Best TVs of 2024 tested: top OLEDs, Mini-LEDs and QLEDs for December

Helping folks find the best TVs for their living spaces is one of the best parts of my day as Tom's Guide's Managing Editor for TVs and AV. I take great pride in the rigor of our extensive testing regiment, and I personally see close to four dozen TVs a year at industry events, behind-closed-door demos, and at-home tests where I see how industry innovations affect every-day viewing.

As I test each model, there are a few features that I check to see if it could really be the best TV for you. These are the same things you want, like great picture quality, immersive sound, quick installation and set up, and access to my favorite streaming apps and other smart services.

I go through great lengths to view picture quality through every lens — contrast, brightness, black levels, color saturation, color accuracy, motion processing and upscaling. And all these factors combine when I decide whether it really is one of the best TVs around right now.

If you're wondering what the best TV looks like, check out the Hisense U8N. It faces some stiff competition from Samsung and the LG C4 OLED, but the U8N offers the best price-to-performance ratio. It's a TV I used for myself over the course of three months (a very long time in the TV testing world), and every time I turned it on, I was consistently impressed.

The quick list

About the author

Written by

Written by

Nick Pino

My name's Nick and I look after our guides to the best TVs, best OLED TVs and best 4K TVs. I have been covering TVs and AV for major tech publications for over a decade. Before I became Tom's Guide's Managing Editor of TV & AV, I was formerly the Senior Editor, TV and AV at TechRadar. My accreditations include THX Installation and Calibration training and serving as a Innovation Awards judge for TVs at the largest tech show in the world, CES. Before my days in journalism, I helped folks just like you at a local Best Buy working in the TV department.

The best TVs you can buy today

Best TV

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What you need to know
It shouldn't be much of a surprise that the Hisense U8 series is at the top of the list — its predecessor, the Hisense U8K, held this spot for most of last year. But what makes the Hisense U8N even better than its predecessor is the uptick in brightness. This TV can output over 3,000 nits in HDR, which means you're more than covered if you feel like TVs often look too dim and are hard to see. Its color vibrancy is also off the charts, second only to a Sony TV that costs three times as much money.

In short, the U8N offers performance we'd expect from a $2,000 TV for under $1,000.

So why didn't it get a perfect 5 out of 5 score from me? Well, two reasons. For one, Hisense just can't compete with Sony, Samsung and LG in post-image processing. Motion processing and upscaling aren't awful, and most of the time look really good everything considered, but other companies' processing techniques are on a whole different level. You're also stuck with just two HDMI 2.1 ports here.

Despite these flaws, most folks are going to be blown away by this TV.

Design: For my tests, I used a 65-inch model. At 56.2 pounds, it's not the lightest TV nor the thinnest, but that's to be expected from any non-OLED TV. To mount, make sure you grab a standard 600 x 400, M6 VESA mount. If you want to simply place it on top of an entertainment center, you can do that using the two included legs that come in the box.

Performance: You can't watch the Hisense U8N and not be impressed. Not only does it nail the perfect brightness in every setting thanks to the incorporation of a light sensor, but its color vibrancy is next level. In our lab tests, conducted by Tom's Guide's Head of Testing Matthew Murray, the Hisense U8N was able to go toe-to-toe with the much more expensive LG C4 OLED and even surpasses it in some key metrics like SDR brightness and color saturation. It cannot be understated how impressive this is.

The only reason I couldn't give it full marks are because of its upscaling and motion processing prowess. It's not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but actors' faces on the Hisense U8N might look a bit softer with hidden pores and clouds have soft edges rather than any real definition. Its lackluster motion processing can also create motion blur around the moving objects that's extremely noticeable, even to the untrained eye. Finally, serious gamers might also notice the smallest bit of latency. Anything under 20 milliseconds is nearly imperceptible to the human eye, but there are other TVs that have a hair less input lag for a slightly more responsive feel.

Smart TV: We genuinely like Google TV as a smart platform and we think you will, too. It does a phenomenal job at surfacing new and recommended content for you to watch and it has access to all the main streaming services. Even better, it doesn't really push you to use one service over another the same way an Amazon Fire TV might. The only potential issue is that you might notice a bit of a slowdown when you switch from one streaming app to the next.

Read the full review: Hisense U8N Mini-LED TV

Hisense 65" U8N Mini-LED TV: was $1,499 now $897 @ Amazon
Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be behind us, but the 65-inch U8N is still on sale for over $600 off its typical price.

View Deal

Best QD-OLED TV

What you need to know
Samsung's return to the world of OLED TVs has been a wild ride. It was one of the first manufacturers to make an OLED TV before dejecting the technology in place of QLED. Now, with the S95C OLED, Samsung proves it can do both perfectly.

Not only is its picture performance simply stunning, but when you’re not watching or using the TV, Ambient mode takes over and provides a carousel of aesthetically-pleasing animations and images. Samsung made Ambient mode mainstream, and though other TV brands have since introduced their own spin on it, we still like Samsung’s version the best.

We wish Samsung would implement Dolby Vision and maybe pump up the sound quality a bit more on the S95C, but overall, it's still an incredible QD-OLED TV.

Design: The Samsung S95C is a premium model, through and through. It uses metal materials, a bezel-less screen and has an impressively thin panel. It’s even thinner than the S95B, measuring a mere 10mm thick. If you like your TVs slim and sleek, but still able to fit on a home entertainment center with ease, the S95C's design is top notch. In terms of ports, the S95C has four HDMI 2.1 ports plus an ATSC 3.0 tuner.

Performance: Our reviewers loved the picture of the Samsung S95C OLED, citing its nuanced HDR performance, out-of-the-box color accuracy and wonderful black levels. In our tests, the S95C was able to reproduce about 141.5% of the Rec 709 color space in standard mode and a Delta-E accuracy score of 1.4 (with closer to 0 being best) in Filmmaker mode. For gamers, the S95C measured an excellent 9.2ms lag time, the lowest input latency of any TV we tested, and the set’s off-angle viewing is better than most, with the colors holding up well past the ideal 45 degrees.

Smart TV: Samsung's Tizen OS is a bit of a mixed bag this year. It can be difficult to navigate (especially if you wan to make tweaks to your picture settings), but you can still find all the major streaming apps, plus plenty of free content from Samsung TV Plus. On the plus side, the S95C can act as a SmartThings hub. If you’re growing your smart home or embracing the Matter smart home protocol, this TV control all of your devices, even if your home uses gadgets from all different manufacturers.

Read the full review: Samsung S95C OLED

Best OLED TV

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What you need to know
LG is the king of OLED TVs for a reason. When Samsung ducked out of the race to work on QLED screens, LG stayed hard at work improving OLED quality. The result is the LG G4 OLED — an absolutely stunning TV that leverages the power of LG Display's latest innovations in panel design. Sporting a new META 2.0 panel, the G4 delivers better brightness than nearly all of its peers (QD-OLED TVs, excluded) and has some of the most accurate out-of-the-box color we've seen on a TV in 2024.

Not only is the TV immaculately designed but LG is one of the only TV makers to offer a five-year warranty on its OLED TVs to cover them in case of any pixel degradation (i.e. burn-out or burn-in), and that gives me a lot of confidence recommending their brand. There are more OLED TVs out there than ever before, but for me the choice for the best OLED is clear in the 2024 LG G4.

Design: The LG G4 OLED splits the difference for families who want a TV that mirrors what they see in theaters without a big projector taking up space in their living room. The G4 has an art gallery-worthy design that's incredibly thin and almost melts into the wall. Mounted, I think it's one of the most beautiful TVs sold in 2024.

Performance: The LG G4 OLED doesn't require a calibrator to make it look great — out of the box it looks incredible. In our comprehensive lab tests, the LG G4 reached a peak brightness of 1,488 nits while maintaining perfect black levels. Its color accuracy in its Filmmaker mode is the lowest of any TV and it's tied for the lowest input latency. Movies that we watched on it looked sharp and vibrant. The Mushroom Kingdom in The Super Mario Bros. Movie had candy-color sheen to it, and action sequences in Avatar: The Way of Water have never looked so unreal (in a good way).

Smart TV: WebOS isn't the flashiest smart TV platform out there but it's a workhorse. It doesn't slowdown after years of use. It doesn't suffer from major disputes with streaming partners. It just works each and every time. Unfortunately, LG's Magic Remote can be a bit fickle. Some folks love the Wii-esque wand design, but others loath it entirely. Thankfully there are plenty of ways to control the TV, including Apple Airplay 2, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Assistant, so don't worry too much if the idea of motion-based controls are a turn-off.

Read the full review: LG G4 OLED

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Best value TV

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What you need to know
It was a really close call between the Hisense U8N and the TCL QM8. Both TVs are extraordinary values for the money, and while the Hisense U8N is the overall better pick, the TCL QM8 deserved a spot on the list as well. Like the Hisense U8, the QM8 uses Mini-LEDs for better backlight control and quantum dots to enhance contrast and color. With up to 2,300 local dimming zones and TCL's High Brightness Ultra Direct LED backlight, you're going to get unbelievable contrast for an LED-LCD TV. I also really like the AIPQ Engine Gen 3 that helps upscale HD/SDR content for the QM8's 4K screen as well as the TV's numerous gaming features.

The only major drawbacks here are the TV's 8W speakers that can feel a bit underwhelming and the lack of an ATSC 3.0 tuner that can be found in the Hisense U8N. The latter isn't a deal-breaker, especially if you don't plan on using a digital antenna, but it's absence is still felt here.

Design: The QM8 may not have the beautiful slim design of the LG G4 OLED, but it's certainly not a bad design, either. Its minimal bezel that measures in a less than an eighth-inch on all sides maximizes screen real estate. Beneath the bottom of the screen are physical controls as well as a switch for turning on or off the far-field microphone. The TCL QM8 offers four HDMI ports, however only two of them are HDMI 2.1-compliant, meaning you'll have to choose which devices can pass 4K/120Hz signal and which ones can't.

Performance: The QM8, like the U8N, is a good pick if you need higher-than-average brightness to combat ambient light. In our testing, the TCL QM8 was able to hit 1,348 nits in Movie mode with SDR content, a significant increase over other 4K HDR TVs that we've measured. With HDR content, the QM8 was able to hit above 2,000 nits in a 5%, 10% and even 25% window sizes. This brightness paired with the Mini-LED backlight offers great contrast that approaches OLED levels. Colors are vivid as well, with our tests showing that the QM8 can cover 80% of the BT2020 color spectrum. Just like the U8K, however, its out-the-box color accuracy leaves a lot to be desired with a Delta E score of 4.4614. With some tweaking, this number can drop significantly, but it's worth noting that some colors might appear a bit oversaturated when you first start it up.

Smart TV: Like a lot of other manufacturers, TCL has shifted to using Google TV in its 2023 models, including the QM8. Google TV is clean and runs smooth on this model, and thanks to the remote's built-in microphone and the TV's integrated microphone, you can search for shows and movies using only your voice. If you want some privacy, you can turn off the voice assistant via a physical switch on the TV itself.

Read the full review: TCL QM8 Mini-LED TV

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Best QLED TV

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What you need to know
The Samsung QN90D is the swiss army knife of TVs. It's good at basically everything, from upscaling content to boosting brightness, and it's available in pretty much every screen size fathomable. Whether you want a 43-inch telly for your office or guest bedroom, or you need a 98-inch behemoth for your living room, you can find a QN90D model to match. Like the Hisense, the Samsung QN90D uses Mini-LED for better contrast and a higher peak brightness. Unlike our other top picks it has a slightly faster input latency and four full-spec HDMI 2.1 ports that can pass 4K/120Hz signal that make it a better pick for gamers.

The downside here is that you're paying a lot more for this slight improvement on performance and its lackluster Tizen smart platform. It's still worth considering for all those extras, but it doesn't exactly provide the best value compared to our top picks.

Design: The Samsung QN90D is pretty much the industry standard when it comes to design. It's relatively thin and uses minimal bezels. The pillar stand can be very convenient if you don't have a wide entertainment center to place it on, but it comes at the cost of stability. The QN90D won't tip over unless a lot of force is applied to it, but it's a lot wobblier than the TVs that sit on two legs. The good news is that the QN90D has four HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which can be used as the eARC port for soundbars. For gamers, HDMI 2.1 ports enable 4K/120Hz pass-through as well as Auto Low Latency Mode and Variable Refresh Rate. Have we mentioned that this is a great gaming TV?

Performance: While other models from Hisense and TCL have finally caught up to Samsung in terms of peak brightness, the QN90D is a strong performer when it comes to light output. In our HDR tests, the QN90D was able to output 2,024 nits of brightness, which is a nice small uptick compared to the 1,987.34 nits we saw in the 2023 QN90C. The Hisense U8N is going to offer higher brightness than the Samsung QN90D, but the Samsung was able to best the U8N in terms of color accuracy right out of the box. The QN90D is slightly more expensive, but it doesn't require nearly as much fiddling in the settings to get the color dialed in correctly and its picture processing technology is better.

Smart TV: Tizen hasn't always been our favorite smart platform, but it has gotten much better in 2024. It's fully functional with all the mainstream streaming services as well as a nifty smart home hub for any SmartThings devices you might own. The interface doesn't slow down much as it ages, but you will need to create a Samsung account to download new apps. Having some free content in the way of the Samsung TV Plus streaming service makes up for that slightly, but Google TV is still the better option to go for if you're deciding between the two platforms.

Read the full review: Samsung QN90D Neo QLED TV

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Best budget OLED

What you need to know
Design: The LG B4 features a similar design to the rest of the entries in the brand’s 2024 OLED TV lineup. Most of its panel is remarkably slim — a hallmark of OLED displays. The chassis bulges out somewhat at the panel’s midpoint to accommodate the set’s internal hardware, but even at its thickest, this is a very svelte TV. Unlike the other entries in LG’s OLED lineup this year, the B4 sits atop a pair of wide-set, boomerang-shaped feet, lifting the panel high enough for a soundbar to rest beneath the screen without obstructing the view. Due to the distance between each of the B4’s feet, it’s important to make sure that your desk or media console is wide enough, especially if you’re shopping among the 65-, 77-, and 83-inch size options.

Performance: The B4’s best features are those associated with OLED technology: perfectly inky black levels and super-wide viewing angles. Crucially, though, the B4 is also engineered for a clean, accurate picture. We loved the B4’s motion handling and overall picture processing, particularly how well it handled fast-paced action and sports. It’s also ready to showcase SDR and HDR content accurately right out of the box. In its most accurate picture mode (Filmmaker), we measured a Delta-E of under 1 during our color error test. Given that a lower Delta-E is preferable, this is a sensational test result. If the B4 has one weakness, it’s the relatively low peak brightness measurements we recorded in HDR: 659 nits. This puts it behind mid-range OLEDs like the LG C4 and very much at a disadvantage compared to QD-OLEDs (like the Samsung S95D) and MLA-equipped OLEDs (like the LG G4). Nevertheless, its perfect black levels give its highlights more of a punch.

Smart TV: The B4 arrives with the newest version of LG’s webOS baked right into the software. While we weren’t too keen on the occasional slowdown we experienced while hopping around the webOS menus, we appreciated the amount of downloadable apps available. If you have no intention of using up one of the B4's inputs on a dedicated streaming device, you could get buy with webOS on the B4 as your daily streaming hub.

Read the full review: LG B4 OLED

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Best budget TV

What you need to know
The TCL Q6, our pick for the best TV under $500, is a basic smart TV with a decent-looking picture and an affordable price tag. Right now, the 65-inch version is on sale for under $500, and the 85-inch version can be had for as low as $899. It's not loaded with gaming features, but its built-in Google TV smart platform will deliver all of your streaming needs in an easy-to-navigate interface.

Design: The Q6 isn't as slim or posh-looking as a swanky Mini-LED TV, but it'll blend into whatever room it resides. The best aspect of its design are its feet, which can be configured one of two ways, depending on your arrangement. The narrow placement is convenient for smaller media consoles, while the wider option accommodates a soundbar. The remote control gets the job done, though it's larger than what you'll get with most Sony and Samsung TVs. One important thing to note about the TCL Q6 is that the 55- and 65-inch models are limited to just three HDMI inputs. If you've got four devices to connect to your next TV, you might want to step up to the TCL QM8, our best value pick.

Performance: The Q6 may not get as bright as a mid-range TV with Mini-LED backlighting, but compared to lower-end TVs (like the Samsung DU8000), its quantum-dot display gives its picture a bit of an oomph when it comes to color volume and overall brightness. The result is a TV that holds up in average-lit living spaces, but might not look great in sun-soaked rooms. For nighttime viewing, the Q6 benefits from an accurate presentation, but the picture isn't as rich as what you'll see on a TV with local dimming. On the gaming side of things, the TCL Q6 is limited compared to mid-range offerings. It does support ALLM and VRR, but not FreeSync. Additionally, it can showcase 4K games at 60Hz, as well as 1080p and 1440p content at 120Hz, but you can't game at 4K/120Hz. For a better gaming TV, the TCL QM8 is once again a better option. It supports 4K gaming at 120Hz, and its Mini-LED display is better suited for HDR games.

Smart TV: The Q6 comes with Google TV built into its software. Google TV is one of our preferred smart platforms on account of its simple user interface and its wealth of downloadable apps. During testing, we found that it could be laggy at times (probably due to the Q6's modest processor), so if you're particularly sensitive to such things, we recommend pairing it with an external streaming device.

Read the full review: TCL Q6 QLED

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Best TV for gaming

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What you need to know
Gamers are spoilt for choices when it comes to picking out a TV. In fact, I could make the case for each and every model on this list that they'd be the best TV for gamers. But the Samsung S90C is the only one that meets every single spec: a low input lag (9.2ms), HDMI 2.1 allowing for VRR, ALLM, and up to 144Hz refresh rates. That's not even mentioning the new game-streaming options found on Tizen.

Obviously, the S90C is good for more than just gaming — it uses a QD-OLED panel after all. The result here is the same as in the Sony A95L OLED: Colors are more stunning and contrast looks incredible. The S90C does have a few trade-offs compared to the higher-end S95C (the OneConnect Box being one of them) but the price difference isn't worth paying in our opinion.

For gamers, this is the be-all, end-all model.

Design: It might not have the OneConnect Box, but the Samsung S90C's still stocked up with four HDMI 2.1 ports that gamers will appreciate. The Samsung S90C's pedestal design has a few tricks up its sleeve, too. For one, it gives the illusion that the TV's floating in the air, an illusion that's all the more believable given the less than one-eighth inch bezel that surrounds the screen. Samsung's marketing name for this is "Infinity Display", but I think its minimalist beauty speaks for itself.

Performance: Gaming is going to be a real bright spot for the Samsung S90C (we couldn't resist trying Starfield on it when we reviewed it) but it's no slouch when it comes to playing both SDR and HDR movies. Upscaled content looked great as did motion handling (after a bit of tweaking). There are few TVs that can compete with the Samsung S90C in terms of sheer performance prowess, so it gets full marks here.

Smart TV: Samsung's Tizen system is more than adequate for daily viewing. It has all the creature comforts you'd expect alongside a full roster of apps, and it ties into the Samsung SmartThings ecosystem, allowing you to control some smart home devices straight from the TV. We found its deeply convoluted settings difficult to use and expect you might feel the same way if you're someone who likes to tweak the picture, but for the most part Tizen gets the job done.

Read our full Samsung S90C OLED review

Best mid-range TV

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What you need to know
The LG C4 OLED is the latest and greatest model in LG's vaunted C-Series, following last year's LG C3 OLED and 2022's LG C2 OLED. It features a few key improvements to LG's webOS platform and support for a 144Hz refresh rate when connected to compatible gaming PC hardware. So why is it down here? In short, it's expensive. It will drop down in price later this year, but it's currently $2,400 for a 65-inch screen.

At that price I expect peak performance, and thankfully the mostly C4 delivers. It offers the beautiful black levels you expect from an OLED of this caliber, as well as wide color gamut and fantastic off-axis viewing. Its brightness is great compared to older OLED models, finally crossing the 1,000-nit threshold, but it's not going to put up the same numbers that the LG G4 or Sony A95L can.

In a year where Hisense, TCL, Samsung and even LG itself didn't deliver such homerun TVs, the LG C4 would've been the best TV money could buy — unfortunately the competition is tough and at its current price, the C4 has a hard time justifying its exorbitant cost.

Design: The LG C4 OLED keeps the pedestal stand design we've seen on OLED TVs previously. It's pretty chic, stable and helps hide all the cords. Check, check, check. If you want to go for a wall-mount, the C4 uses 300x200mm VESA holes but just be careful — the OLED screen is less than a quarter-inch thick at its narrowest point and pretty fragile. Get some help before you try to lift it. In terms of ports, you've got four full-spec HDMI 2.1 ports with ALLM and, as you'd expect, it comes with LG's polarizing Magic Remote.

Performance: While I'm still waiting for META Gen 2 panels to make their way into the C-Series OLEDs, the LG C4 OLED does receive a small uptick in brightness that helps it clear over 1,000 nits in HDR mode. Speaking of HDR, the C4 supports HLG, HDR10 and Dolby Vision, but not HDR10+. That's not a huge deal in practice considering the plethora of Dolby Vision content and dearth of HDR10+ movies, but it's something to keep in mind. Powering the show is LG's new α9 AI Processor 4K Gen7 processor that uses AI to do object-based upscaling. It's fancy tech that helps movies and shows look their absolute best. Gamers will also appreciate the 144Hz support when connected to a gaming PC, while console gamers can rest easy knowing that their PS5 and Xbox Series X will play at 4K/120 with no extra steps.

Smart TV: The LG C4 OLED is one of the few TVs with access to webOS 24 that brings a number of new features to the table including a number of accessibility features. The UI has been streamlined for this year, and there's even an option to turn off all advertising in the settings. It doesn't have the same amount of polish as Google TV, but webOS is chockfull of apps and comes with both Apple AirPlay and Chromcast Built-in as standard. It's pure usability, baby.

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Read the full review: LG C4 OLED

Best 8K TV

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What you need to know
8K TVs are the future. At some point, 8K content is going to arrive and folks who bought into the technology early will have front row seats to the show. Unfortunately, it's like buying a ticket to next year's movie premiere — you might have front row seats but you simply have no idea when it's going to start.

But, while you wait, the Samsung QN900D is a fantastic all-around performer that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence for better upscaling and color accuracy. In our tests, the QN900D's Delta-E measurement (a metric that tracks how close to 'perfect' a TV's colors are and where lower is better) was a 1.8413. That's OLED levels of color accuracy, and there's no tradeoff in brightness. We measured a maximum brightness of 2,338 nits in Movie mode, with even higher levels of brightness in Dynamic...not that we recommend watching content in Dynamic mode.

Because of its price and advanced feature set, however, it's not something I recommend to friends and family, and I really only recommend it to the most discerning cinephiles who have both the space and critical eye to appreciate the picture. (One way of potentially bringing the price down is by checking out our Samsung discount codes to see if you can save yourself some money.)

Design: The Samsung QN900D is another example of Samsung's Infinity Display at work. You'll barely notice the bezels once content starts playing, and the pedestal design helps to make the QN900D look every bit as futuristic as the picture. I especially appreciate its 6.2.4-channel system that delivers an immersive audio experience without the help of any external speakers. In terms of ports, all the essentials are here (all HDMI 2.1, of course) and they all connect in a neat orderly fashion to the OneConnect Box. Five stars on design.

Performance: Design aside, you're buying an 8K TV for the performance, and it's here the Samsung QN900D really shines. I've already talked about its high peak brightness, critical for daytime viewing and to emphasize bright details in HDR content, but I have to hand it to Samsung for its work on color accuracy and input lag. What's going to be more controversial here is Samsung's liberal application of AI upscaling that can, at times, deviate from the director's intent. Film grain can be completely removed from scenes that were supposed to have it, and colorists who spent days and weeks color-grading movie scenes aren't going to love the fact that the QN900D can skew those colors to be more saturated than they intended. For some, the AI-enhanced look is going to feel like the future of TV viewing. For cinema purists looking for the most accurate depictions of their favorite films, it's likely going to be a bridge too far.

Smart TV: Last year's version of Tizen wasn't my favorite, but the 2024 iteration seems to have restored a lot of the usability of Samsung's smart TV platform. For instance, changing picture modes can be done without exiting what you're playing, and there's now a bigger emphasis on recommendations that apes some of the work Google has been doing with its Google TV platform. Adding apps to the homescreen still requires a Samsung account, which is annoying, but overall this is a solid release and one that most folks will be happy with.

Read the full review: Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV

TV benchmarks: comparison

When testing TVs we use an X-Rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer, a SpectraCal VideoForge Pro pattern generator and Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software.

But what do these numbers mean, exactly?

Peak Brightness: This metric measures the peak luminance of the screen. Basically, it answers the question, "how bright can this TV get?" We measure this with a 10% window at the TV's max brightness. Why 10%? This is about the size of a really bright object, like the sun, that you'd typically see in HDR content. Up to a certain point (around 2,000 nits), the higher the number, the better your picture-viewing experience will be.

Delta E: Remember from math class that a delta value measures the difference between two numbers. What we're measuring here is the difference between the "perfect" color (for instance, red) and the color that the TV produces. The lower the Delta E, the more accurate the colors on the TV are.

BT2020 Value: BT2020 is a color gamut - i.e. a range of colors. The higher percentage, the more coverage a TV has. There are a number of other color gamuts we could measure against (Rec709 and UHDA-P3 are also pretty common gamuts in the TV world) but BT2002, also known as Rec2020, is the current gold standard.

Input lag: This last one is easy to understand - it's the metric that measures how long it takes for a signal from an HDMI device to show up on the screen. It's an important metric for gamers who want the most responsive TV. Most gaming monitors have less than a 1ms response time, while a really good gaming TV will be right around 9ms. Anything less than 20ms is almost imperceptible, but some gamers say that they can feel a difference in the gameplay.

Also tested

What you see above are the best TVs we tested, but not the only TVs we tested. While other sites might have best-of lists like ours, they typically only test a half-dozen TVs per year. At Tom's Guide, we test dozens of TVs — some of them come from the manufacturers on loan, but a healthy amount of them we buy ourselves. That said, not every TV is going to make this list.

Here's a few TVs that we've tested recently that, while good, didn't make the cut. Consider it a list of honorable mentions.

Panasonic W95A Mini-LED TV (★★★★☆)
The Panasonic W95A is a Mini-LED with some serious performance chops. In our tests, the W95A impressed us with HDR highlights approaching 1,500 nits and fantastic out-of-the-box color accuracy. We weren't that jazzed about its built-in, Amazon-based Fire TV smart platform, but in terms of performance and gaming support, the W95A is up there with the best Mini-LED TVs of 2024.

Read the full Panasonic W95A Mini-LED TV review.

Sony Bravia 8 OLED (★★★★☆)
The Sony Bravia 8 OLED is a strong contender for a spot on our list, but sadly, it just misses out on a spot due to its lack of HDMI 2.1 ports (there's only two here) and mediocre response time. If you want a better mid-range OLED, the Samsung S90C or LG C4 OLED are the better options.

Read the full Sony Bravia 8 OLED TV review

Hisense U7N (★★★☆☆½)
This is Hisense's mid-range Mini-LED TV for 2024. It's not as bright as the higher-end U8N (nor is its local dimming as precise), but it's a superb option for gamers and home theater enthusiasts on a budget.

Read our full Hisense U7N review.

Samsung QN900C 8K QLED TV (★★★★☆)
Unsurprisingly, the runner-up for the best 8K TV is Samsung's 2023 QN900C. It held the spot as the best 8K TV before the QN900D arrived on the scene in 2024. The only major issue with it is a little black crushing (scenes that are near-black are displayed as pure black). It's not a deal breaker, but it's a bummer when you're paying so much for a TV of this caliber.

Read the full Samsung QN900C Neo QLED 8K TV review

Samsung The Frame TV (★★★★☆)
As with previous generations, this TV's design effortlessly blends into its surroundings, and lets you display great works of art when you're not watching your favorite shows. And, it now uses less power in Art mode. However, you have to pay museum entrance-like fees to get the art in the first place, and the performance of this set doesn't measure up to others in its price range.

Read our full Samsung The Frame TV (2024) review.

What to consider when buying a TV

When shopping for a TV, it's best to start off by asking yourself a few simple questions: "What size TV am I shopping for?" "How much light does the place where I'm putting the TV get?" and "What kind of picture am I looking for?"

Start with size: We're all limited by wall size. Unless you live in a mansion with cathedral ceilings, you're going to have to pick a wall in your home (typically in your living room, bedroom or basement) that you want to put a TV. If you don't want to wall-mount, then you'll need to pick out — or pick up — a home entertainment center or other piece of sturdy furniture to put the TV on top of. This will determine how large of TV you can buy. Keep in mind that TVs are really only made in a few sizes: 40, 48, 55, 65, 75 and 85 inches are the most common. There are a few outliers here and there (a few 42-, 50-, 77-, 83- and 98-inch TVs are also available), but you might have to compromise features or performance by going for an uncommon size.

After size, think about performance and price: For most folks, the answer here is something that's good while still being pretty cheap. A good 65-inch TV will at least cost $500 to $600, while a great 65-inch TV will probably run you between $1,000 and $1,500. A truly epic 65-inch screen can cost $2,500 or more depending on how new it is. TVs, for the most part, are priced pretty fairly. There are deals to be had (more on this in a second) but, by and large, you get what you pay for. If all you want is a basic 65-inch 4K TV that can stream Netflix, don't spend more than $800 on it. But if you want, say, a 75-inch TV that's going to wow your friends and family, you'll probably need to spend around $1,500.

Finally, consider feature set and smart TV platform: Any TV you buy in 2024 is going to come with a smart TV platform pre-installed. There's no getting around it. But not all smart TVs are made the same. Some are a little easier to use (Roku TVs are great for their simplicity) while others might require more knowhow (Samsung TVs require you to make a username and password before downloading new apps). Gamers will want to pay special attention to specs like input latency and number of HDMI 2.1 ports, while cinephiles will want IMAX Enhanced support on their screens. These little discrepancies aren't going to make or break a new TV, but they're the last things worth considering before you checkout.

TV terminology

While the above list can give you an idea of which TVs we feel are the best overall, you'll still need to factor in things like the screen size, the screen brightness, the sound output, the resolution and/or the supported HDR formats you want. A 65-inch OLED might work for most people, but you might want a 50-inch TV that's ultra-bright to compensate for the amount of ambient light in the room, which means an OLED TV might not work for you.

Need a quick tutorial on TV technology? Here's a short primer.

Screen sizes: This is probably the best place to start when buying a TV. If you plan on wall-mounting the TV, measure the dimensions of the wall space you want to fill. Having the length, width and diagonal measurement will quickly and easily eliminate 80% of the TVs on the market. If you plan on putting it in a cabinet or on a stand, measure the width of where the TV will sit, and use that to start shopping. Check out our What size TV should you buy? guide for a chart that will help you calculate which size you'll need for your space.

Brightness: The common wisdom for buying a TV is that, the brighter the room is, the brighter of a TV you'll want to buy. Why? Well, ambient light can wash out color saturation or, worse, lead to glare on the screen. Ultimately the amount of glare will depend on what type of TV you buy (OLED TVs with a glass screen are more reflective than, say, QLED TVs with an anti-glare screen), but a good rule of thumb is that OLED TVs are usually better in light-controlled rooms while bright LED-LCD TVs work better in brighter rooms with more ambient light. We have a complete breakdown of brightness and why it matters in our OLED vs Mini-LED TV guide.

Panel type: Panel technology changes all the time, but it broadly falls into two categories — self-emissive displays like OLED and QD-OLED and backlit screens like Mini-LED, QLED and LED-LCD TVs. OLED screens offer better color saturation and contrast, but pixel degradation can be an issue. LED-LCD TVs are often very bright, but they can suffer from something called Dirty Screen Effect (DSE) where each pixel's colors are slightly different, leading to non-uniform images. QD-OLED TVs are the next big thing in TVs, and they offer a few advantages over traditional OLED.

Resolution: Unless you're buying a small TV (less than 40 inches) you really want a 4K resolution. Resolution defines the number of pixels on the screen. The more pixels (and the better the processor), the clearer the overall picture looks. All TVs will either offer HD, Full HD, 4K or 8K resolution.

Refresh Rate: If you've ever looked at a TV box, you'll probably see some weird marketing terms like Motion Rate 240 or 480, or something ridiculous. These don't mean anything. Well, they do, sort of - but it's purposely obfuscated. All TVs available right now have one of two native panel refresh rates: 60Hz or 120Hz. These numbers tell you how quickly a TV scans and replaces each pixel in a second. 60Hz is 60 times in one second. 120Hz is 120 times in one second. You want a higher number if you want smoother motion (i.e. you plan on watching sports or playing games).

Ports: We generally recommend opting for more ports, so that you never have to manually unplug and re-plug HDMI cables to switch from your streaming device or Blu-ray player to your game console or other device. Three ports is common, but nicer TVs usually have 4 HDMI ports. You'll also want make sure at least one is HDMI 2.1; our guide to the best HDMI 2.1 TVs can help here. (Still confused? Check out TV ports explained: What all those HDMI, USB and other connections are for?)

Smart software: Almost all TVs are smart TVs these days. That means they come stocked with some sort of smart platform, whether it's Roku TV, Google TV, WebOS, Tizen or something else. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, so be sure to familiarize yourself with them before you buy.

Price: Lastly, you'll need to factor price into the equation. For the most part, unfortunately, better TVs do cost more. Just like PCs, TVs that are more expensive come with better specs and more features, so typically paying less for a TV means making some sort of sacrifice. The good news? You can find smaller 4K TVs (42-, 43- and 50-inch TVs) that sell for less than $500, which will spare you some cash for some of the best soundbars or best streaming devices to go with your set.

When's the best time to buy a TV

The best time to buy a TV is as soon as your old one dies. I'm kidding (sort of). Realistically all electronics do break and when you see signs that your TV is on its last legs, then it's probably time to start looking to see what's out there. Hopefully, that will align with one of the major shopping days, like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, when you can pick up TVs cheaper than usual.

As for when, specifically, is a good time to buy a TV, let's look at a quick example of a TV's price history using the website CamelCamelCamel that tracks price data over time.

The chart above shows the price of the Samsung QN90C over time. At launch, the TV cost $2,799, but by June of that year, dropped down to a more reasonable $2,400. As the weeks and months went on, the TV continued to fall in price before it landed at $1,699 for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This, generally is the best time to buy a TV. What happens after this is that the TV drops in price by another $100 or $200, but that's because the new version (Samsung QN90D) was announced in January.

If you wait too long, you'll end up buying a TV that's already a year (or more) out of date. That's not the end of the world, but considering that most TVs only last between five to nine years, you're losing a whole year of use just to save an extra $100. This is why February Super Bowl TV deals are so popular — it's a way for retailers to clear out last year's stock before the new TVs arrive in March and April.

How we test the best TVs

Matthew Murray

Matthew Murray is the head of testing for Future, coordinating and conducting product testing at Tom’s Guide and other Future publications. He has previously covered technology and performance arts for multiple publications, edited numerous books, and worked as a theatre critic for more than 16 years.

How we test TVs: Introduction

Our TV-testing process consists of two key components: in-depth, scientific testing and real-world use. We believe that gathering data about a TV's performance is just as important as spending time with it in our own living rooms.

Comparing lab-based data with extensive, hands-on use reveals a complete picture of a TV's strengths and weaknesses. With this hybrid approach, we're able to put ourselves in your shoes and to help you make a confident, informed choice about which TV to purchase next.

How we test TVs: In the lab

In our labs, we use an array of gadgets and special software to measure several key areas of performance. Currently, that equipment includes a SpectraCal VideoForge Pro pattern generator, an X-Rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer, and Portrait Displays’ Calman TV-calibration software. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for checking how slow or fast a TV's input latency is.

Essentially, we throw test patterns onto a TV screen, measure their attributes with something called a spectrophotometer, and then use a computer program to assess accuracy (among other things).

Here's a quick rundown of just a handful of the things we look for with our testing equipment. For an in-depth look, head over to our full breakdown of how Tom's Guide tests and reviews TVs.

Contrast and brightness

Contrast is the cornerstone of picture quality. It's the first thing your eyes notice when sizing up a picture, whether you realize it or not. In simple terms, contrast is the range between the darkest and the brightest that display can get, with higher contrast being more desirable. The ability to get dark is important but so is the ability to get bright. Ideally, a TV excels at both, rendering finer details in the dark while overcoming ambient light during the day. Brighter specular highlights (distant headlights in a nighttime scene, for instance) can create haloing if a TV doesn't have the right technology behind the scenes controlling the brightness. We measure both the peak brightness in a 10% window as well as the sustained brightness across the whole screen.

Color accuracy

If you've ever touched up a photo on Instagram and gotten wild with the sliders, you've probably seen what skewed colors can do to a picture's presentation. While modern TVs have gotten quite good at displaying colors accurately, even small errors can have unfortunate effects on important details like skin tone. We take measurements of several color points and compare them against three reference standards used by the world over to get a clear sense of how close a TV's palette is to perfection. This measurement is called Delta E.

Input lag (gaming)

For both casual and competitive gamers, the thought of losing a step when capturing a flag or leaping from platform to platform is anxiety-inducing. If you can believe it, not all TVs offer the same level of responsiveness when you're using an Xbox or PlayStation controller. We measure something called input lag to see how TVs stack up when it comes to gaming responsiveness. These measurements come down to the millisecond. In general, we're looking for an input latency of 10ms or less.

How we test TVs: In our living room

The real fun begins once we get a TV into the living room. (Spending several work days watching movies and TV shows is a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.)

Just as you might do at home, we source content from Netflix, Blu-rays, YouTube, and more. We play video games, tinker with the TV's settings, and get to know its built-in smart platform. We have a number that represents the TV’s peak brightness, but how well the picture holds up during the day is a different story. The color measurements we gathered in the lab may be accurate, but problematic picture processing might not rear its ugly head until you boot up an episode of “Andor.”

When getting to know these TVs, we ask ourselves the sort of questions you might ponder yourself: What do all of these menus do? Which settings look the best? Is this TV hiding an always-on microphone, listening to everything I say?

At the end of this process, we're well-equipped to help you make a pretty hefty purchasing decision. We don't just figure out which TVs are the best, we figure out which TVs are the best for you. After all, the answer is different from one person to the next — whether you're a dedicated gamer or a casual streamer, whether you want to spend a little or a lot.

How we test TVs: Wrap up

The TL;DR version here is that we spend a week (and sometimes significantly longer) with every TV we test. We put it through a suite of tests to make sure we have objective data to make apples-to-apples comparisons, and then we spend lots of time actually in front of that TV to make sure that test data translates to positive real-world experiences. It's a lot more than simply sitting down in front of a TV for a few minutes — but we also do that, too, so you can rest easy knowing that every TV we've reviewed on the site has been thoroughly vetted.

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