Compare Televisions in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Samsung, Sony, LG, TCL, Veon and Panasonic were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Ease of Use, Picture Quality, Sound Quality, Smart Compatibility and Value for Money.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Kiwi consumers are switched on to Samsung’s televisions, rated No.1 for consumer satisfaction.
Our review compares televisions on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared television brands before you go ahead and make a purchase. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest mates which television brand they think is best!
Canstar surveyed 833 Kiwis who had purchased a new TV in the past two years and asked for their feedback on their choice of TV brand.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their television brands from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
This is the fifth time in the past eight years that Kiwis have rated Samsung the nation’s top TV brand. And Samsung wins its fifth award on the back of a near perfect set of consumer ratings.
Samsung earns top 5-Star scores in each of our ratings categories, except for Value for Money, for which it earns a great 4-Star ratings.
Overall, Samsung earns more 5-Star ratings than the other five brands on our award table combined.
Samsung has a huge range of TVs that incorporates models to fit every lounge room and budget, from basic 32″ and 43″ full-HD models, through to giant 98″ QLED 4K sets.
The full range spans:
QLED TVs
Crystal UHD TVs
OLED TVs
8K TVs
4K TVs
Full HD TVs
Sony’s Bravia range of televisions are known for their great picture quality and sophisticated styling. The Bravia range features screens from 43″ to 77″ and covers:
Mini LED TVs
OLED TVs
QLED TVs
4K Ultra HD TVs
Samsung
LG is a South Korean electronics brand that produces an extensive range of televisions and soundbars. LG’s range features screens from 48″ to 98″ and covers:
OLED TVs
QNED TVs
UHD 4K TVs
Ultra big TVs
Chinese brand TCL is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of consumer electronics. TCL’s range features screens from 40″ to 115″ and covers:
Mini LED TVs
QLED Smart TVs
4K Smart TVs
Veon televisions are sold exclusively through The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery. Veon’s range features screens from 24″ to 75″ and covers:
HD TVs
Full HD TVs
4K Ultra HD Smart TVs
Panasonic is a brand that has a long history of making quality home appliances and electronic goods. Panasonic’s range features screens from 42″ to 77″ and covers:
4K OLED & LED TVs
Mini LED and Full Array TVs
Full HD LED TVs
One of the more surprising findings of Canstar’s latest TV Award research is that Picture Quality isn’t the most important factor for TV consumers. It sits in third place, behind Value for Money, which is always an important factor cited in our consumer research, and Ease of Use.
Ease of Use is a clear concern, and for good reason. Televisions get daily use and must be easy to use. If you’re watching TV, you want to be able to switch to a desired channel easily and make use of your set’s full range of functions. Ease of Use is obviously a big concern for Kiwis, and our award-winner Samsung is the only TV brand to earn a top 5-Star rating in that category.
Overall, here’s what the consumers in our research cite as the most important factors when rating their TV brands:
TV resolution is measured by the number of pixels (tiny dots) that make up a model’s display. The greater the number of pixels, the higher the resolution. The pixel count is expressed as width by height (for instance, a display with 1920 x 1080 pixels has a total of 2,073,600 pixels).
Resolutions have evolved in recent years. From SD (standard definition) through to HD (high definition) and beyond, as manufacturers have set about bringing models with ever improved image quality to market.
The following are the resolution types typically found across the current generation of TVs.
Full high definition (commonly referred to as FHD or 1080p) comprises a display resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This is an extremely common display resolution. However, it has been well and truly superseded in recent years. But, if you’re on a budget, it remains a good option.
Ultra high definition (UHD) and 4K refer to the same resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), with the two terms often used interchangeably. UHD/4K has become the standard display resolution, and many streaming providers offer it as an option.
Takes it to the next level, offering a resolution of 7680 x 4320 (four times that of UHD/4K). As it stands, 8K TVs are by and large significantly more expensive than UHD/4K TVs. It’s also important to consider that there is currently a dearth of actual 8K content available. Even if you own an 8K TV, the content you’re watching probably won’t be broadcast in 8K.
While manufacturers apply all manner of acronyms to their TV displays, it typically boils down to a choice of either an LCD or OLED screen.
While LCD displays have dominated the wider market to this point, higher-end OLED displays are becoming an increasingly popular option.
LCD stands for liquid crystal display. And this technology is used by a broad range of manufacturers, so there are plenty of options to choose from. As the name indicates, an LCD display harnesses liquid crystal technology to produce images.
The terms LCD and LED (light-emitting diode) are often used interchangeably. However, it’s important to note that LED TVs are simply a specific type of LCD TV. They simply use LED technology to provide the backlighting.
OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode. It’s a comparatively new technology that has carved out a niche at the higher end of the TV market.
Unlike LCD displays, OLED displays do not require a backlight. This paves the way for thinner displays, as the display itself emits light. In terms of picture quality, OLEDs consistently rank as the better of the two display types.
Expect to pay significantly more for an OLED display, as higher quality typically comes with a higher price tag.
Cleaning your television regularly will help to extend its lifespan and ensure you get to watch your favourite shows without dust, fingerprints or streaks getting in the way. Thankfully, compared to other items around the house, cleaning a TV requires the least amount of products, if any, and involves minimal elbow grease.
You should clean your television, speaker system and remote every week to avoid a monstrous buildup of dust and greasy marks that can make it more difficult to clean later on. Fortunately, the cleaning process is simple and shouldn’t take up too much of your time.
Cleaning your television regularly will not only improve your watching experience but will also extend its lifespan. A simple clean once a week is all you will need to reap these life prolonging benefits.
This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Caitlin Bingham. Caitlin is an experienced writer whose passion for creativity led her to study communication and journalism. She began her career freelancing as a content writer, before joining the Canstar team.
Canstar Blue surveyed 2500 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Pureprofile. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who had purchased a new TV in the past three months. In this case, 833 New Zealanders.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
The past winners from Canstar Blue’s TV ratings:
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