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Steven Cohen/Business Insider
The best 4K TVs are sharp, colorful, smart, and reliable, enabling them to act as the entertainment center of any room for movies, shows, sports, and video games. But, while all 4K TVs offer an Ultra HD resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, overall picture quality can vary a lot between different models.
With image performance and general usability in mind, we picked the best 4K TVs you can buy in 2024. Our top recommendation, the Samsung S90C, delivers pixel-level contrast while offering better color performance than similar TVs from other brands. Buyers on a budget should consider the Hisense U6K, which is the cheapest 4K TV we've seen with an advanced Mini LED backlight.
We also recommend top models from Sony and LG, and have picks geared toward high-end performance, midrange pricing, and gaming, all accounted for. All of the displays listed below are sold in multiple screen sizes. Most retailers let you select different sizes from their listing pages, but performance may vary slightly depending on what size you purchase.
Our top picks for the best 4K TVs
Best overall: Samsung S90C 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best budget: Hisense U6K 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best midrange QLED: Hisense U7K 4K TV - See at Best Buy
Best high-end QLED: Samsung QN90C 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best midrange OLED: LG C3 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best high-end OLED: Sony A95L 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best for gaming: Samsung S95C 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best for wall mounting: LG G3 4K TV - See at Amazon
Ryan Waniata/Insider
The Samsung S90C delivers the best balance between picture performance and price of any 4K TV we've reviewed. The TV uses an OLED panel with quantum dots, enabling an infinite contrast ratio, a wide range of colors, and a brighter image than direct competitors from LG and Sony.
OLED tech gives the S90C inky black levels and wide viewing angles, while the display's use of quantum dots allows it to produce richer colors than a regular OLED. This makes the TV a great fit for average living rooms and dark home theaters alike. HDR movies and shows from 4K Blu-rays or streaming services like Prime Video and Disney Plus look especially stunning using the HDR10 and HDR10+ formats.
Smart TV features are also robust, with access to every popular app there is, along with Alexa and Bixby voice control. Though we do wish navigation was a little smoother, the interface is solid, and it even includes a Gaming Hub that lets you access services like Xbox Game Pass to stream games without a console. And if you pair the TV with a gaming PC, it can support a smooth 144Hz refresh rate.
The only notable con here is the TV's lack of Dolby Vision support. Most Dolby Vision content will instead play in standard HDR10, which isn't quite as precise, but the TV's HDR10 performance is so strong that most people won't notice a difference.
There are better-looking TVs on the market, including Samsung's own S95C, but they cost a lot more. With deal prices as low as $1,600 for the 65-inch model, the S90C is easily the best 4K TV — and the best TV period — that you can get for the money.
Check out our Samsung S90C 4K TV review.
*The 83-inch version of the S90C does not use quantum dots, so its color performance is not expected to match that of smaller models.
Ryan Waniata/Insider
The Hisense U6K is the best 4K TV for anyone who wants an affordable QLED display that doesn't skimp on picture quality.
The TV uses quantum dots and full-array local dimming, which are features typically reserved for midrange and high-end display models. Even better, the U6K also uses a Mini LED backlight, which gives it even better control over its light output. At a typical sale price of just $550, the 65-inch U6K is the most affordable Mini LED TV we've ever seen.
The TV's contrast performance isn't on par with pricier QLEDs, and during testing, its black levels proved to be less deep than what we saw on the more expensive U7K, Samsung QN90C, or TCL QM8. But that's all understandable, given the difference in cost. You still get a wide color gamut and up to 600 nits of brightness, which is enough to start seeing the benefits of HDR content. You even get Dolby Vision support to produce the most accurate HDR image the TV is capable of.
On the downside, the display is limited to a 60Hz panel, so you can't get 120Hz support with a PS5 or Xbox Series X. Viewing angles aren't the best either, but they're on par with what you can expect in this price range. And though the Google TV interface lags more than we'd like, it still performs well enough for a budget set.
If you're looking to dip your toes into the 4K HDR market, the Hisense U6K is a great entry-level choice. It's affordable without sacrificing features that really make a 4K HDR TV worth owning.
Check out our Hisense U6K 4K TV review.
Ryan Waniata/Insider
The Hisense U7K delivers performance that's on par with many displays that cost quite a bit more, making it one of the best 4K TVs you can get for under $800. Like the cheaper U6K, the display uses a QLED panel and a Mini LED backlight for precise local dimming and contrast control. But this model has a higher peak brightness of 1,000 nits, and we saw noticeably richer black levels during our tests.
Of course, you get tradeoffs when going with a midrange set, but the U7K impresses for the money. Though brightness can't match more expensive QLED TVs like the step-up U8K or TCL's QM8 and Samsung's QN90C, the U7K has good HDR performance and supports all major HDR formats, including Dolby Vision.
On top of that, the TV has a 120Hz panel with HDMI 2.1, so it can support advanced gaming features when paired with a PS5 or Xbox Series X. Its refresh rate can even go up to 144Hz if you pair it with a compatible gaming PC. The display's Google TV platform can lag a little, but you still get access to every app you could want, along with Google Assistant voice control.
The 65-inch model is often on sale for as low as $680; the U7K delivers unmatched value at that price. You'll need to pay more if you want something brighter and with wider viewing angles, but if you're looking for a solid home theater display that has great gaming performance without breaking the bank, the U7K should be your top choice.
Check out our Hisense U7K 4K TV review.
Amazon
The Samsung QN90C delivers one of the brightest images you can get. With a peak of around 2,000 nits, the Neo QLED display is able to make high dynamic range highlights really pop, making it an excellent choice to show off HDR movies and shows using the HDR10 and HDR10+ formats.
The TV also makes use of quantum dots to enable excellent color volume and a Mini LED backlight with full-array local dimming to produce deep black levels. However, the backlight's dimming isn't as precise as an OLED panel, so you might see some minor blooming and haloing around bright objects. But, compared to cheaper QLEDs like the Hisense U6K andU7K, the QN90C gets remarkably close to OLED-level contrast while delivering nearly double the peak brightness of a typical OLED.
The TV's high brightness capabilities also make it an ideal choice for living rooms that let in a lot of ambient light. Though the previous-generation model used a screen filter that caused some rainbow streaks when it reflected light from certain angles, the QN90C is able to minimize glare and reflections without this distracting side effect. And it has wide viewing angles for a QLED, giving it an edge over less expensive options in this class, like the Hisense U8K and TCL QM8. Smart TV capabilities are also solid, with access to plenty of apps and Samsung's Gaming Hub.
When it comes to high-end TVs, we still prefer OLEDs thanks to their superior contrast handling, but the QN90C is an excellent QLED TV for buyers who want an extra-bright display with good viewing angles and don't want to ever think twice about burn-in.
Best Buy
Year after year, LG's C-Series remains a top contender for the best 4K TV you can buy. And the C3 is no different. In fact, if it weren't for the Samsung S90C's competitive price, the C3 would likely earn the top spot on this list. While it lacks the quantum dot tech that gives Samsung's OLED a boost in brightness and color volume, the C3 still delivers great picture quality and reliable smart TV performance.
Like all OLED displays, the C3 has an infinite contrast ratio with deep black levels that look fantastic when watching movies in a dark room. It also has wide viewing angles, so the image doesn't distort or fade if you're sitting toward the side of the TV. Peak brightness is solid for a midrange OLED, at around 800 nits, but it can't match the 1,000+ nits that more expensive OLEDs can achieve.
On the plus side, the C3 does have one picture-quality perk that our top pick lacks: Dolby Vision support. Dolby Vision is regarded as the best HDR format since it can more precisely tell your TV how to display contrast and colors, and Dolby Vision is supported on tons of streaming services and 4K Blu-ray discs.
LG's webOS platform also works well to provide easy access to popular apps, and the TV's unique Magic Remote allows you to navigate menus by pointing at the screen.
Though we do think the Samsung S90C has an edge over the C3 when it comes to image performance at this price point, the C3 is an excellent alternative for buyers who prefer the LG brand or who consider Dolby Vision support to be essential.
Steven Cohen/Insider
If you want the best high-end OLED 4K TV for a home theater, the Sony A95L is the current champ. Like Samsung's OLEDs, it uses an advanced panel with quantum dots to achieve a brighter picture with better color volume than a typical OLED.
But while Samsung's top OLEDs max out at around 1,350 nits, we measured a peak of 1,500 nits on the A95L during our tests. That's 50% brighter than Sony's previous-gen A95K, and it makes the A95L's image truly pop during scenes with especially bright highlights.
And unlike Samsung OLEDs, the A95L also supports Dolby Vision and benefits from the company's proprietary picture processing to optimize its images and upscale lower-quality sources. Sony remains the leader when it comes to delivering a truly accurate picture for the best movie-watching experience.
The A95L's Google TV operating system also works well so that you can stream all your favorite services. A handy voice remote is included with Google Assistant voice control, and it has a backlight that turns on when you pick it up. The TV's stand can even be set up in either a high-profile arrangement (if you want to put a soundbar in front) or a low-profile mode for a flush look on your entertainment console.
It's expensive, but the Sony A95L OLED is the best 4K TV you can buy for truly high-end performance. Most people will be satisfied with something cheaper, like the Samsung S90C, but if you can afford it and you really want a premium TV that does it all, the A95L is the display to buy. The only notable downside is its lack of a 144Hz gaming mode, but that's a feature that will only benefit dedicated PC gamers.
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
For the most part, we consider our top overall pick, the Samsung S90C, to be the best 4K TV for gaming. But if you're looking for an even more high-end alternative that can deliver a slightly more premium experience, Samsung's step-up S95C model is also a fantastic buy.
The S95C has all of the essentials that gamers look for, including VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). Like the S90C, it's also one of the few OLED TVs that has 144Hz capabilities and built-in support for cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now.
With a 144Hz panel, you can connect a gaming PC or gaming laptop to the TV to get incredibly smooth gameplay, so long as your computer is powerful enough to output 144 frames per second. And though the PS5 and Xbox Series X don't support 144Hz, they do support 120Hz through the S95C.
The S95C has very low input lag, so there's little delay between button presses and their corresponding actions on screen. AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync are both supported as well to reduce screen tearing.
The cheaper S90C also offers the above features, but the S95C steps things up with a 30% brighter image that's capable of a peak of around 1,360 nits. That's one of the brightest pictures we've ever measured on an OLED, and it's only a bit behind what the Sony A95L and LG G3 can offer. But while brighter, those competing OLEDs do not support 144Hz.
The S95C also boasts a more premium design than the S90C. It has a uniformly thin profile and a separate One Connect Box for all of its inputs, which could make it easier to hide all your cables from view.
Again, we still recommend our best overall pick, the S90C, as the top gaming TV for most people. But the S95C delivers an even more high-end experience for shoppers who want a little extra. When it comes to pure picture quality, this is the
