The “best TV” depends on your priorities (performance, size, budget, gaming, HDR, smart features). Here’s a quick guide to help you choose, plus current standout options based on recent reviews. What to prioritize
- Picture quality: OLEDs deliver the best contrast and true blacks; high-end QD-OLEDs and mini-LED LCDs offer bright, punchy images with strong HDR.
- Gaming: look for very low input lag, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 120 Hz support, and features like VRR and G-Sync/FreeSync.
- Bright rooms: bright mini-LED LCDs or high-brightness OLEDs (where available) reduce glare and maintain vivid HDR.
- Smart platform: choose a UI you enjoy (Roku, Google TV, webOS, or Samsung Tizen) for easy access to streaming apps.
- Size and price: larger sizes often require higher budgets; there are compelling mid-range options that balance cost and performance.
Top picks by use-case (2024–2025 wave)
- Overall performance and versatility: OLED-based sets from LG or Samsung’s OLED/QD-OLED lines typically top the field for image quality and gaming even at premium prices.
- Best value: high-end mini-LED LCDs (e.g., TCL, Hisense, Samsung) offer excellent brightness, strong HDR, and aggressive feature sets at lower prices than premium OLEDs.
- Best for gaming: models with ultra-low input lag, fast response times, 4K at 120 Hz across HDMI ports, and VRR support.
- Small to medium rooms (42–55 inches): there are compact OLEDs and top-tier LCDs with strong performance and more affordable pricing.
Common caveats
- OLED burn-in can be a concern for static-screen use cases; modern OLEDs mitigate this, but consider if the display will show persistent static images.
- Bright-room performance favors mini-LED LCDs if the room has lots of ambient light and you want maximum peak brightness at a lower cost than premium OLEDs.
- Smart-platform preferences vary; some users prefer Roku TV’s simplicity, others prefer webOS or Google TV’s app ecosystems.
If you’d like, specify:
- your budget range (e.g., under $800, $800–$1500, $1500+)
- room size and viewing distance
- preferred features (gaming focus, streaming app preferences, HDR format like Dolby Vision)
- screen size target
With those, I can tailor a concise “best pick” list and explain why each option stands out for your setup.
