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If you're shopping for a new TV in 2023, there are lots of options. Retailers are packed with colorful 4K displays, cheap HDTVs, and razor-sharp 8K sets. But while picture quality and specific features vary depending on what kind of display you get, the best TVs all share one thing in common: a reliable viewing experience.
After extensive testing and research, we've selected the seven best TVs you can buy. The Samsung S90C is our top pick thanks to its high contrast, wide viewing angles, bright colors, and highly competitive price. Shoppers aiming to spend less, should also consider our budget pick, the Hisense U6K. Brightness and contrast can't match pricier sets, but its Mini LED backlight delivers better image quality than other TVs in its price range.
We've also got picks for high-end, midrange, 8K, and even HD models. With different budgets and viewing needs all accounted for, these are the best TVs you can buy right now.
Note: All of our picks are available in multiple screen sizes. You can select different sizes on each retailer's page. Features are typically carried over across sizes, but there may be slight performance differences.
Our top picks for the best TVs
Best overall: Samsung S90C 4K TV - See at Amazon
The Samsung S90C OLED delivers premium 4K image quality with top-of-the-line contrast and color, and its often on sale for an unbeatable value.
Best OLED on a budget: LG B3 4K TV - See at Amazon
OLED TVs aren't known for their budget-friendly prices, but the LG B3 is one of the most affordable models you can get right now.
Best QLED for budget buyers: Hisense U6K 4K TV - See at Amazon
The U6K proves that budget-friendly 4K TVs don't need to skimp on cool features like quantum dots and Mini LEDs with local dimming.
Best midrange model: Hisense U7K 4K TV - See at Amazon
Hisense's U7K 4K TV punches way above its weight class with excellent brightness and gaming performance for the money.
Best high-end display: Sony A95L 4K TV - See at Amazon
It's expensive, but the Sony A95L OLED is the best TV you can get if you want the most accurate, high-end picture possible.
Best 8K display: Samsung QN900C 8K TV - See at Amazon
We're still not convinced that anyone actually needs an 8K TV right now, but there's no denying how gorgeous the QN900C looks, especially if you get an extra-large size.
Best HDTV: TCL S3 Series HDTV - See at Amazon
TCL's S3 HDTV is a reliable and cheap option if all you need is a smaller smart TV for casual viewing.
Ryan Waniata/ Insider
Pros: QD-OLED panel with high-end contrast and colors, deep black levels, wide viewing angles, up to 144Hz refresh rate
Cons: No Dolby Vision support, interface isn't our favorite
All things considered, the Samsung S90C is the best TV you can buy right now. This model serves as Samsung's 2023 replacement for our previous pick, the S95B, and it offers nearly identical performance with a few small but welcome upgrades.
Like its predecessor, the S90C uses a 4K QD-OLED panel. The "QD" before "OLED" means that it incorporates a screen technology called quantum dots, which gives it nearly unrivaled color performance. The S90C is the only QD-OLED in its price range, giving it an edge over similarly priced LG and Sony OLEDs that don't use quantum dots. For the money, it's simply the best 4K TV on the market.
With a peak brightness around 1,000 nits, the S90C delivers vibrant high-dynamic-range (HDR) images. Although it's still not as bright as top QLED TVs, the display's OLED panel gives it pixel-level contrast control, which results in deeper black levels and more precise highlights without any blooming.
The only notable feature that the S90C is missing is Dolby Vision support. Dolby Vision is considered the best HDR format since it can give a TV scene-by-scene instructions for how to best optimize color and brightness. The S90C supports a similar format, called HDR10+, but HDR10+ isn't used on as many streaming services.
Most of the HDR content you'll see on the S90C will end up defaulting to standard HDR10. Ultimately, the difference between all of these formats is subtle, and the S90C's HDR10 performance is so good that most people won't notice a difference.
Though not our favorite smart TV platform, the S90C's Tizen interface works well enough and gives you access to all of the best streaming services. And Samsung is the only TV brand that supports the Xbox Game Pass app directly on its TVs, which lets members stream Xbox games without a console. The TV also supports a smooth 144Hz refresh rate with a computer, which is a new feature for this year's model.
Samsung does sell more expensive OLED TVs that get brighter, like the flagship S95C, but you can't beat the S90C's overall value. The 65-inch model is often on sale for $1,600, which is an incredible deal for a TV this good.
Read our Samsung S90C 4K TV review.
*The 83-inch S90C doesn't use quantum dots so it's not expected to match the color performance of smaller models.
B&H
Pros: Solid price for an OLED, best-in-class contrast and black level performance for the money
Cons: Not as bright as pricier OLEDs, less advanced processing than step-up models
Though you can find plenty of affordable QLED and LED displays, cheap OLED TVs are harder to snag. In 2023, LG's B3 is the closest thing there is to a budget OLED. At full retail price it's still a bit expensive, but the 65-inch model is a good deal when it's on sale for $1,300.
Like the more expensive Sony and Samsung OLEDs we recommend, the B3 offers an infinite contrast ratio with perfect black levels and wide viewing angles. On the downside, the B3 has a lower peak brightness of around 600-700 nits. HDR content still looks good, especially with Dolby Vision support, but the brightest highlights you see won't pop with the same vibrancy that they'd have on Samsung's S90C, Sony's A95L, or LG's pricier C2 and G3. The lower brightness also makes the B3 less suited for spaces that have a lot of windows that let in sunlight.
On the plus side, the B3 has a 120Hz panel and HDMI 2.1 ports just like more expensive OLEDs. This means it can support high frame rate gaming on a PS5, Xbox Series console, or PC. It also support VRR (variable refresh rate). And the TV's webOS platform gives you access to plenty of apps.
The B3 replaces last year's B2, and though this new model doesn't offer any major upgrades, it's now on sale for around the same price as the B2. We recommend getting the B3 unless you happen to find a B2 at a great discount.
LG also still sells an even cheaper 2022 OLED, called the A2, but it's difficult to find in stores and online. However, Best Buy sometimes has the 48-inch A2 model for as low as $550, which is an amazing price. Just keep in mind that the A2 isn't as good for gaming since it only has a 60Hz screen.
Ryan Waniata/Insider
Pros: Cheapest TV with Mini LEDs, features quantum dots and local dimming
Cons: Limited brightness, 60Hz panel, mediocre viewing angles, sluggish smart TV interface
The Hisense U6K is the most affordable TV you can buy that manages to include quantum dots and local dimming with Mini LEDs. The former feature enables a wide range of bright colors, while the latter gives the TV deeper black levels and better contrast than a regular LED display. Mini LEDs are especially rare on a TV in this price range, and they enable even more precise control of the panel's dimming.
Often on sale for just $550 at a 65-inch screen size, the U6K offers an incredible value. Sure, it has fewer dimming zones than step-up models like the U7 series, but the performance it delivers is nearly unmatched by rivals in this price range. Most budget TVs lack wide color support and often top out at around 300 nits, but the U6K offers an expanded color gamut and up to 600 nits of brightness. We generally recommend at least 800-1,000 nits for the best performance, but 600 is enough to start seeing the benefits of HDR.
Gamers, however, should keep in mind that the TV only has a 60Hz refresh rate rather than 120Hz. This means it can't support high frame rate gaming on a PS5 of Xbox Series X/S. The display's viewing angles are also mediocre, but that's to be expected for pretty much any TV you find in this class.
The U6K is a bit of an outlier in the TV market right now, hitting an especially appealing sweet spot between entry-level pricing and performance. However, if you want something even cheaper, you can still find the 2022 version of this set, called the U6H, on clearance at some retailers. That model is also an excellent value, but stock is dwindling and the 2023 U6K has even better dimming performance thanks to its Mini LED backlight, which the U6H lacks.
Read our full Hisense U6K 4K TV review.
Ryan Waniata/Business Insider
Pros: Fantastic performance for the money, Mini LED with local dimming and quantum dot color, 144Hz refresh rate
Cons: Viewing angles aren't great, some local dimming quirks
Hisense's U7K is easily one of the best TVs you can buy for under $1,000. Like it's predecessor, the U7H, it offers picture quality features that rival pricier displays. And unlike the older U7H, this new model even adds a Mini LED backlight for improved contrast control.
The QLED panel can deliver up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness, which is fantastic for a TV in this price range. The Mini LED screen uses full-array local dimming to adjust the display's contrast across multiple zones. This creates better black levels and more precise highlights than you'd get on a QLED that doesn't have Mini LEDs and dimming.
When it comes to gaming, the TV has two HDMI 2.1 ports so it can support high frame-rate and variable refresh rate (VRR) with full 120Hz compatibility on a PS5 or Xbox Series X. Its refresh rate can even go up to 144Hz with a PC, which is especially rare for a set in this price range. You also get solid smart TV capabilities via the display's Google TV interface and Google Assistant remote.
Considering its affordable price, the U7K does have a few drawbacks compared to more expensive QLED TVs. HDR highlights can't get quite as bright, and you might notice some minor blooming around bright objects or brightness fluctuations here and there. The TV's viewing angles are also mediocre, so color and contrast degrade if you're sitting off to the side.
Still, it's hard to fault the U7K too much for these cons since it does so much right for such an amazing price.
Read our full Hisense U7K 4K TV review.
Steven Cohen/Insider
Pros: Brightest OLED we've tested, best-in-class picture processing, Dolby Vision support, premium design
Cons: Pricier than competitors, only two HDMI 120Hz ports
The Sony A95L OLED is the absolute best high-end TV you can buy. Like Samsung's OLEDs, it also uses quantum dots to offer industry-leading color and contrast. But on top of that, the A95L boasts higher peak brightness levels and benefits from Sony's picture processing to produce superior image accuracy and upscaling.
The differences can be subtle, but the A95L edges out other premium TVs in this class, including Samsung's S95C and LG's G3. And unlike Samsung OLEDs, it supports Dolby Vision, which gives the TV scene-by-scene instructions for how to render color and contrast when watching Dolby Vision content on popular services like Netflix and Disney Plus.
The A95L is also the brightest OLED we've ever tested. We measured a peak of 1,500 nits with the TV placed in its most accurate "Professional" mode. That's exceptional for a display of this type. And though it doesn't reach the 200% increase that Sony touted before release, the A95L is 50% brighter than last year's A95K based on our measurements.
The TV's proprietary picture processing also does a
