We’re getting very close to Black Friday, and from where I’m sitting, there are only three TVs I would buy myself right now, based on their price, performance and features. That’s right: If I was in the market for a TV, there are currently only three TVs that would compel me to slam down the ol’ credit card.
My criteria is simple: I want them to look good enough to showcase my Blu-ray collection; I want a thorough enough set of gaming features to support my Xbox Series X; and I want to walk away feeling like I won — that the deal was good enough for me to feel like I got one over on someone.
A couple of these sets are among the best TVs you can buy. And, perhaps unsurprisingly given the time of the year, all three of these TVs are heavily discounted ahead of Black Friday. If you’re looking to upgrade your own TV situation and haven’t the foggiest idea of where to begin, feel free to use my wish list as a jumping off point.
Quick links
- TCL 65" QM7K Mini-LED TV: was $999 now $797 @ Amazon
- LG 65" C5 4K OLED TV: was $2,699 now $1,399 @ Best Buy
- Sony 65" A95L 4K OLED TV: was $3,499 now $1,999 @ Best Buy
1. LG C5
I didn't have to think about this for longer than two seconds. If I was in the market for a new TV, the first I'd consider is the LG C5, our best-reviewed TV of 2025. First, there's the discount: Black Friday pricing is nearing full force on this TV, and the 65-inch version is parked at $1,399. That's almost half of its original price.
Next, there's the performance. The C5 is a five-star TV for a reason. It boasts all of the benefits of OLED technology (perfect black levels, pixel-level dimming and ultra-wide viewing angles) and offers better highlight brightness than what you'll find on cheaper, entry-level OLED TVs. Don't get me wrong: I love the amount of value that entry-level OLEDs like the LG B5 bring to the table. But as a movie buff, I want a little more oomph with my HDR content.
Lastly, I have to call out the LG C Series pedigree. The C5 comes from a long line of C Series OLED TVs, and I'm deeply familiar with all of them. I still own an LG C1 and use it every day. I know that this line of TVs can keep up with my gaming needs and look good on movie night. It's reliable.
The 65-inch could dip a bit further once Black Friday rolls around next week, but I'd consider its current price a terrific deal regardless of the day.
2. TCL QM7K
Next up is a mid-range Mini-LED TV that I've recommended to several friends, family members and acquaintances this year. The TCL QM7K doesn't deliver OLED-level picture quality, but for my money, it's the best-looking Mini-LED TV in its price range right now.
The reason I've recommended this set to so many folks has to do with the QM7K's overflowing value. This is the TV to get if you really can't justify shelling out for something like the LG C5, but you nevertheless want your next TV to look impressive. I'm a firm believer in the notion that new TVs should be somewhat of a spectacle, and the QM7K brings firework-level performance down to a reasonable price level.
Its Mini-LED display is plenty bright to hold up during daytime viewing. Its backlight control is excellent for its class. There are enough gaming features here to make the most out of a couple of current-generation consoles, and Google TV is a robust-enough streaming platform to act as your daily driver.
Right now, the 65-inch version of the QM7K is on sale for its lowest price to date, and it was already a good-enough TV to recommend to folks before this latest price cut.
3. Sony A95L
The Sony A95L might be my favorite TV of all time. It's been such a successful TV that Sony has kept it on shelves a few years after its initial run. People love this TV, and it's easy to see why.
The A95L marries OLED display technology with quantum dot-color. These days, a handful of OLEDs do the same. But what sets the A95L apart from other quantum dot-enhanced OLEDs is Sony's superb picture processing.
If you're a stickler for reference standards — accurate color, clean upscaling, smooth, artifact-free motion and things of that nature — the A95L is an absolute dream. No, it doesn't get as bright as some of the flagship-level OLED TVs we've seen of late. But I argue that it really doesn't have to get that bright in order to leave viewers utterly captivated.
This TV is not for everybody. Most folks would probably be better off going for the crowd-pleasing, value-packed, five-star LG C5. That OLED is slightly more versatile than the A95L on account of a better set of gaming features. The A95L is better suited for people whose ideal TV is closer to a professional reference monitor.
If that sounds like your jam, you're traveling on my wavelength. The A95L is probably going to be phased out shortly after the holidays, so this might be your last chance to get one.
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