Categories: Tech

Best TV for 2022: OLED, QLED, LED and 4K for Every Size, Budget




  • TCL 6-Series Roku TV


    Best TV for the money


    $1,000 at Best Buy

    Price alerts on for TCL 6-Series Roku TV




  • LG OLED C2


    Best high-end TV for the money


    $1,649 at Walmart

    Price alerts on for LG OLED C2




  • TCL 4-Series


    Best budget smart TV for built-in streaming


    $278 at Walmart

    Price alerts on for TCL 4-Series




  • Samsung QN90B


    Best high-end TV that’s not an OLED


    $1,700 at Samsung

    Price alerts on for Samsung QN90B




  • Hisense U8H


    Best TV for the money runner-up


    $998 at Walmart

    Price alerts on for Hisense U8H




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  • Vizio MQX


    Best midpriced TV for tighter budgets


    $850 at Best Buy

    Price alerts on for Vizio MQX




  • Samsung Q60B


    Best design in a midprice TV


    $748 at Walmart

    Price alerts on for Samsung Q60B




  • Vizio V-Series


    Best budget TV for picture quality


    $300 at Best Buy

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Black Friday and Cyber Monday TV deals are here and so if you’re looking for a new TV, now is the time to save. TV prices are cyclical and every year the best TV deals start happening during the fall and into the winter as stores slash prices and TV-makers compete for your dollar. But which TVs are actually good? Our list, featuring TVs we’ve reviewed side by side, is designed to help you find the best TV for you, from high-end OLED and QLED models to budget LCD TVs and everything in between. 

David Katzmaier/CNET

TCL 6-Series Roku TV

Best TV for the money


2022

Sizes

55-, 65-, 75- 85-inch

TV Technology

QLED with Mini-LED

Smart TV

Yes (Roku TV)

Resolution

4K

HDMI Ports

4

For the last five years the TCL 6-Series has been our favorite TV for the money, and the 2022 version — also known as the R655 series — is no exception. This TV has an excellent image thanks to mini-LED tech and well-implemented full-array local dimming that helps it run circles around just about any other TV at this price. It improves upon the previous R635 series with improved gaming extras and a new center-mount stand that you can elevate to make room for a soundbar, although the new 85-inch size has standard legs. And finally, the Roku TV operating system is our hands-down favorite.

Note that in addition to the R635, which this TV replaces, other versions of the 6-Series were released in 2021 and remain on sale. The R646 series uses the Google TV operating system but otherwise has similar specifications to the R655 models reviewed here. The R648 series has 8K resolution and is significantly more expensive. 

The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.

Read our TCL 6-Series (2022 Roku TV) review.

 

$1,000 at Best BuyGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for TCL 6-Series Roku TV

David Katzmaier/CNET

LG OLED C2

Best high-end TV for the money

The C2 represents the pinnacle of picture quality at a price that’s admittedly high, but not too crazy. It beats any non-OLED TV on this list, including the Samsung QN90B below, with its perfect black levels, unbeatable contrast and superb off-angle viewing. It also has superb gaming features, making it the perfect companion to an Xbox Series X or S, PlayStation 5 or both. The C2 comes in a variety of sizes as well, although the bigger models are expensive.

Improvements over the C1 from last year include carbon-fiber construction for up to 47% lighter weight — the 65-inch version we reviewed weighs just 37 pounds with its stand, compared to 72 pounds for the 65-inch C1 — as well as some additional tweaks to game mode and a new “always ready” feature. 

The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.

Read our LG C2 series OLED TV review.

 

$1,649 at Walmart$1,697 at Amazon$1,700 at Best BuyYou’re receiving price alerts for LG OLED C2

David Katzmaier

TCL 4-Series

Best budget smart TV for built-in streaming

Sizes

43-, 50-, 55-, 65-, 75-, 85-inch

TV Technology

LED

Smart TV

Yes (Roku TV)

Resolution

4K

HDMI Ports

3

The picture quality of the TCL 4-Series Roku TV was a step behind the Vizio V-Series in our budget TV test, but the differences between the two are slight enough that you’d really have to have them set up side by side to notice anything at all. The 4-Series lacks the Dolby Vision, Bluetooth connectivity and AMD FreeSync with a variable refresh rate, all of which the Vizio offers. 

The 4-Series’ advantage over the Vizio is that it comes with the excellent Roku Smart TV system built in. That makes it a great choice for those looking for a one-stop smart TV solution, without having to add an external streaming device.

The prices shown below are for the 50-inch size.

$278 at Walmart$399 at Amazon$270 at Best BuyYou’re receiving price alerts for TCL 4-Series

Bobby Oliver/CNET

Samsung QN90B

Best high-end TV that’s not an OLED

Looking for a high-end TV with spectacular image quality, but don’t want an OLED? The Samsung QN90B is your best bet. This TV uses QLED TV tech augmented by mini-LED for a brighter image than any OLED TV. The spectacular contrast of OLED still won out in our side-by-side tests, but the QN90B QLED screen comes closer than ever. 

The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.

Read our Samsung QN90B review.

 

$1,700 at Samsung$1,567 at Walmart$1,700 at Best BuyYou’re receiving price alerts for Samsung QN90B

David Katzmaier/CNET

Hisense U8H

Best TV for the money runner-up

Sizes

55-, 65-, 75-inch

TV Technology

Mini-LED with local dimming

Smart TV

Yes (Google TV)

Resolution

4K

HDMI Ports

4

Among midpriced models we liked the TCL 6-Series just a little better in our side-by-side comparison, but this Hisense is a strong contender. Its excellent image quality is anchored by best-in-class brightness that improves its bright-room picture quality and makes HDR TV movies, shows and games really pop. It’s actually brighter than the TCL with better contrast, but the TCL’s slightly more accurate image gave it the edge overall. The Hisense uses Google TV instead of Roku, and unlike the TCL, the U8H includes an ATSC 3.0 tuner. Frankly, you can’t go wrong with either one.

The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.

Read our Hisense U8H review.

 

$998 at Walmart$1,000 at Amazon$1,000 at Best BuyYou’re receiving price alerts for Hisense U8H

David Katzmaier/CNET

Vizio MQX

Best midpriced TV for tighter budgets

Sizes

50-, 65-, 75-inch

TV Technology

LED with local dimming

Smart TV

Yes (SmartCast)

Resolution

4K

HDMI Ports

4

The Vizio MQX is one of the least expensive TVs to feature full-array local dimming, which lets it reproduce TV shows, movies and games with enough contrast and pop to do HDR justice. The MQX has fewer dimming zones than more expensive TVs like the TCL 6-Series and Hisense U8H, but it offers 16 zones on the 50-inch, 30 on the 65-inch and 42 on the 75-inch, which is more than enough for excellent overall picture quality, with bright highlights, dark black levels, punchy contrast and accurate color.

Unlike the M7 last year, the MQX has a true 120Hz refresh rate, which allows compatibility with 4K/120Hz signals from game consoles like the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, and worked well in our tests. Vizio supports both major HDR formats, HDR10 and Dolby Vision, in the M-Series. If you can’t save up for the TCL or the Hisense but want a better picture than the TCL 4-Series or Vizio V-series, the Vizio MQX is an excellent happy medium.

The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.

Read our Vizio MQX review.

 

$850 at Best Buy$849 at Sam’s ClubGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Vizio MQX

James Martin/CNET

Samsung Q60B

Best design in a midprice TV

Sizes

43-, 50-, 55-, 60-, 65-, 70-, 75-, 85-inch

TV Technology

QLED

Smart TV

Yes (Tizen)

Resolution

4K

HDMI Ports

3

Samsung is the brand that sells more TVs than anyone, and one of its most popular is the Q60 series. Its sleek QLED screen design stands out compared with the other TVs on this list — even though the ultrathin OLED models are sleeker — and it offers better features, image quality and more sizes than models like the TCL 4-Series and Sony X80K. The TVs listed in this article are all superior values, but if you want a Samsung TV and can’t afford the QN90A, this is a great choice.

The prices shown below are for the 55-inch size.

Read our Samsung Q60B review.

 

$748 at Walmart$700 at Best Buy$698 at CrutchfieldYou’re receiving price alerts for Samsung Q60B

David Katzmaier

Vizio V-Series

Best budget TV for picture quality

Sizes

43-, 50-, 55-, 60-, 65-, 70-, 75-, 85-inch

TV Technology

QLED

Smart TV

Yes (Tizen)

Resolution

4K

HDMI Ports

3

When we compared the best 2022 budget TVs side-by-side, the picture quality of Vizio V-Series clearly emerged as the leader of the pack. The Vizio offered the most balanced and accurate picture during our comparisons, and it comes with some useful extras such as Dolby Vision support, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth compatibility and variable refresh rate for potentially smoother gaming. The biggest downside of the Vizio is its smart TV platform, Vizio SmartCast. It’s crowded, slow and littered with ads for platforms such as Tubi and Kidoodle TV. Even when you factor in the cost of adding a new streaming device, however, the V-Series remains the best overall entry-level TV that we tested. 

The prices shown below are for the 50-inch size.

Read our Vizio V-series (2021) review.

 

$300 at Best BuyYou’re receiving price alerts for Vizio V-Series

Other TVs we’ve tested

Sony KD-X80K series: Sony is a prominent brand and its higher-end TVs like the X90J do well in reviews, but the entry-level TV in its 2022 lineup, the X80K, didn’t make the list. It costs around the same as the TCL 6-Series and Samsung Q60 TVs, and had a worse picture than both, with lighter black levels and contrast. It’s definitely not a bad TV, and we liked its Google smart TV system, color accuracy and connectivity, but you can definitely do better for the money. Read our Sony KD-X80K series review.

Toshiba Amazon Fire TV C350 series: One of many Fire TVs available for sale, this one is typical of the breed: so-so image quality and a smart TV system that lags behind Roku and Google TV. If you’re a big fan of Alexa voice or see this TV at a really low price it might be worthwhile, but otherwise go for the TCL 4-Series. Read our Toshiba Amazon Fire TV C350 series review.

LG OLED G1 series: The G1 is an excellent overall TV, but compared to the C1 and C2, we don’t think it’s worth the extra money. Image quality is basically the same as those two models, so you just end up paying extra for its ultrathin, wall-hugging “gallery” design. On the other hand if that price difference is small enough — sometimes a G1 will cost only $100 more than a C1, for example — it might be worthwhile for you. Note that this TV’s successor, the 2022 LG G2, promises a brighter picture, but we haven’t reviewed it yet so we can’t say for sure. Read our LG OLED G1 series review.

How does CNET test TVs?

Our TV reviews follow a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process honed over nearly two decades of TV reviews. Our primary TV test lab has specialized equipment for measuring light and color, including a Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer, a Murideo Sig-G 4K HDR signal generator and an AVPro Connect 8×8 4K HDR distribution matrix. We use Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software to evaluate every TV we review. In every CNET TV review, three or more similar TVs are compared side by side in various lighting conditions playing different media, including movies, TV shows and games, across a variety of test categories, from color to video processing to gaming to HDR. Our reviews also account for design, features, smart TV performance, HDMI input and gaming compatibility and other factors.

Read more: How We Test TVs

TV FAQs

We’ll post the answers to commonly asked TV questions below. If you have any others, feel free to reach out on Twitter (@dkatzmaier), or by clicking the little envelope icon on my CNET profile page. Doing so will let you send a message straight to my inbox.

How much should I spend on a TV?

Prices vary widely by size and features, from less than $100 for basic 24-inch TVs to more than $2,000 for big OLED models. TVs last a long time, however, so we think it’s worthwhile to spend a little extra beyond the bare minimum to get a bigger screen, better picture quality or better features. With that in mind, here’s some ballpark prices that will get you a very good TV in 2022.

  • 55-inch: $700
  • 66-inch: $1,000
  • 75-inch: $1,300

You could pay (much) more or less. The fact is just about any TV will produce a picture decent enough to satisfy most viewers. Most complaints you read in user reviews aren’t about picture quality. Instead they’re about ease of use, smart TV menus or sound (or a broken TV).

What size TV should I buy?

In our opinion bigger is better, and your money is best spent on large screen sizes rather than a slight upgrade in image quality. The answer also depends on room size and seating distance: If you have a big room and sit farther away, you’ll want a bigger TV. 

Which is better, OLED or LED?

In our reviews, OLED TVs, which use organic light-emitting diode technology, have always had better picture quality than LED TVs, which are basically LCD TVs that use LED backlights. The main reason is that OLED TVs can produce a perfectly dark shade of black with no stray illumination of blooming, which leads to better contrast and pop. LED TVs can get brighter, however, and usually cost less than OLED TVs. 

What is the best smart TV system for streaming?

At CNET our favorite is Roku for its simplicity, but different systems like Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung and LG have different strengths, in particular for voice commands. In any case, we don’t consider the built-in smart TV system that important because you can always connect a streaming device to any TV.

How do I get the best TV sound?

Most TVs sound terrible, because their thin cabinets don’t have room for decent-size speakers or bass. If you want to get good sound you should buy an external audio system. Even an inexpensive soundbar will deliver much better audio quality than a TV’s built-in speakers.

More home entertainment recommendations

  • Buying a New TV in 2022
  • Best Soundbars for 2022
  • Best Streaming Device in 2022
  • Best TV Antennas for Cord Cutters, Starting at Just $10
  • Dolby Atmos: Why It’s Cool, How It Works and How to Get It
  • Best Sonos Speakers Starting at $100
  • QLED vs. OLED: Which TV Tech Should You Buy?
  • HDR Formats like Dolby Vision, HDR10, Technicolor and HLG Explained
  • Best TVs for Gaming
  • Best 75-Inch TVs for 2022
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