So, you want a new TV? Congratulations, that's the easy part. Buying the best TV to meet your needs is a balancing act of finding the best picture quality, the best price and the size that's right for your room.
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As we await the release of 2026 TVs in the spring, I've reviewed most of the current TVs head-to-head in a dedicated lab, and I want to help you choose the best-value TV that's right for you. Whether you need a TV for sports events like the Big Game, gaming or streaming shows and movies, there’s a model here for you. But be aware that because TVs are a stable technology, and so year-to-year improvements are usually minor. In some cases, you can buy a 2024 TV that's similar to a current model, but for a fraction of the price.
These are the best models you can buy now, from high-end QLED and OLED TVs to midrange mini-LED and cheap 4K smart TVs.
These are the best TVs for 2026
Pros
- The Samsung S90F boasts excellent image quality
- Fast motion for gamers
Cons
- It lacks the step-up model's glare free coating
- No Dolby Vision
The Samsung S90F has a lot going for it -- it's relatively affordable, it's super-light, easy to install and boasts some of the best images I've ever seen. It's great for gaming, too, with super-low lag scores and well-saturated colors. It boasts the "infinite black" of the best OLEDs, pairing it winningly with excellent shadow detail.
The only ding against it, like all Samsung TVs, is that it doesn't support Dolby Vision, but HDR10 Plus is more than enough for most purposes. Also, it lacks the step-up S95F's light-rejecting coating, so it is not as good in a lit room as that TV.
All in all, though, the Samsung S90F is a fantastic TV with great contrast levels and highly saturated colors, which can bring cinema-like images into your home.
Pros
- The G5 has the highest brightness of any OLED TV yet
- It's capable of stunning image quality
Cons
- Brightness boost is not visible in all content
- Remote is not as good as previous versions
- Expensive compared to LG C5
While every other OLED TV until now has shown modest increases year-over-year, the LG G5 is a massive improvement on its predecessor. LG says it has a 40% improvement in brightness -- a claim I verified in my own testing -- and it's a TV that can take on LCD TVs for its clarity and punch. The G5 has better color than the company's own C5, and it's a lot better for gaming, too. For the right person, the extra $900 for the G5 over the C5 may be worth it.
With its high brightness, the G5 is also great for use in a lit room, though it's second to the excellent Samsung S95F, in my testing, in terms of reducing glare in a bright room.
With excellent clarity, punchy contrast and bold color, the LG G5 is the model to choose if you want the best combination of picture quality and brightness.
Pros
- Best overall image quality I've tested
- Best-in-class glare reduction in a bright room
- Superior contrast and off-angle viewing
- Ultrathin panel with external input box
Cons
- Expensive
- Slightly diminished contrast in bright rooms
If you want the best TV you can buy in 2026, this is it. Samsung's S95F takes everything we loved about last year's S95D -- great picture quality, super-fast gaming, superior anti-glare -- and somehow manages to improve upon it. What's especially impressive is how well this TV banishes reflections, making it well-suited for watching in a bright room. If you find yourself squinting at the screen because you can see a window or overhead lights in your picture, this TV is for you. While there is some loss of contrast with the lights on, it's not as pronounced as with the S95D, and its overall lack of reflectivity is well worth the trade-off.
Picture quality is just as great as you'd expect from an OLED, with vivid colors and fantastic contrast. The TV has also had a brightness boost in 2025 of around 30% and can go toe-to-toe with the even-brighter (on paper, at least) LG G5.
The only downside? It costs a lot of money. Yet, as Samsung's flagship OLED, the S95F makes your investment worthwhile -- and rewards movie fans and gamers alike with excellent performance in an attractive package.
Pros
- Great picture quality
- Very few haloing artifacts
- New Filmmaker mode helps create more accurate pictures
Cons
- Still bright, but dimmer than the TV it replaced
- Worse input lag with games
TCL has topped CNET's list of the best TVs for the past few years, and the QM8K improves in a few key ways. In my side-by-side comparison tests with both the LG C5 and the Hisense U8K, the TCL stood out with excellent color and OLED-like black levels. The key to the TC's picture-quality performance is mini-LED tech and its new Halo Control System, which is designed to reduce light bleed in dark scenes. It works, though it does mean the screen is a little less bright than the previous QM851.
The TV also has a sleek design with a center-mount stand and a spiffy remote control. The operating system is Google TV, which I don't like as much as Roku TV, but it's still a solid smart TV system.
Apart from a slightly slower gaming response time -- measured at about 1ms slower than most and 4ms slower than the best -- the main downside of the TCL QM8K is that it's only available in large sizes (65 inches and up). If you're looking for a TV for a smaller space, I recommend the similarly-performing Hisense U8QG instead.
Pros
- The Hisense QD7QF has excellent image quality thanks to local dimming
- It's bright compared to rivals
- This TV is great for gaming
Key to the Hisense QD7QF’s success is full-array local dimming -- a display tech you usually only find in more expensive TVs -- and it's something the previous QD7N also lacked. As a result, this Hisense boasts a level of picture quality I've never seen before in a TV this cheap. The enhanced levels of contrast give images a solidity that meant the Hisense was unmatched.
Adding to its superior picture was its higher brightness -- over twice that of other 2025 budget TVs I tested head-to-head -- and this boosts immersion in video games as well.
As I write this, the QD7QF’s price is subject to some volatility -- it’s currently $309 (for the 50-inch), but was $400 the previous time I checked. If the Hisense is out of stock or becomes more expensive, the 2024 Fire TV 4-series is almost as good, even if it lacks local dimming.
Pros
- The TCL QM9K is able to take on OLED for picture quality
- It has class-leading brightness levels
- Backlight blooming on this TV is virtually nonexistent
Cons
- Yet, OLED is still better
- The TV's color isn't accurate
- It occasionally crushes shadow detail
As the brightest TV I've ever tested, the TCL QM9K is the winner of the inaugural Lab Test Award for Brightest TV Screen. It has a maximum brightness of 4,520 nits, which is around 500 nits brighter than its nearest competitor, the Hisense U8QG. This TV's high brightness is an asset, whether you're watching a movie in a well-lit room or playing the latest AAA game. The TV still costs less than flagship OLED models, like the LG G5 and Sony Bravia 8 II. This TV also offers better gaming response times than most high-end models.
If you tend toward gaming almost exclusively, the QM9K is a good match with its high brightness and zippy response. Alternatively, if you want the best picture for the same money, you could get the LG G5 or, for even less money, the Hisense U8Q or TCL QM8K.
Pros
- The TCL QM6K has excellent picture quality
- The black levels are surprisingly deep
- This TV offers outstanding bang for buck
Cons
- The TV's brightness and color saturation could be better
When it comes to the best TVs for the money, it's the TVs priced under a grand typically include the features you want without paying too much. The TCL QM6K started at a grand and is now even cheaper (around $550) and it has those tick boxes already checked -- excellent picture quality, streaming and gaming. It's an attractive TV with its "bezel-less" design and is simple to put to together and set up.
The TV boasts compatibility with all the HDR formats -- including both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ -- and includes the company's Halo Control System processing, which is designed to eliminate backlight haloing in its 500 dimming zones.
In my side-by-side tests of the TV I found that it had plenty of contrast compared to its competition, though I had hoped for a lot more oomph in the brightness department -- its 655 nit reading is super low for a modern TV. Yet, if you're watching in the dark, or without direct reflections, its lack of dazzling whites won't be an issue.
January 2026: Updated pricing, no changes to recommended models.
December 2025: Replaced LG C4 with Samsung S90F, added Roku Pro and Hisense U8QG to also tested.
November 2025: Added TCL QM9K as Lab Awards winner for Brightest TV.
October 2025: Hisense QD7 replaced Samsung DU7200 as best budget TV.
August 2025: Added TCL QM6K as best TV under $1,000 and TCL QM8K as the best LCD TV.
July 2025: Samsung S95F OLED is now my Editors' Choice for best high-end TV, and added the Samsung S90F and LG C5 to Other TVs I've tested.
The Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer testing an LG OLED in CNET's lab.
David Katzmaier/CNETHisense U8Q: An excellent TV, the Hisense U8Q goes tit-for-tat against the TCL QM8K, and it's also a lot brighter. Read my review of the
Roku Pro Series TV has some of teh best onboard sound I've ever heard
Ty Pendlebury/CNETRoku Pro Series: If you want a TV that's also a Roku, this is the best one yet, though third-party models may give you better picture quality. Read my full review of the Roku Pro Series TV.
LG C5: Like the Samsung S90F, this is an excellent OLED TV for watching TV or playing games. It's a fine TV, but the S90F is better. Read my review of the LG C5 TV.
The Panasonic Z95A is a 2024 OLED TV that boasts a dedicated audio system.
Richard Peterson/CNETPanasonic Z95A: The Panasonic Z95A is a superb TV and it has one advantage over most at the price because of its dedicated speaker system, giving it decent sound quality. The inclusion of Amazon Fire TV is also unusual for the price but I still prefer Google TV. It's since been replaced by the Z95B. Read CNET's hands-on of the Panasonic Z95A.
Samsung S90D: The S90D performed well in our measurement tests but it suffered some contrast loss compared to the C4. Any differences between the C4 and S90D were subtle. It has been replaced by the S90F. Read CNET's full review of the Samsung S90D.
Samsung S95D: With a versatile matte screen and awesome picture, the Samsung S95D delivers astounding image quality, and is quite a bit cheaper than the newer S95F. Read CNET's full review of the Samsung S95D.
CNET editors David Katzmaier and Ty Pendlebury have been testing TVs since the turn of the century.
Sarah Tew/CNETIn every CNET TV review, I compare three or more similar TVs side by side in a dedicated, light-controlled test lab. With each review, I employ a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process that has been honed in more than two decades of TV reviews. I test TVs with a combination of scientific measurements and real-world evaluations of TV, movies and gaming content.
To ensure I can evaluate the picture quality of every TV I employ the use of an AVPro Connect 8x8 4K HDR splitter so each one receives the same signal. I test the TVs using various lighting conditions playing different media, including 4K HDR movies and console games, across a variety of test categories, from color to video processing to gaming to HDR.
In order to measure each TV, I use specialized equipment to grade according to light output and color. My hardware includes a Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer and a Murideo Six-G 4K HDR signal generator. I use Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software to evaluate every TV I review according to their brightness, black levels and color.
My reviews also account for such things as features, design, smart TV performance, connectivity including HDMI inputs and gaming compatibility.
Check out How CNET Tests TVs for more details.
The Sony Bravia 8 II is a new flagship OLED.
David Katzmaier/CNETWith all of the TVs available today, and all of the technical terms and jargon associated with television technology, it can be tough to figure out what's important. Here's a quick guide to help cut through the confusion.
Picture quality: Broadly speaking, the type of display technology helps dictate how good a TV's picture quality is, but OLED is typically the best display technology, and this is followed by LCD (including QLED, and Mini LED). OLED tends to have the best picture quality because it doesn't need a backlight and every pixel can be either on or off, leading to great black levels. In comparison, each LED in a backlight looks after multiple pixels at a time so it isn't as precise -- it's not yet 1:1. Among midrange models, look for a feature including full-array local dimming, mini-LED and 120Hz refresh rate, which (unlike some other extras) do help improve the picture in my experience. Additionally, If a TV uses Quantum Dots it often leads to better color performance, whether it's an OLED or an LCD.
Screen size: Bigger is better in my book. I recommend a size of at least 43 inches for a bedroom TV and at least 55 inches for a living room or main TV -- and 65 inches or larger is best. More so than any "feature," stepping up in TV screen size is the best use of your money. One of the most common post-TV-purchase complaints I've heard is from people who didn't go big enough. And I rarely hear people complain that their TV is too large. It's worth adding that while TVs can get really big indeed, 4K resolution is sufficient for even the biggest models, and CNET doesn't recommend any 8K TVs as they represent a poor comparative value.
Price: TVs range in price from $100 to more than $2,000. Smaller screens are cheaper, well-known brands are more expensive and spending more money can also get you better image quality. Most entry-level TVs have a good enough picture for most people, but TVs last a long time, so it might be worth spending more to get a better picture. It's also best to shop for a TV in the fall when prices are lower.
Sound quality: Every TV has some sort of built-in speaker, but in my twenty years of reviewing AV equipment the sound of modern TVs has been routinely terrible. While I do test the audio on each model, if you are serious about sound quality then buying a separate soundbar (from $100) or home theater system will instantly improve vital aspects such as speech and bass reproduction.
Smart TV: Among entry-level TVs the most important feature is what kind of smart TV system the TV uses, and while some are proprietary to each brand (Samsung and LG) some models do offer Roku and Google TV.
For more TV buying advice check out How to Buy a TV.
One important aspect of image quality I test is overall brightness using the CS-2000 spectroradiometer. Here's how brightness compares in nits across select TVs listed above.
Light output in nits
| TV | Brightest mode (HDR) | Accurate mode (HDR) | Brightest mode (SDR) | Accurate mode (SDR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCL QM9K | 4520 | 2520 | 3930 | 262 |
| Hisense U8Q | 4080 | 4070 | 4107 | 436 |
| TCL QM8K | 3011 | 3011 | 3038 | 196 |
| LG G5 | 2813 | 2297 | 1030 | 412 |
| Samsung S95F | 2150 | 2150 | 391 | 297 |
| Samsung S90F | 1466 | 1466 | 633 | 305 |
How much should I spend on a TV?
Prices vary widely by size and features, from less than $100 for basic 24-inch TVs to more than $2,000 for big OLED models. TVs last a long time, so we think it's worthwhile to spend a little extra beyond the bare minimum to get a bigger screen, better picture quality or better features. With that in mind, here are some ballpark prices that will get you a very good TV in 2026.
- 55-inch: $700
- 65-inch: $1,000
- 75-inch: $1,300
You could pay (much) more or less. The fact is that just about any TV will produce a picture decent enough to satisfy most viewers. Most complaints you read in user reviews aren't about picture quality. Instead, they're about ease of use, smart TV menus or sound (or a broken TV).
What size TV should I buy?
Which is better, OLED or LED?
In our reviews, OLED TVs, which use organic light-emitting diode technology, have always had better picture quality than LED TVs, which are essentially LCD TVs that use LED backlights. The main reason is that OLED TVs can produce a perfectly dark shade of black with no stray illumination or blooming, which leads to better contrast and pop. LED TVs can get brighter and usually cost less than OLED TVs.
What is the best smart TV system for streaming?
At CNET, our favorite is Roku for its simplicity, but different systems like Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung and LG have different strengths, particularly for voice commands. In any case, we don't consider the built-in smart TV system that important because you can always connect a streaming device to any TV.
