Samsung: New Zealand’s Favourite Televisions

While most of us have shifted away from traditional free-to-air TV, preferring to shell out for Netflix, Neon, Disney+, Prime Video, AppleTV+, AMC+ (the list goes on)… the reality is that the TV itself is still at the heart of our viewing.

Sure, streaming Netflix from your laptop in bed is convenient, but a 13″ screen is hardly the best way to watch the latest blockbuster.

Thankfully, streaming your favourite shows right from your TV gets easier each year, as smart TVs, which allow you to launch your favourite streaming platform straight from the TV itself (eliminating the need to cast from your phone or laptop), are increasingly common. They’re also getting cheaper!

Not only has streaming from your TV never been easier, it’s also never looked better. Modern TVs sport sleek and (at times) subtle designs, ultra-high definition picture and sound quality, vibrant true-tone colours, and rich contrast with deep, true blacks. So the next time the screen fades to black after you’ve binged an entire series in one sitting, you won’t be faced with your own dishevelled reflection!

But if you’re choosing a new screen for your lounge room, it needs to be the right TV.

Samsung: New Zealand’s favourite TVs

To find out which TVs are the nation’s favourite, we surveyed New Zealanders who had bought a TV in the past two years, to find out how they feel about their purchase. We asked them to evaluate their purchase across the following categories:

And based on their responses, the answer is clear: Samsung is New Zealand’s favourite TV brand, and this year’s winner of Canstar Blue’s award for Most Satisfied Customers | Televisions.

In this year’s award survey, Samsung is the only provider to earn the coveted 5-Star Overall Satisfaction rating. It also earns 5 Stars for Picture Quality, Ease of Use, and Smart Compatibility. In all other categories, it earns excellent 4-Star results.

New Zealand’s favourite TVs

Here are New Zealand’s favourite TV brands, based on our survey results:

1. Samsung
2. LG
3. Panasonic
4. Sony
5. Veon

While Samsung is the winner of our Most Satisfied Customers | Televisions Award, LG, Panasonic, and Sony all earn excellent 4-Star Overall Satisfaction ratings, each also earning one or more 5-Star ratings in other categories.

Veon scores a commendable 3 Stars for Overall Satisfaction.

Top-rated TVs

Below is an overview of all the brands rated in this year’s survey, as well as some of the models on offer. Note prices listed are accurate at the time of writing and may include sale prices and discounts that are no longer offered. They should be used as a guide only.

Samsung

Samsung has almost single handily put South Korea on the map in the world of tech. One of the largest and most successful companies in the world, Samsung has been producing and exporting TVs since the 1970s, long before its Galaxy phones came to dominate the mobile phone market (alongside the iPhone).

That experience shows today, as not only are Samsung TVs some of the most loved, but they are by far the most popular. Samsung produces around a third of all TVs sold globally, and has been the world’s No.1 TV brand for the past two decades.

Samsung has a huge range of TVs that incorporates models to fit every lounge room and budget, from basic 32-inch and 43-inch full-HD models, through to giant 85-inch Neo QLED 8K sets.

The full range includes 37 models, spanning:

Popular models include:

Samsung 55” QN90BAS Neo QLED 4K ($2298*)

State-of-the-art 4K viewing delivers Samsung’s most accurate light control yet, while Quantum HDR 32x provides picture-perfect contrast. Dolby Atmos delivers a theatrical-grade audio experience.

• Quantum Matrix Technology
• Neo Quantum Processor 4K
• Quantum HDR 32X
• 4 Bezel-less
• Motion Xcelerator Turbo+
• Expert Calibration
• Ultra Viewing Angle
• OTS+
• Dolby Atmos

Samsung 55” BU8500 Crystal UHD ($1501*)

Offers a billion different colour shades for lifelike pictures, delivered in a sleek and slim design.

• Dynamic Crystal Colour
• Crystal Processor 4K
• Motion Xcelerator
• 3 Bezel-less
• Q-Symphony
• Adaptive Sound
• AirSlim
• Smart Hub
• One Remote

Samsung 50” The Frame 6 2022 QLED Smart TV ($2548*)

Designed to look like a slim picture frame, The Frame comes with the option of customisable bezels, so you can change its look to fit your décor. Quantum Dot technology delivers beautiful, true-to life colours, while realistic 3D sound makes you feel closer to the on-screen action.

• Matte Display
• Modern Customisable Frame Design
• Art Mode

(*Best online price found at time of writing. Intended as a guide, not a quote)

LG

Samsung may be the poster child of South Korea’s tech industry, but LG is no small fry. In fact, it’s the second-largest TV manufacturer in the world, behind Samsung.

LG offers several interesting and unique TVs, such as its freestanding Objet Collection Posé TV and an eyewatering 325″ (and even more eyewatering $2.4 million) customisable TV.

LG G2 OLED evo  (from $2999*)

• Available in 55″, 65″, 77″, 83″ options
• 4K SELF-LIT OLED evo for the most advanced and brightest LG OLED picture
• α9 Gen 5 AI Processor can enhance objects in the foreground and background to add natural depth to images, and helps make colours appear vivid and accurate
• Self-lit pixels can achieve the deepest blacks, for extreme contrast
• Dynamic Tone Mapping Pro
• AI Sound Pro transforms 2-channel audio into virtual 7.1.2 channel sound
• Smart TV with built-in Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+

Panasonic

Japanese manufacturer Panasonic earns two standout 5-Star results, for Picture Quality and Value for Money. In all other categories measured, it scores 4 Stars.

Panasonic JZ2000 4K OLED (from $3100*)

The JZ2000 is Panasonic’s flagship TV, its key features include:

• Available in 55″, 65″ options
• Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive
• Unique 360ﾟSoundscape Pro integrated audio system with 125w Dolby Atmos Up & Side Firing Speakers, and a built in Subwoofer
• Filmmaker Mode sets the film’s colour palette, contrast, aspect ratio and frame rate as the director envisaged
• HCX Pro AI Processor instantly analyses the picture; finesses colour accuracy, contrast and clarity

Sony

Sony is one of the largest TV manufacturers in the world, behind only Samsung and LG in terms of market share. It scores strongly for performance, earning 5 Stars for both Picture and Sound Quality. It does, however, earn just 3 Stars for Value for Money.

Sony scores 4 Stars in all other categories measured.

Sony’s Bravia range offers excellent value for money, with models starting from just $595! However, for those wanting something that offers all the bells and whistles, without breaking the bank, the X75K range is an excellent choice.

Sony X75K 4K Ultra HD | High Dynamic Range (HDR) | Smart TV (From $888*)

• Available in 40″, 43″, 55″, 65″ options.
• Images filmed in 2K and even HD are upscaled close to 4K levels of detail by 4K X-Reality PRO
• Motionflow XR creates and inserts extra frames between the original ones for smooth and sharp details even in fast-moving sequences
• Clear Phase technology analyses physical speaker response and compares it to the original audio signal, across a range of frequencies. This data is used to cancel out any peaks or dips in the speaker’s natural response to give pure, natural audio with smooth, even reproduction of all frequencies

Veon

Veon TVs are a range of budget-friendly TVs exclusive to the Warehouse. While marketed as a cost-friendly alternative, many models offer the latest technologies seen on more expensive models, such as 4K picture quality, smart compatibility and voice control.

In this year’s survey, Veon earns 4 Stars for both Picture Quality and Value for Money, and 3 Stars in all other categories.

Veon 4K Ultra HD Google Smart TV (from $749*)

• Available in 55″, 65″, 75″, 85″ options.
• Ultra HD 4K Quality with boundless screen 4.0: Edge to Edge glass design
• HDR10: HDR10 creates a realistic picture, which is closer to that seen by human eyes
• Just say “Hey Google”. Go Hands-free and let Google help you out
• Your favourite media apps built-in Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney +
• Dolby Digital Plus: Dolby Digital Plus is an advanced surround sound audio technology that enables the Dolby Audio experience across home theatres, smartphones and operating systems
• Freeview live TV, Bluetooth 5.0, Chromecast built-in, Smart TV with wi-fi and ARC (Audio Return Channel)

To learn more about our Televisions Award click here

About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Andrew Broadley. Andrew is an experienced writer with a wide range of industry experience. Starting out, he cut his teeth working as a writer for print and online magazines, and he has worked in both journalism and editorial roles. His content has covered lifestyle and culture, marketing and, more recently, finance for Canstar.