Whether you are binge-watching a show on Netflix or gaming on your PlayStation 5, you'll want a reliable smart TV setup in your living room. But with hundreds of TV models to choose from, it's hard to know where to start. While you might have an idea of the basic features you want from your TV, like size or resolution, there are good options available from dozens of brands. So which one is right for you?
SKIP AHEAD LG TVs | Samsung TVs | Sony TVs | TCL TVs | Vizio TVs
To help you navigate the messy world of TVs, we consulted tech experts and put together a brief starter guide to the leading TV brands, highlighting their similarities and differences.
The best TV for you: How much does brand matter?
According to tech expert Whitson Gordon, senior manager of content marketing at Asus ROG, brand is not as big a signifier of quality as you might expect. While there are budget-focused brands out there like Hisense or Insignia, the more well-known, higher-quality names — like Samsung, LG and Sony — each have high-end models and low-end models to choose from.
“The most important question to ask yourself is what your quality bar is,” said technology journalist Henry St. Leger. “If you’re happy with a bad picture if it gets you a big screen on the cheap, that’s fine, but if [you’d rather] watch TV shows and films in a high resolution, that changes the budget — and the TVs you should be looking at — quite a bit.”
To help you narrow down your search for the TV brand that best suits your needs, Select consulted the experts to find out the categories in which each manufacturer excels — from picture quality and processing power to smart capability, audio, sleek design and best value for the price.
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LG TVs: Best OLED TVs for movies and gaming
According to St. Leger, LG makes the best quality screens for movies. “Its OLED panels pack a punch — with excellent processing, deep blacks and vivid colors across the board — while the webOS smart platform is possibly the best in the business,” he explained. “Low brightness means that [the OLED TVs are] best used for evening movies, though, rather than afternoon sports broadcasts.”
Best LG TV: LG C2 Series 65-Inch OLED
LG's C2 OLED TV is widely regarded as one of the best TVs you can buy today, Gordon said, especially for gaming. It has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it’s fully compatible with the Xbox Series X and PS5, and you can play 4K games up to 120Hz without any issues. It boasts perfect black levels that make the picture pop right off the screen, Gordon added. This self-lighting OLED is an investment, but Gordon said its detailed picture, Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos compatibility is well worth the price if you can afford it. It’s great for living rooms, family rooms and larger bedrooms, the brand says.
Best Affordable LG TV: LG 65-Inch UQ9000 Series
LG's mid-range TVs use a different type of panel than most LED TVs from other brands. According to our tech experts, these LED panels provide better viewing angles — colors don't look "wrong" when you're sitting off-center — at the cost of worse black levels (this is the opposite of what you’ll get with LG’s OLED TVs). And the lower price point doesn’t keep the LG from coming with some nice perks, like compatibility with smart home devices like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple AirPlay 2.
Samsung TVs: Best all-around brand with the best built-in audio
Samsung is the best all-round TV brand, partially because of its huge TV range, St. Leger said. “You can find Samsung TVs for $300 or $3,000, and all [are] generally good for the price,” he noted. “Samsung does excel particularly with bright TVs, especially for more expensive sets — it’s a good bet for daytime viewing especially — and offers far better built-in audio than you’ll find on most of its competitors. A good smart TV platform (Tizen OS) certainly helps, too.”
Best Samsung TV: Samsung 65-Inch Neo QLED QN90B
Samsung is known for its QLED panels, which use Quantum Dots for “fantastic color performance,” Gordon explained. “Its blacks aren't as deep as its OLED competition (namely spotted in TVs from LG and Sony), but it has a much brighter picture, making it ideal for rooms with a lot of sunlight streaming through,” he said, explaining that with Samsung’s 4K AI upscaling, the TV's software can make non-4K content look a lot closer to its high-res counterpart. Its adaptive picture properties are designed to adjust automatically as your room gets darker or brighter, according to the brand.
Best Samsung TV Design: Samsung 50-Inch The Frame Series
Samsung has also made a splash with unique TVs like The Frame, which acts as a TV when it's on, and art when it's off. Like other smart art frames, it offers a small selection of paintings for free, or for $5 per month, you can have access to 1,400 pieces of art from world-renowned institutions, such as the Louvre, the Prado and the Uffizi. At CES 2022, Samsung showcased The Frame’s new anti-reflective matte finish, which makes the artwork look more like a canvas. You can also now upload your own artwork or photos from your phone or flash drive. Gordon personally owns The Frame and is a big fan. “I love having something other than a black slab to look at on my wall when the TV is off,” he said.
Sony TVs: Fantastic color accuracy and smooth motion for movies and sports
According to Gordon, Sony offers some of the most color-accurate TVs you can buy today, with a solid smart TV interface (Google TV), good HDR performance and incredible processing power. St. Leger agreed, though he added that Sony TVs “can be a bit pricey at times.” Another plus is the excellent gaming specifications, which is unsurprising, perhaps, given the Sony PS5.
Best Sony TV: Sony 65-Inch Ultra HD TV X90K Series
The Sony X90K is an upper mid-range TV that comes in a variety of sizes, from 55 inches to 85 inches. It’s especially excellent for gaming, as it is fully compatible with the PS5 and Xbox Series X, our tech experts noted. The X90K is also great for watching 4K content, as it gets high ratings for its contrast ratio, delivering vivid blacks and peak brightness, according to our experts. However, they noted that it falls a bit short of the Sony X95K on the wide-angle viewing since it doesn’t have the mini LED backlighting its predecessor has. What differentiates this model from many of Sony’s others is that it features Sony’s Bravia Core video service, which offers access to new releases and classic films, including the largest IMAX movie collection, according to the brand.
TCL TVs: Best smart TV platform at unbeatable prices
If you're upset with the lack of budget-friendly options on this list, don't worry: There's a reason for that, Gordon said. While LG, Samsung and Sony all make superb high-end sets, their budget and mid-range sets are often outshined by up-and-comer TCL, which offers great picture quality for the price with a built-in Roku media player. “TCL TVs are generally best for the value, often providing premium specifications at lower-than-average prices,” St. Leger added. “That means you can get high-end mini LED displays, or just a good mid-tier screen for everyday TV and games, for a decent amount less than the competition.”
Best TCL TV: TCL 65-Inch Class 6-Series
According to Gordon, the TCL 6 series has been widely considered the best TV you can buy for the money for the last few years. It has excellent colors, thanks to its QLED panel, alongside fantastic brightness and black levels for HDR movies. It also boasts next-gen gaming features for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, like variable refresh rate and auto low-latency mode. All put together, he said, it beats out many sets twice the cost.
Best budget TCL TV: TCL 65-Inch Class 5-Series
The 5 series is a mild step down from the 6 series, with less impressive brightness and motion and none of the gaming features — however, it has an even more enticing price, Gordon said. “You’re still getting 4K UHD. You’re still getting a QLED panel. You’re still getting Dolby Vision HDR and, of course, built-in Roku TV with a relatively sizable price cut,” he noted.
Vizio TVs: Great performance without the bells and whistles
Vizio sets may not boast the extra features of their competitors, but if you're watching movies on Blu-ray or through a separate streaming box, they're great for the price, Gordon said.
Best Vizio TV: VIZIO 65-Inch Class P-Series
Vizio's P Series offers picture quality comparable to higher-end sets without the higher-end price tag, Gordon said. He noted that its smart apps are lackluster and its motion smoothing isn't as good as Sony's, but if you don't use these features anyway, why pay extra for them? The panel's Quantum Dot tech promises enhanced color, and the TVs also arrive with Chromecast built in.
Meet our experts
At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Whitson Gordon is a senior manager of content marketing at Asus ROG. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief of Lifehacker and a freelance tech journalist.
- Henry St. Leger is a freelance tech journalist. He was previously the home cinema editor at TechRadar and has bylines at T3, MacFormat and Digital Camera World.
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