The best TV 2025, chosen by our reviewers for all budgets
Top OLED and QLED sets to consider, from elite TVs to wallet-friendly options

I’ve been testing and reviewing the best TVs for nearly 30 years and have witnessed massive shifts in technology from analog to digital, and from CRTs to flat-panel displays. TVs today are better than ever and can offer incredible value, and my vantage point as a longtime reviewer puts me in a perfect position to identify which models provide the best performance for the price. That perspective informs this guide, which ranks the best new TVs across a range of categories to help you find the best fit for your needs and budget.
My TV team and I have conducted hands-on reviews of the TVs in this guide using a process that includes objective measurements made with specialized test equipment. That measurement data is presented in the benchmark graphs that accompany each one of our TV reviews and is presented in the ‘In-depth analysis’ section for the entries in this guide.
A TV’s performance can’t be judged by measurements alone, however, so we also do an extensive subjective evaluation using reference movie scenes and TV, primarily on 4K Blu-ray and regular Blu-ray disc formats to ensure consistency during testing. You can read about the testing process I developed with my team in our full article on how we test TVs at TechRadar.
Whether you’re looking for a budget-priced QLED TV that offers great picture quality for the price, or a more premium OLED model that pushes the performance envelope and also has cutting-edge features for gaming, this guide has you covered. The latest TVs can sometimes get clouded in a swirl of jargon, so check out our glossary in the ‘How to choose’ section for descriptions of the tech terms used in this guide.
I lead TechRadar’s TV testing and also cover projectors, soundbars, and home theater audio. Previously, I was editor of Sound & Vision magazine, and I'm an ISF-trained TV calibrator. Having worked in AV product testing and tech journalism for almost three decades, I’ve had my eyes on basically every flagship TV available. I shaped this list with the help of our reviewers in addition to my own experience, to cover as many bases as possible for different budget or viewing needs.
Recent updates
January 15, 2025
Added 'New TVs coming in 2025' section with details on new TV models announced at the CES 2025 tradeshow.
The best TVs of 2025, listed
Why you can trust TechRadar
Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best 4K TVs in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best TV for most people
Specifications
1-minute summary: Having reviewed both the LG C4 and its LG C3 predecessor, I can confirm that LG’s new OLED TV is a solid upgrade and a great TV overall. The C4 features a new Alpha 9 AI Gen 7 processor that brings a noticeable boost in brightness, and it also improves detail and color in HDR sources. LG C4 OLEDs are well-equipped gaming TVs, with four HDMI ports that support 4K 120Hz (and up to 144Hz for PC gaming), VRR, and ALLM. A new Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode preset gives you a director-approved picture out of the box and, with the C4 available in 42- up to 83-inch screens, there’s a C4 sized to fit any situation, from desktop gaming to high-end home theater. The C4 isn’t as bright as flagship OLED TVs such as the LG G4 and Samsung S95D, but its picture quality is almost as good, and you’ll pay far more for those models. It really hits a sweet spot, delivering on every front for a lower price than nearly every other OLED TV on the market, making it the best OLED TV for most people.
Read our full LG C4 review
Reasons to buy
✅ You want a reasonably priced OLED: The LG C4 strikes a perfect balance between performance, features, and value in an OLED TV.
✅ You want a great TV for movies: The C4 has excellent contrast, color and detail. Combined with its new Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode, it’s an ideal TV for movies.
✅ You want a great TV for gaming: The C4 has four HDMI 2.1 ports and is packed with gaming features for console, PC, and cloud-based gaming.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want great built-in audio: The C4’s built-in speakers are fine, but those wanting better bass and more immersive sound should check out the Sony Bravia 8 or Samsung S95D.
❌ You want the brightest TV available: LG’s C4 is brighter than its C3 predecessor, but it doesn’t match mini-LED TVs such as the Hisense U8N, or flagship OLED TVs such as the Samsung S95D.
❌ You want the cheapest OLED: LG’s entry-level B4 is the company’s cheapest OLED TV series, although it’s not as bright and isn’t available in as many sizes.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
In use, the C4 delivers a picture that’s bright enough for viewing in rooms with moderate-to-high ambient light levels. I measured peak brightness on the LG C4 at 1,065 nits, a great number that puts it above most other rival mid-range OLED TVs. When watching in dim lighting conditions, its picture really pops to life, displaying rich color, deep blacks, and detailed shadows. Like other OLED TVs, the C4 looks good over a very wide viewing angle, so there’s never a bad seat in the house – a benefit when watching sports with a group.
The same Alpha 9 AI Gen 7 processor responsible for the C4’s picture-quality boost over the C3 also improves sound by upmixing audio for a virtual 9.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos presentation. When I reviewed the C4, I found the dialogue in TV shows and movie soundtracks to be consistently clear, and there was a good sense of spaciousness with the AI Sound Pro mode active. As with most TVs, bass was on the light side, so if you want cinematic sound it will be best to add a good soundbar. The C4 provides several features designed to work exclusively with LG soundbars, including Wow Cast, which wirelessly transmits Dolby Atmos audio from the TV to the soundbar, and Wow Orchestra, which syncs up the speakers in the TV and the soundbar for enhanced audio presentation.
The new webOS 24 smart interface on the C4 has been updated for a more streamlined look. A main feature is Quick Cards, which lets you store apps and settings in various categories including Games, Music, Home Hub, Sports, and Home Office. Content recommendations are located below these, though, like on other smart TV interfaces, they routinely push you toward a free ad-supported TV portal (LG Channels, in this case). LG’s Magic Remote makes navigating everything easy, and a new Quick Menus provides easy access to picture and sound settings.
The LG C4 is a powerhouse TV for gaming. Its four HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K 120Hz, Nvidia G Sync and AMD FreeSync, and Dolby Vision gaming, and it’s one of the first TVs to be 144Hz certified by Nvidia. Similar to Samsung TVs, the C4 has cloud-gaming options, with Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, Utomik and other services supported. A Game Optimizer mode is automatically enabled when a gaming console is connected, reducing input lag as low as 9.2ms and providing a convenient pop-up game menu for making quick gaming-related adjustments.
The 55-inch version of the LG C4 is now available for around $1,399, making it a very good value. You’ll pay nearly twice that amount for more flagship OLED TVs in that screen size from LG, Samsung, and Sony, and the picture quality advantages of those premium models, while real, aren’t something that most viewers will miss. LG’s C-Series OLED TVs have long represented a sweet spot for OLED TVs, and the C4 carries on that tradition.
LG C4 test results
The best budget TV
Specifications
1-minute summary: The Roku Plus and Select series were the company’s first Roku-branded TVs, and while good, the Pro series was the budget TV home run I was waiting on. Starting at $899 for a 55-inch model, with 65- and 75-inch screen sizes also available, Roku Pro Series TVs step up with mini-LED backlight tech for a significantly brighter picture than you’ll get in the mid-range Roku select series. Otherwise, the Roku Pro’s picture is mostly free of the backlight blooming you see on some other budget mini-LED and regular LED TVs and it has comprehensive HDR support (including Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats) plus a Smart Picture Max automatic mode that lets the TV do all the picture setup work for you and adapts dynamically for different content. It’s well-equipped for gaming with two HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K 120Hz input along with VRR (with FreeSync) and ALLM and its side-mounted speakers deliver much better-than-average sound for a budget TV. Of course, being a Roku TV it has the famous Roku interface, which I think leapfrogs over other smart TV screens when it comes to ease of navigation.
Read our full Roku Pro series review
Reasons to buy
✅ You want a premium TV without the price tag: The Roku Pro Series is a great value considering it is the most premium offering in the company’s TV lineup.
✅ You want to wall-mount your TV: Although it can be installed on a stand, Pro series TVs are designed to be wall-mounted and have a neat shadowbox case that makes it look like a framed painting.
✅ You want an affordable TV with great built-in sound: The Pro Series was designed to be used without a soundbar, and its front-firing speakers provide reasonably full sound and can play loud.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You want the brightest possible picture: Although picture quality on Pro series TVs is generally very good, the Hisense U8N offers superior brightness and better overall performance.
❌ You want a sophisticated smart platform: The Roku smart TV interface is basic compared to other smart TV platforms. For some, that’s a benefit because it's so easy to use, but others may want a more sophisticated smart interface.
❌ You want the best gaming TV: While the Roku Pro Series offers a strong suite of gaming features, it's limited to two 4K 120Hz ports. Samsung and LG options on this list offer more flexibility and features.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
The 55-inch Roku Pro series TV we tested offers above-average brightness for a more budget-focused set – we measured around 900 nits peak brightness on a 10% window pattern and over 400 nits on a fullscreen pattern. While those are far from the most impressive numbers we’ve seen on a mini-LED TV, they compare well to competition at the same kind of official price. The Pro series also has excellent color performance and, as we noted in our review, we “didn’t experience any backlight blooming thanks to the TV’s well-implemented local dimming.” Its picture also shone with sports, partly because of its above-average brightness for a budget TV, but also because of the very good motion handling provided by its native 120Hz QLED display panel.
A benefit of the Pro series’ sturdy “shadowbox” frame, which is slighty thicker than normal and was designed to accommodate a wall-mount installation, is that there’s space for side-mounted speakers – a configuration that allows for better audio clarity than the bottom-mounted speakers on most budget TVs. In our review, we found that there was “plenty of volume on tap” and that you could even get away with not using a soundbar. Which brings up another Pro series benefit: the TV can be wirelessly paired with the company’s wireless soundbars, subwoofers, and surround speakers.
Roku made its name with streaming devices featuring an intuitive, simple-to-navigate onscreen interface, and that same smart interface is provided on Pro series TVs. Along with providing easy access to your favorite streaming apps, picture and sound settings can be quickly accessed by pressing the star button on the Pro’s remote control, which also has a built-in mic for voice commands. Roku had also promised a new feature called Roku Backdrops that’s similar to the “ambient” artwork display modes on other smart TVs, though that feature has yet to materialize.
Gaming support on the Pro series is surprisingly robust for a budget TV. It has two HDMI inputs with 4K 120Hz, VRR (with FreeSync), and ALLM support. Input lag in the TV’s game mode is a low 9.4ms, which is the type of performance we see in the best gaming TVs. The Pro series automatically switches to its game picture mode when a gaming console is connected and turned on, and the contrast-rich picture quality also extends to gaming, making it easy to see details in the darker parts of the screen.
There are good reasons why the Roku Pro Series is selected as the best budget TV pick in our guide. For less than $900 for the 55-inch model, you’re getting a TV with a bright mini-LED backlight, impressive picture quality and gaming performance, very good built-in sound, great gaming performance and features, and one of the best smart TV interfaces in the biz. And with major sales events now a regular occurrence, you can expect to pay much less than that if you keep your eyes open.
Roku Pro series test results
The best mid-range TV
Specifications
1-minute summary: Hisense’s U8 series TVs get better with each passing year, and the latest U8N models are its best yet. When I reviewed the 65-inch version of the U8N, which is available in screen sizes from 55 to 98 inches, I found it had significantly higher brightness than last year’s U8K series model. The U8N offers comprehensive HDR support, with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG all accounted for, and movies and TV shows in those formats look spectacularly good, in my experience. Its bright picture also makes the U8N great for sports viewing, which is helped by an anti-reflection screen to combat glare from overhead lights. The U8N’s 2.1.2-channel speakers deliver powerful sound with good dialogue clarity and bass, and there’s support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtrack formats. Hisense uses the serviceable Google TV smart interface for streaming, and there are plenty of menu adjustments for tweaking picture and sound. Last but not least, the U8N is a very capable gaming TV, with two HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz, VRR up to 144Hz (including FreeSync Premium Pro), ALLM, and Dolby Vision 4K gaming.
Read our full Hisense U8N review
Reasons to buy
✅ You want a great TV for watching movies: The U8N’s high brightness and refined local dimming bring out the best in movies, especially 4K ones with HDR.
✅ You want comprehensive HDR support: Support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ is provided on the U8N, and it also has an ATSC 3.0 tuner for broadcast HDR.
✅ You want an affordable, high-end mini-LED TV: It lacks some amenities found on more premium mini-LED TVs, but overall the U8N provides excellent performance and features for the price.
Reasons to avoid
❌ You like to watch with a crowd: An area where the U8N pales – literally – against the Samsung QN90D is off-center viewing, with contrast and color saturation fading when its picture is viewed from far off-center seats.
❌ You don’t like adjusting the picture: In my testing, I found that the U8N required some careful adjustment to perform its best, though its picture was mostly fine out of the box.
❌ You don’t want to sign in to Google: A Google account sign-in is required to download apps to the U8N’s Google TV, so if you’re wary of having your data tracked by Google, it won’t be the best choice for you.
Show full expert analysis ▼
In-depth analysis
The U8N one of brightest TVs we’ve yet tested – when I measured the U8N, an HDR white window pattern covering 10% of the screen measured 2,851 nits, and a full-screen pattern yielded 805 nits, which are astoundingly high figures compared to previous TVs. But brightness is only one part of the picture quality equation, and Hisense’s TV also has refined local dimming for deep and detailed blacks. Not everything is perfect with the picture, with the main shortcoming being the noticeable color and contrast fade when viewing from far off-center seats, but when viewed straight on, the Hisense’s performance rivals TVs that cost substantially more when it comes to color reproduction, dynamic range, and natural sharpness.
The U8N’s built-in 2.1.2-channel audio system features upfiring speakers to deliver height effects in Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks. When watching movies, the U8N has clear dialogue and a good sense of spaciousness, and the sound can go impressively loud without any strain. Bass is also quite good for a TV’s built-in sound. We normally suggest adding a soundbar to any TV, but as I said in my U8N review, plenty of people will be happy with the U8N’s built-in speakers.
The U8N uses Google TV as its smart TV system, and it’s a reliable and generally easy-to-navigate option. One drawback is that a Google account is required to download apps beyond the handful provided by default on the home screen, but if you do sign in, Google will make personalized content recommendations based on your viewing and web browsing history rather than generating random ones. There are multiple ways to access picture and sound settings in the U8N’s menus, including a pop-up scrolling horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen that can be customized for quick access to frequently used adjustments. An onscreen Live TV guide displays free streaming channels in a cable TV-like grid format, and it can also be populated with broadcast channels pulled in by the U8N’s ATSC 3.0 “next-gen TV” tuner.
The U8N is a capable gaming TV, offering two HDMI 2.1 ports with support for 4K 120Hz, VRR up to 144Hz (including FreeSync Premium Pro), ALLM, and Dolby Vision 4K gaming. A pop-up game bar menu can be accessed when in game mode, which gives you quick access to gaming-related settings. I measured input lag on the U8N at a perfectly respectable 13.1ms – comfortably within the limit of 15ms that serious gamers expect to see.
At $1,499 for the 65-inch model I tested, the U8N is a great value. It’s regularly on sale for less than that amount, which almost seems like a steal given this TV’s impressive performance and features. The main TV that it competes with is the equally good TCL QM851G, which offers a similar level of performance and features and is usually priced around the same. The TCL is only available in 65-inch to 98-inch screen sizes, however, while the Hisense U8N also has a 55-inch option – really, you could buy whichever of these TVs is cheaper at any given moment, and their price competition with each other is only going to mean incredibly good prices for you.