1,000
You don't need to spend OLED money for a genuinely good picture — a well-specified LED or Mini-LED TV under $1,000 can deliver accurate colour and solid HDR handling. Here's what actually separates a good budget TV from a disappointing one:
Backlight type: a Mini-LED backlight with local dimming handles contrast far better than a basic edge-lit LED panel at this price.
Local dimming zones: more zones generally means less "blooming" (a visible glow around bright objects on a dark background).
HDR support: HDR10 and HLG are standard even at this price; Dolby Vision is a bonus rather than a given.
Smart platform: Google TV and VIDAA are the most common operating systems at this price point, both with full access to Australian streaming apps.
Screen size: 50 to 55 inches is where budget TVs tend to offer the best value; larger budget-tier panels often cut corners on brightness and processing to hit a lower price.
For a full breakdown of what to expect at every price point, our best TVs for every budget guide extends this into the $1,000–$3,000 range.
Best TV for gaming (PS5 & Xbox)
A genuinely good gaming TV comes down to a specific set of features rather than brand or price bracket, most current-generation TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony and Hisense can be strong gaming displays if they include:
Full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1: at least two ports capable of 4K at 120Hz, not just an HDMI 2.1 label on the box. Some budget TVs only enable full bandwidth on one port.
VRR (variable refresh rate): matches the TV's refresh rate to the console's frame rate to reduce screen tearing.
ALLM (auto low latency mode): automatically switches the TV into game mode the moment it detects a console, cutting input lag without you needing to change a setting.
Low input lag: look for input lag under roughly 15ms in game mode; most current OLED and gaming-focused Mini-LED TVs meet this.
High refresh rate: 120Hz as a baseline, with some premium models reaching 144Hz or higher for PC gaming.
OLED panels tend to edge out Mini-LED for gaming thanks to near-instant pixel response, but a well-specified Mini-LED gaming TV is a strong, often cheaper, alternative if you play mostly during the day. Have a look at our 65 to 74-inch TV range if you're setting up a dedicated gaming or home theatre space — that size band is the sweet spot for sitting close enough to appreciate 4K detail without turning your head to see the edges of the screen.
How many HDMI ports do you actually need?
For a PS5 or Xbox Series X plus a soundbar, two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports is the minimum; four gives you headroom for a second console, a PC, or a set-top box without unplugging anything.
Best 75-inch TV for large living rooms
Once you're shopping at 75 inches and above, viewing distance and ambient light affect picture quality more than any single spec on the box. Check for:
Viewing distance fit: sit roughly 1.5 times the screen's diagonal size away from it for comfortable 4K viewing; for a 75-inch TV, that's around 2.5 to 3 metres.
Peak brightness and anti-reflective coating: large screens in open-plan or north-facing rooms benefit from a Mini-LED or QLED panel built specifically to fight glare.
Upscaling processor quality: at this size, imperfect upscaling of lower-resolution content is far more noticeable, so processing quality matters more here than it does at 55 inches.
VESA mount rating and weight: check that your wall or TV unit can actually support the size and weight before you buy, particularly for a wall-mounted setup.
OLED vs QLED vs Mini-LED: which panel type is right for you?
The short answer: OLED gives you the best contrast and black levels for movie nights in a dim room; QLED and Mini-LED give you more brightness for daytime viewing and sport; and increasingly, the best TVs blend the two approaches rather than sitting in one camp.
OLED panels are made of self-emitting pixels, each one produces its own light and can switch off completely, which is why OLED TVs produce true black with no halo or blooming around bright objects on a dark background. The trade-off is peak brightness: even the brightest OLEDs currently on the market top out below the best Mini-LED sets, so OLED is the stronger choice for a room you can dim, like a dedicated media room or a living room with block-out curtains.
QLED is an LED-backlit LCD panel with a quantum dot filter layered over it, which widens the colour range and boosts brightness compared with a standard LED TV. It doesn't inherently improve contrast the way OLED does — a QLED TV still relies on a backlight shining through the LCD layer, so black levels depend heavily on how well that backlight is controlled behind the scenes.
Mini-LED is that backlight control, done properly. Instead of a handful of large LEDs behind the screen, a Mini-LED TV packs in thousands of much smaller LEDs organised into hundreds or thousands of independently dimmable zones. That lets the TV dim the backlight precisely behind dark parts of the image while keeping bright areas at full intensity, closing much of the gap with OLED's contrast while keeping LCD's brightness advantage. Most premium QLED TVs sold in Australia today combine QLED's colour filter with a Mini-LED backlight.
OLED | QLED | Mini-LED | |
|---|---|---|---|
Best for | Dark rooms, movies, gaming | Bright rooms, colour vibrancy | Bright rooms with strong contrast |
Black levels | Perfect (self-emitting pixels) | Good, backlight-dependent | Very good, zone-dimmed |
Peak brightness | Lower (improving each generation) | High | Highest |
Typical price | Mid to premium | Entry to premium | Mid to premium |
Watch out for | Glare in very bright rooms | Blooming around bright objects | Blooming, reduced at higher zone counts |
If you're weighing up which technology fits your room and viewing habits in more depth, our TV trends and best features guide covers newer panel technologies and smart features in more detail.
Shop the best TVs at The Good Guys
Every panel type covered here from OLED, QLED to Mini-LED is available now at The Good Guys. Browse the full television range including Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense and TCL.
FAQs
The best TV for most people is a current-generation OLED with at least two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, a 120Hz refresh rate, and native access to Australian streaming apps. If you want the best picture regardless of price, look for a premium four-stack OLED with peak brightness above roughly 1,500 nits; if budget is the priority, a Mini-LED TV around 55 inches under $1,000 covers the fundamentals well.
An LED TV is an LCD screen lit from behind by LED lights, so its black levels depend on how well that backlight is controlled, it's never truly off behind a black scene. An OLED TV has no separate backlight at all; every pixel generates and controls its own light, so it can switch off completely for true black and switch on instantly for sharp motion. In practice, that means OLED wins on contrast and motion clarity, particularly in dark rooms, while LED (and its QLED/Mini-LED variants) generally wins on peak brightness for daytime and sports viewing.
Yes! 4K is now the standard resolution across every price tier sold in Australia, from entry-level sets through to premium OLEDs, so there's effectively no reason to buy anything less. Most free-to-air and streaming content in Australia is delivered in 4K or upscaled to it, and a modern 4K TV's processing will upscale lower-resolution content noticeably better than an older set. 8K TVs exist at the very top of the market, but with almost no native 8K content available in Australia yet, they're not a practical upgrade over a good 4K set for most buyers.
Two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports cover a typical setup of one console (PS5 or Xbox Series X) plus a soundbar connected via HDMI eARC. If you're running a console and a PC, or want to add a second console or streaming box down the line without unplugging cables, look for a TV with at least four HDMI ports, and check that the 2.1 (not just 2.0) spec is confirmed on the ports you'll actually use for gaming, some budget TVs only enable full 4K/120Hz HDMI 2.1 on one or two of their total ports.
