Best large-screen TVs under £800

Round-up reviews let you compare four related products and find out which one is best for you

Last updated: 23 May 2008

We used to be told that £1,000 was the sweet spot for TV purchases. But with oncoming financial trouble and a massive reduction in the cost of TVs, we think you can get more than enough performance out of £800, and we aren't into wasting your money for you.

The four TVs on this list represent the best quality sets for the smallest price. They may not all feature top of the range numbers, but we assure you that there's smashing value to be had here.

We like the Toshiba Regza 37XV505D because it's stylish, well-specified and displays 1080p pictures. Despite a reasonably modest price, we think this TV has what it takes to keep even the pickiest of home-cinema fans happy. There aren't masses of features to talk about, but what it does, it does well, so it gets our vote.

It's not that new anymore, but the Samsung LE40M87 remains a sturdy and high-quality 1080p TV. We really liked the picture quality of this set, but we'll admit that sound performance isn't the greatest, so perhaps consider buying a 2.1 or 5.1 sound system to augment it.

The LG 42LT75 is another one of our much-loved sets. This one has a little trick up its sleeve, though. Not only is it a 42-inch monster, it's also got a built-in 160GB PVR, so you can record all your favourite shows, without the hassle of an external recorder. We really like the styling of the LT75, as well as the picture and sound quality. This would make a great addition to any living room.

But finally, possibly our favourite TV at the moment also happens to be a total bargain. The Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80B might only be a 720p screen, but it offers pretty remarkable performance and a decent-sized screen too, which is a real bonus. The PX80 will also accept 1080p/24 inputs, which it downscales internally. You can pick this screen up online for around £650, and if you're a film fan, we'd suggest it's a great option. And for this price, you can upgrade again in a few years, once the economy has settled down.

Editing by Jon Squire

Latest Videos

Compare Products

	Toshiba Regza 37XV505D	Samsung LE40M87	LG 42LT75	Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80B
Review date	25 Apr 08	7 Dec 07	21 Jan 08	11 Apr 08
Editors' rating	8.0	8.0	8.0	8.5
Price range	£537.99 - £668.55	£800	£626.00 - £749.99	£619.00 - £909.11
Review summary	The Toshiba Regza 37XV505D is a strong performer, with attractive styling and a reasonable amount of features and connectivity, too. Overall, it does a great job of pretty much everything Read full review	If you want a 1080p screen at a remarkably low price, this is probably the TV for you. It's a good performer and beautifully designed. It has a few annoying quirks, but it's a solid LCD television Read full review	It turns out that Freeview Playback is a really substantial addition to the terrestrial digital tuner proposition, so much so that it almost elevates the 42LT75 to somewhere around the top of any Freeview TV audition list. It also produces LG's finest LCD pictures to date Read full review	This isn't the most stylish TV and it isn't crammed with state-of-the-art features, but it is a solid, high-quality plasma TV that we wouldn't hesitate to spend our own money on Read full review
User rating		8.0	2.0
Product Type	LCD	LCD	LCD	Plasma
Diagonal size	37 in.	40 in.	42 in.	42 in.
Image aspect ratio	16:9	16:9	16:9	16:9
Resolution	1920 x 1080 pixels	1920 x 1080 pixels	1366 x 768 pixels	1024 x 768 pixels
Image contrast ratio	30,000:1	15,000:1	8000:1	15,000:1
Screen brightness	500 cd/m2	550 cd/m2	500 cd/m2	n/a
Speakers included	2	2	2	2
Sky High Definition compatible	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dual TV Tuner	n/a	n/a	Yes	n/a
	Full specification	Full specification	Full specification	Full specification