How Consumer Reports Tests TVs - Consumer Reports

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Televisions

CR tech testing two televisions.

Photo: Consumer Reports

Join the CR TV test team for a tour of the labs and a peek at some of the many tests that form our evaluations.

Did you know?

CR staff shoppers buy every product we use as a test sample from retail stores, helping maintain our objectivity and independence.

Meet the TV Team

Matt Ferretti

TV Testing Project Leader

Samantha Ostrander

TV Testing Assistant Project Leader

Cristian Corrales

Senior TV Technician

Dan Kahl

Senior TV Technician

James K. Willcox

Senior Electronics Editor

Overall Picture Quality

We make sure each TV can display all the detail in high-definition and UHD (4K) content. We measure luminance (brightness) and color temperature, then use test patterns to determine the accuracy of black levels, contrast, and colors. TV show and movie clips are also used to make sure each TV looks as good as the test patterns would indicate.

HDR Performance

A TV needs to be able to get very bright to present a satisfying HDR experience. We measure brightness using a $40,000 Photo Research PR-740 spectroradiometer, and evaluate HDR using both test patterns and movie clips. We see how well a set does in both very dark and very bright scenes, using clips with an extended range of colors.

TV set displaying test pattern image and overlay of Overall Score with a bar representing test scores range — Models are assigned an Overall Score—a combination of test and consumer survey results—and ranked in relation to how they perform within a group.
Source: Consumer Reports

Viewing Angle and Motion Blur

Picture quality is evaluated from both horizontal and vertical viewing angles for color accuracy and contrast. The picture is compared with the image when standing directly in front of the screen to determine how much the quality has deteriorated. Motion-blur tests reveal how well a TV can produce a blur-free image.

Sound Quality

Good sound is important. We evaluate this using a TV’s built-in speakers with testing by a trained listening panel, supported by audio test equipment. We listen for overall quality, how much bass the set can produce, and how loudly the TV can play without distortion.

Performance isn’t the whole story.

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