Tons of TV options making you overwhelmed? Don’t worry. I have handpicked the best TVs you can buy in 2024. But, before we delve into my recommendations, here are a few things to help you better understand the modern TV market.
- LED TVs are LCD TVs with an LED-backlighting. The early LCD TVs featured cold cathode fluorescent (CCFL) backlighting, but that’s no longer the case.
- OLED and LCD are the two main display types you’ll find in the market. However, both have their advantages and disadvantages.
- OLED TVs are capable of displaying perfect blacks, which helps them achieve a near-infinite contrast ratio. As a result, they are best suited for a dark room setting and offer wide viewing angles. But OLED TVs are typically more expensive than LED-backlit LCD TVs and are susceptible to burn-in. Moreover, they don’t get very bright, hampering their HDR performance. But picture quality-wise, they are still the best televisions you can buy.
- LED-backlit LCD or LED TVs rely on full-array local dimming to improve their black levels and contrast performance. However, they can get significantly brighter than OLED TVs and are comparably cheaper. QLED TVs are essentially LED TVs with a layer of color purifying quantum dots, typically produce lifelike colors, and are better than regular LED TVs in terms of picture quality. If you plan to place your TV in a room with a lot of ambient light, LED TVs are typically a better option than OLED TVs as their high brightness allows them to better counter glare.
- If you are buying an LED TV, try to get a TV that has full-array local dimming and VA-type panel. Mini-LED backlighting is nice to have, but it is typically only available on higher-end models.
- 4K is the best choice in terms of the display resolution for TVs right now. This is because the availability of 4K content is constantly increasing, and 4K TVs are cheaper than ever.
- 55-inch TVs typically offer the best bang for the buck, but 65-inch TVs have also started getting a lot more affordable. However, for 75-inch TVs or bigger sizes, you still need to pay a premium.
- While most 4K TVs have HDR support, you also want your TV to have Dolby Vision and HDR10+ to get the best HDR experience. These are advanced HDR formats that can include metadata to adjust brightness on a scene-by-scene or frame-by-frame basis. That said, even just getting Dolby Vision support is quite good as there isn’t a lot of HDR10+ around.
- Gamers would want features like variable refresh rate, auto low latency mode, low input lag, fast response time, and HDMI 2.1.
Best televisions
Best TV: LG G3
LG’s G3 is the best 4K TV you can buy right now. It’s an OLED TV, so you get inky blacks and wide viewing angles. But the G3 also shines in terms of brightness because of the Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology that LG is using in this TV for the first time. Because of MLA, the G3 can get significantly brighter than LG’s other OLED TVs and OLEDs from other brands. As a result, you get a fantastic picture quality.
It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 for high dynamic range content. And the company’s webOS platform has all popular apps and casting support.
The G3 is a great TV for gaming as it has a native 120Hz refresh rate, support for VRR, and four HDMI 2.1 ports.
Additionally, you get eARC to connect soundbars or AV receivers. You will be happy to know it supports Dolby and DTS audio, including Atmos and DTS:X.
In other highlights, there is a filmmaker mode to watch content as its creator intended and several other helpful features. Its slim design also makes it feel like an art piece on your wall.
Finally, you can buy the G3 in multiple sizes.
- Buy the LG G3 from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.in
Best TV for movies and TV series: Sony A95L
While the LG G3 is a perfectly good TV for watching movies and TV series, Sony’s A95L offers slightly better performance with its processing. So, if you watch a ton of movies and TV shows and want the absolute best experience, Sony is the way to go.
The Sony TV uses a QD-OLED panel to produce inky blacks and spectacular picture quality. It also supports Dolby Vision and Atmos. Plus, you get DTS audio support, including DTS:X.
Google TV is Sony’s platform of choice, and it’s one of the best TV platforms on the market.
The Sony TV also works great as a gaming TV and has a couple of exclusive features for PS5 owners. It offers low input lag, fast response time, HDMI 2.1 ports, and a native 120Hz refresh rate.
- Buy Sony A95L from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.in
Best high-end TV for most people: LG C3
While the G3 sits at the top of LG’s 4K TV portfolio, it’s expensive. So it may not be suitable for everyone. But you can spend significantly less to get almost the same experience with the LG C3. The C3 has the same features as the G3 but doesn’t have MLA technology, so it doesn’t get as bright. But unless you are watching the C3 in a bright room, you will have no trouble with its brightness. So you still get a fantastic picture quality.
Like the G3, it’s also great for gaming with four HDMI 2.1 ports, native 120Hz refresh rate, VRR support, and auto low latency mode. The rest of the C3 is the same as G3. You can buy the C3 in sizes ranging from 42 inches to 83 inches.
- Buy LG C3 from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.in
Best LCD/ LED TV: Samsung QN90C
While OLED produces the best picture quality, you may want to avoid getting an OLED TV to avoid burn-in concerns or need a TV for a room with tons of ambient lighting. In such situations, LED (LED-backlit LCD) TVs are your friend, and it’s hard to go wrong with the Samsung QN90C if you want the best LED/ LCD TV.
It delivers a fantastic picture quality thanks to quantum dot technology, mini-LED backlighting, and full-array local dimming. Its Tizen platform is easy to use and gives you access to all the popular apps and services. Moreover, it supports HDR10+ and HDR10 to enjoy high dynamic range content from your favorite sources.
It is also suitable for gaming thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 ports, VRR support, and low input lag.
The only prominent missing feature is the lack of Dolby Vision support, a problem with all Samsung TVs. If you want an LED TV with Dolby Vision support, look at Sony, Hisense, and TCL offerings.
- Buy Samsung QN90C from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.in
Best mid-range TV: Hisense U7K
If you don’t want to spend too much on your TV purchase, the Hisense U7K offers an excellent middle ground between features and pricing. It’s reasonably priced and has all the essentials and several good-to-have features. It’s a 4K LED TV with mini-LED backlighting, full-array local dimming, and quantum dot technology. So, while its picture isn’t OLED-level good, you get excellent visuals. Moreover, it supports all popular HDR formats, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.
Notably, Hisense U7K ships with the Google TV platform in North America and the VIDAA platform outside NA. Sadly, VIDAA isn’t as polished as Google TV but offers access to popular streaming services and Apple AirPlay.
There are also two HDMI 2.1 ports, a native 120Hz panel, VRR support, and low input lag for gaming. Plus, the TV supports Wi-Fi 6E for fast connectivity. All in all, there is much to like about the U7K.
- Buy Hisense U7K from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.in
Best budget TV: Hisense U6K
The Hisense U6K makes the most sense if you have a tight budget. It’s not the cheapest but still quite affordable. It also offers a good picture quality thanks to its reasonable peak brightness, quantum dot technology, and full-array local dimming. Like the U7K, it can display all popular HDR formats, but the HDR experience is average.
Google TV handles the software duties, and it’s a good platform with thousands of apps in the Play Store.
However, the U6K is not suitable for a high refresh rate. But it’s a perfectly good TV for casual gaming as it has a low input lag, VRR from 48Hz to 60Hz, and a good response time.
Other highlights include Dolby Atmos support, four HDMI 2.0 ports, filmmaker mode, and eARC.
- Buy the Hisense U6K from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.in
