With a jam-packed summer of sports on the horizon you may be in search of a screen that's going to deliver all the live action in its full vibrant glory. The upcoming Boxing Day sales can be a great time to pick up a bargain, but how do you tell the winners from the losers?
When it comes to how well TVs perform in particular for watching sport, CHOICE experts have found there are some star players you can rely on, as well as others you probably want to leave on the bench.
Our lab experts test models specifically for sport as part of their comprehensive TV reviews, so we asked them to reveal the top performers and the ones that belong in the sin bin.
Here's what you need to know about buying the best TV for sports viewing, and the models sports lovers will definitely want to avoid.
Plus, exclusively for CHOICE members, we'll reveal which TVs scored the best for sports viewing in our expert testing.
If you just want to get straight to the best TVs for watching sports, you can jump to the results now.
Remember, sports viewing is just one criteria to consider when choosing a TV. Join CHOICE to see our full TV reviews, which assess picture quality, energy consumption, user interface, remote controls, key features and more.
On this page:
- What's the best TV size for watching sport?
- How to buy a good TV for watching sports
- How to test a TV for sports instore
- Should you use the 'sports' picture mode?
- What are the TVs sports lover should avoid?
- What are the best TVs for watching sport?
What's the best TV size for watching sport?
Bigger is always better, right? Not always with TVs, because it also depends on your room size and how close you like to be to the TV when you watch. If you sit too close to a massive screen, you may be able to see the pixels – and that's not pretty.
There are three key factors to consider for the best viewing experience.
- Your TV's screen resolution (HD or 4K)
- The size of your room
- How far you sit from the screen
What is the best screen size for a high-definition (HD) TV?
What is the best screen size for an ultra high-definition TV (UHD aka 4K)
There are a few other factors that can help you fine tune the optimal position. Positioning the TV at the correct height and adjusting your seating position for the best field of view are aspects that people tend to overlook, but they're no less important.
For a full guide on how to measure and pick the right TV size, check out our in-depth guide.
How to buy a good TV for watching sports
Know your source
Before buying a new TV, you need to know the broadcast quality of your favourite sports. Are they shown in SD (720 x 576 pixels), HD (1920 x 1080) or ultra high definition (UHD), aka 4K (3860 x 2160)? The answer will vary depending on the sport and whether it's being broadcast on free-to-air or on an online streaming service.
If you're watching an SD broadcast on an HD TV, it needs to upscale the video to display at the higher resolution. How well it bridges this gap depends heavily on the quality of the unit and its internal processors.
This can vary notably between models and definitions, which is why we score separately for SD and HD sources during testing.
OLED or LCD – which is better?
According to our experts, OLED is the MVP (i.e. the best choice), particularly if you can control the ambient light in your TV room. But these are usually more expensive, so it will depend on your budget.
If you plan to use your TV in a room with lots of natural light or undercover outdoors, it may be worth looking into an LCD model
What's the difference? Well, LCD (liquid-crystal display) TVs require a light source behind their screen panel, meaning they can go very dark grey but never full black. By comparison, OLED (organic light emitting diode) screens have lights integrated within each diode and they can simply turn off when required, giving you true blacks.
The trade-off is that OLED TVs aren't quite as bright as LCDs. The difference used to be significant, but OLEDs have improved a lot in recent years with much brighter screens. Now these TVs are much easier to watch during the day.
Still, if you plan to use your TV in a room with lots of natural light or undercover outdoors, it may be worth looking into an LCD model.
Suss the screen angle
Got friends coming round regularly for the footy? Then you'll want to test the screen angle and ensure they'll all be able to see well.
You may be distracted by objects around the TV if you sit too far back.
As you move sideways from the centre of the screen, most TVs will lose some colour and contrast. Stand in the middle of the screen at your normal viewing distance and then take a few steps sideways.
If the picture degrades too much, keep moving till you find a screen that does a better job. Your friends will thank you.
How to test a TV for sports instore
Retailers usually play animated movies on instore TVs because they look amazing. Sport is a completely different ball game, so switch to a match or race to truly test their mettle. If that's not possible, you could take in your own sports footage on a thumb drive or disc.
Retailers usually play animated movies on instore TVs, so switch to a match or race to truly test their mettle
Evaluate key specs such as picture clarity (are the numbers on jerseys sharp?), motion, and colour balance (do skin tones look right?). Cycle through picture modes and note nasties such as judder (lack of smooth panning), motion blur (trailing elements behind fast-moving objects) and odd saturation.
Store TVs are often muted too, so turn the volume up if you can and study the sound. Is it rich or tinny? How do commentators' voices sound? If it's ordinary, you might need to buy an accompanying soundbar too.
Should you use the 'sports' picture mode?
Most TVs include a 'sports' mode in the picture settings. This increases brightness and saturation so everything has more visual impact, though the colours may not be entirely accurate. It can also activate motion smoothing depending on the brand and model.
This can be a useful setting if the TV is hard to see on a bright day. But 'sports' mode isn't essential and whether it provides a better viewing experience will really depend on your personal preference.
Though film buffs rightfully recoil at the idea of motion smoothing, sports action like fast moving players or a ball flying across a field can be easier to view with this setting turned on. Give it a go and if it's not to your liking, switch over to another picture mode.
Note, we test all TVs in the default picture settings. This is usually 'standard' mode, not sports.
What are the TVs sports lover should avoid?
Listen up sports fans, these TVs will have your family and friends screaming from the stands – and not in a good way. Avoid them if you're looking for a TV best suited to sports.
Sony KD75X77L
Very large-screen TV
Sony KD75X77L
- SD viewing score for sport: 55%
- HD viewing score for sport: 70%
- Price: $1499
The sub-$1500 price tag for a TV of this size is very tempting but if you want a big screen for watching sport, this ain't it. In fact, it didn't do very well in any of our picture quality tests.
Footage in 4K looks good, but SD and HD are only OK, though HD does perform better for sports broadcasts. Still, the TV falls short of the kind of quality you want to show off when everyone comes around to watch the Boxing Day Test.
While smart TV functions are excellent, the electronic program guide (EPG) is average. It doesn't support Freeview so navigating the list of channels to see what's on it is an overall poor experience.
Read the full Sony KD75X77L review.
Hisense 65U6NAU
Large-screen TV
Hisense 65U6NAU
- SD viewing score for sport: 45%
- HD viewing score for sport: 60%
- Price: $1395
This Hisense TV has very good 4K picture quality which could be a point in its favour given how much sport is actually broadcast or streamed in UHD/4K these days. But SD and HD quality are so comparatively low, you're going to have a pretty average afternoon watching the footy in anything but 4K.
Though the built-in speaker has warm vocals and good detail overall, it can be a bit harsh and boomy at times. Occasionally the TV case even rattles which is not what you want to hear when a full stadium starts cheering.
It's really just a middle-of-the-road TV. There are better options out there for a similar price.
Read the full Hisense 65U6NAU review.
Bauhn (Aldi, with WebOS) ATV55UHDW-0124
Medium-screen TV
Bauhn (Aldi, with WebOS) ATV55UHDW-0124
- SD viewing score for sport: 65%
- HD viewing score for sport: 70%
- Price: $479
Now yes, this TV is affordable and yes, you might be thinking "hey, it still got a good score in the HD sports viewing panel". But these points aren't enough to push this TV over the line into being a model that's worth considering.
While it does present a good HD sports picture, overall SD and HD performance for content like movies and shows is only OK. Also, the 4K picture is weirdly green by default and it takes some fiddling to fix. Sound quality is also a bit harsh with very little warmth and lacking punch.
Read the full Bauhn (Aldi, with WebOS) ATV55UHDW-0124 review.
What are the best TVs for watching sport?
In our extensive TV lab testing, our team of experts score every model for sports in both standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) as part of our assessment of various content, which also includes DVD and Blu-ray movies and broadcast SD and HD TV series. The image quality is compared with our reference TV and the colour accuracy is compared with our reference 4K OLED Sony monitor.
We watch footage from an AFL game recorded from a live TV broadcast. This is from the same game broadcast on SD and HD channels.
Usually, each model's sports scores are simply factored into their CHOICE Expert Rating. But as a special treat for sports lovers, we're revealing these dedicated scores so you can see the players that truly give 110% (or closest to it).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, from fridges and freezers, toasters and air fryers, kettles and cots, and more.
Or log in to unlock this article and find out which TVs scored best specifically for sports viewing
Unlock this article and more
- Information you can trust
- See the best brands
- Avoid the worst performers
