What’s the Best TV? 6 Options Ranked

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Reviewed By

Evan Shephard
Updated Aug 12, 2024 1:18 PM
best tvs guide that shows the top best tv model

A whopping 75% of electronic and appliance reviews are untrustworthy. That’s why every reviewer gets a Trust Rating so our True Score System filters out the fake reviews. See how we do it.

The best TVs are ideal for movies, games, and sports and come with a variety of pricing options. Leveraging our comprehensive test data and True Score system, we ensure there’s a top-rated TV for everyone—from budget-conscious viewers to buyers looking to purchase a premium TV.

Our guide makes it simple to find a high-quality TV that fits your financial and viewing preferences, ensuring satisfaction across the board.

How Did We Rank the Best TVs?

The very best TVs meet a variety of criteria – but not all of them. The TVs on this list are exemplary sets, but they each have their strengths and weaknesses, which means each of them has different criteria they fulfill or exceed, but do not meet others. No one set on our list does everything perfectly, but all of them can do everything competently, and, more importantly, have at least one use case where they stand out.

CRITERIARANGEREQUIREDDEFINITION
SDR Brightness300+ nitsYesAssess the luminance of your display when operating in Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) mode.
HDR Brightness1000+ nitsNo (nice to have)Determine the luminance of your display in High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode.
Color Gamut (DCI P3 xy)>= 90%YesEvaluate the extent to which a TV can reproduce a specified spectrum of colors.
EOTF0.018No (nice to have)Standard that governs how a display interprets and renders brightness and color.
Response Time<=10msNo (nice to have)Time required for a pixel to transition from one color to another and then return to its original color.
Reflections<= 4.5%No (nice to have)The percent of light is reflected off the screen when subjected to light.
Contrast Ratio>= 10,000No (nice to have)The ratio between the brightest white and darkest black that the screen can display.

Latest Updates

  • 08/12/2024: Republished the list to include the best TVs based on our True Score system.

Top TVs For 2024

Prices accurate at the time of publishing

See how we test the testers

  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Samsung S90C TV

    • Best For OLED

    The Samsung S90C is one of our top picks and an excellent choice for gamers and sports fans, offering exceptional response times, vivid color reproduction, and competitive pricing.

    Samsung S90C TV Review →

    True Score

    90
    93
    8

    Experts

    92
    4k

    Customers

    SAVE $840
    $1,997.99
    $1,157.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Samsung S95C OLED TV

    • Best For Samsung

    The Samsung S95C OLED TV offers top-tier color accuracy, brightness, and performance, making it perfect for bright rooms, gamers, and home theater enthusiasts seeking premium quality.

    Samsung S95C OLED TV Review →

    True Score

    89
    92
    15

    Experts

    90
    1k

    Customers

    SAVE $153
    $1,797.99
    $1,645.00
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    LG C3 OLED TV

    • Best For 50-inch

    Get the LG C3 over the S90 if you value Dolby Vision and want a cheaper option. It offers great color, fast response time, and all the gaming features you need.

    LG C3 OLED TV Review →

    True Score

    88
    86
    9

    Experts

    93
    13k

    Customers

    SAVE $1,010
    $2,499.99
    $1,490.00
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Hisense U7K

    • Best For Hisense

    The Hisense U7K offers excellent value. It is a budget-friendly choice for versatile viewing and features vibrant colors, responsive gaming, and solid performance.

    Hisense U7K Review →

    True Score

    84
    85
    9

    Experts

    88
    2k

    Customers

    $800.00
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    TCL QM8/QM850G QLED TV

    • Best For TCL

    The TCL QM8/QM850G QLED TV offers exceptional brightness and vibrant colors, making it perfect for budget-conscious gamers and sports fans in well-lit rooms.

    TCL QM8/QM850G QLED TV Review →

    True Score

    83
    83
    7

    Experts

    89
    816

    Customers

    SAVE $138
    $1,135.99
    $998.00
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Hisense U8K TV

    • Best For Smart TV

    The Hisense U8K offers exceptional brightness, color accuracy, and affordability, making it ideal for movies, casual gaming, and streaming in brightly lit rooms.

    Hisense U8K TV Review →

    True Score

    80
    79
    6

    Experts

    84
    2k

    Customers

    SAVE $148
    $997.99
    $849.99

Our Approach to Testing the Best TVs

Evan Shepard/Gadget Review

We’ve redefined TV buying guides, setting us apart from any other site on the planet. Our unique approach uses a comprehensive dataset from trusted sites, focusing on key testing metrics like brightness (SDR and HDR), EOTF, response time, contrast ratio, and color gamut.

We aggregate and analyze this data, ensuring our recommendations meet the specific needs. Specifically, when it comes to 4K TVs, this involves selecting models that deliver optimal image quality for content up to 4K resolution, including the ability to upscale lower-resolution content effectively. Discover our data-driven methodology for precise, reliable TV recommendations.

Which Criteria Matters for Testing TVs?

When you’re looking at the cream of the crop, every criterion matters – but certain criteria matter more depending on what you’re trying to do with your TV. This list of TVs features different sets dedicated to different use cases, and those use cases define what is most important for the TV. If you’re a gamer, input lag is going to be top of mind, but if you’re a movie buff, EOTF and Color Gamut are going to be extremely important. Every TV on this list can handle every use case under the sun with at least some level of success – but some can handle certain uses far better than others.

CRITERIARANGEREQUIREDDEFINITION
SDR Brightness300+ nitsYesAssess the luminance of your display when operating in Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) mode.
HDR Brightness1000+ nitsNo (nice to have)Determine the luminance of your display in High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode.
Color Gamut (DCI P3 xy)>= 90%YesEvaluate the extent to which a TV can reproduce a specified spectrum of colors.
EOTF0.018No (nice to have)Standard that governs how a display interprets and renders brightness and color.
Response Time<=10msNo (nice to have)Time required for a pixel to transition from one color to another and then return to its original color.
Reflections<= 4.5%No (nice to have)The percent of light is reflected off the screen when subjected to light.
Contrast Ratio>= 10,000No (nice to have)The ratio between the brightest white and darkest black that the screen can display.

Our Trusted Data Sources

(Publication category Score is 80%+)

We looked at 180+ TV reviewers, and while 29 are trustworthy (60%+ Trust Rating), we only use data from the testers that are “very trusted” which means a Trust Rating above 70%. The three we have listed below are our most trusted for TVs, along with our own in-house TV expert.

  1. Evan Shepard – Gadget Review
  2. Matthew Lopes – RTings, MuckRack
  3. Will Greenwald – PCMag, MuckRack, Twitter
  4. Greg Tarr – Sound and Vision, MuckRack

Interested in a comprehensive analysis of our data sources? We’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a detailed list of every TV review website we’ve identified, organized by their respective Trust Ratings from highest to lowest. But we didn’t stop there. We’ve meticulously reviewed each publication and verified the data by checking whether the authors have bio links to MuckRack or LinkedIn. We’re committed to not only checking the facts but ensuring their veracity.

TV Test Data & Results

1. SDR & HDR Brightness Test Results

In well-lit rooms, the brightness level of your TV, quantified in nits, is key to a great viewing experience. A TV that doesn’t meet the brightness requirement will struggle against natural and artificial light, resulting in a dim, lackluster image. Essentially, nits measure how well your TV can stand up to light interference, with higher values ensuring a sharper, more vivid display.

For standard viewing on the best TV, you should look for at least 300 nits to strike the right balance between clarity and color quality in standard dynamic range (SDR) content. For high dynamic range (HDR) content, which offers richer colors and greater contrast, a minimum of 1000 nits is ideal to truly appreciate the enhanced visuals. These brightness levels are recommended to ensure your TV performs well in bright settings, allowing you to enjoy your shows and movies without any loss in detail or quality. Aim for these minimums: SDR Brightness >= 300 nits; HDR Brightness >= 1000 nits for the optimal experience.

Discover the top TVs, ranked from brightest to least, all exceeding our brightness criteria.

SDR Brightness (in nits, higher is better)

HDR Brightness (in nits, higher is better)

2. Color Gamut (DCI P3 xy) Test Results

Color gamut defines the range of colors a TV can reproduce, directly affecting how vibrant and true-to-life the images look. A wide color gamut in a TV brings out richer, more vivid colors – from the lush greens of a garden to the bright colors of animated characters, enhancing your viewing experience to closely mimic real life.

This concept is technically measured against standards like the DCI P3 xy, a benchmark for high-quality visuals. A TV covering a higher percentage of this color space can display colors more accurately and vividly.

For those who prioritize vibrant and immersive visuals in a smaller package, aiming for a TV with a color gamut of 90% or higher on the DCI P3 xy scale is ideal. This ensures that the content you watch is as vibrant and lifelike as possible, bringing a big viewing experience to a smaller screen.

Below are the top TVs, ordered by color gamut, all exceeding our testing criteria.

DCI P3 XY Color Gamut (as a %; high is better)

3. EOTF Test Results

The Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) plays a critical role in ensuring the content on your TV looks exactly as the creator intended. This technical feature adjusts your screen’s brightness levels, ensuring every scene, from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights, is displayed with true-to-life accuracy.

In rooms flooded with light, a TV that nails EOTF calibration shines by preserving the intended contrast and detail in the picture despite the challenging conditions. It balances the brightness so that images remain vibrant and full of detail, unaffected by the glare of ambient light.

A TV that excels in managing EOTF offers an immersive and authentic viewing experience. It brings creators’ visions to life, accurately rendering every scene with the proper light and dark levels, no matter the lighting in your room. This means you get a consistent, realistic picture that captures the full spectrum of colors and contrasts, from the subtlest hues to the most intense explosions.

Below are all the TVs on our list, ordered by EOTF, all exceeding our minimum requirement.

EOTF (source: rtings.com – 0 = no data exists; lower is better)

4. Response Time Test Results

A slow response time on a TV during fast-paced scenes is like trying to watch a thrilling movie with a foggy lens. Imagine settling in for an action-packed sequence, only to have the swift movements turn into a blur, robbing you of the crisp, clear detail you crave. This isn’t just a minor annoyance; it’s a major detriment to your viewing experience, leaving you with a picture marred by motion blur and visual artifacts.

So, what exactly is response time? It measures how quickly a pixel on your TV can change from one color to another. In the context of watching fast-moving content or enjoying dynamic scenes on a TV, a low response time is crucial. A response time of 15 ms or lower is good, but if you plan on gaming on this set, aim for a response time of 10 ms or lower. At these levels, your TV ensures smooth transitions and sharp visuals, making every scene come to life without any distracting blurs or delays.

Below are the top TVs, ordered by response time, all exceeding our testing criteria.

Response Time (in milliseconds; lower is better)

5. Contrast Ratio Test Results

For TV enthusiasts, a solid contrast ratio is crucial for enjoying your favorite TV shows or movies, especially in darker settings. This feature directly impacts how lifelike and dynamic the picture appears on your screen, ensuring that dark scenes are displayed with clear, crisp blacks instead of murky grays and bright scenes retain their detail without appearing washed out.

Put simply, the contrast ratio is all about the range of luminance a TV can produce, from the deepest blacks to the brightest whites. It’s what brings depth to the image, enhancing the realism of every scene. Watching a movie in the dark, for example, the difference between a TV with a poor contrast ratio and one with a high ratio is stark: the former struggles, blending shadows into a flat gray, while the latter delivers true black, making night scenes more immersive and detailed.

Ideally, a contrast ratio of 10,000:1 is what you should aim for in a TV. This level of luminance variance ensures that you’re getting a picture quality that can handle the nuances of lighting in any scene, providing a viewing experience that’s both rich and engaging. Note: OLED TVs have an infinite contrast ratio, indicated by “0.”

Below are the top TVs, ordered by contrast ratio, all exceeding our testing criteria.

Contrast Ratio (higher is better)

6. Input Lag Time Test Results

Just as a slow response time binds you with invisible shackles, high input lag is like wading through quicksand, pulling you down when speed is of the essence. Imagine you’re facing an enemy in a duel; you press the button to leap or strike, but there’s a delay. Your character stumbles a moment too late, and the opportunity slips through your fingers. It’s not just about delayed reactions; it’s about being desynchronized from the game’s rhythm, turning your split-second decisions into missed chances.

What exactly is input lag? It’s the time it takes for your game console’s signal to translate into action on your screen. Ideally, for gaming, you’d want an input lag of 20ms or less to stay in perfect sync with the game. At these low latencies, your actions are immediate, your commands precise, and your timing impeccable. With minimal input lag, when you command it, it happens – instantly.

Input Lag (in milliseconds; lower is better)

7. Reflections Test Results

TVs designed with good reflection handling feature anti-reflective coatings or panel technologies that minimize the impact of ambient light. This ensures that the image remains clear and vibrant, preserving detail and color accuracy even when faced with direct light sources. It’s a key consideration for anyone looking to place their TV in a sunlit living room or a well-lit space where control over lighting conditions might be limited.

Choosing a TV with superior reflection handling translates to a more versatile viewing experience, allowing you to enjoy sports, movies, and other content without having to draw the curtains or adjust room lighting. It’s an essential feature for ensuring that your TV can deliver optimal performance across a wide range of lighting environments, enhancing overall viewing pleasure.

Reflections Handling (lower is better)

Data Source: rtings.com

8. Viewing Angle Test Results

Viewing angles on TVs are crucial because they determine the quality of the image from different positions in a room. This is particularly important in living rooms or spaces where people are spread out across different parts of the room, ensuring everyone has a good viewing experience. TVs with poor viewing angles can exhibit color shifts, reduced brightness, and loss of detail when viewed off-axis, which can significantly diminish the viewing pleasure for those not seated directly in front of the screen.

Choosing a good viewing angle for a TV means selecting a TV that maintains image quality across a broad range of viewing positions, enhancing the flexibility of room layouts and seating arrangements. Typically, TVs with IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels are known for their wide viewing angles, making them ideal for environments where viewers are spread out or for those who frequently watch TV in groups.

Viewing Angle (higher is better)

Data Source: rtings.com

The Best TVs: Mistakes To Avoid

  1. Consider Room Size and Viewing Distance: Ignoring the room size and viewing distance is a common error. Buying a TV that’s too big or too small can significantly impact your viewing experience. Measure your viewing distance and choose the right screen size. For instance, a 55-inch TV is ideal for a viewing distance of around 7-9 feet. When considering the right screen size, it’s also essential to understand the differences between QLED vs. LED technology, as this can influence your choice depending on your viewing preferences and room lighting. To better understand how to match your TV size with your room, you can explore resources like this guide on TV size vs. room size and compare different TV sizes.
  2. Don’t Skip HDR: Many buyers focus solely on resolution and overlook High Dynamic Range (HDR), which can result in missing out on better color contrast and brightness. Look for TVs with HDR support, such as HDR10 or Dolby Vision. For a better understanding of TV resolution and how it impacts viewing, check out the difference between 4K vs. 1080p TVs and explore what 4K TV is. Additionally, if you’re considering a Smart TV, make sure it supports HDR for a superior viewing experience.
  3. Avoid Overpaying for Unnecessary Features: Overpaying for unnecessary features can be a waste of money. Focus on features you’ll actually use and enjoy regularly, rather than getting swayed by gimmicks like 3D capability. Understanding the differences between LED vs. LCD TVs and Curved vs. Flat TVs can help you make an informed decision without overspending. To get the best value for your money, you can check out how much you should spend on a TV and browse the best TV deals currently available. To ensure you get the most out of your purchase, understand how to calibrate your TV and clean your screen properly to always have the best image quality. If you’re concerned about potential damage, it’s also useful to know how to fix a broken TV screen, as this can save you from having to replace the entire unit.
  4. Don’t Assume Good Audio Quality: Assuming all TVs have good audio quality is a mistake. Many TVs offer subpar audio, so it’s wise to check the sound quality or plan to invest in a soundbar or external speakers. For a selection of the best TV accessories, including soundbars, visit this guide. If you’re exploring how streaming TV works, or need advice on connecting your devices, Gadget Review provides resources like how to connect your phone to your TV, how to mirror your phone to your TV, and how to connect your laptop to your TV.

The Best TV Tests Compared

Product
True Score
SDR Brightness
HDR Brightness
Color Gamut
EOTF
Response Time
Contrast Ratio

Samsung S90C TV

  • Best for 65-inch

90
  • 373 nits

  • 1,058 nits

  • 99.98%

  • 0.0031

  • 1.4 ms

  • 0

$1,157.99
$1,998
$840

Samsung S95C OLED TV

  • Best for Best Overall

89
  • 704 nits

  • 1,383 nits

  • 99.81%

  • 0.0029

  • 5.5 ms

  • 0

$1,645.00
$1,798
$153

LG C3 OLED TV

  • Best for 40-inch

88
  • 383 nits

  • 795 nits

  • 98.98%

  • 0.0056

  • 2.3 ms

  • 0

$1,490.00
$2,500
$1,010

Hisense U7K

  • Best for 75-inch

84
  • 603 nits

  • 786.5 nits

  • 96.31%

  • 0.0211

  • 11.3 ms

  • 45,000:1

$800.00

TCL QM8/QM850G QLED TV

  • Best for 80-inch

83
  • 2,076 nits

  • 2,005 nits

  • 94.59%

  • 0.037

  • 8.9 ms

  • 114,057:1

$998.00
$1,136
$138

Hisense U8K TV

  • Best for Android

80
  • 1,549 nits

  • 1,792 nits

  • 97.44%

  • 0.0105

  • 13.3 ms

  • 165,360:1

$849.99
$998
$148

TV Questions (FAQ)

What is the best screen size for my room?

The ideal screen size for your room depends on the distance between your seating area and the TV. A good rule of thumb is to divide the viewing distance in inches by 1.5 to determine the minimum screen size. For instance, if you sit 9 feet (108 inches) away from the TV, a 72-inch screen or larger would provide an optimal viewing experience.

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