- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Best TV
- Best Mid-Range
- Best Budget
- All Reviews
- Discussions
The 7 Best 4k TVs For Watching Movies - Spring 2019
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 has bright highlights, especially in HDR content.
We've tested 80 TVs and below are our recommendations for the best ones you can buy in 2019.
Note: Prices and availability fluctuate a lot at the beginning of the year as last year's models are gradually replaced by newer ones.
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Best TV For Watching Movies: Sony A8F OLED
Usage Ratings - Version 1.3Test Benches:
- 1.3: Spring 2019
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2015
- 0.9: Winter 2014
- 0.8: Winter 2013
9.4MoviesWhat 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: WRGBWhat 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. This OLED TV has excellent overall performance, and watching movies in a dark room on the Sony A8F is a remarkable experience. The emissive OLED technology delivers perfect and uniform blacks, as each individual pixel can turn off. This infinite contrast ratio helps improve the picture quality with excellent results. It is also a good choice if you have a wide room, since it has great viewing angles and you can watch from the side without losing much in picture quality. It is loaded with nice image processing goodies, like 24p judder removal and motion interpolation that can further enhance your viewing experience.
However, just like all OLED TVs, the Sony A8F has the risk of temporary image retention or permanent burn-in, although we do not expect most people to experience this with normal, varied usage. Also, due to the nearly instantaneous response time, some people might notice some stutter, which can, however, easily be fixed with the help of motion interpolation.
Overall, the Sony A8F is an excellent TV that will keep movie enthusiasts very happy.
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Cheaper Alternative: LG B8 OLED
Sub-Type: WRGBWhat 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 the Sony A8F is too expensive for you, check out the LG B8 instead. Like the A8F, the B8 is an OLED TV with perfect blacks, outstanding motion handling, and excellent wide viewing angles. The B8 has much lower input lag, and it natively support 1080p @ 120 Hz, great for Xbox One S/X gamers. The B8 can't get quite as bright in some scenes in HDR, but this shouldn't be noticeable. Overall, there is little difference between the two.
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Brighter Room Alternative: Samsung Q9FN/Q9/Q9F QLED 2018
Sub-Type: VAWhat 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 find that the Sony A8F or the LG B8 are not bright enough for your bright room, then get the Samsung Q9FN. It does not have the perfect blacks of the OLEDs, but it can get very bright. The Samsung Q9FN can deliver an excellent movie watching experience both in bright and in dark rooms, due to the effective local dimming that allows it to display deep blacks. It has excellent reflection handling, can easily fight bright room glare, and has many picture-enhancing features like 24p judder removal and motion interpolation.
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Best Mid-Range TV For Watching Movies: Sony X900F
Usage Ratings - Version 1.3Test Benches:
- 1.3: Spring 2019
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2015
- 0.9: Winter 2014
- 0.8: Winter 2013
8.5MoviesWhat 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: VAWhat 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're looking for something cheaper than the A8F, the Sony X900F is the best mid-range TV for watching movies that we've tested so far. It has an excellent native contrast ratio that delivers nearly perfect blacks and a decent local dimming system, so that small, bright highlights in some scenes in HDR really stand out.
The X900F has excellent motion handling, thanks to a nearly instantaneous response time that delivers clear motion, with very little blur trail behind fast moving objects. It also supports motion interpolation as high as 120 Hz, which is great for people that enjoy the soap opera effect.
Unfortunately, we've received some reports of distracting blooming when watching HDR movies with subtitles on the X900F, and the best image is reserved for those sitting directly in front due to the poor viewing angles. Overall, though, the X900F is a great 4k TV that should please most people.
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Cheaper Alternative: Vizio P Series 2018
Sub-Type: VAWhat 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, then get the Vizio P Series 2018. The Vizio does not have the excellent reflection 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, excellent motion handling, and a low input lag which is great for gamers.
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Best Budget TV For Watching Movies: TCL 6 Series/R617 2018
Usage Ratings - Version 1.3Test Benches:
- 1.3: Spring 2019
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2015
- 0.9: Winter 2014
- 0.8: Winter 2013
8.0MoviesWhat 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: VAWhat 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 that the Sony X900F is still 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 or the excellent reflection handling of the X900F.
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. The TCL can get very bright (brighter than the more expensive LG SK9500) in both SDR and HDR content, and its wide color gamut displays vivid 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 uses and will perform very well when you decide to watch your favorite movie.
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Cheaper Alternative: TCL 4 Series S425 / S Series S405 4k
Sub-Type: VAWhat 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" 50" 55" 65" 75"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 S425 is the newer version; they are the exact same internally, but there are some slight cosmetic changes. The S405/S425 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 enthusiasts. See our review
- Samsung NU8000: Movies look good on this TV, but the Vizio P Series has a 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 B8. See our review
- LG E8 OLED: A very elegant OLED TV, but performance-wise almost identical to the B8, comes with a soundbar, and is pricier. 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.
