With one of the best 4K TVs, you'll be welcomed into a world of wonder at the 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, the common standard currently for most varied entertainment and content. While not every display in the market sports a 4K resolution, as witnessed with Samsung's QN900C Neo QLED 8K TV, for the most part it's the most common form you will find.
That being said, though, this extreme commonality makes finding the right model far more of a hassle. TVs are certainly a dime a dozen these days and, what with the many varied panel technologies (ie OLED vs QLED, etc) in tandem with features that will make your head spin, there's more than enough room for confusion.
Luckily, we at Tom's Guide have years of research, reviews, and faceoffs under our belts. We've not only put some of the best TVs to the test in a multitude of ways, but have likewise pit several displays against each other to see just how far the specs and value props clash, like with the LG C4 OLED vs LG B4 OLED.
There are three main elements you'll want to consider when searching for your next 4K TV: price, panel technology, and your own use case. Below, we've uncovered several of the best 4K displays across a wide range of values, including those among QLEDs, OLEDs, and more budget options for ease of choice when it comes to your necessities. Let's find you your next favorite window into 4K entertainment.
The best 4K TVs you can buy in 2023
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Sony's no stranger to delivering enticing displays with incredible tech stacks, but its XR A95L QD-OLED certainly proves to be one of its most beloved models. This 4K TV comes heralded as not only a gaming beast, but a content king thanks to its use of Google TV, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a forward-thinking design.
At $2,799 for its 55-inch model, the XR A95L won't exactly be among the best TVs under $500, but at least you do get all of the main essentials you'd want in a primary display. These include both Dolby Vision and HDR10, four total ports (2 being HDMI 2.1 and the remaining 2 being HDMI 2.0), VRR, ALLM, all built on arguably one of the best screens yet.
In our testing, the Sony XR A95L wasn't exactly the brightest display, leveraging a peak SDR brightness of 112 nits, whereas HDR content hit as much as 1,215 nits. Still, when it came to color output, this display was phenomenal as it hits a near-99% coverage of both the Rec. 2020 Gamut and Rec 709 Gamut.
You will have to contend with a 16.1ms input lag for the potential 4K gamers out there, but the XR A95L does come equipped with two PlayStation 5 specific features, like Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture mode.
Read our full Sony Bravia XR A95L review.
The LG G3 OLED is the perfect secondary counterpart to Sony's XR A95L. With LG's display, which remains one of the best 85-inch TVs in the market, you get access to quite a remarkable webOS 23 software suite, which bypasses the need for any Amazon Fire TV stick or the like.
Additionally, the LG G3 OLED leverages LG's Game Optimizer, which will let you customize your experience to phenomenal levels. Through this feature, users can activate the boost feature to hit an input lag of 9.2ms, far less than its default 12.9ms. The G3 also, as one might expect, comes with both VRR and ALLM thanks to its 4 total HDMI 2.1 ports.
That's not all, though, as the LG G3 OLED also sports the highly beloved Evo panel, which gifts it a bit of an extra leg on clarity and performance. This is best witnessed in its color coverage of 99% of the Rec709 gamut and 96% of the UHDA-P3 gamut.
You may, however, want to pair this display alongside one of the best soundbars, as its 60W speaker is not exactly ideal. It also doesn't come cheap, listed currently at around $1,800 for its 55-inch model.
Read our full LG G3 OLED review.
While Sony's XR A95L certainly performs well with color coverage, the Samsung S90C OLED takes the cake. Available across four main sizes, from 55-inch to 83-inch, the S90C provides exceptional performance in line with one of the best gaming suites in the display industry.
As one of the only companies allowing cloud gaming on its TVs, Samsung might well be paving the way for a potential console-less future. Its aptly named Gaming Hub is an enticing feature on the S90C, allowing users to customize their gaming experiences while also elevating their gameplay with Game Motion Plus, Mini map Zoom, and other exciting add-ons.
The Samsung S90C also comes with an OLED panel, ensuring you get crystal clear performance at somewhat of a cost to brightness. Look no further than its color coverage, which hits 98% of the Rec709 gamut and 99% of the UHDA-P3 Gamut, to see it as the absolute best display for 2023's "Super Mario Bros. Movie."
Read our full Samsung S90C OLED review
It should come as no surprise seeing the LG C3 OLED ranked among the best 4K TVs as it has proven to be a remarkable display at a phenomenal price point. It's still relatively expensive, sitting at around $1,500 for its 65-inch model, but is marked as one of the best values in the industry.
Though lacking an ATSC 3.0 tuner, little else can be said that might prove negative against the C3. Like its G3 counterpart, the C3 OLED also sports LG's Evo panel, ensuring that contrast ratios and colors are vibrant, thrilling, and as close to perfection as is possible.
It's also one of the best gaming TVs in the market thanks to LG's Game Mode, which gifts the C3 OLED a ton of features that make experiences that much more lively. It can hit an input latency of 9.1ms thanks to its game Optimizer and comes with both Nividia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync compatibility.
As for sound, it's once more not the best experience mirroring its G3 counterpart, but you really can't beat its price to performance. LG's a9 AI Gen6 chipset is an utter beast and we're excited to see how the company's 2024 TV lineup will perform against this beloved predecessor.
Read our full LG C3 OLED TV review
As a QLED, the Samsung QN90C comes in with a whole new panel technology to wow the masses, and given our scoring it's safe to say it's worth every penny. Luckily, it's not too incredibly high of an investment, with its 43-inch model sitting around $1,200.
On the Samsung QN90C, both color coverage and brightness prove remarkable. Given the TV uses mini-LED technology, you're expected to get a bit better brightness, and its 1,987 nits of peak HDR brightness is quite telling in this regard.
As with most Samsung displays, the magic relies solely on its incredible Tizen interface, which has tons of awesome gaming enhancements, access to a wide array of apps, and even Matter support for integrated smart home appliances.
The Samsungf QN90C isn't just one of the best 4K TVs, but comes heralded as one of the best QLED TVs, as well. However, without Dolby Atmos support you may want to pair the QN90C up with a worthy audio substitute, like the Samsung HW-Q990B 11.1.4 Dolby Atmos Soundbar.
Read our full Samsung QN90C Neo QLED review
Sporting some of the best budget TVs in the space, TCL is one of the most well-known manufacturers for those looking to get in on the awesome 4K action without the high premium. The TCL QM8 Mini-LED TV is a testament to this fact, with our own score highlighting it as a major value with tons of underlying features that make it a perfect buy in the near-$1,000 range.
But what makes this mini-LED so appealing? Well, the QM8 leverages TCL's AIPQ Engine Gen 3, which can improve picture in real time, ensuring you get the best image possible no matter if you're watching "The Batman" or "Barbie." As for brightness, the QM8 can hit a remarkable 1,348 nits of peak SDR brightness in tandem with 2,201 nits of peak HDR brightness, so you're getting quite the package.
In terms of gaming, the QM8 isn't exactly the most impressive, but an input lag of 13ms coupled with some gamer-focused features, like VRR and ALLM, make it a well-rounded budget option in the 4K category, especially for those using one of the best gaming PCs and aim to hit 240Hz at 1080p.
Read our full TCL QM8 Mini-LED TV review
Heading even further into the budget range of best 4K TVs, the Hisense U8K Mini-LED TV comes in with stellar promise at an exceptional price point of $1,000 — often even much lower amid sales seasons.
Unlike several others in its price range, the U8K comes equipped with a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner, which makes both audio and video quality a tad more improved. The U8K also comes with a 2.1.2 speaker system and Dolby Atmos, ensuring you get quite punchy audio, but it can be a bit lacking in terms of clarity.
But what about general performance? Well, given that the Hisense U8K uses mini-LED panel technology, you can expect some incredible levels of brightness and color coverage. Our tests show that the display can hit a peak HDR brightness of 1,788 nits and covers 99% of the Rec709 Gamut.
The U8K, built on the Google TV platform, also makes it easy for users to jump into their favorite content in the blink of an eye.
Read our full Hisense U8K Mini-LED Google TV review
Looking for a 4K TV that's as budget as can possibly be without being totally unusable? Meet the Roku Plus Series 4K QLED, a stellar option at the $500 range. You might gawk and wonder just how fruitful this display truly can be at that price, but even with only a 60Hz refresh rate and not a single HDMI 2.1 port, the Roku Plus Series 4K QLED proves itself a valiant option.
Prime of all on this 4K TV is Roku's beloved smart interface, allowing users streamlined access to much of their favorite content and apps. Built on the mini-LED panel design, the Plus Series 4K also surprisingly leverages a serene HDR output and color coverage.
It does, however, miss on brightness and gaming. That's not to say you can't get some great gaming mileage out of the Plus Series, as it does sport an impressive input lag of 11.5ms, but with no HDMI 2.1 ports it won't be capable of 4K gaming at 120Hz.
Where the Roku Plus Series 4K shines, though, is in its relatively grand audio output. Obviously, at this price it's not ideal, but with support for Dolby Atmos and 4.1 surround sound, it's quite a feat of display engineering.
Read our full Roku Plus Series 4K QLED review
How to choose the best 4K TV for you
When it comes to finding a great TV, the best advice is to find the TV that meets your budget, and has the features you want. From smart functions to port selection, we offer plenty of advice in our TV buying guide. Here, you'll find everything you need to know about features like HDR, the 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.
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. We recommend opting for Dolby Vision support when you have the choice.
Port selection 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 eARC for the very best sound.
Finally, you'll want to find a smart TV platform that you like. Companies like Samsung and LG use their own proprietary software, but many use more broadly available software, like Android or Roku TV.
According to our guide What size TV should you buy?, you'll want to position the TV roughly the same distance from the TV as the diagonal measurement of the screen size – 50 inches from a 50-inch TV, 65 inches from a 65-inch TV, and so on.
You can expect to pay about $500 for a good budget 55-inch 4K TV. And at least $900 for a 65-inch model. Models with better picture, speakers and features will cost more, and premium 65-inch TVs often cost $2,000 or more.
How we test 4K TVs
Evaluating 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 TVs look best, sound best and offer the best viewing experience.
Finally, we evaluate the smart TV functions and apps for each TV, looking at everything from the remote control design to the voice interaction and app store selection. This gives us a good feel for the navigation and ease of use on the TV, and lets us meaningfully discuss which smart TVs may be better or worse than others.
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 Roku TVs | Best Google TVs | Best OLED TVs | Best QLED TVs | Best 8K TVs | Best HDMI 2.1 TV | Best TVs with ATSC 3.0 | Best TVs with Chromecast
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.
