Best TV of 2024 (original) (raw)

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David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech

David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.

Expertise A 25-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. He created CNET's methodology for testing TVs, streaming services and AI tools. Prior to CNET he wrote for Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. Credentials

Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.

TVs range in price from 100tomorethan100 to more than 100tomorethan2,000. Smaller screens are cheaper, well-known brands are more expensive and spending more money can also get you better image quality.

Bigger is better in our book. We recommend a size of at least 43 inches for a bedroom TV and at least 55 inches for a living room or main TV -- and 65 inches or larger is best.

Finding a worthwhile smart TV system is most important for entry-level TVs. High-end TVs are more about picture quality.

There are so many things to consider when buying a TV: LED or OLED? What size fits in your space? Will your gaming consoles be compatible? Most importantly, what's your budget?

At CNET, I review TVs side by side in a state-of-the-art testing lab, taking hundreds of measurements with specialized equipment and comparing gaming, home theater and bright-room image quality. My 20 years of experience as a TV reviewer helps me determine which is the best TV overall and the best TV in your price range.

Our recommendations for the best TVs of 2024 are as follows, but you could also try the best Black Friday TV deals or the best TVs for the holidays.

Read more: How We Test TVs

What is the best TV right now?

Given the multitude of options, the latest TCL QM8 series has replaced the 2023 model at the top of our best TV list for a number of reasons. The TCL QM851 offers a number of upgrades on the previous year, including a better backlight, superb picture quality overall and an affordable price tag. When a friend asks me what TV to buy from 65 to 98 inches, I tell them the TCL QM8 series.

There are many other great TVs from popular brands like Sony, Samsung and Roku on sale as the holidays approach. Although the QM8 is my current favorite, it may not be right for your preferences or budget.

Best TVs in 2024

TCL has topped our list of the best TVs for the last few years and the QM8 is even better than before. In my comparison tests, it continues to stand out with superior brightness and impact while still maintaining excellent contrast: a combination no other TV could match at this price. The key is mini-LED tech and well-implemented full-array local dimming. It also has a sleek design with a center-mount stand. The operating system is Google TV, which I don't like as much as Roku TV, but it's still a solid smart TV.

The main downside of the TCL QM8 is that it's available only in large sizes (65 inches and up). If you're looking for a 55-inch TV, I recommend the Hisense U8N instead. Note that prices shown here are for the 65-inch size in the QM8 series.

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If you're looking for the best TV for the money and the TCL QM8 is just too big, the Hisense U8N should be your go-to. I compared the two TVs side by side, and while I liked the QM8 better, the U8K has one medium-size advantage: a 55-inch screen option. If 65 is too large for your room, your budget or your tastes, the choice between the two is simple: Get the 55-inch Hisense U8N.

Both offer excellent image quality and affordable prices thanks to mini-LED backlights and full-array local dimming, as well as similar gaming features and the Google TV operating system. Both cost hundreds less than you'd have to pay to get similar image quality from a better-known brand.

Note that while I tested the 65-inch size in the U8K series, the prices shown here are for the 55-inch size.

The C4 has better picture quality than any non-OLED TV on this list at a higher price, and it's still not outrageously expensive. Its perfect black levels, unbeatable contrast and superb off-angle viewing kept it a notch above the mini-LED models in my comparison tests, and while its overall brightness isn't quite as impressive, it's still an incredible performer in all kinds of room lighting.

The C4 replaced the C3, and while we'll almost always recommend buying last year's version of a TV, the C4 is available for around the same price and so is the model to go for.

The prices shown here are for the 65-inch size of the LG C4 series.

The Samsung S95D's matte finish does more than reduce reflections, it nearly eliminates them, improving image quality in bright rooms more than any OLED TV we've tested. Some non-OLED models have matte screens, but this is the first time they've been available in an OLED TV, a display technology that has always delivered the best picture available. That matte finish really works, reducing windows and other glare to dimmer blobs instead of super-bright, mirror-like distractions. The S95D also has an external box, allowing for a cleaner look with the option to store HDMI connections and the power cord out of sight.

Between its versatile matte screen and awesome picture overall, the Samsung S95D delivers the best image quality of any TV we've tested, beating both the G4 and last year's winner, the G3, as well as any other non-OLED TV. But it also costs a ton, and most people -- even those with bright rooms -- will be perfectly happy with a less expensive TV.

In our tests over the years, Vizio TVs have produced very good picture quality without breaking the bank. The Vizio Quantum Pro continues this trend: it's a solid midpriced TV option, though not without a few notable drawbacks.

In side-by-side comparison tests in our lab, the Quantum Pro performed well for the money, with better contrast than the similarly priced Roku Plus Series, for example. On the other hand, as expected, slightly more expensive models like the TCL QM8 and Hisense U8K were better, with brighter images and higher contrast.

One major drawback is the Quantum Pro's lack of size offerings; it comes only in 65- or 75-inch sizes. We reviewed the 65-inch model, but the review also applies to the 75-inch version since the specs and picture quality should be similar regardless of size.

If you're looking for a smaller TV in this price range, you might instead turn to the Roku Plus Series, which offers a 55-inch model and a superior smart TV system. Vizio will also continue to offer this TV's predecessor, the M-Series Quantum X, in the 50-inch size.

Competition among TVs in the middle pricing band is heating up, and the Plus Series is the latest entrant. Unlike the TCL Roku TVs higher on this list, this one is all Roku, with no other brands on board. It adds a couple of step-up extras, including QLED and full-array local dimming, which help deliver a better picture than the TCL 4-Series, for example.

This is the first TV Roku has produced under its own brand, as opposed to partnering with a brand like TCL, Sharp, Pioneer or Hisense. The company also released a version with fewer features and no local dimming, called the Roku Select Series.

The price shown below is for the 65-inch size.

With all of the TVs available today, and all of the technical terms and jargon associated with television technology, it can be tough to figure out what's important. Here's a quick guide to help cut through the confusion.

Screen size: Bigger is better in our book. We recommend a size of at least 43 inches for a bedroom TV and at least 55 inches for a living room or main TV -- and 65 inches or larger is best. More than any other "feature," stepping up in TV screen size is the best use of your money. One of the most common post-TV-purchase complaints we've heard is from people who didn't go big enough. And we rarely hear people complain that their TV is too large.

Price: TVs range in price from 100tomorethan100 to more than 100tomorethan2,000. Smaller screens are cheaper, well-known brands are more expensive and spending more money can also get you better image quality. Most entry-level TVs have a good enough picture for most people, but TVs last a long time, so it might be worth spending more to get a better picture. It's also best to shop for a TV in the fall when prices are lower.

Capability: Among entry-level TVs the most important feature is what kind of smart TV system the TV uses. Among midrange models, look for a feature including full-array local dimming, mini-LED and 120Hz refresh rate, which (unlike some other extras) do help improve the picture in our experience. Among high-end TVs, OLED technology is your best bet.

Our TV reviews follow a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process honed over nearly two decades of TV reviews. Our primary TV test lab has specialized equipment for measuring light and color, including a Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer, a Murideo Sig-G 4K HDR signal generator and an AVPro Connect 8x8 4K HDR distribution matrix. We use Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software to evaluate every TV we review. In every CNET TV review, three or more similar TVs are compared side by side in various lighting conditions playing different media, including movies, TV shows and games, across a variety of test categories, from color to video processing to gaming to HDR. Our reviews also account for design, features, smart TV performance, HDMI input and gaming compatibility, among other factors.

LG C3: When we reviewed the C3 in 2023 it was one of our favorite TVs, and this impression continued into the following year. It's still a great TV, but with the pricing on this and the C4 being identical right now it makes sense to go for the newer TV.

Samsung S90D: The S90D performed well, but it suffered some contrast loss compared to the C4. Any differences between the C4 and S90D were subtle.

Watch this: Go Behind the Scenes at CNET's TV Testing Lab

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One important aspect of image quality we test is overall brightness. Here's how brightness compares in nits across select TVs listed above.

Light output in nits

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TV	Brightest mode (HDR)	Accurate mode (HDR)	Brightest mode (SDR)	Accurate mode (SDR)
Samsung QN65Q90B	3,316	1,981	2,625	974
TCL 65QM850G	1,975	1,975	1,739	1,448
Hisense 65U8K	1,966	1,966	1,720	1,240
LG OLED65G4	1,799	1,420	792	792
Samsung QN65S95D	1,734	1,666	544	268
LG OLED65C3	861	817	501	464
Vizio Quantum Pro	1269	1063	1382	221
Roku TV Plus	514	455	579	404

Check out How We Test TVs for more details.

For more TV buying advice check out How to Buy a TV.

We'll post the answers to commonly asked TV questions below. If you have any others, feel free to reach out on Twitter (@dkatzmaier), or by clicking the little envelope icon on my CNET profile page. Doing so will let you send a message straight to my inbox.

How much should I spend on a TV?

Prices vary widely by size and features, from less than 100forbasic24−inchTVstomorethan100 for basic 24-inch TVs to more than 100forbasic24−inchTVstomorethan2,000 for big OLED models. TVs last a long time, so we think it's worthwhile to spend a little extra beyond the bare minimum to get a bigger screen, better picture quality or better features. With that in mind, here are some ballpark prices that will get you a very good TV in 2024.

55-inch: $700
65-inch: $1,000
75-inch: $1,300

You could pay (much) more or less. The fact is just about any TV will produce a picture decent enough to satisfy most viewers. Most complaints you read in user reviews aren't about picture quality. Instead, they're about ease of use, smart TV menus or sound (or a broken TV).

What size TV should I buy?

Which is better, OLED or LED?

In our reviews, OLED TVs, which use organic light-emitting diode technology, have always had better picture quality than LED TVs, which are essentially LCD TVs that use LED backlights. The main reason is that OLED TVs can produce a perfectly dark shade of black with no stray illumination of blooming, which leads to better contrast and pop. LED TVs can get brighter, and usually cost less than OLED TVs.

What is the best smart TV system for streaming?

At CNET our favorite is Roku for its simplicity, but different systems like Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung and LG have different strengths, in particular for voice commands. In any case, we don't consider the built-in smart TV system that important because you can always connect a streaming device to any TV.

How do I get the best TV sound?

Most TVs sound terrible because their thin cabinets don't have room for decent-sized speakers or a bass. If you want to get good sound you should buy an external audio system. Even an inexpensive soundbar will deliver much better audio quality than a TV's built-in speakers.