Need to know
- TVs with smaller screens are a better choice for compact living spaces or for use in the bedroom or spare room
- We test a wide range of televisions in our labs of all sizes and for all budgets, assessing their performance on things such as picture and audio quality, ease of use and energy efficiency
- Exclusively for CHOICE members, our experts reveal three of the best small TVs for less than $1000
If you're after a smaller TV for a cosy apartment or bedroom, or you just don't want a behemoth screen taking over your living room, you'll probably be considering a television with a screen of around 32–50 inches.
Bigger isn't always better, especially in smaller spaces: sit too close to a large-screen TV and all you'll see are the small pixels that make up the screen, rather than a crisp picture.
Bigger isn't always better, especially in smaller spaces
But will you have to downsize your expectations when opting for a petite telly? Not really, our experts say.
"Although these more compact models don't usually come with 4K resolution, you wouldn't really notice the higher video resolution in a screen that's less than 42 inches anyway," says CHOICE TV expert Denis Gallagher.
"And smaller televisions can still offer great viewing performance for SD video (watching DVDs) and HD video (for Blu-ray movies)."
How to pick the right size
When considering the size of the TV you need, you should think about the size of the room and how far away from the screen you'll be sitting. Basically, the larger the TV, the further away you'll need to sit for a good viewing experience.
A 127cm/50" high-definition TV (1920 x 1080 pixels) will look fine from two metres away, for example. But if the space between your sofa and screen is less than that, a smaller TV is the way to go if you don't want to be watching a blurry, pixelated mess.
The larger the TV, the further away you'll need to sit, so a smaller TV is the best option for small spaces.
Cheap but not always cheerful
Smaller models start at around the $250–400 mark, but Denis says there are plenty of average buys out there you should be wary of, regardless of price.
Our experts spend hours in our technology labs testing the audio and picture quality of a wide range of television models, and we also look at model specifications and features, how easy they are to use and energy efficiency.
We see some brands performing well fairly consistently, while others continually fail to impress
CHOICE TV expert Denis Gallagher
"We test TVs of all sizes, from 74-inch giants through to smaller TVs with screen sizes of 50 inches or less," says Denis.
"In the smaller screen category we see some brands performing well fairly consistently, while others continually fail to impress."
To help you find a blockbuster, you can sort our expert TV reviews by price, size, brand, picture quality score, display type and more.
The best small TVs under $1000
If you're after a quality small TV with a small price to match, check out these options that'll give you the best picture for the least cash.
Our detailed TV testing data is available exclusively for CHOICE members. If you're not yet a member, join CHOICE to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.
Or log in to unlock this article to see the best small TVs on a budget.
Our TV expert has rounded up three small TVs that scored well in our testing, but which cost less than $1000 – these are the ones to watch.
Unlock this article and more
- Information you can trust
- See the best brands
- Avoid the worst performers
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
