Okay okay okay I know I said specs don’t matter… they do, but not in the way showrooms make you think. I’ve lived in loads of shared houses, worked from home for years as a video editor, musician, and producer, and built home studios in five different places. None of them looked like a showroom. Lighting’s weird, sofas aren’t centred, and sometimes the TV’s next to a kitchen.

These are TVs that actually work in real living rooms. Normal lighting. Normal budgets. Normal chaos.

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Samsung 55″ Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV

This is one of those “just works” TVs. Bright enough for daytime viewing, solid colours, no faffing. I’ve edited video all day then crashed on the sofa with this and it’s incredddible value for the price. No gimmicks, just reliable.

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LG 55″ OLED Smart TV

Yes it’s pricier, but wait wait wait just bare with me on this. OLED makes movies and gaming look unreal even in average lighting. Blacks are actually black. Perfect if your living room doubles as a chill zone + late-night movie cave.

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Sony 55″ BRAVIA LED 4K TV

Sony TVs just feel… balanced. Great motion for sport, good sound out of the box, and natural colours (important if you’re used to editing screens). I’ve had one in a shared house and everyone agreed on it. Rare win.

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Hisense 55″ ULED Smart TV

Amazinnngg if you want big screen energy without big screen money. Bright, punchy, and great for streaming. I’ve cooked, baked, edited, and watched YouTube all day with this on in the background. Does the job properly.

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TCL 55″ QLED Smart TV

This one surprised me. QLED brightness helps loads in rooms with windows everywhere (aka most houses). Good contrast, easy setup, and feels modern without overcomplicating things. Game changer for bright living rooms.

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Final thoughts (real talk)

If your TV sits in a normal living room — next to a dining table, kitchen, plants, guitars, cables, whatever — you don’t need showroom perfection. You need good brightness, decent sound, and something that doesn’t stress you out every time you turn it on.

These are all TVs I’d happily live with. And trust me, I’ve lived with a lot of setups.

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