Spooky season is upon us, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll soon be sifting through a pile of scary Blu-rays and streaming titles to celebrate this hallowed time of year.
But as much as I love a good horror flick, I’ll readily admit that not every TV is equipped to showcase their shadowy hallways and dimly lit dreamscapes (especially contemporary horror movies, which often lean into a darker aesthetic).
With this in mind, I’ve cultivated a collection of the best TVs cut out for the task of terrorizing you with the lights off. There’s something here for every budget, and while some perform better than others, you can count on them to give you all the gory details during dark-room viewing.
Quick List
- TCL 55" QM6K 4K Mini-LED TV: was $799 now $499 @ Best Buy
- TCL 55" QM7K 4K Mini-LED TV: was $697 now $617 @ Amazon
- Hisense 65" U8QG 4K Mini-LED TV: was $1,498 now $1,081 @ Amazon
- LG 55" B5 OLED TV: was $1,499 now $1,199 at Best Buy
- Samsung 55" S95F OLED TV: was $2,197 now $1,997 at Amazon
TCL QM6K
I'm starting this list off with one of the most affordable Mini-LED TVs of the year. Why should you want Mini-LEDs for dark-room viewing? It's all about contrast.
These extra-small backlights allow for tighter contrast control. In other words, darker swaths of the picture can stay dark while tiny glimmers of light pierce the scene. The QM6K is particularly good at this for an affordably priced set, making it a solid pick for horror buffs on a budget. (It also comes with Google TV baked right into the software, so it's ready to stream "Scream.")
TCL QM7K
Looking for something with a little extra juice than the QM6K? It's worth checking out its higher-end sibling, the TCL QM7K. I've been recommending this TV all year to gamers on a budget, but it's also a fantastic fit for folks looking for a cinematic presentation.
Like the QM6K, the QM7K is outfitted with Mini-LED backlighting. Its panel gets about twice as bright as the QM6K, though, and its local dimming is better, too. This means it's better equipped to showcase shadow detail during dimly lit, gloomy-looking horror flicks like "Nosferatu."
If you're interested in learning more, take a peek at our TCL QM7K review for the full picture.
Hisense U8QG
The Hisense U8QG is the brightest TV on this list, which makes it a reliable sidekick for watching dark scenes in an appropriately dark room. We marveled at this TV's wildly high brightness capabilities in our Hisense U8QG review, but this TV's excellent color volume and heavy, thudding audio profile are worth calling out, too. For a not-too-steep cost, the U8QG will be a horror movie machine.
For a more carefully rendered presentation of dark, shadowy content, you might be better off shopping for an OLED TV, but if you just want a consistently bright-enough experience for your next horror movie marathon, the U8QG has your back.
LG B5
If you're planning on watching most of your movies and shows in a dark room, I highly recommend an OLED TV like the LG B5. It's not nearly as bright as the aforementioned TCL QM7K and the Hisense U8QG, but its perfect black levels and pixel-level dimming allow for a level of depth and clarity during dark-room viewing that's hard to replicate on a Mini-LED TV.
The B5 is LG's entry-level OLED for 2025, too, so it's priced much lower than mid-range and flagship OLED TVs. If I were shopping for an OLED TV on a budget this year, the B5 is likely the set I'd go with. Unlike entry-level Samsung OLEDs, the B5 arrives with Dolby Vision support — and there are plenty of horror movies mastered in Dolby Vision.
Samsung S95F
If you're looking to upgrade your living room or home theater with one of the best OLED TVs ever made, the Samsung S95F ought to be on your short list. It's brighter than almost every other OLED TV on the market, and it's especially good at showing off the near-black details that many OLEDs struggle to reproduce. Horror movies will look stunning on this TV in the dark, but they'll also hold up with the lights on.
The S95F is also equipped with quantum dots for brighter, purer color, particularly during HDR movies and shows. I've watched everything on this set — from old episodes of "ALF" to "Hereditary" — and all of it looks impressive.
The bad news is that the 55-inch S95F is pricier than every other TV on this list. The good news is that it's never been more affordable than it is right now.
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More from Tom's Guide
- Best TVs of 2025 tested: top OLEDs, Mini-LEDs and QLEDs for every budget
- OLED vs Mini-LED: What’s the difference and is one actually better?
- I'm a TV expert and this is the one picture mode you should avoid at all costs
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