If you can afford it, our experts think you should just buy Samsung’s 55inch QN55 - a 55inch screen won’t overwhelm your room, and the picture quality is superb. If you’re on a budget, TCL’s 43inch screen is a great choice. Smaller brands like TCL and Hisense offer more budget-friendly options with core features like preloaded streaming apps, 4K resolution, and plenty of HDMI inputs for your game consoles and playback devices. Console gamers should not only look at VRR support, but also input response times and screen size in order to get a TV that delivers an optimal gaming experience without overwhelming your space. Many new smart TVs are able to screen mirror your smartphone or tablet; this means you can share content from your mobile devices for more ways to view photos, listen to music, or watch videos with family and friends. If you’ve cut the cord with your cable or satellite provider and moved exclusively to streaming, you’ll want to invest in a TV that offers an extensive suite of preloaded apps like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ while also allowing you to download others like Spotify to round out your entertainment options. For customers that rely on virtual assistants like Alexa, a TV with native voice controls is a must for hands-free media browsing and operation as well as integration into your smart home network. Check out our top picks below for the best TVs available from brands like LG, TCL, and Samsung to see which is right for your home. Size: 55 inches | Panel Type: QLED | Resolution: 4K | HDR: HDR10+ | Refresh Rate: 120Hz The C1 boasts built-in voice controls via Alexa or Google Assistant as well as variable refresh rate support for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, making it an ideal choice for anyone who managed to get a hold of the new PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X consoles. It also has a new Magic Tap feature that lets you touch your smartphone or tablet to your TV for instant screen mirroring of photos and videos for more ways to share media with friends and family. This TV still has some customer favorite features like preloaded apps, the sports alert feature, and plenty of HDMI inputs to connect all of your favorite playback devices and game consoles. Size: 65 inches | Panel Type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG | Refresh Rate: 120Hz Size: 43 inches | Panel Type: LED | Resolution: 4K | HDR: HDR10 | Refresh Rate: 60Hz Size: 65 inches | Panel Type: QLED | Resolution: 8K | HDR: Quantum HDR 64X | Refresh Rate: 120Hz The back of the TV has built-in channels and clips for easy cable management to keep your setup looking neat and organized. The screen features an extremely narrow bezel to give you an edge-to-edge picture for a more immersive viewing experience. Integrated Bluetooth connectivity lets you wirelessly set up sound bars, speakers, and subwoofers for a custom audio configuration. Gamers will enjoy the dedicated game mode that automatically detects when you start up your console and instantly adjusts the refresh rate and picture settings for low latency gaming. With the ambient mode, you can turn your TU8000 into a piece of art or home decor when not in use. Size: 55 inches | Panel Type: LCD | Resolution: 4K | HDR: HDR10 | Refresh Rate: 60Hz Size: 85 inches | Panel Type: QLED | Resolution: 4K | HDR: Quantum HDR | Refresh Rate: 120Hz Size: 50 inches | Panel Type: QLED | Resolution: 4K | HDR: Quantum HDR | Refresh Rate: 60Hz Size: 85 inches | Panel Type: LED | Resolution: 4K | HDR: Dolby Vision and HDR10 | Refresh Rate: 120Hz Size: 32 inches | Panel Type: LED | Resolution: 1080p | HDR: No | Refresh Rate: 60Hz
HDR
A TV with High Dynamic Range has access to a great range of not only colors but contrast as well, meaning it can potentially display more color-accurate images as well as deeper blacks and brighter highlights, to create a more vivid and realistic picture. Most mid-tier TVs support HDR, but it’s worth double checking, especially with less expensive sets.
Refresh Rate
Refresh rate determines the number of frames a device is capable of displaying per second. Generally, the more frames, the smoother and more fluid motion and action looks on screen. This is largely a consideration for gamers, but anyone can benefit from a higher frame rate when viewing motion-intensive content like sports or action films. So whether you’re looking to invest in the best of the best when it comes to TVs, or need a cheaper option for your dorm room, check out our top picks below to see which is right for you.
What to look for in a TV
Shopping for the best TV for your bedroom, home theater, apartment, or dorm room can be a bit daunting with how many brands and features are available to choose from. Along with major manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and Sony, there are models available from TCL, Hisense, and Insignia; each of these brands brings something different to the table in terms of smart features, picture and audio quality, and design. Televisions with smart features have become the absolute gold standard for home entertainment as more and more people choose to stream movies and shows and cut the cord with cable and satellite providers. Many televisions available have preloaded apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ so you can watch thousands of shows and movies right out of the box. Others simply allow you to download your favorite apps right to the TV to curate your own entertainment.
Screen Resolution
TVs with integrated 4K resolution have become more mainstream, and cheaper, in recent years as the demand for high-quality content has continued to rise. Televisions that use 4K resolution give you four times the resolution of full 1080p HD models, creating more colors, enhanced contrast, and better detailing. Streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video have started offering a wide variety of content in 4K in order to take full advantage of the technology. If you still prefer to get your entertainment from cable, satellite, and over-air broadcast sources, you can still buy 1080p HD televisions. They tend to be much cheaper than their 4K counterparts because of the older technology, but since broadcast media hasn’t quite caught up with the UHD trend, you don’t have to worry about your new TV being obsolete in a few months or years. These models are great for anyone working with a limited budget or aren’t keen on making the switch to 4K quite yet. As if this wasn’t enough, some manufacturers have taken the leap into the future of home entertainment and started to offer 8K televisions. Models with 8K resolution give you four times that of 4K and 16 times that of 1080p HD. As impressive as that sounds, the visual difference between 8K and 4K isn’t nearly as dramatic as that between 4K and 1080p. Refresh rates play a huge part in making your UHD picture look truly stunning; 4K televisions routinely use 60Hz refresh rates, or cycling the picture 60 times per second, to produce smooth motion and great detailing. For an 8K television to look its best, the television would need a built-in refresh rate of 120Hz (120 times per second) to eliminate motion blur and muddy details. There is also an extreme lack of 8K content outside of Japan, and even there, you need a special, dedicated satellite and costly equipment to get 8K channels. Televisions with 8K resolution are also extraordinarily expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars and placing them well out of reach of average consumers. While it’s tempting to splurge on an 8K TV to future-proof your home theater, the lack of viable content and rapidly shifting technology makes a 4K model much more attractive as a choice.
Brands
When shopping for a new TV, one of the first things to consider is which brand you’d like. There are dozens of television manufacturers out there, each with different size classes, price points, and smart features available. Brands like TCL and Hisense deliver smart features and excellent picture quality with affordable options; perfect for anyone working with a limited budget. They use streaming platforms like Roku or the AndroidTV operating system to give you access to thousands of apps as well as limited voice controls and connectivity options. Mid-range options are available from larger brands like Sony, Samsung, and Vizio. These models may come with a higher price point, but they offer many more smart features. Besides streaming and voice controls, you’ll also get local dimming zones in the screen for enhanced, scene-by-scene analysis of your favorite shows and movies for superior contrast, color volume, and detailing. Some may also use Dolby Atmos audio technology to produce virtual surround sound for a more immersive cinematic experience. Sony, Samsung, and LG offer high-end models which give you everything you could ever want in a smart TV. They offer larger screen sizes with more advanced picture technologies like QLED or OLED panels, AI-assisted rendering and upscaling, built-in voice controls, and ambient sound and light sensors that automatically change picture and sound settings to fit your environment. Knowing which brands offer what features in their televisions makes it easier to set a budget and narrow down your options.
Smart Features
For anyone looking to put together a home theater, high end models feature ambient noise and light sensors that constantly monitor your environment and automatically adjust picture and sound settings to suit the room. They also feature Bluetooth connectivity that lets you set up wireless audio equipment like soundbars, satellite speakers, and subwoofers for the ultimate surround sound audio configuration. For console gamers, a TV that features either AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G Sync technology is important. These technologies automatically detect when you start playing a game and reduce input lag and motion blur while boosting color volume and contrast for buttery smooth action, beautiful visuals, and near real-time reactions to your controller inputs.
About Out Trusted Experts
Taylor Clemons has been reviewing and writing about consumer electronics for over three years. She has also worked in e-commerce product management, so she has the knowledge of what makes a solid TV for home entertainment. To find the ideal TV size for your space, pick a spot to wall mount your new TV or place a dedicated stand, then measure the distance from there to your seating and divide that number in half. A distance of 10 feet (120 inches) means a 60-inch TV will be the best option for you. You can go a bit smaller or larger depending on the brand, features, and budget, but you’ll want to stick pretty close to your ideal number.
