At Tom’s Guide, we’re always on the lookout for the best TV. As new models come out, we put them through a rigorous verification regime, all to help you make the best resolution imaginable when buying a new OLED or QLED TV. Every year we review all the most productive TVs (almost four dozen of them) and the ones we recommend are 4K TVs.
What do we look for when we look at the most productive TVs?We need everything you need: perfect picture quality, rich sound, easy setup, and all the smart features available today. We take all of those measurements and compare them to the value of the TV to help you know what your money’s worth is.
To compare TVs, we verify them in our labs and in the real world, measuring everything from color reproduction and accuracy to gaming performance latency time. In addition, we compare the picture and sound quality by watching some of the most popular screens and movies.
So, what are the most productive TVs out there right now?The more sensible spot now belongs to the Hisense U8N, the successor to last year’s award-winning Hisense U8K. It faces a tough festival from Samsung and LG (the LG C4 OLED, also discovered below, is also an impressive display), but the U8N offers the best value for money. That said, the year is rarely over and we plan to review the Hisense UX (2024), TCL QM8 (2024), Samsung S95D, and Samsung QN90D soon. That said, expect this list to evolve in the coming weeks, so check back to see all the most productive TVs 2024 has to offer.
The Hisense U8N’s counterfeit spec sheet translates into wonderful real-world results. It produces some of the brightest HDR scenes ever seen and its color replica is unmatched.
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Despite the tough festival of the Sony A95L and LG G3, the Samsung S95C is the OLED TV lately thanks to its above-average brightness and excellent color reproduction.
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The award-winning TCL 6 Series will no longer exist in 2023, however, the new QM8 style achieves the same marks and, thanks to some recent discounts, can be discovered for less than $1,000.
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The Samsung QN90C Neo QLED TV is the TV in terms of brightness. With strong HDR brightness, plenty of demo options, and top-notch picture performance, we highly recommend it.
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If you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a new TV, the Hisense U6K is a great budget option. Its Mini-LED backlight provides dramatic contrast, while its quantum dot cleaning ensures well-saturated colors.
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It’s the most expensive TV on our list, but the Sony Bravia XR A95L is the best-looking TV in 2023. This is the most complex package produced by the company and it comes with the features.
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The Samsung S90C OLED offers HDMI 2. 1 that enables VRR, ALLM, and speeds up to 144Hz, giving you just about everything you could want from a gaming TV.
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It’s not cheap, but the LG C4 OLED offers picture performance. We’re looking for a price drop, but if you’re looking for a luxury OLED TV with the best black levels and 1000 nits of brightness, check out No More.
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Samsung’s 8K TV is a bit of a stretch at the moment given the lack of local 8K content, but if you need to be on the cutting edge of TV technology, those are the 8K TVs you can buy right now.
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My name is Nick, and I’m in charge of our guides to the most productive TVs, the most productive OLED TVs, and the most productive 4K TVs. Most of my day is spent searching for and comparing new presentations from LG, Samsung, Sony, Hisense, TCL, and Vizio. I have 10 years of experience in AV and prior to joining Tom’s Guide, I was Editor-in-Chief of TV and AV at TechRadar. I love helping other people find the best solutions. TV, so feel free to reach out to me via email or tag me on Twitter and I’ll help you out.
Our opinion:
In short, the U8N offers the functionality you’d expect from a $2000 TV for less than $1000.
So why don’t we get the best five out of five?Well, two reasons. For one, Hisense simply can’t compete with Sony, Samsung, and LG when it comes to image post-processing. The processing and scaling of the motion is rarely very bad and for the most part it seems smart considering all aspects, however, other companies’ processing techniques are on a totally different level. Here, too, you’re left with just two HDMI 2. 1 ports.
Despite those flaws, most people will be impressed with this TV.
Design: For our testing, we used a 65-inch model. Weighing in at 56. 2 pounds, it’s not the lightest or thinnest TV, but that’s general for any non-OLED TV. For mounting, be sure to take a popular TV from six hundred x VESA 400 M6 mount. If you only need to place it in the most sensitive part of an entertainment center, you can do so with the two feet included in the box.
Performance: You can’t look at the Hisense U8N without being impressed. Not only does it offer the best brightness in each and every environment thanks to the incorporation of a soft sensor, but the intensity of its colors is at the next level. . In our lab tests, conducted by Tom’s Guide head of testing, Matthew Murray, the Hisense U8N was able to compete with the much more beloved LG C4 OLED, and even outperforms it at some key settings, such as SDR brightness and color saturation. We can’t underestimate how impressive this is.
The only explanation we can’t give you all the notes is because of your prowess at upward conversion and motion processing. Not bad, far from it, but the faces of the actors in the Hisense U8N may look a little more comfortable with hidden pores and clouds. They have smooth edges rather than true definition. Its boring motion remedy can also create blurry motion around moving objects, which is incredibly achievable even to the untrained eye. Finally, serious gamers may also notice the lower latency. Anything that lasts less than 20 milliseconds is almost imperceptible to the human eye, but there are other TVs that have a lower input lag for a slightly more responsive feel.
Smart TV: We actually like Google TV as a smart platform and we think we do too. It does a phenomenal job of offering new and recommended content to watch and you have access to all the major streaming services. Best of all, it doesn’t actually do it. force you to use one service instead of another like Amazon Fire TV did. The only potential challenge is that you might notice a slight slowdown when switching from one streaming app to another.
Read the full review: Hisense U8N Mini LED TV
Our opinion:
Not only is its picture functionality impressive, but when you’re not watching TV, Ambient Mode takes over and provides a carousel of aesthetically pleasing animations and images. Samsung has popularized Ambient mode, and while other TV brands have since incorporated their own version, we still prefer Samsung’s version.
We wish Samsung would implement Dolby Vision and maybe a little more sound quality from the S95C, but overall, it’s still an amazing QD-OLED TV.
Design: The Samsung S95C is a high-end model, from start to finish. It uses steel materials, a frameless display, and an incredibly thin panel. It’s even thinner than the S95B, measuring just 10mm thick. If you like your TVs narrow and sleek, while still being compatible with a home entertainment center, the S95C’s design is top-notch. In terms of ports, the S95C has 4 HDMI 2. 1 ports plus an ATSC 3. 0 tuner.
Performance: Our reviewers enjoyed the Samsung S95C OLED’s image, highlighting its nuanced HDR performance, out-of-the-box color accuracy, and glorious black levels. In our tests, the S95C was able to reproduce approximately 141. 5% of the Rec 709 color. area in popular mode and a Delta-E accuracy score of 1. 4 (closer to 0 is higher) in Filmmaker mode. For gamers, the S95C measured a perfect latency of 9. 2ms, the lowest input latency of any TV we’ve tested. And the off-angle view of the entire set is greater than most, with colors staying well beyond the ideal forty-five degrees.
Smart TVs: Samsung’s Tizen operating formula is a bit confusing this year. It can be tricky to navigate (especially if you need to replace the picture settings), but you can still find all the major streaming apps, as well as a plethora of free content. On the plus side, the S95C can serve as a SmartThings hub. Whether you expand your smart home or adopt the Matter Wise House protocol, this TV controls all your devices, even if your home uses devices from all manufacturers.
Read full review: Samsung S95C OLED
Our opinion:
The only major drawbacks here are the TV’s 8W speakers, which can be a bit underwhelming, and the lack of an ATSC 3. 0 tuner discovered on the Hisense U8K. The latter is a deal-breaker, especially if you’re planning to use a virtual antenna. , but its absence is still felt here.
Design: The QM8 arguably doesn’t have the lovely narrow design of the LG G3 OLED, but it’s not a bad design either. Its minimal bezel measuring less than an eighth of an inch on all sides maximizes screen real estate. Underneath the back of the screen are physical controls and a control to turn the far-field microphone on or off. The TCL QM8 offers four HDMI ports, but only two of them support HDMI 2. 1, which means you have to decide which devices can transmit the signal. 4K/120Hz signal and which one doesn’t.
Performance: The QM8, like the U8K, is a smart choice if you want above-average brightness to combat ambient light. In our tests, the TCL QM8 managed to reach 1348 nits in Movie mode with SDR content, a significant improvement over other 4K HDR TVs we measured. With HDR content, the QM8 can achieve over 2000 nits in window sizes of 5%, 10%, and even 25%. This brightness combined with the Mini-LED backlight provides the perfect contrast that’s close to OLED levels. Colours are vivid too, and our tests show that the QM8 can cover 80% of the BT2020’s colour spectrum. Like the U8K, however, its out-of-the-box color accuracy leaves much better with a Delta E score of 4. 4614. With a few tweaks, this number can be significantly reduced, but it’s worth noting that some colors can feel a little oversaturated when you first start it.
Smart TVs: Like many other manufacturers, TCL launched Google TV on its 2023 models, adding the QM8. Google TV is blank and works well on this model, and thanks to the remote control’s built-in microphone and the TV’s built-in microphone, it can search for samples and record just your voice. If you need a bit of privacy, you can turn off the voice assistant via a physical transfer on the TV itself.
Read the full review: TCL QM8 Mini LED TV
Our opinion:
The problem here is that you’re paying a lot more for that slight functionality upgrade and its lackluster Tizen platform. It’s still a price for all those extras, but it doesn’t exactly offer the best cash price compared to our most sensible picks.
Design: Visually, the Samsung QN90C probably won’t blow your mind: its stand is a bit ugly compared to other presentations that use two wide legs, and its minimalist design doesn’t do much to set itself apart from the rest. The big difference between the QN90C and the slightly more expensive QN95C is Samsung’s One Connect Box, which hides the cables that run through the back of the TV. For a slimmer look, the QN95C works well, but you can achieve a similar effect on the QN90C with conscientiously placed fasteners. The good news is that the QN90C has 4 HDMI 2. 1 ports, one of which can be used as an eARC port for soundbars. For gamers, the HDMI 2. 1 ports allow for 4K/120Hz transfer, as well as low-latency and variable refresh rate auto mode. Did we mention this is a wonderful gaming TV?
Performance: While other models from Hisense and TCL, regardless, have been on par with Samsung in terms of peak brightness, the QN90C performs very well in terms of smooth output. In Filmmaker mode, which was relatively balanced, the QN90C was able to succeed. in 1987, 34 nits in a 10% window. That’s an increase of around 5% over last year’s perfect QN90B QLED and more than double the peak brightness of the LG C3 OLED that sits a little lower on our list. As mentioned above, the Hisense U8K came close to the smooth performance of the Samsung QN90C and Samsung was able to outperform the U8K in terms of color accuracy right out of the box. The QN90C is a bit more expensive, but it doesn’t require as many touch-ups. the adjustments to get the color to be well composed.
Smart TV: There’s surely nothing wrong with Samsung’s proprietary Tizen Wise TV platform. It’s fully functional with all the major streaming facilities, as well as a nifty home hub for any SmartThings device you might have. However, if you don’t own any SmartThings devices, Tizen doesn’t have many advantages and its relatively complex settings menu can be confusing to navigate. Having free content through the Samsung TV Plus streaming service makes up for this slightly, but overall, we think Google TV is the better option if we had a choice between the two platforms.
Read the full review: Samsung QN90C Neo QLED TV
Our opinion:
So why is this the most productive TV of the year if it offers such clever value for money?The U6K doesn’t have as powerful an integrated processor, which means that scaling and motion processing is poor at best. Its lack of HDMI 2. 1 ports means gamers will be stuck in 4K/60, and there’s an ATSC 3. 0 tuner here either.
At under $500, it’s the most productive affordable TV we think we can buy, but it’s important to know why it’s on our list here and not in the best spot.
Design: Admittedly, the Hisense U6K probably isn’t the most stylish TV you’ll ever see: its legs are made of plastic and are 3. 1 inches deep, it doesn’t exactly lean against the wall. Still, I don’t think it looks terrible either. especially when you’re watching something on TV. The biggest challenge in terms of design is the HDMI 2. 0b ports and 60Hz panel that arguably wouldn’t maximize the graphical prowess of the Xbox Series X and PS5. If you’re not a gamer, that’s fine, but it’s anything. We have noticed in our review.
Performance: You’ve heard it before, but the Mini-LED is a clutch here, helping the Hisense U6K far outweigh its weight in terms of performance. The U6K doesn’t have as many full local dimming zones as the U8K to control brightness. , however, we took inspiration from the brightness of the U6K in our tests. It has managed to outperform almost every other budget model, unless it’s the Roku Plus series. The downside, again, is that the scale can be random here, and we’ll most likely notice something blurry when watching HD/SDR content from an OTA antenna or cable box. The other factor we ran into is that while it reproduces very well in terms of color when we sit directly in front of it, we notice some desaturation as we zoom out. the shaft, so maybe you won’t buy it as your primary TV in your living room.
Smart TV: The Hisense U6K is another Google TV, just like the more beloved U8K. All the same benefits apply here in terms of personalized recommendations and well-organized rows of new content. The U6K was a bit slow, which was a bit of a concern, and we had some issues while browsing Disney Plus. We’re not guaranteed to have the same issues, but they’re worth mentioning here in case you encounter them yourself.
Read the full review: Hisense U6K Mini LED TV
Our opinion:
So what makes this Sony OLED a superlative display?It offers the most productive imaging functionality with vibrant, accurate colors, as well as oddly maximum peak brightness and a beautiful-sounding audio system. Its Google TV platform is superior to all the others on this list, however, PS5 owners will get an expanded set of features by pairing their Sony console with this Sony TV.
It’s a shame it’s so expensive, because it’s a TV that everyone deserves to watch at some point in their life.
Design: The A95L is a conundrum: it’s a beautiful super-thin TV (about 0. 25 inches at its thinnest point) but also relatively giant overall. It’s also heavier than other OLED TVs (the 65-inch style weighs 51. 6 pounds) and never freak out until you lift a $3,000 paper-thin TV to mount it on a wall mount. However, when it’s well assembled, it looks great. The main downside here is that HDMI 2. 1 ports have limited availability here with only two options.
Performance: You don’t know it from the name, but the A95L is a QD-OLED TV that uses biological light-emitting diodes (likely made from deuterium) and a quantum dot filter implemented between the display and the panel. In combination, they offer higher color intensity and higher brightness, in addition to the maximum productive black levels you’d expect from OLED. What Sony adds to the mix, however, is its XR cognitive processor, which is surely brilliant at motion processing. Arguably the most productive processor in the world right now, I’m sure Samsung and LG wouldn’t completely agree with that statement. The results, however, speak for themselves. Everything looks amazing on the A95L. From games to videos to TV shows, there’s nothing that’s rarely very beautiful.
Smart TVs: Good TVs are even better thanks to their smart platforms, and the A95L is no exception. Thanks to the A95L’s system-on-chip (SoC), Google TV runs fast and smooth, with no noticeable hiccups or slowdowns. With so much force under the hood, we don’t expect to suffer any disruption in the coming years, either.
Read the full review: Sony Bravia XR A95L
Our opinion:
✅ Vibrant colors and clarity: Yes, brightness is vital for counteracting glare, but it’s also vital for color reproduction and clarity. Better brightness, more colorful colors.
✅ Great for gamers: Most of the TVs on this list are wonderful for gamers, however, the Samsung S90C is for PS5 and Xbox Series X because of its feature set, price, and low input lag.
❌ You care about Dolthrough Vision: Dolthrough Vision is by far the most productive HDR format. It’s tuned to suit the brightness and black degrees of each individual scene, so not having it on such a good TV is a shame.
? The Samsung S90C OLED aims to give gamers everything they want for the most productive experience imaginable. Four HDMI 2. 1 ports? Verify. VRR, ALLM, 9. 2 ms reaction time? Verify. Verify. Verify. ★★★★★
Obviously, the S90C is rarely very, very gaming-only – after all, it uses a QD-OLED panel. The result here is the same as on the Sony A95L OLED: the colours are more striking and the contrast is incredible. There are few compromises over the S95C (the OneConnect Box is one of them), but in our opinion, it’s rarely worth paying the difference in value.
For gamers, this is the model.
Design: It may not come with the OneConnect case, but the Samsung S90C still comes with four HDMI 2. 1 ports that gamers will appreciate. The Samsung S90C’s stand design also has some support pockets. On the one hand, it offers the illusion that the TV is floating in the air, an illusion that’s all the more plausible given the less than an eighth-inch bezel that surrounds the screen. Samsung’s marketing call is “Infinity Display,” but I think its minimalist appearance speaks for itself.
Performance: Gaming will be a real bright spot for the Samsung S90C (we couldn’t resist watching Starfield when we reviewed it), but it’s no slouch when it comes to betting SDR and HDR movies. In all of the above scenarios, the S90C demonstrated exceptional color reproduction, a wide color gamut, and above-average brightness. The improved content is great, as is the motion handling (after a few tweaks). There are few TVs that can compete with the Samsung S90C in terms of performance. So you get all the marks here.
Smart TV: Samsung’s Tizen formula is more than enough to watch every day. It offers all the convenience you’d expect, as well as a full list of apps, and it’s connected to the eco-friendly Samsung SmartThings formula, allowing you to use some smart devices. directly from the TV. We’ve found its deeply complicated settings to be difficult to use and we hope you’ll feel the same if you’re someone who likes to tweak the image, but for the most part, Tizen does the homework.
Read our full Samsung S90C OLED
Our opinion:
At this price point, we’re expecting optimal performance, and thankfully, the C4 delivers. It offers the impressive black grades you’d expect from an OLED of this caliber, as well as a wide color gamut and fantastic off-axis display. Its brightness is fair compared to older OLED models, although it does pass the 1,000 nits threshold, but it may not display the same numbers as the Samsung S95C or Sony A95L.
In a year when Hisense, TCL, Samsung, and even LG itself haven’t delivered TVs with that much capacity, the LG C4 would have been the TV you could buy for cash; unfortunately, the festival is difficult and, at its current price, the C4 has a hard time justifying its exorbitant cost.
Design: The LG C4 OLED retains the stand-up design we’ve already noticed on OLED TVs. It’s sleek, solid, and allows you to hide all the cables. Check, check, check. If you want to go through wall mounting, the C4 uses three hundred 200mm VESA holes, but be warned: the OLED display is less than a quarter of an inch thick at its narrowest point and is pretty flimsy. Get help before you try to lift it. In terms of ports, you get 4 HDMI 2. 1 ports complete with ALLM and, as you’d expect, it comes with LG’s polarizing magic remote.
Performance: While we’re still waiting for the META Gen 2 panels to make their way to the C-series OLEDs, the LG C4 OLED gets a slight boost in brightness that allows it to demonstrate over 1000 nits in HDR mode. Speaking of HDR, the C4 has HLG, HDR10, and Dolthrough Vision, but no HDR10. That’s not a huge deal in practice given the sheer amount of Dolthrough Vision content and lack of HDR10 videos, but it’s something to keep in mind. The demo is based on the new LG α9 AI 4K Gen7 processor that uses AI to perform object-based scaling. It’s a complex generation that helps play videos and demonstrates how to find the best. Gamers will also appreciate the 144Hz when connected to a gaming PC, while console gamers can rest easy knowing that your PS5 and Xbox Series X will play in 4K/120 without further steps.
Smart TV: The LG C4 OLED is one of the few TVs running webOS 24 that brings a number of new features, adding a number of compatibility features. The user interface has been optimized for this year and there’s even an option to turn off all classified ads in the settings. It doesn’t have the same polish point as Google TV, however, webOS is packed with apps and is popular with Apple AirPlay and Chromcast built-in. It’s a natural coexistence, honey.
Read full review: LG C4 OLED
Our opinion:
The good news is that the Samsung QN900C doesn’t just play 8K content, it does a wonderful job of upscaling 4K, HD, and even sub-HD content to fill the screen. Thanks to the innovations in this image, it will look phenomenal, but it may not fit the myriad details we’ll one day see on local 8K TVs and movies.
In fact, paying a premium for all of this isn’t the most productive financial decision, but if you like being on the cusp of the future, then the Samsung QN900C is the closest thing to the cutting edge.
Design: The Samsung QN900C is another example of Samsung’s Infinity Display at work. You’ll notice the bezels slightly once the content starts playing, and the design of the stand helps the QN900C look as futuristic as the picture. Turn it backwards and you’ll notice a 6. 2. 4 channel system. It’s a great audio powerhouse, folks. In terms of ports, all the essentials are here (all HDMI 2. 1, of course) and they all cleverly connect to the OneConnect Box. This is the highest premium imaginable.
Performance: What more can you expect from Samsung’s style than natural, overall perfection?The picture quality is surely amazing, thanks in large part to the Neo Quantum HDR 8K Pro processor acting as the brains of the operation. Without enough power, the board would drop a component, but the QN900C surely doesn’t have any challenges when running the scaling and refinement algorithms in real-time. The result is a symbol that you’ll need to show to everyone you know. The only challenge here is that the Samsung QN900C isn’t an OLED, which means that the main points of the black level can get darkened. Our reviewer detected a fair amount of black on the QN900C, so some dark scenes can be quite murky. It’s not a challenge, but it’s disappointing when you’re paying so much for a TV of this caliber.
Smart TV: Like other Samsung TVs, the QN900C uses Tizen. It’s relatively simple, but the parameters can be difficult to achieve. The good news is that it has all the main streaming features and works perfectly.
Read the full review: Samsung QN900C Neo QLED 8K TV
On TVs, we use an X-Rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer, a SpectraCal VideoForge Pro trendsetter, and Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software.
But what exactly do those numbers mean?
Maximum brightness: This measurement measures the maximum brightness of the display. Basically, it answers the question, “How bright can this TV go?”We measure this with a 10% window with the TV’s maximum brightness. Why 10%? This is about the length of a very bright object, such as the sun, seen in HDR content. To some extent (around 2000 nits), the higher the number, the greater your image viewing experience.
Delta E: Remember from the mathematical elegance that a delta measures the difference between two numbers. What we’re measuring here is the difference between the “perfect” color (e. g. , red) and the color produced through the TV. The lower the Delta E, the more accurate the colors on the TV.
BT2020 Value: BT2020 is a range of colours, i. e. a range of colours. The higher the percentage, the higher the TV policy. There are other color gamuts that we can measure against (Rec709 and UHDA-P3 are also not unusual gamuts in the TV world), however, BT2002, also known as Rec2020, is the existing benchmark.
Input Lag: This is easy to understand: this is the metric that measures how long it takes for a signal from an HDMI device to appear on the screen. This is a metric for gamers who need maximum TV responsiveness. Most gaming monitors have a reaction time of less than 1ms, while a very smart gaming TV will have a reaction time of around nine ms. Anything less than 20ms is imperceptible at most, however, some players say they can feel a difference in the game.
What you see above are the most productive TVs we’ve reviewed, but not the ONLY TVs we’ve reviewed. Although other sites offer lists of the most productive like ours, they only review a dozen TVs per year. At Tom’s Guide, we reviewed dozens of TVs; Some of them come from loans from manufacturers, but we buy a clever part of them ourselves. That said, not all TVs will be on this list.
Here are a few recently tested TVs that, while smart in some decided use cases, didn’t pass the test.
LG B3 OLED: The LG B3 OLED was about to appear on this list. It’s touted as a more affordable edition of the LG C3 OLED, which is true, but it lacks some of the key features that make the C3 so wonderful. it’s the a9 Gen 6 processor that improves scaling and motion processing. The B3 is still a wonderful selection for gamers, including multiple HDMI 2. 1 ports and a 120Hz refresh rate, but sports enthusiasts and moviegoers deserve to opt for the C3 above.
Read the full LG B3 OLED review
Hisense U7K: The Hisense U7K sits right between our most sensible pick, the U8K, and our first budget pick, the U6K. Unsurprisingly, the U7K is quite impressive and also deserves a prominent spot. It’s a very smart compromise model if you need more functionality than the U6 but don’t need to spend money on the U8K. So why wasn’t it selected? Unfortunately, our tests showed that the U7K can’t output more than 1000 nits of peak HDR brightness and scores relatively low in terms of color accuracy right out of the box.
Read the full Hisense U7K
While the above list would possibly imply which TV is better based on empirical data, this TV is not suitable for you due to the screen size, screen brightness, sound output, resolution, and/or supported HDR formats. You may need an ultra-bright 50-inch TV to compensate for the amount of ambient light in the room, which means an OLED TV doesn’t work for you.
We offer a lot of buying advice, such as our TV buying advisor and how to find out what length of TV you buy. And if you still have questions about the features and functions of smart TVs, check out Smart TVs: Everything You Need to Know.
Need instruction on TV technology? Here is a brief introduction.
Screen sizes: This is probably the most productive position to start buying a TV. If you plan to mount the TV on the wall, measure the dimensions of the wall area you need to fill. Having the length, width and diagonal measurements will temporarily and fluidly measure 80% of the TVs on the market. If you’re planning to place it in a closet or on a stand, measure the width of the TV slot and use it to start shopping.
Brightness: Common wisdom when buying a TV is that the brighter the room, the brighter the TV should be purchased. For what? Well, ambient light can erase color saturation or, worse, cause reflections on the screen. Ultimately, the amount of glare will depend on the type of TV you buy (OLED TVs with glass screens are more reflective than, say, QLED TVs with anti-glare screens), but a smart rule of thumb is that OLED TVs are usually better in rooms with light control, while bright LED-LCD TVs work better in brighter rooms with more ambient light.
Refresh rate: If you’ve ever watched a TV, you’ll probably see weird marketing terms like Motion Rate 240 or 480, or something ridiculous. It doesn’t mean anything. Well, it is, sort of, but it’s intentionally obscured. All TVs available today have one of two local panel refresh rates: 60Hz or 120Hz. These numbers tell you how quickly a TV scans and replaces each pixel in a second. . 60 Hz is 60 times in one second. 120 Hz equals 120 times in one second. You need a higher number if you need smoother movements (i. e. , if you plan to watch sports or play games).
Ports: We suggest opting for more ports, so you never have to manually disconnect and reconnect HDMI cables to transfer from your streaming device or Blu-ray player to your game console or other device. Three ports are common, but the most productive-looking TVs typically have four HDMI ports. You’ll also need to make sure that at least one is HDMI 2. 1; Our advisor to the best HDMI 2. 1 TVs can help you here. (Still confused? See the explanation of TV ports: what are all HDMI, USB, and other connections for?)
Smart software: Almost all TVs are smart TVs nowadays. This means that they come with some sort of smart platform, whether it’s Roku TV, Google TV, WebOS, Tizen, or anything else. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, so be sure to familiarize yourself with them before purchasing. Some TVs are some of the best Alexa-enabled devices and the best Google Home-enabled devices you can own, so pay attention to the Wise House platform presented in the packages before choosing.
Price: Finally, you’ll want to include value in the equation. Unfortunately, for the most part, the most productive TVs charge more. Like PCs, more expensive TVs come with higher specs and more features. So, paying less for a TV means making some kind of sacrifice. The good news?You can find smaller 4K TVs (42-inch, 43-inch, and 50-inch TVs) that sell for less than $500, saving you money to buy some of the most productive soundbars or streaming devices with your TV.
However, you need to pay extra for features like HDR support and a decent amount of HDMI ports. Generally speaking, high-end 4K TVs can sell for thousands of dollars, but we consider the ideal trade-off for incredible functionality and price to be around 8K TVs, on the other hand, are varied, with newer, smaller models touting for as little as $2,000, but can cost upwards of tens of thousands.
Matthew Murray is Future’s Head of Testing, coordinating and testing products for Tom’s Guide and other Future publications. He has already covered generation and the performing arts in publications, edited books, and worked as a theater critic for more than 16 years.
Evaluating TVs is much more than just relaxing and watching a movie. We review each TV in the lab, measure color gamut, color accuracy, and brightness to objectively see which TVs are most productive for those key metrics. We also check latency, a key detail for gaming: measuring in milliseconds the time it takes for content to go from the original source to the screen. We use those effects to make numerical comparisons on color and demonstrate quality.
We also spend time with each of the scenarios to conduct real-world evaluations and see how our lab effects translate into more subjective performance. We also compare the scenarios side-by-side and see samples of Lacheck’s films, specialized verification models that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each screen, and a variety of content from sources. With this information, we can tell you which TVs look best, sound best, and provide the best viewing experience.
Finally, we compared the smart TV features and programs for each TV, looking at everything from remote design to voice interaction.
We combine all this knowledge with our actual tests and compare it to the value of the TV. The result is a score that, in our opinion, represents the entirety of this style and its resistance to its new rivals. A TV that scored in the top five. Years ago it may not have scored this high compared to a newer model, but we do our best to update reviews when new styles become available.
Get a broader view of everything TV brands have to offer by checking out the full list of 4K and 8K TVs from all major manufacturers.
If you’ve limited your TV purchases by brand, price range, or screen size, check out our pick of the best TVs of each.
Best 4K TVs | Best Smart TVs for Streaming | Best Gaming TVs
Best TVs Under $1000 | Best TVs Under $500
Best TV Brands | Best Samsung TVs | Best TCL TVs | Best LG TVs | Best Roku TVs | Best Google TVs | Best OLED TVs | Best QLED TVs | Best 8K TVs | Best HDMI 2. 1 TV | Best TVs with ATSC 3. 0 | The best TVs with Chromecast
The Smallest Smart TVs | Best 43-inch TVs | Best 50-inch TVs | Best 55-inch TVs | Best 65-inch TVs | Best 70-inch TVs | Best 75-inch TVs | Best 85-inch TVs
And don’t keep an eye out for the latest TV reviews.
Nick Pino leads the TV and AV verticals at Tom’s Guide and covers everything from OLED TVs to the newest wireless headphones. He was editor-in-chief of TV and AV at TechRadar (Tom’s Guide’s sister site) and has written for GamesRadar, the official magazine of Xbox, PC Gamer, and other media outlets for the past decade. Not sure which TV to buy? Send them an email or tweet them on Twitter and they’ll be able to help.
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