- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Best TV
- Mid-range TV
- Budget TV
- All Reviews
- Discussions
The 7 Best 4k TVs for Watching Movies - Summer 2018
Reviews
- Store-bought TVs; no cherry-picked units
- Retest after major updates
- Easily comparable results
- No ads; unbiased reviews
When choosing a TV for movie watching you should first consider the lighting conditions of the TV room. You will generally have a better experience if you watch movies in a dark room. You should be looking for a TV that can deliver deep blacks, has rich colors and bright highlights, especially in HDR content.
We've tested 68 TVs and below are our recommendations for the best ones you can buy in the summer of 2018.
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Best TV for Watching Movies: Sony A8F
Usage Ratings - Version 1.2✕Test Benches: test
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2015
- 0.9: Winter 2014
- 0.8: Winter 2013
9.4Movies✕What it is Movies in the dark. The TV will be used for watching movies in a controlled environment, directly in front, in a home theater way. Mostly only high quality content, like Blu-rays, UHD Blu-rays, streaming and a little bit of HDR.Score components:- 20% Contrast
- 17% Local Dimming
- 11% 1080p Input
- 10% Black Uniformity
- 8% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 4k Input
- 6% 24p Judder
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 5% Stutter
- 3% SDR ABL
- 3% Pre Calibration
- 2% Post Calibration
- 2% 480p Input
Score distribution:Sub-Type: WRGB✕What it is: Type of display technology used by the TV.When it matters: Different technologies have different performance and are suited to different usesGood value: IPS maintains good color accuracy at an angle, but has a poor contrast ratio from in front. VA has great picture quality in front, but loses saturation at an angle. OLED maintains good color accuracy at an angle without any of the other issues seen with IPS and VA, as they keep good brightness and contrast at an angle.Sizes : 55" 65"The best TV for watching movies is the Sony A8F. It is a TV that has excellent performance for many usages. When viewed in a dark room the picture quality is outstanding with perfect blacks, rich colors, vivid highlights and a brightness that shows every little detail. The image remains accurate when viewed at an angle, so you can place it in a large room keeping happy those watching from the side.
However, like all OLED TVs, the Sony A8F might suffer from temporary image retention or permanent burn-in, although most people will not experience that.
Overall if you want the best movie watching experience, the Sony A8F is the way to go.
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Cheaper Alternative: LG C8
Sub-Type: WRGB✕What it is: Type of display technology used by the TV.When it matters: Different technologies have different performance and are suited to different usesGood value: IPS maintains good color accuracy at an angle, but has a poor contrast ratio from in front. VA has great picture quality in front, but loses saturation at an angle. OLED maintains good color accuracy at an angle without any of the other issues seen with IPS and VA, as they keep good brightness and contrast at an angle.Sizes : 55" 65" 77"If you find the Sony A8F too expensive but still want an excellent picture quality, then get the LG OLED C8 (or the LG OLED B7A which is almost as good but hard to find). The LG C8 isn't quite as good at displaying 24p movies without judder when compared to the Sony A8F. On the other hand, the LG C8 has an excellent picture quality that will make watching movies a great experience, and it comes at a lower price tag.
Brighter Room Alternative: Samsung Q9FN
Sub-Type: VA✕What it is: Type of display technology used by the TV.When it matters: Different technologies have different performance and are suited to different usesGood value: IPS maintains good color accuracy at an angle, but has a poor contrast ratio from in front. VA has great picture quality in front, but loses saturation at an angle. OLED maintains good color accuracy at an angle without any of the other issues seen with IPS and VA, as they keep good brightness and contrast at an angle.Sizes : 65" 75"If you will be placing your TV in a brighter room and find the Sony A8F is not as bright as you want, get the Samsung Q9FN (or the almost equally performing Samsung Q8FN). Blacks on the Samsung are not perfect. However, this is one of the brightest TVs we’ve tested and is suitable for very bright rooms, without making compromises to picture quality. If brightness is what you want, then the Samsung Q9FN is the way to go.
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Best Mid-range TV for Watching Movies: Sony X900F
Usage Ratings - Version 1.2✕Test Benches: test
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2015
- 0.9: Winter 2014
- 0.8: Winter 2013
8.5Movies✕What it is Movies in the dark. The TV will be used for watching movies in a controlled environment, directly in front, in a home theater way. Mostly only high quality content, like Blu-rays, UHD Blu-rays, streaming and a little bit of HDR.Score components:- 20% Contrast
- 17% Local Dimming
- 11% 1080p Input
- 10% Black Uniformity
- 8% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 4k Input
- 6% 24p Judder
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 5% Stutter
- 3% SDR ABL
- 3% Pre Calibration
- 2% Post Calibration
- 2% 480p Input
Score distribution:Sub-Type: VA✕What it is: Type of display technology used by the TV.When it matters: Different technologies have different performance and are suited to different usesGood value: IPS maintains good color accuracy at an angle, but has a poor contrast ratio from in front. VA has great picture quality in front, but loses saturation at an angle. OLED maintains good color accuracy at an angle without any of the other issues seen with IPS and VA, as they keep good brightness and contrast at an angle.Sizes : 49" 55" 65" 75" 85"If you find the Sony A8F too expensive, the best mid-range TV for watching movies is the Sony X900F. The X900F lacks the perfect blacks or the wide viewing angles of the A8F.
On the upside, the X900F, just like last years’ X900E (consider getting this one if you can still find it), has a great picture quality and can display deep blacks in dark rooms (better than more expensive models like the Samsung Q7FN) due to native high contrast ratio and local dimming support. At the same time, it can get quite bright and because of its wide color gamut, it displays rich and vivid images in movies and HDR content. It has a low input lag which will please gamers and a very fast response time to satisfy sports fans.
Overall, the X900F is a TV that will keep you happy for whatever usage you want it for, and definitely for movies.
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Cheaper Alternative: Vizio P Series 2018
Sub-Type: VA✕What it is: Type of display technology used by the TV.When it matters: Different technologies have different performance and are suited to different usesGood value: IPS maintains good color accuracy at an angle, but has a poor contrast ratio from in front. VA has great picture quality in front, but loses saturation at an angle. OLED maintains good color accuracy at an angle without any of the other issues seen with IPS and VA, as they keep good brightness and contrast at an angle.Sizes : 55" 65" 75"If you find the Sony X900F expensive, get the Vizio P Series 2018. The Vizio does not have the excellent reflections handling that the Sony X900F has. On the other hand, the P series is a very good TV. It is excellent for watching movies due to its great dark scene performance and excellent motion handling and low input lag which is great for gamers.
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Best Budget TV for Watching Movies: TCL R617
Usage Ratings - Version 1.2✕Test Benches: test
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2015
- 0.9: Winter 2014
- 0.8: Winter 2013
8.0Movies✕What it is Movies in the dark. The TV will be used for watching movies in a controlled environment, directly in front, in a home theater way. Mostly only high quality content, like Blu-rays, UHD Blu-rays, streaming and a little bit of HDR.Score components:- 20% Contrast
- 17% Local Dimming
- 11% 1080p Input
- 10% Black Uniformity
- 8% Gray Uniformity
- 8% 4k Input
- 6% 24p Judder
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 5% Stutter
- 3% SDR ABL
- 3% Pre Calibration
- 2% Post Calibration
- 2% 480p Input
Score distribution:Sub-Type: VA✕What it is: Type of display technology used by the TV.When it matters: Different technologies have different performance and are suited to different usesGood value: IPS maintains good color accuracy at an angle, but has a poor contrast ratio from in front. VA has great picture quality in front, but loses saturation at an angle. OLED maintains good color accuracy at an angle without any of the other issues seen with IPS and VA, as they keep good brightness and contrast at an angle.Sizes : 55" 65"If you find that the Sony X900F is too expensive, the best budget TV for watching movies is the TCL 6 Series R617. You will not get the viewing angles of the Sony A8F nor will you have the perfect blacks of the OLED technology.
On the upside, watching movies on the TCL R617 is a very pleasant experience. The TV has nice deep blacks due to the high contrast ratio and local dimming support that make the picture look very good. This TV can get very bright (brighter than the more expensive LG SK9500) in both SDR and HDR content and its wide color gamut displays vivid and colors with highlights that pop. It also has an excellent low input lag which is great for gaming.
Overall, the R617 is a very good TV for most usages and will perform very well when you decide to watch your favorite movie.
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Cheaper Alternative: TCL S405
Sub-Type: VA✕What it is: Type of display technology used by the TV.When it matters: Different technologies have different performance and are suited to different usesGood value: IPS maintains good color accuracy at an angle, but has a poor contrast ratio from in front. VA has great picture quality in front, but loses saturation at an angle. OLED maintains good color accuracy at an angle without any of the other issues seen with IPS and VA, as they keep good brightness and contrast at an angle.Sizes : 43" 49" 55" 65"If you find that the TCL R617 is still too pricey and want to get a cheaper budget TV, then get the TCL S Series (S405). The S405 cannot get as bright as the R617. However, it has a great contrast with deep blacks which looks good in dark rooms and a low motion blur that keeps fast content clear. It is also equipped with a very low input lag which will keep gamers happy. Overall it is a decent TV for watching movies, considering the price.
Notable Mentions
- Sony X940E. Excellent LED TV for movies, but OLED is worth the higher price for movie buffs. See our review
- Samsung NU8000. Movies look good on this TV, but the Vizio P Series has better picture quality for less money. See our review
- LG SK9500. Good TV, but not very good for movies due to its poor contrast ratio and ineffective local dimming. See our review
- Sony X930E. Excellent LED TV for movies, but X900F is better for less. See our review
- Sony Z9D. Excellent LED TV for movies, but overpriced compared to the LG B7 and X940E. See our review
- LG C7. Great OLED TV, but almost identical to the B7A, get whichever you can find. See our review
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best TVs to watch movies for most people in each price range. We factor in the price (a cheaper TV wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors and availability (no TVs that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our reviews of TVs. 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.
