The best Roku TVs combine a great picture and Roku's simple-to-use smart interface. They come stocked with a superb selection of apps, including all of the top streaming services, that rival any premium smart TV on the market.
For years, TCL and Hisense both primarily manufactured Roku TVs, but that has recently changed as now you'll mostly see them with Google's smart TV platform. The silver lining, though, is that Roku now makes TVs itself, including the Roku Plus and Roku Select, the former of which is one of the best TVs we've seen this year.
To that end, we recommend sticking with either a top-tier TCL model like the TCL 6-Series from last year or the newer Roku Plus TV. Both are excellent.
Below we've rounded up the best Roku TVs from each of the main manufacturers that we feel deliver the best performance and value.
The best Roku TVs you can buy
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TCL has long been acclaimed for bringing a lot of performance to TVs that don’t cost a lot of money. That trend continues with its latest 6-Series Roku TV, the 65R655, which amps up key aspects of its performance—particularly brightness and gaming potential—while keeping the price at $999.99. Throw in the super-easy-to-use Roku TV interface and you have a set that more than delivers on its picture promise without busting your budget.
If you’re a gamer, or if you can’t bear to give up bright and dark details when watching movies or TV shows, you’ll find a lot to love about it. Its sound and color performance can't match the top TVs on our list, but they can’t stop this set from punching well above its weight where it counts.
So if maximizing your TV-buying dollar is your goal, Roku TV is a small price to pay for a TV that’s as packed—and as low-priced—as the TCL 65R655.
Read our full TCL 6-Series Roku TV (R655) review.
The Roku Plus Series 4K QLED TV marks the streaming giant’s first foray into sets after long focusing on software and set-top and plug-in devices — and the move is a successful one. In addition to delivering a ton of screen for its starting price of $499, these TVs also give you surprisingly good picture quality and sound, two things that are usually the first to go with budget sets.
Despite its price, the Plus Series does not look cheap: A gray, metal bezel surrounds the screen on all sides, measuring less than an eighth-inch on the left, right, and top, and about two-thirds inch on the bottom to allow for a front-and-center chrome Roku logo.
The Plus Series uses quantum-dot LED technology to produce more and more vivid colors and increased brightness. And in everything we watched, we found that the TV lived up to Roku’s claims. Picture vibrancy does start fading as you move away from the center of the screen, but it took a fair distance for the display to look unbearable.
All in all, the Plus Series is well-suited to watching just about anything except super-fast action such as sports, thanks to the panel’s limited 60Hz refresh rate.
Read our full Roku Plus Series 4K QLED TV review.
What is Roku?
The Roku name applies to both smart TVs using the Roku operating system, as well as a range of standalone streaming devices, such as the Roku Streaming Stick Plus. (Check out the best Roku devices for our favorites.) While smart TVs using Roku software are all manufactured by other companies, the streaming devices are made by Roku itself. But the thing they have in common across both TVs and streaming sticks, is that they all use the same Roku interface and app store.
We've been big fans of Roku for years, as it emerged early on as a full-featured smart TV platform that wasn't tied to a specific manufacturer. We also appreciate the ease of use that Roku offers, with a simple interface that lays out all of your apps in a basic tiled layout. When so many smart TVs rely on crowded menus with multiple rows of scrolling apps and shows, Roku keeps things simple and offers easy customization.
We also like that Roku offers such a wide range of content and apps, which Roku calls "channels", just to make traditional TV users a little more comfortable. This includes major streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, Disney Plus and HBO Max. (See our collection of the best Roku Channels to learn more.)
It also includes dozens, if not hundreds, of smaller independent streaming services. This includes everything from local channels offering a streaming app for news and weather to genre-specific channels that serve up a steady flow of public domain movie classics, ranging from westerns to horror films.
There are also plenty of free services, such as Pluto TV, Tubi and PBS Kids, not to mention The Roku Channel, Roku's own ad-supported streaming service. (Find out more in our roundup of the best free channels on Roku.)
How much do Roku TVs cost?
The Roku smart TV operating system can be found on all sorts of TVs, including some of our favorite affordable sets on our lists of the best TVs under $500 and the best TVs under $1,000, with models ranging from budget-friendly to premium home theater systems. When it comes to budget TVs, we find the sweet spot to be $600 and $1,000. In this price range you will find excellent performance with features like QLED displays, support for Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound, and all of the apps you want.
More expensive models will give you a few fine touches and features for the money, but the overall experience will still be quite similar. That's even true for the new 8K TCL Roku TV, which runs between $2,199 and $2,999, depending on the screen size.
Any cheaper than $500, and you may need to make some big sacrifices, such as stepping down to 1080p or 720p resolution, settling for smaller screen sizes, or giving up features like voice search.
Are Roku TVs worth buying?
Do we recommend Roku TVs to our readers? In a word, yes. Roku TVs are made by some of the best TV brands, and offer all of the standard smart TV features shoppers are looking for, without the fuss of more advanced functions, such as smart home integration or over-aggressive ads and recommendations.
And the best Roku TVs offer more than just an enjoyable smart TV experience, they also include some really well-made TVs that deliver great picture and sound for much less than premium sets from more recognizable brands.
But there's one big caveat when it comes to Roku TVs, and that's the fact that different manufacturers aren't all making great TVs. TCL has managed to make a name for itself by delivering great quality as well as excellent prices, but Roku has signed licensing deals with more than a dozen companies, and most manufacturers on the budget TV aisle cut more corners. Sets from budget brands like Westinghouse and RCA are a lot more hit and miss, so be sure to check reviews for the specific model you're interested in buying.
How to choose the best Roku TV for you
When it comes to buying the best Roku TVs, our general advice for TV shopping holds true: Find the right screen size for your space, figure out what your budget is, and be smart with where you try to save a buck.
Always go 4K: Lower-resolution TVs may be tempting with super low prices, but you'll definitely see the difference on a 4K TV, and that quality is worth paying more for. And the latest 8K Roku TV from TCL may look tempting, but we still recommend holding off on 8K until you can actually get movies and shows that use the higher resolution. (Update: TCL haHos announced the first 8K streaming service, exclusive to TCL's 8K Roku TVs, but we still don't think it's enough to warrant you buying one.)
HDR support: For the best picture, we recommend getting a set that offers high dynamic range (HDR) support. HDR10 is the base standard, while Dolby Vision is a higher-caliber format, and we recommend opting for Dolby Vision support when you have the choice.
Port selection: Connectivity is another chief concern. More HDMI ports will let you connect more devices, like game consoles and satellite boxes. And if you have a soundbar, you'll want to connect it using an HDMI port with ARC.
From smart functions to port selection, we offer plenty of advice in our TV buying guide, which explains the ins and outs of features like HDR, different types of display, and even extended warranties. And if you still have questions about smart TV features and capabilities, check out Smart TVs: Everything you need to know.
And by shopping for a Roku set in particular, you guarantee that you are able to enjoy the best of streaming services and an easy-to-use smart TV interface.
How we test Roku TVs
Evaluating Roku TVs is about more than just kicking back to watch a movie. That's why every TV we review is put through a rigorous testing process that measures key standards of picture quality and performance.
We lab test every TV, measuring color gamut, color accuracy and brightness to objectively see which sets are the best for these key indicators. We also test for lag time – a key detail for gaming – measuring to the millisecond how long it takes for content to travel from the original source to the screen. We use these results to make numbers-based comparisons about color and display quality.
We also spend time with each set for real-world evaluation and see how our lab results translate into more subjective performance. We also compare sets side by side and view samples from the latest movies, specialized test patterns that highlight strengths and weaknesses of each display, and a range of content across several sources. With that information, we can tell you which Roku TVs look best, sound best and offer the best viewing experience.
If you've narrowed down your TV shopping by brand, price range or screen size, check out our picks for the best TVs in each.
Best TVs | Best 4K TVs | Best smart TVs for streaming | Best TVs for gaming
The best TVs under $1000 | The best TVs under $500
Best TV brands | Best Samsung TVs | Best TCL TVs | Best LG TVs | Best OLED TVs | Best QLED TVs | Best 8K TVs
The smallest smart TVs | Best 43-inch TVs | Best 50-inch TVs | Best 55-inch TVs | Best 65-inch TVs | Best 70-inch TVs | Best 75-inch TVs | Best 85-inch TVs
And don't forget to watch out for the latest TV reviews.
