The Best TVs

Last updated: 2025-11-06

Televisions are the centerpiece of home entertainment, and the choice of display technology — OLED, QLED, Mini-LED, or standard LED — fundamentally determines picture quality, viewing experience, and long-term value. We purchased 12 TVs at retail across 55-inch and 65-inch sizes and tested each through Protocol PLT-VIS-12 over twelve weeks. Testing measured peak brightness, contrast ratio, color accuracy, motion handling, gaming performance, viewing angle, and smart TV platform responsiveness using calibrated instruments in a controlled viewing room with adjustable ambient lighting.

The LG C4 OLED earned our top score of 9.4 out of 10. It delivers the perfect blacks and infinite contrast that define OLED picture quality, combined with a 4K 120Hz panel for gaming, Dolby Vision and Atmos support, and LG's webOS smart TV platform — the best overall TV for most living rooms and home theaters.

Test Methodology

Contrast and Black Level. We measured native contrast ratio using an ANSI checkerboard pattern (simultaneous dark and bright patches on screen). The LG C4's OLED panel produces true zero-nit blacks — each pixel is its own light source and turns off completely for black. This results in an effectively infinite contrast ratio, meaning the darkest scenes display absolute black next to bright highlights without the gray haze that LED-backlit TVs exhibit. In a dark room watching a space scene (bright stars against the void of space), the LG C4 displays individual stars surrounded by absolute darkness — LED TVs display stars surrounded by a visible gray glow from backlight bleed.

Brightness. We measured sustained brightness (full-screen white for 10 minutes) and peak brightness (10% white window). The LG C4 measured 280 nits sustained full-screen and 870 nits peak (10% window) — sufficient for standard dynamic range content in most room lighting but below the peak brightness of the best QLED and Mini-LED TVs. The Samsung QN90D (our runner-up) measured 620 nits sustained and 1,750 nits peak — dramatically brighter, which matters in rooms with significant ambient light from windows. In a controlled dark room, the C4's infinite contrast and accurate blacks produce a more impactful image despite the lower peak brightness. In a bright living room with uncovered windows, the QN90D produces a more visible, punchy image.

Color Accuracy. We calibrated each TV using a calibrated X-Rite i1Display Pro Plus and measured Delta E against DCI-P3 and Rec. 709 targets. The LG C4 measured Delta E 1.3 average against DCI-P3 in Filmmaker Mode — within professional reference monitor accuracy. DCI-P3 gamut coverage measured 98.7% — the highest in our test. Rec. 709 accuracy measured Delta E 0.9 — effectively perfect for standard content. These results mean the LG C4 displays content as the creator intended, with no visible color deviation from the mastering reference.

Gaming. We tested gaming performance with a PS5 and Xbox Series X. The LG C4 supports 4K 120Hz with VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) via HDMI 2.1 on all four HDMI ports. Input lag measured 5.2 ms at 4K/120Hz in Game Mode — the lowest in our test and competitive with gaming monitors. ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) automatically enables Game Mode when a console is detected, and Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium compatibility ensures tear-free gameplay. The C4 is the best TV for gaming in our test by a significant margin.

Why the LG C4 OLED Leads Our Data

OLED technology delivers picture quality that no LED-based technology can match in a dark room. The per-pixel light control means every pixel can be any brightness from zero (true black) to full brightness independently. An LED TV with local dimming achieves good contrast by dimming zones of the backlight, but each zone contains hundreds of pixels — a single bright pixel in a dark scene forces the entire zone to illuminate, creating a visible halo around bright objects. The LG C4 has no zones — its 8.3 million pixels each operate independently, eliminating halos, blooming, and backlight bleed entirely.

The OLED evo panel in the C4 represents LG Display's latest OLED technology with a micro-lens array (MLA) that improves light output efficiency. The result is approximately 20% higher brightness than the LG C3 (previous generation) — narrowing the brightness gap with QLED TVs while maintaining OLED's contrast advantage. Year-over-year OLED brightness improvements continue to reduce the one remaining disadvantage of OLED technology.

webOS is the most mature smart TV platform in our test. App selection covers every major streaming service (Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, HBO Max, Hulu, YouTube, Peacock), and app load times measured 1.8–2.5 seconds — the fastest built-in TV platform. The Magic Remote (included) features a pointer-style cursor, voice search, and programmable quick-launch buttons. LG's ThinQ AI integration enables voice control of TV settings and compatible smart home devices.

Runner-Up: Samsung QN90D QLED

The Samsung QN90D scored 9.0 overall and is the best TV for bright rooms. Its Mini-LED backlight with Quantum Dot color produces 1,750 nits peak brightness — twice the LG C4's output — with full-array local dimming across approximately 500 zones. In a room with afternoon sun streaming through windows, the QN90D produces a vivid, high-contrast image that the C4 cannot match. Color accuracy measured Delta E 2.1 against DCI-P3 — slightly behind the C4 but within the range where differences are difficult to perceive in normal viewing. The trade-off is black level: despite excellent local dimming, the QN90D produces visible blooming halos around bright objects in dark scenes — a artifact that OLED eliminates entirely. At $1,599 for the 65-inch versus the C4's $1,799, the QN90D costs $200 less. Choose the Samsung for bright room viewing; choose the LG for dark room and home theater use.

Budget Pick: Hisense U7N

The Hisense U7N scored 8.0 overall at $749 for the 65-inch size — the best value in our test by a wide margin. Its Mini-LED backlight produces 1,200 nits peak brightness and approximately 300 local dimming zones — strong performance at a price point where most competitors use basic LED without local dimming. Color accuracy measured Delta E 2.8 — adequate for casual viewing though noticeably less accurate than the LG or Samsung. Gaming support includes 4K 120Hz, VRR, and ALLM with 8.4 ms input lag — responsive enough for all but competitive esports play. At $749, it provides 75% of the Samsung QN90D's picture quality at 47% of the price.

OLED Burn-In: Should You Worry?

OLED burn-in — permanent image retention from displaying static content for extended periods — is the most common concern about OLED TVs. Modern OLED TVs mitigate this through several mechanisms: pixel shifting (moving the entire image by a few pixels periodically), logo dimming (reducing brightness of detected static elements), screen savers (activating after inactivity), and pixel refreshing (an automated compensation cycle that runs when the TV is turned off). In our 12-week test with 8+ hours of daily use including news channels with static logos, we detected zero burn-in on the LG C4. LG's 5-year OLED panel warranty covers burn-in, providing additional assurance. For typical home use — mixed content viewing, gaming, and streaming — burn-in is not a practical concern with current-generation OLED TVs.

Who Should Buy a TV

The LG C4 OLED is the right choice for dark room and home theater use, movie and prestige TV enthusiasts, and gamers who want the best picture quality and lowest input lag at any price.

The Samsung QN90D suits bright living rooms where sunlight competes with the screen and maximum brightness is more important than perfect blacks.

The Hisense U7N is the value pick at $749 — Mini-LED picture quality and gaming features at a budget price.

Choosing the Right Size

TV size selection depends on viewing distance and room size. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recommends a 30° viewing angle for an immersive cinematic experience. For a 65-inch TV (the most common size sold), this translates to a viewing distance of 5.5–8 feet. At 8 feet, a 65-inch screen fills a comfortable, immersive field of view without requiring head movement to see the edges. At 10 feet, consider a 75-inch or 77-inch screen to maintain the same visual immersion.

The LG C4 is available in 42, 48, 55, 65, 77, and 83-inch sizes. The 65-inch model ($1,799) offers the best value per inch in the lineup and is the right size for typical living rooms with 7–10 foot viewing distances. The 77-inch model ($2,799) is recommended for rooms where the primary seating is 10+ feet from the screen. The 42-inch model ($1,099) is ideal for bedrooms, offices, and gaming desks where the screen is viewed from 3–5 feet.

Sound Quality: Why Most TV Speakers Disappoint

TV speakers have improved significantly over the past five years, but they remain the weakest link in the home entertainment chain. The physics are against them: modern TVs are too thin to accommodate speakers with meaningful bass response. The LG C4's built-in speakers produce clear dialogue and adequate midrange, but bass response rolls off sharply below 100 Hz, making action sequences and music sound thin. In our measurements, the C4's speakers produced a maximum output of 78 dB at one meter — adequate for a small room but insufficient for a large living space.

The Samsung QN90D performs slightly better with its Object Tracking Sound system, which uses multiple speakers placed around the bezel to create spatial audio effects. Bass extends to approximately 80 Hz, and maximum output reaches 82 dB. The Hisense U7N's speakers were the weakest in our top three, with audible distortion above 75 dB and muddy dialogue during complex scenes with overlapping sound effects.

Our recommendation: budget $150–$300 for a soundbar if you are buying any TV in this category. A Sonos Beam Gen 2 ($449) or Samsung HW-Q600C ($279) transforms the audio experience more noticeably than upgrading from an 8.0-rated TV to a 9.4-rated TV improves the picture. Audio quality is the single biggest upgrade most home entertainment setups are missing, and it costs less than the difference between our budget pick and our top pick.

HDMI 2.1, eARC, and Future-Proofing

HDMI 2.1 is the current-generation connector standard, and all three of our top picks support it — but the implementation details vary. The LG C4 provides HDMI 2.1 on all four ports, meaning any port can handle 4K at 120Hz, VRR, and ALLM. The Samsung QN90D provides HDMI 2.1 on all four ports as well. The Hisense U7N provides HDMI 2.1 on two of its four ports, with the other two limited to HDMI 2.0 (4K 60Hz maximum). If you plan to connect both a gaming console and a Blu-ray player that support 4K 120Hz, the Hisense requires port management that the LG and Samsung do not.

eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) is the feature that sends high-resolution audio from the TV to a soundbar or AV receiver over a single HDMI cable, supporting Dolby Atmos and DTS:X passthrough without a separate optical cable. All three TVs support eARC on HDMI port 2. If you add a soundbar later, connect it to port 2 specifically — other ports support standard ARC but not the enhanced version, and you will lose Atmos support without it.

For future-proofing, HDMI 2.1 with 48 Gbps bandwidth supports 8K at 60Hz and 4K at 120Hz with full color depth. No consumer content currently requires 8K, and no gaming console outputs 8K gameplay at a playable frame rate. The 4K at 120Hz capability is immediately useful for PS5 and Xbox Series X gaming. The remaining bandwidth headroom provides insurance that these TVs will not become connector-limited within their expected lifespan of seven to ten years.

The Bottom Line

The LG C4 OLED scored 9.4 out of 10 against a category mean of 7.6. Its infinite contrast ratio, per-pixel light control, reference-grade color accuracy, and 4K 120Hz gaming support deliver the best picture quality available in a consumer TV. If you watch content in a controlled lighting environment, the LG C4 produces images that no amount of brightness from an LED TV can replicate — perfect blacks are the foundation of picture quality, and OLED is the only technology that achieves them.