I'm a TV reviewer — here's the one type of TV I wouldn't buy

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Every year, I watch, test and play video games on countless TVs. Although it’s easy to geek out about the best TVs in the world, the truth is, I have a deep appreciation for affordable TVs, too.

There is an important distinction between the best TV money can buy and the best TV for you. After all, everyone’s budget and lifestyle is different.

But while plenty of budget-friendly, ultra-affordable TVs are winners, there’s one type of TV I can never see myself buying again: edge-lit LED TVs.

What are the disadvantages of edge-lit LED TVs?

As the name suggests, edge-lit LED TVs illuminate the picture using LEDs from the edge of the panel rather than directly behind the screen. It’s a relatively affordable way to produce LCD/LED TVs and, in many cases, it allows for a thinner design. Unfortunately, it’s not without some performance-related issues.

To understand why edge-lit displays struggle compared to higher-end display technologies, let’s take a look at the cream of the LED TV crop: the Mini-LED TV.

Mini-LED TVs tend to look more impressive than their edge-lit LED counterparts for three reasons: the placement of the LEDs, the size of the LEDs and the amount of LEDs.

TV backlight styles — (Image credit: LG)

Unlike edge-lit models, Mini-LED sets house their backlights behind the screen, shortening the distance travelled by light. Picture a glowing spacecraft surrounded by the darkness of space. During this type of scene, a TV needs to illuminate the spacecraft while keeping the surrounding area as dark as possible.

With an edge-lit TV, light from the edge of the panel needs to travel all the way to the center of the display. More often than not, this results in the darkness of space appearing hazy, maybe even gray or blue.

Light from Mini-LED backlights, on the other hand, travels a shorter distance, allowing the dark parts of the picture to stay appropriately dark.

That these Mini-LEDs are small and clustered together in zones is the biggest advantage. With an array of super-small LEDs, the TV is free to cut off light to entire swaths of the picture, increasing contrast and cutting down on light bloom.

These advantages aren’t just noticeable during visually demanding sequences, either. Whether you’re watching a spacecraft float through the cold vastness of space or just a Saturday-afternoon baseball game, the picture will look better with backlights.

And while I’ve been using top-tier LED tech in Mini-LEDs to illustrate my point, you don’t have to splurge on Mini-LEDs to get something better than edge-lit LEDs.

What should I buy instead of an edge-lit LED TV?

As mentioned, super-pricey Mini-LED TVs — like the incredible Sony Bravia 9 and the top-notch Samsung QN90D — aren’t the only option if you’re shopping for a new TV on a budget and you’d like to avoid an edge-lit model.

Plenty of entry-level TVs use good ol’ fashioned, conventional LED backlights. These TVs house LEDs that are larger than the latest and greatest Mini-LEDs, but their placement behind the screen makes a world of difference when it comes to picture quality.

LED and mini-LED compared — (Image credit: TCL)

Even better, some conventional LED TVs come with local dimming, a feature that allows the TV to dynamically adjust these backlights to improve contrast.

If you’re shopping for an affordable TV, keep an eye out for manufacturing information that mentions terms like “backlighting,” “full-array LED” or “local dimming.”

If you’re shopping at low price points and you don’t see any backlight information advertised, there’s a good chance that the TV in question features an edge-lit panel. Rarely will a brand advertise this fact.

And, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how valuable it is to browse older models if you’re trying to save money on a TV but don’t want an edge-lit TV.

At the time of publishing, year-old Mini-LED TVs like the TCL QM7 and the Hisense U7N are heavily discounted. In 55-inch models, both TVs currently go for about $499.

The Samsung Q60D — an edge-lit TV with no local dimming — is also $499 for a 55-inch model.

If five hundred bucks for a 55-inch TV is too pricey, that’s OK, too; plenty of new, entry-level TVs offer LED backlighting and are available for around the same price as an edge-lit model.

Personally, I’m going with those TVs almost every time. LED backlighting truly makes a difference, and it’s a difference I think you’ll notice.

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Michael Desjardin is a Senior Editor for TVs at Tom's Guide. He's been testing and tinkering with TVs professionally for over a decade, previously for Reviewed and USA Today. Michael graduated from Emerson College where he studied media production and screenwriting. He loves cooking, zoning out to ambient music, and getting way too invested in the Red Sox. He considers himself living proof that TV doesn't necessarily rot your brain.