Shopping for a new TV can be challenging; with so many different manufacturers out there, it can be hard to know which is the best TV brand and where to start. Some TV brand names are well-known, but that doesn't necessarily mean all their TVs are good, because even the best brands' entry-level models don't perform well. Some budget-friendly TV brands are starting to make waves in the market and often release models that are better than more expensive options. We've bought and tested more than 380 TVs, and you can see a full list of 2023 TV lineups here.
From smart features to design, each brand has its own way of doing things. So how do they stack up? Keep reading to see our take on the best TV brands in the U.S. Also, see our recommendations for the best smart TVs, the best TVs for movies, and the best 4k TVs. Most brands have started releasing their 2023 lineups, so make sure to vote on which ones you want us to buy and test first.
The Hisense U8H is the best Hisense TV we've tested. It delivers incredible picture quality overall in both bright and dark rooms. It has fantastic contrast and a Mini LED local dimming feature, resulting in very deep blacks with almost no noticeable blooming around bright areas of the screen. HDR content looks amazing, thanks to its high peak brightness and wide color gamut, and it tracks the content creator's intent extremely well, as most content is displayed at the correct brightness, and there's very little banding.
It's a versatile TV with a wide selection of extra features. It supports 4k @ 120Hz gaming from the latest consoles or PC graphics cards, and it has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. It also supports a variable refresh rate from any source, which helps reduce tearing in games. Finally, it runs the Google TV interface, with a massive selection of streaming apps and hands-free voice control thanks to the TV's built-in mic.
See the best Hisense TVs here.
The best LG TV we've tested so far is the LG G2 OLED. It's an impressive TV that delivers fantastic picture quality, with stunning dark scene performance thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio and perfect black uniformity. It delivers a visually stunning HDR experience, especially if you're in a dark room, and its unique, modern design means it looks amazing even when it's off. It also has a fantastic array of gaming features, including 4k @ 120Hz support with the latest consoles or PC graphics cards, and its nearly-instantaneous response time results in clear motion, with no distracting motion blur.
Its unique design comes with a hefty price premium, so if that doesn't really matter to you then the LG C2 OLED is a cheaper alternative that delivers nearly identical performance. Both of these models have been replaced in 2023 with the LG C3 OLED and the LG G3 OLED, but the new models are considerably more expensive at launch, so you can save a lot of money by getting last year's models.
See the best LG TVs here.
The best Samsung TV we've tested is the Samsung S95B OLED. It's an impressive TV that delivers fantastic picture quality. It has the same perfect inky blacks in a dark room as traditional OLEDs like the LG G2 OLED, with no blooming or distracting haloing around bright objects. It also has great peak brightness in HDR, so bright highlights stand out well, and it tracks the creator's intent properly. It stands out thanks to its incredibly bright colors, resulting in a much more vibrant, realistic HDR experience.
If you don't usually watch TV in a darker room, the benefits of an OLED panel aren't as apparent, so an LED TV like the Samsung QN90B QLED is a slightly better choice. There's a bit more blooming in dark scenes, but it gets significantly brighter than the S95B, which helps it counter more glare. The S95B has been replaced in 2023 by the brighter, better-built Samsung S95C OLED, but the new model is significantly more expensive, so the 2022 model is still the better choice until the price comes down.
See the best Samsung TVs here.
The best Sony TV on the market is the Sony A95K OLED. It's very similar to the Samsung S95B OLED, as it features the same impressive QD-OLED panel that delivers incredibly deep, inky blacks, as well as bright, vibrant colors that stand out well. It features the amazing processing capabilities that Sony is known for, so it's a great choice for movie lovers looking for the absolute best TV for a basement home theater setup.
It's also a great TV for gaming, though, with a nearly instantaneous response time that results in crystal-clear motion handling. It has a few great gaming features, including variable refresh rate support, but its gaming features only work with some devices, and they're not as widely compatible as on the Samsung. If you don't care as much about dark room performance, Sony also makes some impressive LED models, like the Sony X95K, an amazing TV for a bright room.
See the best Sony TVs here.
The best TCL TV we've tested is the TCL 6 Series/R655 2022 QLED. It's a great TV with high peak brightness that easily overcomes glare and fantastic contrast for dark room viewing. Its Quantum Dot technology results in an impressive wide color gamut for HDR content. Its Mini LED backlight delivers a great dark room experience, with just a bit of blooming around bright objects in dark rooms.
It runs the Roku OS interface, which is extremely easy to use but simplistic, with a more limited selection of streaming apps and smart features than the more expensive brands on this list. It's excellent for gaming, with an incredibly fast refresh rate, low input lag, and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC gamers.
See the best TCL TVs here.
The best Vizio TV we've tested is the Vizio OLED 2020. It's their only OLED TV, and although it's a 2020 model, it's still widely available. Like the LG G2 OLED and the Sony A95K OLED, its ability to turn pixels off individually results in a near-infinite contrast ratio and perfect, inky blacks in a dark room, with no distracting blooming around bright objects or subtitles. It's not as advanced as those newer models, though, so it doesn't get as bright and bright highlights in HDR don't stand out as well.
It also has extremely wide viewing angles, which is great for wide seating areas since the image remains consistent if you're watching from the side or moving around with the TV on. It has a few extra features for gamers, like variable refresh rate support and 4k @ 120Hz support with the new-gen consoles, but like all Vizio TVs, its smart features are limited and you can't add new streaming channels.
See the best Vizio TVs here.
May 10, 2023: Verified our picks for consistency and refreshed the text. Added a mention of the LG C3 OLED and the LG G3 OLED to the 'Best LG TVs' section.
Apr 11, 2023: Verified our picks for consistency and availability, and refreshed the text. Added a mention of the Samsung S95C OLED to the Samsung S95B OLED pick.
Mar 09, 2023: We simplified the text to keep the focus on the best TV by each brand. If you'd like to read more about the history of each brand, check out the brand page linked in each section.
Feb 07, 2023: Verified our picks for accuracy and refreshed the text.
Jan 12, 2023: Restructured the article, removing the pros and cons of each brand. Verified our picks for accuracy and consistency.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best brands for smart TVs and the best TVs available for most people in each price range, from the six biggest TV brands to buy in the U.S.
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our TV reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no TV is perfect, most TVs are great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.