Don't buy the wrong TV: model names explained

In a few hundred thousand years some archaeologists will unearth an ancient shop, buried deep underground, known mysteriously as 'Currys'. Inside they'll find rows of ancient artefacts: dead-black windows with antiquated cords for power.

Our distant descendants will pour over their cryptic names like it's a new Rosetta Stone: 'What do these symbols mean? And why in this order?'

It's a question we already ask, and we're the TV experts. Take the LG 43UQ80006LB and the LG 43UP80006LA – what's the difference there?

At a glance their names are almost identical. Both are made by LG (that's the easy bit), but there's plenty more the name call tell you – from the year it was released, to its size, spec and beyond.

It’s even more important to understand TV naming conventions as we approach Black Friday: you don’t want to end up spending money on what appeared to be a great deal for the latest TV, only to discover you’ve ended up with last year’s model.

Keep reading and you'll be a code-breaking TV-buyer in no time. 

Best TV deals – buying a TV this Black Friday? Make sure you come to us to find the best bargains

How to decipher the big brands' TV model names

With the leading brands releasing close to 200 TVs every year, there are plenty of confusing model names flying about. But they aren't difficult to figure out once you know what the letters and numbers mean.

Your newfound knowledge will really come into its own when you start to compare multiple models from the same manufacturer. You'll be able to spot what sets two TVs apart and where they sit in the manufacturer's line-up.

What's more, since brands have fixed conventions and rarely deviate from them, these tips will be relevant for years to come. 

LG TV model names explained

LG's TV naming conventions differ slightly depending what sort of screen you're buying: LCD, NanoCell or OLED.

LG's LCD model names 

For an LCD TV from LG, the first number is the screen size. That's then followed by letters, which relate to the year. For 2022 that's 'Q' and in 2023 it's R.

Next you have a series of numbers that denote what range the TV belongs to. Usually, the lower the number the more basic the TV. You won't necessarily know if this number is high or low on its own, but you'll be able to quickly compare it alongside other similar LG TVs.

Finally, there's a string of letters and numbers, which relate to a variant (such as a retailer-specific model or a different colour option). There's no real logic to this section, but if you see two TVs where everything else is the same other than these final letters and numbers, it's likely the same TV with some design differences.

So, if we look at the LG 43UQ80006LB again, we know it's a 43-inch LCD TV from 2022. And when we compare it to similar models from LG's line-up, the '8000' tells us it's one of LG's lower spec TVs. 

It's a similar story in 2023. The 50UR80006LJ is a 50-inch LCD TV from 2023.

Want to find out how it actually performs? You'll need to read our full LG 43UQ80006LB review.

LG's NanoCell model names

LG's mid-range sets have NanoCell displays. They're easy to tell apart from LCD and OLED LGs because they helpfully have 'NANO' in the name; otherwise, they are pretty much the same. The first number is still the screen size, then you have a number denoting its position in the grand scheme of NanoCell TVs released that year, and finally there's a pair of letters for the release year.

Let's look at the LG 55NANO786QA. We know it's a 55-inch NanoCell TV that's from 2022 (that's the 'QA' bit: one of the letters is different, but the 'Q' is the same as we saw in the LCD model). When comparing it alongside other LG NanoCell TVs, the '786' tells us it's one of the more basic NanoCell models (we know this because LG also has the LG 55NANO816QA). 

Just like with the LCD models, LG's new NanoCell TVs will likely end in 'RA' rather than 'QA' to denote they are 2023 models.

Of course, just because a manufacturer deems a TV to be more advanced in terms of spec, that doesn't necessarily mean better quality. You'll need to read our LG 55NANO786QA review to find out that.

LG's OLED model names

LG's most high-end TVs have OLED displays and, aside from a few differences, they mirror its NanoCell range in terms of naming convention.

They have 'OLED' in the name rather than 'NANO', and instead of using letters to signify the year they use numbers. So a 2022 TV has a '2', such as the LG OLED55C26LD, while the OLED55C14LB is from 2021 and the OLED55C34LA is from 2023. 

The letter in the OLED name tells you how high-end it is, with letters later in the alphabet denoting a higher spec: the C2 is more high-end than the A2, for example.

Panasonic model names explained

Panasonic makes LCD and OLED TVs, but there isn't as much deviation in naming as you find with LG. 

They all start with TX, which is a code that denotes a UK model. You then get the screen size, along with a letter for the year and another for the screen type:

• LS – a 2022 Full HD or HD Ready TV
• LX – a 2022 4K LCD TV
• LZ – a 2022 4K OLED TV

The 'L' in the screen type code shows you it's a 2022 model. We expect 2023 models to be MS, MX and MZ.

Finally, you have a number. The bigger the number, the more high-end the TV.

So the Panasonic TX-65LZ2000B is a very high-end 65-inch OLED from 2022, while the TX-43LX650BZ is a 43-inch LCD TV from the bottom of Panasonic's line-up.

Panasonic has yet to fully announce its 2023 lineup, but it's likely that the naming convention will remain the same, but the 'L' in the TV names will be replaced with 'M'.

Looking for a TV but on a tight budget? We reveal the best cheap TVs under £300, £500 and £1,000

Samsung model names explained

Samsung has four different display types: LCD, QLED, Neo QLED and OLED (bit excessive, but there you go).

The names all start with two letters, which give you an idea of what the display type is, followed by the screen size and then a letter and number that confirms the display type and position in the line-up. The final letter denotes the year it was released.

There are differences though, which we'll explain by breaking down each screen type for you.

• LCD – Samsung UE65CU8000: the 'U' means it's an LCD TV, the 65 is the screen size. C is for 2023 (in 2022 it was B). The 8000 is at the lower end of Samsung's LCD ranges, so we know it's likely to be one of the cheaper models.
• QLED – Samsung QE65Q65C: it's a QLED of some sort as it starts with 'QE'. Then we know it's a 65-inch set. The Q65C confirms it's a basic QLED (not Neo QLED) and the '65' is a low number, so it's a cheaper QLED model. Finally we have the 'C' so it's a 2022 TV.
• Neo QLED – Samsung QE65QN95C: It's the same as a standard QLED, but the 'QN' in the middle tells you it's a Neo QLED.
• OLED – perhaps the weirdest of all is the OLED. It's the same a QLED, but rather than 'Q' or QN' you just get an 'S'. Very mysterious.

Samsung TVs are sometimes listed with a series of letters and numbers at the end of their name. These denote retailer and design, but won't make a difference to the workings of the TV, so if the rest of the name is the same then it's the same TV.

Sony model names explained

Sony has LCD and OLED models, and the naming convention is similar for both.

The first two letters are associated with the processor powering the TV. 'XR' means the TV has Sony's high-end XR processor and 'KD' ones don't. 

Then you get the screen size, followed by the screen type ('A' means OLED and 'X' means LCD) and then the range – as usual, the higher the number, the more high-end the TV. 

So, the Sony KD-55X85K is a mid-range 55-inch LCD TV, while the XR-55A80K is a 55-inch mid-range OLED TV.

The K at the end tells us it's from 2022. In 2021 it was 'JU' and in 2023 it will likely be 'L' or 'LU', but we don't know this for sure yet as Sony hasn't released any of its 2023 models.

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Fixed rules on TV names

There are other brands that do things slightly differently, but there are some consistent rules to help you.

• The first number is always the screen size.
• Brands use the alphabet or numbers to denote a year of release, so a model with 'J' in the name released before one with 'K' The only exception is when the letters reset, like when Samsung went back to 'A' three years ago.
• Some letters are skipped to avoid confusion, so you won't see an 'I' or 'O' denoting a year of release, since they can be mixed up with one and zero.
• TVs rarely stay on sale beyond 20 months, so you won't need to decipher a model from half a decade ago when you're shopping.

All our TV reviews tell you what year a model was released, so you can easily keep track and make sure you're looking at a TV from this year or earlier.

How to make sure you're buying the right TV

All our TV reviews have buying links that take you directly to the page for that specific TV on the retailer sites. However, if you've seen a deal on a different site (or just want to double-check), there's an easy way to make sure you're buying the right TV. 

1. Highlight the TV model name from our review or advice guide.
2. Press 'Crtl+C' to copy it (on mobile devices, tap and hold the name, then select copy).
3. Go to the retailer website and press 'Crtl+F' to open the search window (on mobiles, tap the three-dot menu and select 'Find in Page', or similar).
4. Hit 'Ctrl+P' to paste the TV name into the search field (on mobiles, tap and hold the search field, then select Paste).
5. If the TV you want is on the page, it will be highlighted and you'll be brought to that point on the webpage automatically (you may need to open the tech spec section on the website to reveal the full model name).

Note that some retailers have specific variants with names that almost exactly match the name you've copied from our website, just with a few extra letters on the end. In most cases, this is still the same TV, but may be a different colour or have a different stand. We recommend contacting the retailer to confirm.

So why are TV model names so complex?

Once you know what everything means, they really aren't that complicated. It's easy for us to see of course, as we've been reviewing TVs for years. But everything in the name has a purpose and now you know what the purpose is.

With manufacturers releasing so many TVs every year, it wouldn't be feasible for them to come up with memorable names for each model. It's also useful to have key information available in the model name – after all, Samsung could call it's next QLED 'Clive', but it wouldn't tell you anything about the TV or how it sits in Samsung's overall line-up.