The best 65-inch TV 2024: big screens for every budget

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REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
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The best 65-inch TVs are the ideal way to get fully immersed in movies and games. They've become so much more more affordable in the last few years, which means you can get some seriously high-quality screen tech for very reasonable prices.

Of course, any list of the best 65-inch TVs will also include some money-no-object sets – some of the best OLED TVs with next-gen tech or best 8K TVs are available at this size – but you might be surprised by how little difference there is between these and the price of the best 55-inch TVs in many cases.

A 65-inch TV is also a perfect size for those planning on hooking up an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 to your screen. Some of the best gaming TVs, which we've included in the list below, let you truly experience the delights of 4K gaming at 120fps in incredible quality at a size the latest cinematic games were made for.

When we test 65-inch TVs, we take objective readings of elements such as their color accuracy and brightness levels, and combine those with our subjective opinion and experience of how natural the detail is and how realistic their motion processing looks to evaluate the whole image quality. We know what to expect from the best TVs at all kinds of price levels because we've tested so many, so we balance performance against cost and features to arrive at the list below.    

Written by
Matthew Bolton headshot against grey background
Written by
Matt Bolton

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Entertainment, has over a decade of experience in tech publishing, and has been writing about the latest TVs and soundbars since 2017. After a lot of deliberation on the team, we've added the Samsung S90C as our pick as the best mid-priced 65-inch OLED TV released in 2024, pushing out the LG C3 from that spot, due to its superior brightness and audio quality. 

The quick list

Want to cut to the chase and find out which 65-inch TVs are the best? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices. You can also jump to a more detailed review of every pick and our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.

The best 65-inch TVs of 2024

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best 65-inch TVs in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.

The best 65-inch TV overall

Samsung S90C on a table

(Image credit: Future)
Best 65-inch TV for most people

Specifications

Panel type: QD-OLED
Refresh rate : 144Hz
Smart TV: Tizen
HDMI 2.1: 4
HDR: HDR10+, HDR, HLG
Measured peak brightness: 1,100 nits
Input lag: 9.2ms

Reasons to buy

+
Brighter than most OLEDs
+
Excellent gaming support

Reasons to avoid

-
The S95C and LG G3 are brighter
-
No Dolby Vision
Buy it if:

✅ You want QD-OLED for cheaper: The Samsung S90C gives you access to fantastic QD-OLED tech for cheaper than ever before.

✅ You want a TV that's built for gaming and movies: Extensive gaming features including 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium combined with a gorgeous QD-OLED picture means the Samsung S90C can do it all. 

Don't buy it if:

You want the best of QD-OLED: Although still a phenomenal TV, the Samsung S90C doesn't offer all that QD-OLED can like the Samsung S95C does.
❌You want Dolby Vision: The Samsung S90C supports HDR10+, but doesn't support Dolby Vision – the same as every other Samsung TV. 

When Samsung introduced its exciting new QD-OLED technology in 2022, it was at a premium price. The S90C is not only an improvement on its predecessor, but a more budget-friendly way into the realm of QD-OLEDs – relatively speaking. It's still pricey, being an OLED though.

The S90C really shines in terms of its picture quality, with the fantastic contrast and deep blacks you expect from an OLED TV packaged with the kind of brightness that QLED TVs normally provide, giving it a real advantage over some of its competitors – particularly the LG C3 and Sony A80L. In our review we said "this brightness advantage feeds into the S90C’s colors, giving them a purity in the lightest parts of the picture that’s a joy to behold".

Not just looking to excel in picture quality, the S90C also has a superior sound system to most mid-range OLEDs. With crisp treble and mid-range tones, it does suffer a little on bass, but is still superior to LG's C3 and G3 models from 2023.

The S90C is also an excellent gaming TV. With HDMI 2.1 supporton its four HDMI ports, VRR, ALLM and support for not only 4K 120Hz but even 144Hz refresh rates, the S90C is packed with gaming features. Coupled with a dedicating Game Bar and Hub for customizing your gaming setup, it really is a gaming paradise. Sadly, the S90C does not support Dolby Vision to get the very best out of the picture for Xbox Series X gamers. However, we feel the S90C's excellent color and brightness will more than compensate for this for general picture quality as well as for gaming.

The S90C doesn't deliver the full QD-OLED experience compared to the step up S95C, which offers up to 20% more brightness and a wider color range. But the S90C is significantly cheaper and gives you the best picture in terms of value for money, and with the LG 65C2's stock dwindling, the S90C is a no-brainer and sits at the top of our list as the best 65-inch TV for most people.

Read our full Samsung S90C review

The best budget 65-inch TV

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED home screen

(Image credit: Future)
Best budget 65-inch TV

Specifications

Panel type: QLED
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Smart TV: Amazon Fire TV
HDMI 2.1: 0
HDR Support: Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, HLG
Measured peak brightness: 521 nits
Input lag : 10ms

Reasons to buy

+
Colorful picture with good detail 
+
Solid gaming performance 

Reasons to avoid

-
Some backlight blooming 
-
No 4K 120Hz support
Buy it if:

✅ You want bang for your buck: Stocked with plenty of features, the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED is available in an array of sizes, all very competitively priced.

✅ You want good picture quality for less: The Omni QLED's picture is vivid and surprisingly natural for a TV at this price.  

Don't buy it if:

You need the best built-in sound: The Omni QLED has a very average built-in sound and could benefit from a soundbar.

❌You need the best smart TV platform: Fire TV can be a little clunky to navigate and slow to respond at times so be prepared to have patience. 

Amazon may not spring to mind when you think of TVs (not like Samsung or LG say) but its range of Omni TVs have always been good value for money. The Omni QLED is no exception, as it brings QLED technology in a 65-inch size at a budget-friendly price.

Although not stacked with features, the Amazon Omni comes with some decent specifications. With Dolby Vision IQ support, the Omni does a good job of displaying Dolby Vision content. It also features a built-in mic to allow for hands-free control of the TV using Alexa. Picture quality on the Amazon Omni QLED was a surprise and during our review, we saw just how good color looked on it. 

The Omni isn't the best gaming TV on the market, and only features a 60Hz panel, but when we measured its input lag during our hands-on, it had a very respectable 10ms of input lag with Game mode activated, putting it up there with some of the best gaming TVs. It also comes built-in with Amazon's cloud-based gaming service Luna. 

The Amazon Omni isn't going to set the TV world alight, but when it offers a solid QLED picture, Dolby Vision support, solid gaming performance and all at a low price, the Omni is tough to beat within the budget 65-inch TV market. 

Read our Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED review

The best mid-range 65-inch TV

Hisense U8K TV showing colorful trees

(Image credit: Future)
Best mid-range 65-inch TV

Specifications

Panel type: Mini-LED
Refresh rate: 144Hz
Smart TV: Google TV
HDMI 2.1: 2
HDR: Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Measured peak brightness: 1,590 nits
Input lag: 13ms

Reasons to buy

+
High brightness
+
Good features and performance for the money

Reasons to avoid

-
Some backlight blooming
-
Contrast fades in off-center seats
Buy it if:

✅ You need a bright TV on a budget: Thanks to mini-LED, the Hisense U8K has a bright picture that's great for bright rooms.

✅ You want a well-featured gaming TV for less: With up to 144Hz refresh rate, VRR, ALLM and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, the U8K is a fantastic budget-friendly gaming TV. 

Don't buy it if:

You need the perfect picture: The U8K does suffer from some backlight blooming and while the U8K's picture is good, it's bested by OLEDs and QD-OLEDs.

❌You need to view from multiple angles: The U8K's contrast fades when viewed off-axis, meaning those at an angle won't get the best picture.  

The Hisense U8K offers mini-LED technology with it's high brightness levels for an affordable price compared to rival brands like Samsung. Also stacked with features for gamers and movie fans alike, the U8K offers a surprising level of performance for the money. 

In terms of picture quality, the U8K has a peak brightness of over 1,500 nits that exceeds the brightness levels of QD-OLED TVs like the Samsung S95C, which is a close second to the brightest OLED. This means the U8K will do well in bright rooms. The U8K offers surprisingly good shadow detail and a contrast-rich picture as well, while in our review we also said there was a "consistently natural look to the images" as well. 

The U8K is also a decent option for gamers as well. With two HDMI 2.1 ports, it supports 4K 144Hz gaming and even has 4K 144Hz Dolby Vision gaming, something that is lacking on higher-end TVs. It also has VRR, ALLM and FreeSync Premium Pro capabilities meaning this is a very well specced TV for gamers. 

But, value is where the Hisense U8K shines. It offers great, mini-LED picture quality and a surprising host of  gaming features at an affordable price that rivals other budget brands like TCL and more premium brands like Samsung without making too many sacrifices.  

Read our full Hisense U8K review

The best 65-inch premium OLED TV

Samsung S95C OLED TV showing abstract pink image onscreen

(Image credit: Future)
Best 65-inch premium OLED TV

Specifications

Panel type:: QD-OLED
Refresh rate: 144Hz
Smart TV:: Tizen
HDMI 2.1: 4
HDR support: HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Measured peak brightness: 1,400 nits
Input lag: 9.2ms

Reasons to buy

+
Stunning picture quality
+
Excellent gaming support 

Reasons to avoid

-
No Dolby Vision support
-
Some presets need work 
Buy it if:

✅ You want one of the best pictures available: The Samsung S95C has stunning colors, spectacular contrast and rich black levels for a near-perfect picture.

✅ You want a TV that looks great: With a beautifully slim design, the S95C looks particularly fantastic when hung on the wall. 

Don't buy it if:

You want the best value QD-OLED: Although it's still a well-priced TV, the Samsung S90C offers a lot of what the S95C does for less money.

❌You need the brightest picture: Although bright for an OLED TV, the S95C doesn't hit the peak brightness levels of a lot of mini-LED TVs. 

When it comes to a premium OLED TV, the Samsung S95C ticks all the boxes. It has outstanding picture quality, fantastic gaming support, good built-in audio and a sleek design, all combined to make a superb TV that utilizes QD-OLED technology that Samsung introduced in 2022.

Picture quality is the Samsung S95C's biggest highlight. Stunning black levels, vivid colors and mind-blowing contrast mean images on the S95C look beautiful. Utilizing QD-OLED technology, the S95C has higher brightness levels than the regular OLEDs. When we measured the S95C's peak brightness, it yielded a result of 1,400 nits which is much higher than most other OLEDs (with only the LG G3 on this list in the same region) and this adds an extra layer to your movie experience.

Not just for movies, the S95C is an excellent gaming TV. There's support for up to 144Hz refresh rate, VRR and ALLM across all four HDMI 2.1 ports and there's a dedicated Game Hub to organize all things gaming into one place, with Xbox cloud gaming compatibility as well. Frustratingly, there's no Dolby Vision support for movies or gaming, but ultimately the S95C's picture quality more than makes up for this.

The S95C's built-in audio is also good, with plenty of power and immersion, especially when packed into the razor-slim TV. With all this, why is it not the best 65-inch TV available? When it comes down to it, the Samsung  S90C offers what the S95C does at a much lower price. But, the S95C is no doubt the best premium OLED TV available.

Read our full Samsung S95C review

The best 65-inch OLED TV for sound

Sony A80L TV on a table with movie selections on the screen

(Image credit: Future)
The best 65-inch OLED TV for sound

Specifications

Panel type: QD-OLED
Refresh rate: 120Hz
Smart TV: Google TV
HDMI 2.1: 2
HDR: HDR10+, HDR, HLG
Measured peak brightness : 800 nits
Input lag: 16.5ms

Reasons to buy

+
Dynamic, built-in audio
+
Beautiful, refined picture quality

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited brightness 
-
Only 2 HDMI 2.1 ports
Buy it if:

✅ You want phenomenal built-in sound: The Sony A80L's sound is direct, powerful and follows the action on-screen closely.

✅ You're a PS5 owner: The A80L may not be the most fully equipped gaming TV, but thanks to its Sony auto HDR feature, HDR tone mapping looks brilliant on PS5 games. 

Don't buy it if:

You need the brightest OLED: Models such as the LG G3, C3, Samsung S90C and S95C have higher peak brightness than the Sony A80L.

❌You need more than two HDMI 2.1 ports: The Sony A80L only offers two HDMI 2.1 ports compared to TVs such as the LG C3 and Samsung S90C which offer four. 

It's safe to say a lot of TVs nowadays don't have the most dynamic sound, instead focusing on an improved picture. Also, with TV's getting slimmer, manufacturers are having to squeeze in speakers into more smaller spaces. Sony is one brand that is striving to make sure its TVs provide excellent quality sound and the Sony A80L is certainly no exception. 

Using a technology called 'Surface Audio+', the A80L enables sound to travel through the screen to create more direct, powerful audio. It also does an excellent job of processing Dolby Atmos effects to create a more immersive experience. We said in our review that "sound feels connected to the action on screen", which makes the audio experience more dynamic. The speakers can also be pushed without distorting too much. 

Another interesting feature is the 'Acoustic Center Sync', which allows a compatible soundbar to use the TV itself as a center speaker, enabling a bolder, more room-filling sound. 

It's not just a fantastic TV for sound, though, the Sony A80L has a brilliant, refined picture that shows detailed shadows and sharpness. It also has an extremely thin bezel, with invisible speakers and adjustable feet. It also features 4K 120Hz gaming support on two of its HDMI ports. 

Now, the sound on the A80L is brilliant for built-in TV speakers, but ultimately a soundbar will add more depth and bass, which the A80L does lack sadly, but as far as TV speakers go, the Sony A80L is the best OLED TV for sound. 

Read our full Sony A80L review 

The best 65-inch TV for wall-mounting

LG G3 with landscape shot of city at night on screen

(Image credit: Future)
Best 65-inch TV for wall-mounting

Specifications

Panel type: OLED (MLA)
Refresh rate: 120Hz
Smart TV: webOS 23
HDMI 2.1: 4
HDR support: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
Measured peak brightness : 1,449 nits
Input lag: 9.2ms (Boost mode)

Reasons to buy

+
Four full-featured HDMI 2.1 ports
+
Stunning picture quality 

Reasons to avoid

-
Slightly lacking audio 
-
Optional stand costs a lot 
Buy it if:

✅ You need a TV that looks great on the wall: The G3 comes with a slim fit-wall mount and trim design, making it the ideal TV for your wall.

✅ You want a great all-rounder: A colorful, detailed picture and plenty of gaming features mean the G3 can do everything very well. 

Don't buy it if:

You need great built-in sound: Although decent, there are rival and even cheaper TVs such as the Samsung S90C and Sony A80L that have superior built-in sound to the G3.

❌You require a stand for your TV: Frustratingly, the G3 doesn't come with a stand so you'll have to opt for its optional yet overpriced stand.

The LG G3 is a beautiful TV, not just in picture quality (helped by the new addition of micro-lens-array or MLA tech with the OLED panel) but also physically. A slim bezel, trim frame and minute depth means this TV looks gorgeous, particularly on the wall. Thankfully as well, the wall-mount for the G3 is in the box, so you won't have to buy one of the best TV wall-mounts.

LG's G3 is not just a physically appealing TV. An extra brightness boost with 1,449 nits of measured peak brightness, which is nearly double that of the LG C3, gives the G3 phenomenal picture quality with vivid color and deep blacks. Another impressive feat is the fact that the picture, despite all this added brightness, looks natural and life-like without being too overblown by the boost in brightness levels from the MLA tech.

The gaming features and performance of the LG G3 are also impressive. With four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 120Hz Dolby Vision gaming, VRR, ALLM as well as Nvidia G-sync and AMD FreeSync, the G3 also looks stunning, even during graphically intense moments. The Game Mode optimizer gives you plenty of settings to tweak to maximize your gaming experience and even adjusts settings to a game based on its genre with one option within the game menu, and it does a great job while it’s at it. 

Although it is a bit of a let down in the audio department, with the Samsung S90C, S95C and Sony A80L all beating it, it’s undeniable just how good a TV the LG G3 is. And yes, although its brightness advantage is marginal, with only a 49 nits difference, the LG G3 is the brightest OLED TV available.

Read the full LG G3 review

The best 65-inch 8K TV

Samsung-QN900C TV on table with smart hub interface on screen

(Image credit: Future)
Best 65-inch TV for 8K detail

Specifications

Panel Type: Neo QLED / Mini LED
Refresh rate: 144Hz
Smart TV: Tizen
HDMI 2.1: 4
HDR: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+
Measure peak brightness: 2,000 nits
Input lag: 10.5ms

Reasons to buy

+
Outstanding 8K upscaling  
+
Fantastic color depth

Reasons to avoid

-
Lacks Dolby Vision support
-
Expensive 
Buy it if:

✅ You want fantastic 8K upscaling: The Samsung QN900C offers incredible 8K upscaling to 4K TV shows and movies, giving even more detail.

✅ You want next level gaming: Featuring an extensive list of gaming features, the QN900C can display PC gaming at 8K if you have the setup for it. 

Don't buy it if:

You have a budget: The Samsung QN900C's biggest downfall is its price, which is significantly higher than a lot of flagship OLEDs and mini-LEDs.

❌You'll be watching low-res TV as well: While the QN900C's upscaling is great for 4K, its SD upscaling of daytime TV isn't anywhere near as good. 

8K might seem like overkill, but the Samsung QN900C, Samsung's flagship 8K Neo-QLED (mini-LED) TV of 2023 still shows just how great 8K can be. The QN900C delivers phenomenal picture, thanks to its dazzling colors, high brightness and rich black levels, resulting in gorgeous contrast. It's also got bold, immersive sound as an added bonus. 

Samsung's 'Quantum' Mini-LEDs are 1/40th the size of a regular LED, meaning thousands of smaller LEDs can be packed together in a much tighter fashion. That ensures far more accurate dimming zones, which in turn means black levels that are practically indistinguishable from an OLED.

Along with this outstanding picture quality, the design of the TV is itself is minimal and attractive, meaning even at its minimum 65-inch size, it'll still look good in your room. It also comes with an external connections box (the One Connect) to keep things even tidier. 

So, why isn't this TV topping our list? All of this comes at a huge premium, and 65-inches is a size where 8K is overkill unless you're sitting close. While the TV is superb, it carries with it a serious price tag that overshadows even premium OLEDs at larger sizes. While it is a phenomenal TV, it's only for those with a serious budget.

Read our full Samsung QN900C review

The best gaming QLED 65-inch TV

Samsung QN90C showing abstract orange and red image

(Image credit: Future)
Best 65-inch QLED TV for gaming

Specifications

Panel type: Mini-LED
Refresh rate : 120Hz
Smart TV: Tizen
HDMI 2.1: 4
HDR: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Measured peak brightness: 1,787 nits
Input lag: 9.8ms

Reasons to buy

+
High brightness and anti-glare screen
+
Excellent gaming features 

Reasons to avoid

-
Some backlight blooming
-
Pricey compared to the competition
Buy it if:

✅ You'll be playing games in a bright room: An anti-glare screen and high brightness levels make the QN90C perfect for well-lit rooms.

✅ You want a superb gaming TV: The QN90C supports 144Hz refresh rate and has a dedicated Gaming Hub with cloud gaming, coupled with a dynamic picture. 

Don't buy it if:

You're after the best mini-LED available: The Samsung QN90C is a brilliant TV, but the Samsung QN95C offers even more for mini-LED lovers.

❌You want the simplest smart TV platform: Tizen is always improving, but does still require some tinkering compared to smart TV platforms such as Roku

The Samsung QN90C TV is a mini-LED TV, which is what Samsung calls Neo QLED. It brings an impressive level of brightness with better local dimming than you'll find on a standard QLED model, which will use an LED backlight. It also boasts an impressive all-around video performance that we rated highly during our testing.

Granted, it doesn’t hit the same OLED-like performance heights of the Samsung QN95 series – that’s the flagship series and it’s more expensive. However, it does check off many of the same boxes when it comes to features. Similar to other Samsung TVs, it supports HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG formats, but not Dolby Vision.

The QN90C has an anti-glare screen, which makes it a solid option for watching sports during the day time. But we think this model is the best 65-inch TV for gaming and is a great choice for both console and cloud-based gaming alike, as it offers a suite of gaming features including 4K 120Hz on four HDMI 2.1 ports and its Gaming Hub has a variety of cloud based gaming apps such as Xbox, Utomik, Nvidia GeForce Now and more. 

Not only does this TV perform well, but it’s worth mentioning that it looks great. It strong visual appeal due to its trim design, slim bezel and hexagonal stand. There’s also Ambient Mode, a Samsung feature that displays artwork and photos in low-power mode.

Read our full Samsung QN90C TV review

How to choose the best 65-inch TV

What TVs are coming in 2024?

After CES 2024, we've now heard from the majority of brands, including LG, Samsung, TCL, Hisense and more, about what TVs they'll be offering in 2024, a good chunk of which will be available in 65-inch sizes. 

From LG, there's LG C4, which has us excited thanks to its improved brightness (which we've seen in the flesh) and improved performance and new gaming features, including 144Hz refresh rate. There's also the LG G4, which again improves brightness and has 144Hz compatibility and, finally, an included stand! 

From Samsung, there's the Samsung S95D, which not only has higher brightness (20% more than last year), but also has anti-glare technology to reduce reflections (which again, we've seen and it works well). as well as the Samsung QN90D and the There's also the Samsung S90D, follow-up to our top TV of 2023, the Samsung S90C, which again boasts higher brightness and some new smaller sizes (albeit with standard OLED panels, not QD-OLED).

TCL and Hisense both announced new TVs as well, with TCL grabbing headlines for its 115-inch mini-LED with 20,000 local dimming zones and Hisense, not looking to be outdone, announcing its own 110-inch model as well. 

Should I buy a 65-inch TV?

We’ve answered this question in a much more detailed guide elsewhere on TechRadar, but the short answer is: yes, if you can afford to. 

Basically, a bigger TV is often a better TV and, as mentioned earlier, these large-scale displays typically boast the best specification when it comes to new tech and useful features.

As 65-inch models are becoming increasingly popular, too, they’re also becoming less expensive, and we’d almost always recommend parting with a little bit more money to enjoy the benefits of such an impressive screen size.

Which is the best 4K TV brand?

The question of the best 4K TV brand (for 65-inch models, in particular) is a difficult one to answer when there’s so many great models out there. Displays from the likes of LG, Sony and Samsung regularly make this list, but they’re often joined by equivalent models from brands like Hisense and Panasonic. 

A better question might concern what to look for when buying a 65-inch 4K TV, to which we’d say picture quality, app support, other handy bells and whistles like voice control and, of course, price.

Features like HDR support, Dolby Vision and Atmos, OLED panels and the like can be real differentiators, too, when it comes to finding the 65-inch 4K TV with the best viewing experience, though it’s no surprise that the more of these extras a display has, the more expensive it tends to be. 

What is 4K resolution?

4K is, essentially, an ultra-high-definition screen resolution. Also called UHD or 4K UHD, the display technology has become the default screen resolution across all of the TVs that you’re likely to see in stores today – as well as many PC monitors, too. 

The very best UHD TVs pack over eight million pixels in their high-res displays – that’s four times the amount you’ll find on the Full HD panels in today's small TVs

You don’t necessarily need access to 4K entertainment content to enjoy the benefits of 4K resolution, either, since many of the best 4K TVs – i.e. most of the 65-inch displays on this list – boast impressive upscaling technologies that bolster content filmed in HD.

The only displays which sport a sharper picture are the 8K variety – though, being a still-new technology, choice in that department is much more limited and, naturally, 8K models are far more expensive. 

How we tested the best 65-inch TVs

When we test the best 65-inch TVs, we structure our tests around the same criteria found throughout our reviews such as picture quality, gaming performance, and value for money. The TVs are tested using both objective measurements and subjective impressions. 

Starting with picture quality, we’ll cycle through the TV’s preset picture modes such as Standard and Movie to see which is most accurate. We’ll then play a variety of sources including 4K Blu-ray and streaming, HD Blu-ray and streaming, and lower-resolution sources to test upscaling, which is important on a larger screen size such as a 65-inch TV. 

Testing picture quality on 65-inch TVs, we look at how well the panel, particularly on LCD models, handles black uniformity (the ability to evenly display dark tones across the screen) as larger LCD screens tend to struggle with this. We also evaluate how well a 65-inch screen maintains contrast and color accuracy from off-center seats, which is another variable with LCD-based TVs.

For our objective tests, we use specialized equipment including a colorimeter to measure the patterns displayed by a test pattern generator and record the results with Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software. 

The first area we test is brightness using different-sized white windows such as 10% (for HDR highlights) and full-screen brightness. A 10% window will indicate what peak brightness to expect and also demonstrate a TV's effectiveness in reproducing highlights from HDR sources. The 100% window will demonstrate how a TV can maintain brightness levels across the entire screen, important for content like sports, and also tell us how it will handle reflections. We also use these brightness tests to compare a set’s measured brightness to the brightness claims made by manufacturers. When we test brightness, the measurements are made in a light-controlled room to prevent other light sources from skewing the results. 

Another area we test is color reproduction with both HDR and SDR sources, looking at color accuracy and maximum color gamut coverage. We also test grayscale accuracy to see how effectively a TV reproduces grayscale steps in the full contrast range from black to white. 

For gaming, we use a Leon Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester to test how much latency is added by each TV, comparing results in Standard and Game Mode, which typically shows the lowest amount. We’ll also look at each TV’s gaming performance and features such as VRR, ALLM, and 4K 120Hz refresh rate. 

We always aim to keep tests and conditions as consistent as possible, but it’s worth noting that some of our reviewers have different setups, though our writers will have similar testing equipment to achieve the same level of accuracy. 

The latest updates to this best 65-inch TVs guide

27 February 2024
Expanded the 'How We Test' section to explain in more detail how we test these TVs. 

26 January 2024
Updated FAQ's section with 'what TV's are coming in 2024?' section, looking ahead to what new TVs we're most excited for. 

19 November 2023
Added in 'Buy it if' and 'Don't buy it if' boxes for each entry to summarize pros and cons for quick reading

Matt Bolton
Managing Editor, Entertainment

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Entertainment, meaning he's in charge of persuading our team of writers and reviewers to watch the latest TV shows and movies on gorgeous TVs and listen to fantastic speakers and headphones. It's a tough task, as you can imagine. Matt has over a decade of experience in tech publishing, and previously ran the TV & audio coverage for our colleagues at T3.com, and before that he edited T3 magazine. During his career, he's also contributed to places as varied as Creative Bloq, PC Gamer, PetsRadar, MacLife, and Edge. TV and movie nerdism is his speciality, and he goes to the cinema three times a week. He's always happy to explain the virtues of Dolby Vision over a drink, but he might need to use props, like he's explaining the offside rule.

With contributions from