Best 4k TVs in 2022 (May Reviews)

Samsung has made a lot of hubbub over the addition of QLED technology into their latest sets – and for good reason. QLED is considered by many to be the sort of holy grail when it comes to display technology, striking that sweet spot in between price and quality that so many consumers want, but few have been able to attain until now.

For my money and yours, this QLED TV achieves stunning picture quality in all testing scenarios, beating out some sets that cost twice as much at this 65″ size. The set trounced every competitor we tested in its class on a range of various metrics, whether it was the simple but deeply-featured nature of the menu system, the outstanding performance displaying true HDR content, or even just the onboard speaker which was both surprisingly boomy and bassy given its limited size.

Speaking of size, the Samsung Q7F is impeccably designed, looking sleek and slim from all sides while featuring Samsung’s proprietary Invisible Connection™ technology. This takes all the mess and muss of your wires and discreetly hides them behind Samsung’s main connection hub, which then leads into a single nearly-invisible wire which can be stashed in the TV’s own stand. This adds up to a nearly seamless experience, allowing you to truly take in everything the Q7F has to offer in all its highly detailed glory. If you want more great product recommendations like this TV, then check out our guide to the best 4K TV for gaming.

Samsung’s navigation software is also simply top-notch, outclassing just about every other set we’ve tested thanks to its Smart Hub system. Smart Hub uses a “home bar” style of navigation which makes it incredibly simple to navigate not only between various streaming applications, but also to pick back up right on the episode you were watching on say, Netflix, from the Hulu app.

And finally (speaking of navigation), this is a small bonus in my book but Samsung has nailed the OneRemote on the Q7F. Just as sleek and stylish as the set itself, this small silver remote fits effortlessly in your hand and covers every task you’d need handled with about four buttons in total. Personally I love when simplicity of design and core functionality are married as beautifully as they are in the OneRemote, and although the voice-command tech was fairly limited (it didn’t work in almost every major streaming app we tested), it was still fun to play around with in the Smart Hub when it did actually have the ability to respond.

For all these reasons and more, it’s no wonder why the Samsung Q7F has snatched up the title as the #1 best 4K Ultra HD TV for 2020! It truly is one of the best TVs. While if UHD is what you want, check out the best Ultra HD TVs.

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While the TCL 55R617 may not be as sleekly designed as the Samsung Q7F or feature as thin of a bezel around the edges of image, what it lacks in those areas it more than makes up for in price and picture quality. For our money and yours, the TCL55R617 simply scorches the competition when it comes to providing absolutely stellar picture quality results in the sub-$1,000 range plus being one of the best sounding TV models. Heck, as of this writing you can pick up one for yourself for the comparatively paltry price of just $529.00. But, if you’re looking for an even better price, and want to know when do TVs go on sale, then check out our many in-depth guides.

The TCL won’t be winning any beauty contests anytime soon, but considering its status as the best budget TV on our list, we’re actually okay with that. The included interface features many of our favorite streaming apps already installed straight out of the gate, including staples like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video and Vudu ready to go as soon as you turn it on for the first time. However that said, one major sticking point for us on the TCL was the complete lack of picture settings available natively on the set itself. To adjust anything from the color palette to the white balance, instead users will need to download the ancillary Roku companion app which, only after a lot of extra troubleshooting, finally discovered the 4K smart TV we were trying to use it with. For something a bit larger, read about the best 65 inch 4K TV.

Aside from that small caveat though, you simply aren’t going to find a television on shelves today that offers a better combination of picture quality to price. If you’re shopping for a budget 4K TV but don’t want your favorite movies, television shows, or games to take on that “budget” look many sets in this price tier are guilty of, then the TCL 55R617 is one of the best 4K TV deals for 2022! Compare it to the best OLED TVs.

Read: Best 55 Inch 4K TV

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Of course, no annual best 4K TV roundup would be complete without a Sony model on the list, and what we got in this year simply blew our socks off. Nearly every element of the Sony A1E OLED viewing experience sets the standard for what cinephiles should expect from the top-end of the market, with some of the deepest blacks, richest colors, and surprisingly accurate sound reproduction we’ve tested on a TV to date.

Sony has made some pretty big moves in the design of this 4K OLED TV that may not gel with everyone, and I might even include myself in that camp. In order to create the seamless effect of your TV sitting right on your mounting area, they’ve stashed all the inputs and processing units in the stand itself, which leans back and means the screen itself will only operate if it’s leaning at that same 15° angle. Personally I’m not sure how to feel about this choice as it makes it a bit awkward to watch if you wanted to say, lay on the floor in front of the television and look up at it, but aside from those fringe use cases most people probably won’t see a problem. And, to get the best reception for local channels, check out our guide to the best TV antenna.

Another new addition we found on the A1E was the addition of Sony’s own Acoustic Surface technology, which actually turns the screen itself into one giant speaker/amplifier. This makes it so voices come through clearer than any other speaker we’ve tested on other sets, and also gave action scenes a surprising amount of bass that never actually rattled the screen itself.

Finally there’s the picture quality, which even straight out of the box easily outclassed every other set we’ve tested this year. In every single test we ran the A1E OLED produced images that almost seemed too real to be real, and although we’d like to say that it was able to do this at a reasonable price, the nearly $3,500 cost makes that upgrade in visuals a bit more understated. That in mind, if you have the cash to spend and you’re on the hunt for the tip top of what 4K viewing has to offer in 2022, look no further than the A1E LED because it’s got everything you could want and more. The best smart TV is another option if you want smart features. Many of the best TV accessories come built into the smart models.

Note: Other notable 4K TVs worth mentioning that are not on our list include the TCL 6-series, and the Vizio E-Series. The TCL 6-series QLED display comes in 55 and 65 inches and features a USB, ethernet, and HDMI connection, plus built-in Wi-Fi. You get 4K ultra HD picture quality, built-in speakers, and this 6-series also has smart functionality with thousands of streaming channels via Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and Roku, and over 500,000 TV episodes and movies. 

The Vizio E-series is an excellent 4K HDR with Active Full Array, with voice control functionality using Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The Vizio is one of the best smart TVs with voice control functionality using Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The Vizio E-series also has Dolby vision HDR which offers enhanced color and contrast for the perfect image quality at any angle.

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