Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Why We Picked ItHisense’s high-end TVs have consistently wowed us with their performance and the fantastic value they offer, and the U8N continues that trend. This is one of the brightest LED TVs we’ve ever seen, and it’s loaded with useful features like hands-free Google Assistant as well as Apple AirPlay and Google Cast support. It doesn’t offer quite the inky, bloom-free blacks of OLED TVs, but for that technology, you’ll be paying two to three times as much as you would on this one.Who It’s ForThis is a bit pricier than a budget TV, but not by much. If you’re willing to spend around $1,100 for 65 inches, the Hisense U8N is one of the best choices available.
PROS
Incredibly bright picture with strong contrast
Wide colors
144Hz native refresh rate with VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
Supports Apple AirPlay, Google Assistant, Google Cast
CONS
Blacks aren’t as deep as they can be on OLED TVs
Gaming mode can cause clipping in highlights
SPECS
Name
Value
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, USB, Composite, RF
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
2755 nits
Black Level
0.01 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
393,571:1
Refresh Rate
144 Hz
VRR
Input Lag (Game Mode)
7.4 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync Premium Pro
Nvidia G-Sync
Learn More
Hisense U8N Review
LG Evo G4 OLED TV
Best Premium OLED TV
Why We Picked ItThe G4 is the latest in the company’s high-end OLED TV line, and the first to come with its own table stand so you don’t have to wall mount it (or use a third-party base). Most importantly, it’s one of the best-looking TVs we’ve seen, about as bright as the Samsung S95D while showing more accurate colors. Who It’s ForIf you really want to splurge on a TV, the LG Evo G4 is the first one you should consider. Its picture quality is simply incredible, it’s loaded with features, and gamers will be thrilled with its sub-millisecond input lag.
PROS
Bright picture
Vibrant, accurate color
Excellent gaming performance
WebOS smart TV platform is loaded with features
Includes a table stand
CONS
Expensive
Slightly clunky remote
SPECS
Name
Value
Panel Type
OLED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, RF, USB
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
1103 nits
Black Level
Contrast Ratio
Infinite
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
VRR
Input Lag (Game Mode)
1 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync
Nvidia G-Sync
G-Sync Compatible
Learn More
LG Evo G4 OLED TV Review
LG Evo C3 OLED TV
Best Midrange OLED TV
Why We Picked ItLG’s C series of OLED TVs have always stood out thanks to their slim panels and fantastic picture quality. The LG C3 is another excellent entry that supports Dolby Vision and relies on LG’s intuitive webOS smart TV platform.Who It’s ForIf you’re looking for amazing OLED picture quality and don’t want to shell out for a flagship model, the LG C3 is worth a look. We prefer its webOS interface compared with Samsung’s Tizen, which tends to bury common settings. A sub-millisecond input lag makes it just as appealing for gamers as the more expensive LG Evo G4 and Samsung S95D. It’s being supplanted by this year’s C4 model, but that means you can probably get a C3 for a much lower price than you would have last year.
PROS
Fantastic color and contrast
Incredibly low input lag
Slim, sleek design
SPECS
Name
Value
Panel Type
OLED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, RF, USB
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
651 nits
Black Level
0 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
Infinite
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
VRR
Input Lag (Game Mode)
0 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync
Nvidia G-Sync
G-Sync Compatible
Learn More
LG Evo C3 OLED TV Review
Hisense U6K
Best Budget TV
Why We Picked ItHisense and TCL have both proven that you can get excellent picture quality and plenty of features out of a modestly priced TV (generally in the $1,000 to $1,300 range for 65-inch models). Below that price range, you need to make some compromises, but not too many. The Hisense U6K isn’t the brightest TV, for instance, but its color performance is fantastic and it offers tons of useful features including Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, and hands-free Google Assistant. It’s also frequently available for below its suggested retail price, which helps solidify it as one of the best budget-priced TVs we’ve seen yet. It’s being replaced by the newer U6N this year, however, so keep an eye here for more on that model after we get it into the lab for testing.Who It’s ForThe U6K is for shoppers who want to spend as little as possible without buying a piece of junk. At several hundred dollars less than the Hisense U8N, it’s appealing if you’re on a budget. This TV is also one of the least expensive big-screen models we can recommend; the 75-inch variant goes for a suggested price of $1,100.
PROS
Excellent color
Improved black levels and contrast from previous generation
Google TV, Google Cast, and hands-free Google Assistant
Apple AirPlay
Low input lag
CONS
Not particularly bright
Colors in Theater Day mode are inaccurate
SPECS
Name
Value
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, Composite, RF, USB
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
591 nits
Black Level
0.02 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
39,400:1
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
VRR
Input Lag (Game Mode)
3.7 ms
AMD FreeSync
None
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Hisense U6K Review
Samsung S95D
Best Samsung TV
Why We Picked ItThe Samsung S95D is a stunning OLED TV that stands alongside the LG Evo G4 as one of the brightest OLED TVs you can buy. It shares equally excellent color performance and a sub-millisecond input lag for gaming.Who It’s ForIf you’re looking to splurge on an OLED TV, the S95D is just as worthy of your consideration as the LG Evo G4. It’s priced the same, its picture looks just as good, and it has most of the same features including Apple AirPlay and hands-free Amazon Alexa. We like LG’s smart TV platform better than Samsung’s, but the S95D’s solar-powered Eco Remote is nicer than the G4’s Magic Remote. Choosing between them comes down to a matter of personal taste or whether you can find one at a discount.
PROS
Incredible color and contrast
Standout OLED brightness
Loads of features
Sub-millisecond input lag
Solar-rechargeable Eco Remote
CONS
Tizen smart TV OS is cumbersome
No Dolby Vision
SPECS
Name
Value
Panel Type
OLED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, RF, USB
HDR
HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
1090 nits
Black Level
Contrast Ratio
Infinite
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
VRR
Input Lag (Game Mode)
1 ms
AMD FreeSync
None
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Samsung S95D Review
SunBriteTV Veranda 3 Series
Best Outdoor TV
Why We Picked ItOutdoor TVs are few and far between, and you can count on spending a fair amount for them. The rock-solid build quality of these models, which ensures that they can survive extreme temperatures along with rain, snow, and dirt, tends to be the reason for the extra cost. This doesn’t mean you have to compromise on picture quality, though, and that’s where the SunBriteTV Veranda 3 excels. Its color range and accuracy are excellent and, although the TV is designed for use in full shade, it does a solid job of reducing glare.The Veranda 3 is also well-equipped because of its Android TV platform. It doesn’t have hands-free Google Assistant like some of the TVs on this list, but you can still use the voice assistant by speaking into the remote. You also get Google Cast support and access to all the major streaming services.Who It’s ForIf you want a TV for your (covered) deck or patio, and don’t mind spending the money for the best picture for that purpose, the SunBriteTV Veranda 3 is the ideal pick. We’ve seen a few more affordable outdoor TVs, but none looks nearly as good or offers as many smart TV features.
PROS
Ruggedized for outdoor use
Wide, accurate colors with Dolby Vision support
Android TV provides phone mirroring, streaming media, and voice control
Low input lag
CONS
Expensive
Doesn’t include a stand
High black levels
SPECS
Name
Value
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
55 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, Composite, RF, USB
HDR
HDR-10, Dolby Vision
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
722.53 nits
Black Level
0.2 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
3,631:1
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
VRR
Input Lag (Game Mode)
8.6 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
SunBriteTV Veranda 3 Series Review
Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED
Best Fire TV
Why We Picked ItAmazon’s Fire TV Omni disappointed us last year because of its mediocre contrast and color performance. But the company stepped up its game significantly with the Fire TV Omni QLED, which offers a brighter picture and wider colors. You also get Apple AirPlay support on top of all of the useful Amazon Fire TV features such as hands-free Alexa. It still doesn’t put out a ton of light, but we can recommend it to deal-seeking shoppers regardless.Who It’s ForThis is the best Fire TV option on the list, though that isn’t saying much. Otherwise, its low price makes it a good choice for people who want to add an Alexa-centric TV to their home without spending a ton of money.
PROS
Excellent color and strong contrast
Hands-free Amazon Alexa
Inexpensive
CONS
Not particularly bright
Light bloom can overpower shadow detail
SPECS
Name
Value
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, RF, USB
HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
474 nits
Black Level
0 cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio
118,500:1
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
VRR
Input Lag (Game Mode)
3.2 ms
AMD FreeSync
None
Nvidia G-Sync
None
Learn More
Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Review
Samsung QN90D 4K QLED TV
Best QLED TV
Why We Picked ItSamsung’s flagship QLED TV is pricey, but it offers an excellent picture that’s a bit brighter than the S95D or LG Evo G4 OLEDs (but not nearly as bright as the Hisense U8N), with loads of features and excellent gaming performance. It also has more variety in terms of screen size than any model on this list, with nine options ranging from 43 inches to a massive 98 inches. Who It’s ForIf you’re looking for a slightly brighter picture than an OLED can produce, this sleek QLED TV delivers. It’s also among the few flagship TV models available in sizes smaller than 55 inches and larger than 85 inches.
PROS
Strong contrast and color with effectively perfect blacks
Lots of features
Excellent gaming performance
Multiple size options from 43 to 98 inches
CONS
Tizen OS smart TV platform lags behind competitors
No Dolby Vision or ATSC 3.0
SPECS
Name
Value
Panel Type
LED
Screen Size
65 inches
Resolution
3,840 by 2,160
Video Inputs
HDMI, RF, USB
HDR
HDR-10
HDMI Ports
4
Streaming Services
Yes
Screen Brightness
1253 nits
Black Level
Contrast Ratio
Infinite
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
VRR
Input Lag (Game Mode)
2.9 ms
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync Premium Pro
Nvidia G-Sync
Learn More
Samsung QN90D 4K QLED TV Review
Buying Guide: The Best TVs for 2024
What to Look for in a New TVResolution has long been a top consideration in buying a new TV, but the current TV landscape has seen a flattening of this trend. The TV resolution question used to be a choice between 720p (1,280 by 720 pixels) and 1080p (1,920 by 1,080 pixels). Then, it moved on to 1080p versus Ultra HD, or 4K (3,840 by 2,160 pixels, or over eight million pixels). Now, it’s no longer a question: 4K is the standard for medium-sized and larger televisions from every major manufacturer.The higher resolution no longer commands a price premium, and you can find a 65-inch 4K TV for under $1,000. You can even dig lower and build an entire home theater for $1,000 if you’re willing to make some compromises. Realistically, you’d be hard-pressed to find a TV from a major brand larger than 40 inches that isn’t 4K. In fact, every TV on this list (except one) is 4K.Nearly all 4K TVs have connected features that let you stream 4K content. The Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, and Roku TV smart TV platforms have enabled many TV brands to add smart TV functions without developing first-party systems like LG, Samsung, and Vizio do. These platforms are full of features and offer access to most major streaming services, along with features like voice assistants, local media streaming, and a variety of apps. If you can’t find the apps or services you want on your TV, you can connect a separate 4K media streamer to an HDMI 2.0 port to fill that gap.Apple AirPlay 2 is now available on new TVs from Hisense, LG, Roku, Samsung, Sony, TCL, and Vizio, along with all Roku media streamers. This feature lets you use your iPhone or iPad to stream content from iTunes to the TV. Apple also has the Apple TV app with its Apple TV+ service on all major smart TV platforms, so you can watch Apple video content on nearly any TV without an Apple TV 4K box, which was previously necessary.
5 Simple Tweaks to Get the Best Picture Settings for Your TV
4K content is now freely available on many streaming services and Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, even if it hasn’t been widely adopted by broadcast or cable TV services yet (read more about the ATSC 3.0 standard for more details). If you have a fast internet connection, you can watch some excellent shows on Amazon and Netflix in 4K (and most new original programming on the services is produced at that resolution). New films are also coming out digitally in 4K through various on-demand streaming services.Ultra HD Blu-ray discs are a physical media format that can store 4K HDR content and are readily available. Don’t expect to play them on your current Blu-ray player, though; it’s a separate format from Blu-ray, so you need a dedicated Ultra HD Blu-ray player, a Microsoft Xbox Series X (or Xbox One S/X if you can find one), or a Sony PlayStation 5 to handle the format. The good news is that Ultra UD Blu-ray stores 4K video with HDR (explained below), and it can even handle advanced surround sound audio if your speaker system supports it. It has a long-term edge over streaming since it’s a piece of media you can physically own, and it doesn’t require an internet connection or a service subscription. Ultra HD Blu-ray releases are relatively paltry outside of major new movies, though, so if you want to watch your favorite obscure film you might have to downgrade to 1080p or even 480p with a Blu-ray or DVD.Should You Wait for 8K?That one’s easy: No.Don’t worry about 8K for now, despite what you might have heard about it and that the HDMI 2.1 standard supports it. 8K is 7,680 by 4,320 pixels, or four times the number of pixels of 4K. 8K TVs are currently available as premium models for significantly more money than their 4K equivalents (including OLED TVs, which are already pricey), but they aren’t going to be meaningful for consumers for a few more years, and there’s little reason to consider buying one yet unless you have lots of cash to burn.Moreover, there’s no consumer-ready 8K media available, and no major studios or distributors have even talked about releasing 8K movies or shows so far. There aren’t yet physical or streaming media standards that could support 8K commercial releases either. Even if you can find an 8K TV, at best you might be able to watch upconverted 4K video on it. So, for the time being, don’t worry about 8K suddenly replacing 4K. It won’t happen anytime soon.Is a 4K HDR TV Worth It?4K is a no-brainer, but there’s a next-step video technology to consider when you shop for a TV. High dynamic range (HDR) content pushes much more information to the display than a standard video signal. The resolution remains the same, but the range of color and amount of light each pixel can produce is significantly broader.Because of improving LCD and OLED panel technology, high-end televisions can display wider color gamuts and finer gradients of light and dark than before. Standard video was built around the limitations of older cathode ray tube televisions, intentionally using a set range of color and light information in the signal. HDR breaks those limitations and uses expanded ranges with finer values between them. Basically, this means HDR displays can produce more colors and more shades of gray (or, rather, luminance values) than standard dynamic range displays.
Hisense 65U8N (Credit: Will Greenwald)
There are three major HDR standards with commercially available content: Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HDR10+. HDR10 is an open platform that uses 10-bit color values. The UHD Alliance certifies televisions that meet the HDR10 standard, along with minimum brightness and contrast ratios, as UltraHD Premium. Dolby Vision is a closed standard from Dolby; it supports 12-bit color and determines ranges in the signal it provides to a display on the fly, based on the display itself and the needs of the scene. Televisions that support Dolby Vision note so on their packaging. Some other HDR standards and variants are also available, but they’ve yet to see the broad acceptance of HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) is a standard from the BBC and Japanese broadcaster NHK, which is backward compatible with standard dynamic range TVs. Meanwhile, Samsung has HDR10+, which adds variable metadata to brightness, changing the range of bright and dark that video can display from scene to scene. It’s basically Samsung’s answer to Dolby Vision, which the company perplexingly refuses to put on its TVs in favor of its own standard. HDR content is generally rarer than SDR UHD content, but it’s still widely available, especially for new shows and films on major streaming services. Ultra HD Blu-rays, along with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, and other streaming apps all support HDR in HDR10 and/or Dolby Vision. Whether one standard is better than the other is difficult to determine at this point; HDR10 uses more concrete values and is easier to technically evaluate, but Dolby Vision is designed to specifically fit the needs and limits of whatever television you use. Whether it’s HDR10 or Dolby Vision, HDR-capable televisions can produce a better picture than TVs that don’t support the wider color gamuts or increased range of luminance information.Which TV Brand Is the Best?This is a pretty common question, and the short answer is: Don’t shop for a TV based on the brand. Every TV manufacturer makes a full range of models in a variety of tiers based on price and performance. Different brands of TVs in the same tier are much more comparable than the same TV brand in different tiers, and you should keep that in mind. For example, just because it’s a Samsung TV doesn’t mean it’s a good or bad Samsung TV; there’s a wide spread of performance among Samsung TVs in the first place.What Is the Best Time to Buy a TV?Manufacturers typically announce new TVs in January (we saw several at CES 2024), but those models don’t usually hit store shelves until spring or summer. That means there’s a solid three- or four-month span in which you know what new TVs are coming out. If you can find deep discounts for the previous year’s models during that period and you know they’re good performers based on our reviews, you should go for them.Keep an eye out for sales around big sporting events like the Super Bowl, or when football season is just starting. You might be able to find price cuts of a few hundred dollars or more. Like all sales, pay attention to which models are on sale; different tiers and series of TVs can perform wildly differently.Huge price slashes on Black Friday often promote budget or midrange televisions with seemingly big discounts, but their pictures might not be nearly as good as higher-end models. Check the model numbers carefully against reviews for a good sense of whether the discount you see is worthwhile.Are Cheap TVs Worth the Price?Budget-priced TVs can be appealing, especially if you haven’t yet made the jump to 4K and are daunted by $1,000-plus price tags. Be careful when you see a great deal on a TV, though, even if it says 4K HDR. It could be a steal, or it could be a disappointment.Performance among budget TVs varies wildly and trends toward the mediocre. You might find a few good deals, like the Hisense U6K, that manage to combine excellent picture quality with a reasonable price. You are also likely to find a sea of cheap TVs that don’t measure up in one way or another.Don’t count on big names to be reliably high-quality in their budget lines, either. Although companies like LG, Samsung, and Sony can make some incredible flagship TVs, their inexpensive models generally aren’t any better than baseline models from more budget-centric brands like Hisense and TCL—and they’re usually a bit more expensive. As always, our reviews (and the picture quality tests we perform) can help you find a screen that doesn’t trade quality for the price.For the top budget-friendly models we’ve tested, head over to our story on the best cheap TVs.What Is the Best OLED TV?Plasma TVs were the only flat-panel models available when they first came out nearly two decades ago. They’re now a dead category, however, and you won’t find a major television manufacturer that sells new plasma models. That means you likely must choose between LED-backlit LCD TVs (also simply called LED TVs), and much less common, much more expensive OLED displays.First, a note: LCD and LED TVs are distinct types, even though both use LCD panels that require some sort of illumination. But whereas traditional LCD TVs rely on cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) for that task, the now more common LED TVs use LEDs.
Samsung S95D (Credit: Will Greenwald)
There are further differences in the various designs. LED TVs can be either edge-lit or backlit. Edge-lit TVs light up their screens with arrays of LEDs along the edges of the panels, allowing the set to be thin and light. Backlit TVs use a large array of LEDs directly behind the panel. That design choice makes the screen a little thicker but enables more even illumination and, for high-end screens, the ability to adjust individual LEDs to enhance black levels. Very good edge-lighting systems can produce excellent pictures, though, and TV manufacturers are making backlit LED arrays smaller and thinner, so the distinction means less than in the past. No matter the technology, an LED TV’s thinness and brightness are roughly proportional to its price.OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays are a rare and very expensive technology for TVs and, despite their name, are drastically different from LED-backlit televisions. In fact, they’re closer to plasma screens in how they work. Each diode generates both color and light, like in plasma screens, but the diodes can be much smaller and thinner than even LED-lit panels. That makes it possible for them to produce very impressive black levels. Is OLED or QLED Better?Generally speaking, QLED TVs (or LCD-based LED TVs) are brighter and usually more affordable than OLED models, but have imperfect shadow detail. OLED TVs offer incredible color and perfect black levels, but aren’t as bright as QLED panels. Consider your budget and the lighting in the room where you plan to put your TV. An OLED will do best in a home theater where you can block out most outside light, while a QLED will have an edge in a room that gets plenty of windows and sun. That said, as OLED TVs get brighter and more affordable, and QLED TVs use smaller and more numerous mini-LEDs for their backlights, the distinctions between the two will become less and less significant.What Size TV Should You Get?A big TV that’s too close can be just as uncomfortable to watch as a small one that’s too far away, so don’t assume that the biggest screen available is the best choice. There are a few different rules of thumb regarding TV screen size based on your distance from it.Generally, the distance between your couch and your TV should be between 1.2 and 1.6 times the diagonal measurement of your screen. So if your couch is six feet away from your screen, you can comfortably watch a TV between 42 and 60 inches. If your couch is five feet away, a 37- to 52-inch screen should work well.For more, see our stories on how to choose the right TV screen size, the best 65-inch TVs, and the best 75-inch (and up) TVs.What Is a Good TV Refresh Rate and Contrast Ratio?One of the biggest problems with narrowing your choices to a single TV is the sheer number of specs. To make your job a little easier, two of the biggies, refresh rate and contrast ratio, are safe to ignore.
LG Evo G4 OLED TV (Credit: Will Greenwald)
Refresh (or response) rate, the speed at which your TV’s panel refreshes its image, is expressed in hertz (60Hz, 120Hz, 240Hz, 480Hz, or 600Hz). The theory is that a faster refresh rate results in a smoother image. But in reality, there are several reasons this simply isn’t true, and it’s not worth paying more for a set with a faster response rate. In many cases, 60Hz is just fine for films and TV, and 120Hz is plenty for video games and sports (though you should probably turn off those higher refresh rate modes when watching most shows and movies to avoid that jarring soap opera effect). Also, keep in mind that numbers above 120Hz (except for a few Samsung TVs with gaming monitor-like 144Hz refresh rates), tend not to indicate a panel’s native refresh rate; they’re usually numbers produced through various backlight flickering and other image processing tricks.
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Contrast ratio, meanwhile, is the difference between the darkest black and the brightest white a panel can display. In theory, the highest contrast ratio possible is desirable since dark blacks and bright whites contribute to a high-quality picture. There isn’t really a standard way for manufacturers to measure this spec, though, and vendors are all vying to come up with the highest ratios so their TVs seem more appealing. Previously, OLED TVs were the only models we’ve tested to actually produce an “infinite” contrast ratio with a perfect 0 black level, but recently mini LED backlight systems have enabled some TVs, like Samsung’s flagship LED models, to also offer perfect black levels with no noticeable light bloom. We measure contrast ratios with a consistent process across all TVs, so you can trust our numbers.What Is the Best Smart TV?Almost all TVs now offer web apps and built-in Wi-Fi via a smart TV platform. These features let you connect your television to the internet and access online streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV, and YouTube. Many also integrate social network services like Facebook and Twitter, and many manufacturers offer entire downloadable app ecosystems with other programs and games you can use on your TV. Some manufacturers like LG, Samsung, and Vizio develop first-party systems, while others like Hisense, Sony, and TCL use third-party systems like Google TV and Roku TV to give their TVs apps and online services.
Roku Plus Series TV (Credit: Will Greenwald)
These apps are on inexpensive media streaming devices, so they’re not vital. But a friendly interface that unlocks the services you want to use is convenient and saves you from needing to buy anything extra.What Are the Different TV Connections?Ideally, a TV should provide enough video connections for now and the foreseeable future. The most important input is HDMI, which supports all major forms of digital video sources including Blu-ray players, game consoles, set-top boxes, and PCs through a single cable. Most TVs have three or four HDMI ports, but some might only have two. If you want a 4K screen, make sure the HDMI ports are at least HDMI 2.0. It’s the current standard and supports 4K video at 60 frames per second; at best, older HDMI ports can only handle 4K up to 30 frames per second. HDMI 2.1, meanwhile, supports higher resolutions and faster refresh rates, though it isn’t vital for most content currently available.
How PCMag Tests TVs
As for cables, unless you have a huge home theater system and plan to run cables between devices at distances longer than 25 feet (and that’s being generous), brands and prices don’t matter. We’ve compared the performance of high-end cables and inexpensive ones and found that they all carry digital signals similarly. More expensive cables might have better build quality, but you won’t see any performance advantages from them. Don’t shop for HDMI cables at retail stores, and ignore any clerks who warn you of “dirty electricity” or “viruses” that can come with cheap cables (both claims I’ve witnessed). Hop online and find the least expensive cable at the size you need and snap it up.Just ensure the cables are labeled HDMI 2.1 or “Premium High Speed” or “Ultra High Speed.” For more, see our story on what you need to know about HDMI cables.HDMI also supports the highest-end home theater audio standards, though you’ll generally have to give up a port as a video input to use it. Most TVs have an HDMI port with an audio return channel (ARC), clearly labeled on the back. ARC enables sound to be sent downstream to a connected soundbar or speaker system from the TV over HDMI and supports compressed 5.1-channel surround sound like optical connections do. However, recent TVs have enhanced ARC, or eARC, which offers even higher-quality audio and more features than optical or ARC can provide. eARC supports uncompressed multi-channel sound, including spatial audio like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. In fact, if you want to use those much more precise surround systems instead of discrete channel feeds, you need to use eARC.If you have legacy devices from before the days of HDTVs, some new TVs might still support them. While they’re not standard, many TVs have composite or component video inputs you can use to hook up VCRs and older game systems. Groups of full-sized RCA ports might be available, but you’re more likely to find 3.5mm ports designed for use with included dongles that convert the 3.5mm connection to three RCA ports for composite video or five RCA ports for component video.Should You Calibrate Your TV?Most modern TVs are accurate enough out of the box that they don’t need calibration. Just follow our five simple tweaks to get the best picture settings for your TV and you should be good to go.Still, if you spent a lot on your new TV, you might want to calibrate it to obtain the best picture possible. Professional calibrations can cost hundreds of dollars, but if you have a high-end home theater (the kind you hired someone to build for you), it can be a worthwhile added expense. And if you don’t, you can get a calibration Blu-ray and make some tweaks yourself. You can also use the Apple TV’s Color Balance feature, though it doesn’t come close to a professional calibration and only affects the Apple TV device’s (not the Apple TV app) output itself.And, of course, don’t forget to turn off motion smoothing (the effect that makes everything look like a soap opera) unless you’re watching sports.Which Sound System Is Best for TV?TVs have built-in speakers that function well enough in the sense that you can understand dialogue, but beyond that, they’re typically pretty underwhelming. With few exceptions, you can improve your movie and gaming experience greatly by adding a speaker system, such as a soundbar or a dedicated multi-channel home theater system.A soundbar is your best bet if space is at a premium or your budget is limited. Soundbars are long, thin, self-contained speakers that sit under or over your TV. Small and simple to set up, they’re less expensive than multi-speaker systems. Soundbars generally don’t separate the channels enough to place sound effects accurately, but they’ve become quite good at producing a large sound field around you. Moreover, many soundbars pair easily with a subwoofer for added thunder when watching movies. Here are some of our favorite soundbars.The Best Outdoor TVsAs a rule, TVs aren’t rugged and you shouldn’t use them outside. They aren’t built to handle extreme temperatures or any significant amount of moisture or dirt. If you want a TV to put on your porch or deck, you need a specialized set designed for that location.Companies like SunBriteTV make durable TVs that can function in a much wider range of temperatures than most consumer TVs and are protected against the elements. They’re built to be left out in the rain and snow, with a heavy chassis and shielded connection bays. That extra protection is costly, though; most outdoor TVs cost at least twice as much as comparable indoor TVs. Our Editors’ Choice, the SunBriteTV Veranda 3, costs $2,898.95 for the 55-inch model we tested.
