Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
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Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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Available in sizes ranging from 42 inches to 83 inches, the LG C5 boasts excellent modern features and stunning image quality. Read More
This is one of 2025's best OLED televisions, bar none. Although it's expensive, our expert says it's worth its price tag. Read More
At a more affordable price than other OLED models, it ranks high thanks to its mini-LED backlighting, high brightness, and natural-looking black levels. Read More
If you like what OLED TVs have to offer but have a more limited budget, the LG B5 is the ideal choice. Also features solid gaming capabilities. Read More
The TCL QM6K is an excellent TV with modern features and mini-LED backlighting, and it costs under $500. Read More
As time passes, standards improve and features evolve, but the fundamentals of a good TV remain the same. You want inky black levels, brilliant colors, excellent processing, and a fast, intuitive smart interface. Lucky for you, we've spent years testing hundreds of the most popular TVs on the market, so we know how to shop for one.
All things considered, the best TV for most people is the LG C5 (available at LG) . It’s LG’s mid-tier OLED TV, offering a lower price than the flagship LG G5 but providing a significant viewing upgrade over the more affordable LG B5. If you don't want to shell out that kind of cash, don't worry: We've got great TV picks for every budget.
Offers mini-LEDs for less
Bright enough for daytime viewing
Excellent quantum-dot color
Motion-related color fringing
Narrow viewing angle
Bright picture
Impressive backlight control
Great gaming features for the price
Not the best at handling reflections
Narrow viewing angle
Bright highlights and deep black levels
Excellent gaming features
Sleek and stylish design
Not as good at reflection handling as some others
Incredible contrast
Dazzling color
Fantastic gaming support
Cluttered software
Raised black levels in ambient light
No Dolby Vision Support
World-class contrast and color
Excellent software and features
Sleek, accommodating design
Fewer gaming features than competitors
Bright and colorful image
Great local dimming
Excellent gaming features
Only two HDMI 2.1 ports
Finding the best TV for you can be an intimidating process. Reading current TV reviews can help you learn about specific models. Still, it’s easy to get lost in all the technical terms and features, so here’s a quick look at some important considerations as you decide on your next TV.
Resolution refers to the number of pixels that comprise the screen. All the models on our Best TV list are 4K TVs. They have 3,840 pixels across and 2,160 pixels down, totaling almost 8.3 million pixels. UHD stands for Ultra High Definition, specifying resolution along with a host of other parameters, including Wide Color Gamut and frame rate.
While there are 8K TVs on the market, we don’t recommend them…yet. There’s virtually no content, and the minimal performance increase doesn’t justify the exorbitant cost.
There are two primary display technologies used in current TVs: LED/LCD and OLED. LED/LCD refers to Light Emitting Diodes and Liquid Crystal Display. The LEDs are the light source, or backlight, for the TV. They send light through a color filter and then the LCD layer before it hits our eyes.
The LED backlights utilize a process called local dimming, where zones of LEDs dim or boost brightness depending on the content on the screen. This vastly improves contrast if it’s done well.
The LCD layer reacts to electrical current passing through it, causing the liquid crystals to twist and control the amount of light that passes through. LCD TVs utilize either VA or IPS panels, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.
OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) TV technology may sound similar to LED, but the name is where the similarities end. OLED is an emissive technology, meaning the pixels create their own light, so a separate backlight isn’t necessary.
Instead of dimming zones, individual pixels can be dimmed or turned off. This allows OLED TVs to achieve deep blacks and an infinite contrast ratio—an enormous advantage over LEDs. Past OLEDs have been plagued by the threat of burn-in (or image retention), where the impression of an image remains on the screen; however, that is not a concern for current TVs, which are designed to minimize this issue.
Both display technologies can be paired with quantum dots. These are microscopic nanocrystals that produce colored light when exposed to illumination. They can greatly increase the light output and color range of a television.
LED TVs have featured quantum dots for a few years (called QLED, QNED, or Triluminos by Samsung, LG, and Sony, respectively). However, we are now seeing them in OLED panels (QD-OLED TVs) as well.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) refers to both a type of TV and a type of content. HDR expands the potential range of both luminance (brightness) and color that a TV can produce.
There are four different HDR formats—Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG. All of our top TVs are HDR-compatible and support at least HDR10, with some models supporting all four HDR standards.
The predominant connection on TVs is HDMI, but you may have noticed that there are both HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.1 available. The biggest difference between the two is an increase in data bandwidth (18Gbps on HDMI 2.0 vs up to 48Gbps on HDMI 2.1).
For most people, HDMI 2.0 is sufficient; however, if you want to achieve 4K resolution at refresh rates higher than 60Hz on the Xbox Series X or PS5, you’ll need a TV with at least one HDMI 2.1 port. Just make sure your HDMI cable is capable of that increased bandwidth as well.
The higher bandwidth of HDMI 2.1 also allows for eARC, which stands for “enhanced audio return channel”. This technology sends high-bitrate audio (such as Dolby Atmos) from the TV to an AV Receiver or soundbar, significantly enhancing the audio experience beyond the built-in TV speakers.
How you interact with your TV, and how easy or frustrating it is, largely depends on the smart platform. This is where you’ll find streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video, as well as the TV’s input selection and setup menus.
Some TV brands, like LG and Samsung, use homegrown platforms, while others rely on Roku or Google to supply the OS. We’ve been fans of Roku for years, and it’s still the best OS available, although others have made strides to close the gap.
If you’re not a fan of your TV’s built-in OS, you can always buy an external streaming device or use a gaming console instead.
In addition to looking for HDMI 2.1, there are some gaming-specific TV features to consider, such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).
Variable Refresh Rate comes in different varieties, so it is also known as FreeSync or G-Sync. This technology synchronizes the refresh rates of the TV and game console to prevent unwanted artifacts, such as screen tearing, that can be distracting while gaming. Some TVs also feature special gaming hub interfaces that display all the gaming features the TV offers simultaneously.
Some models, such as Samsung TVs with Gaming Hub, don’t even need a console to play. Instead, they include cloud gaming services that allow you to stream games as you play them, as long as your internet speeds are fast enough.
Our recommendation will always be “the bigger the better,” as larger TVs offer a more immersive experience. For optimal movie viewing, your sitting distance should be no further than 1.2 times the diagonal size of the TV (so 5.5 feet back from a 55-inch TV). Sitting too close can cause eye fatigue. It can also make you notice individual pixels at lower resolutions, but with 4K, it’s not a significant issue.
The TVs listed in this roundup don't follow the traditional naming convention you might see when shopping. That's because we don’t nominate a single TV. Instead, we appoint the entire range of sizes within a "series."
Typically, a TV series is the same model, in different sizes. While the price and dimensions may differ, the performance is usually identical, with occasional minor variations in features, such as dimming zones on LED TVs. We focus on the series because it's also the most accurate and useful way to discuss televisions, allowing you to consider your needs regardless of your room size.
Michael Desjardin graduated from Emerson College after having studied media production and screenwriting. He specializes in tech for Reviewed, but also loves film criticism, weird ambient music, cooking, and food in general.
Christian de Looper is a consumer tech journalist with over a decade of experience. De Looper has covered all areas of the consumer tech industry, from smartphones to smart homes — and has attended all of the major trade shows, including CES.
De Looper has always been interested in consumer technology, but his love for gadgets and electronics blossomed into a full-blown passion when he started writing about it while completing his degree in audio production.
Since then, he has written for many of the top tech publications, including Digital Trends, Tom’s Guide, TechRadar, and many more. He loves getting his hands on all of the latest gadgets, but when he’s not reviewing tech, he can be found hanging out with his family or producing music.
Our team is here to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and experts obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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