Why do TV model numbers differ between shops?

Manufacturers produce retailer-specific variants of the same series, distinguished by a suffix. Specifications are often close, but the exact model at one shop may not exist at another, which makes direct comparison harder.

Is a bigger TV always more expensive?

No. Pricing across sizes is not linear — high-volume sizes are priced competitively, and a larger set in the same series can cost less than the size below it.

When is the best time to buy a TV in the UK?

New ranges typically arrive in spring, so the outgoing range falls through the year and drops furthest once replaced. Last year’s higher-tier model often outperforms this year’s mid-tier at similar money.

Cheapest place to buy a TV in the UK

Televisions are the category where cross-retailer comparison is deliberately hardest.

Updated 2 September 2026 · 2 min read

The model number problem

Television manufacturers commonly produce variants of the same television for different retailers, distinguished by a letter or two in the model number. The panel and the main specification are often the same or near-identical; the stand, the port count, the remote or the bundled features may differ slightly.

The commercial effect is that a like-for-like comparison becomes hard to perform, because the exact model at one shop does not exist at another. It is not deception — the model numbers are printed plainly — but it does make the market less comparable than it looks.

Size pricing is not linear

Price per inch does not rise smoothly. Certain sizes in a range are high-volume and priced competitively; the sizes either side can cost disproportionately more. It is quite normal for a larger set in the same series to cost less than the size below it, simply because one is a volume seller and the other is not.

Worth checking both neighbouring sizes before settling on one.

What actually drives the price

The annual model cycle. New ranges land in spring; the outgoing range drops through the year and is heavily discounted once replaced. Last year's upper-tier set very often beats this year's mid-tier at the same money.
Panel technology tier, which matters far more to picture quality than screen size does.
Sale events. Televisions are one of the categories where large sale events do produce genuine reductions.
Delivery, wall mounting, and recycling of the old set — real costs that frequently differ more between retailers than the television price does.

Before you buy

Note the full model number, including the trailing letters.
Search that number, then search the series without the suffix to find the variants.
Check the size above and below — the pricing is rarely linear.
Add delivery, installation and old-set removal into the comparison.
Check whether the previous year's equivalent is still in stock.