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The best TVs of 2022 are leaps and bounds ahead of anything you might have bought in recent years. With 4K resolution now the norm, TV makers have found other ways to tempt you into your next upgrade—from advances in OLED display technology, to more affordable 8K panels, improved sound quality and better gaming features, the best TVs of today are more enticing than ever before.
The latest generation OLED TVs are true works of art, like Samsung's The Frame, which looks just ... [+]
Samsung’s new QD-OLED technology debuted this spring in 55- and 65-inch models, and Sony released new models with these panels as well. LG—long at the forefront of OLED TVs—continues to push the boundaries of what traditional OLED can do with huge heatsinks to help it improve screen brightness. And TCL and Hisense offer some of the best alternatives to these higher end models at more attractive prices.
Across the board from the affordable to the very expensive, you can find exciting developments in TV technology that make 2022 a great year to upgrade your aging TV. Here are some of the best TVs you can buy right now.
- Best TV Overall: Samsung S95B QD-OLED ($2,600, Was $3,000)
- Best 8K TV: Samsung QN900A ($4,000, Was $7,000)
- Best OLED TV: LG G2 OLED Evo Gallery ($2,600, Was $3,200)
- Best TV for Sports Fans: Samsung QN85B ($1,800, Was $2,000)
- Best TV For Movies: Sony Bravia XR A90J ($2,800, Was $3,300)
- Best TV for Gaming: LG C1 OLED 65-inch ($1,699, Was $1,899)
- Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S: Samsung QN90B ($2,300, $2,600)
- Best Wall Mounted TV: Samsung The Frame ($1,700, Was $2,000)
The Best TV Overall
A New Generation Of OLED Technology
The Best 8K TV
The Next Step In TV Resolution Is 8K
Best OLED TV
The Best, But Brighter
The Best TV For Sports Fans
See All The Action In Crystal Clarity
The Best TV For Movies
Experience A Theater-Like Viewing Experience At Home
The Best TV For Gaming
Your Favorite Games Have Never Looked So Good
Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
Take Console Gaming To The Next Level Of Immersion
Best Wall Mounted TV
Display This TV Like Artwork In Your Home
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What To Consider When Buying A TV
All of the technical specifications associated with modern television sets can feel overwhelming. But don’t get intimidated by all of the technical jargon. The most important criteria to understand are screens size, resolution and refresh rate—and we’ve put together a simple explainer for these essential details.
Bigger Is Good, But Not Always Better
Whether you want a big TV or not, you're always going to be somewhat restricted by the physical space you have to put it in. It might be nice to imagine your bedroom kitted out with an 85-inch panel, but if you can only fit a 48-inch one on your wall, then that's as big as you can go.
You also want to factor in viewing distance. If you're going to sit 15 feet away from the screen across the room, get a bigger TV to make the most of its picture. For most living rooms and bedrooms, a 50-65-inch TV will be more than enough for you to enjoy your favorite movies, TV shows, and games, but if you have a bigger room to fill with your next TV upgrade, the 77-inch and even 85-inch models might be worth considering—if they fit within your budget.
Resolution
Most current TVs are 4K resolution (3840 × 2160 pixels)—around four times the detail of traditional 1080p TVs. That's so they're a big upgrade. That's quite typical now, though, so unless you're looking to buy something extremely low budget, then 4K is what you want to target.
New 8K options are offering still more resolution, to provide a nearly life-like level of detail with a crisp picture even on the biggest of TV panels. The catch is that 8K TVs remain dramatically more expensive than 4K TVs, and you won’t find much native 8K content to watch on these TVs just yet. But if you want to future proof your TV, 8K TVs are now more affordable than ever.
Refresh Rate
Refresh rate is often a more interesting spec because it can vary from TV to TV, but many modern mid-to-high-end TVs support a 120Hz refresh rate or better.
You don't need a high refresh rate, but if you play games or watch high speed content like sports of action films, a higher refresh rate can lead to smoother motion. If you play games, make sure your TV has a 120Hz refresh rate. You won't regret it.
Is QLED or OLED Better?
While these monikers sound similar, they rely on different technologies to deliver a unique TV viewing experience—and each has its own benefits and drawbacks. LED backlighting technology is the most common and oldest of the three. This technology has been round for more than a decade. LED screens are typically the cheapest to produce and therefore tend to be found in more affordable TVs. The technology offers good colors and contrast ratios, and are not susceptible to burn-in.
QLED technology uses the same kinds of LEDs to backlight its LCD panel, but introduces a layer of quantum dot nano particles between the LED and LCD layers. That layer filters the light to deliver more vibrant and realistic colors, and a better overall picture. It can make nature documentaries and explosions really pop, and though quantum dots and QLED have become a bit of a marketing spin, they do give you something that just wasn't possible on older LCD screens.
One handy technology which is helping to bridge the gap between OLED and LED TVs are Mini LEDs. These are far smaller than traditional LEDs (as much as 1/40th the size) making it possible to pack more of them behind the screen for added brightness and much more nuanced local dimming. That has a huge impact on HDR, by increasing the accuracy of the brightness hikes for reflections and on-screen light sources, and cuts back on blooming too.
Still, the contrast ratio on OLED TVs remains unmatched, even by the best LED technology. With OLED, individual pixels can be turned off entirely, which even the most nuanced of local dimming zone technology can't match. Not yet at least. If you want the blackest of blacks and the richest of colors, OLED TVs are the way to go. They also have very low input lag too, so are great for gaming.
Most OLED TVs are more expensive than their LED counterparts, though, and they're more susceptible to burn-in where elements of the screen continue to show content after it's been turned off. This happens less and less with modern designs, though, thanks to clever mitigation technologies. Just don't leave the TV at full brightness with static on screen elements like logos or in-game HUDs.
What is QD-OLED?
The hot new technology in 2022 is Samsung's QD-OLED, or quantum dot organic LED. Although Samsung is marketing it as simply "OLED" on most of its TVs, it is a very different take on the classic OLED design. Where traditional OLED TVs use a white organic LED which is then passed through a filter to generate different colors, QD-OLED uses a blue self-luminescence which is then adjusted by quantum dots to generate different colors, including pure white. This approach barely impacts brightness and provides a more vibrant range of colors than other OLED TVs.
The end result is an image that has the contrast of OLED with a wide range of vibrant color, and a brightness that rivals non-organic LEDs. It's the best of both worlds, or at least it seems that way so far. LG OLED TVs still get a bit brighter, but they don't always have the same color accuracy or depth. There aren't many QD-OLED TVs available just yet and they remain expensive, but early reviews are in and they are very, very positive. Expect a much greater range of QD-OLED TVs from both Samsung and Sony throughout 2022.
Smart TV Services
The "smart" part of a smart TV, typically means it can connect directly to the internet and then run apps like streaming services. Most modern TVs have some smart functions, letting you access Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and other streaming services easily. You may also have some digital news channels or the ability to access a home Plex server. Some TVs don't have as many smart functions as others, however, which is where additional streaming sticks come into play.
A lesser talked about smart function of modern TVs: Upscaling. Many now come with fast onboard processing for taking 1080p and making it look much closer to 4K using AI algorithms.
Ports And Connectors
Most devices that connect to a TV, whether it's a games console, Blu-ray player, or A/V system, use HDMI cables. If you want to play the latest games and benefit from new features like eARC, you need to make sure your TV supports HDMI 2.1. Not all modern TVs do, though some are adding support later via firmware updates, so check your latest updates when you buy any new TV.
Other features worth considering are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options for connecting to the internet and wireless devices like Bluetooth headphones. For legacy connections, some TVs also offer optical ports, and if there's a Gigabit Ethernet port, that can be good for providing stable wired internet without the need for a nearby Wi-Fi hotspot.
Do TV Speakers Sound Good?
TV speakers typically don't sound that great when compared to beefier home entertainment sound systems. If you take your movie watching or TV shows seriously, then it's a good idea to invest in a sound bar or surround sound speaker system. The speakers built into the TVs are typically okay for casual channel surfers, but if you want to immerse yourself in a movie or game, you’ll find the audio quality inferior.
Some TVs have also started using clever technologies to turn the screen itself into a speaker, giving them much more impressive sound than most TVs have out of the box. It's still only about as good as an entry-level soundbar, so audiophiles will want to upgrade beyond that, but for everyone else, acoustic screen technology might be all you need for a great sounding TV.
Another option is to use headphones. Most Roku and Prime sticks now let you stream audio to your phone and then to your Bluetooth headphones. That can be a great way for more private viewing when the kids are asleep.
Best TV Brands To Buy in 2022
There are a number of great TV brands worth considering in 2022, but the top three so far this year are the classics: Samsung, LG, and Sony. They each offer cutting edge TVs featuring the latest technologies, although some are a little different. LG's OLEDs have the brightest screens thanks to the new Evo panels, while Samsung's have the best coloring and vibrancy with the new QD-OLED technologies. Sony will follow suit in the coming months.
One downside to Samsung TVs is that they don't have Dolby Vision, but with HDR10+ support, there's no huge difference there outside of content availability. Samsung's QLED TVs are class leading in many ways, with new Mini LED designs giving greater brightness alongside the improvement to color saturation and vibrancy.
When it comes to 8K TVs, Samsung's are some of the best, but TCL has some great alternatives and as more 8K content becomes available, a wider range of 8K TVs will make their way into the market from various different manufacturers, so watch this space.
If you aren't looking for a flagship TV, though, there are other brands worth considering too. TCL's TVs continue to offer fantastic value for money, and Hisense is one of the best TV brands for mid-range TVs, offering serious competition to the big three TV makers.
Is It Worth Buying An 8K TV Right Now?
8K TVs might deliver something that no 4K TV can, but right now, there just isn't a lot you can watch on them that makes it worth it. While 8K TVs can upscale content to look close to native 8K, you'll find precious little actual native 8K content available, and there are no obvious plans for physical media that will deliver that kind of resolution, which means you'll be restricted to streaming — that has its own pitfalls with compression.
There are some games that support 8K resolution, but even the most powerful PCs can't run much at that kind of detail. Next-generation GPUs launching at the end of 2022 might be capable, though, so look out for those if you really want to enjoy a next-generation gaming experience. For now though, the best 4K TVs, especially the best OLEDs, look better, and cost a lot less than the best 8K TVs.
How Smart Is A Smart TV?
Pretty much every modern TV is a smart TV. They all come with a few built-in streaming applications, internet connectivity, and often a few adverts to go with it. Each manufacturer uses a different operating system on different TVs. Some of the best TV operating systems come from Roku and Google.
If you don't like the default smart applications on your TV, or want expanded features, a good trick is to leave your TV itself disconnected from the internet, and instead use a smart streaming stick like a Fire TV or Roku stick.
Frequency Asked Questions About TVs
Which Brand Of TV Is best?
Samsung, LG, Hisense, TCL, Sony, Panasonic and Phillips all make fantastic TVs, and though, yes, Samsung, LG, and Sony make the best OLEDs, and you'll find more value for money in a TCL TV than others, any of them are a good fit for your next TV. It’s probably a good call to steer clear of budget brands you haven’t heard of, but outside of that, there isn't one brand that's objectively the best.
Which TV Brand Lasts The Longest?
As long as you buy one of the recognized big name TV brands, the longevity of your TV is more dependent on the model and technology inside it than the brand. Most modern OLED TVs are rated for around 30,000 hours, which is enough to let you watch three hours of TV every day for more than 27 years. LCD TVs can be rated for anywhere between 30,000 and 60,000 hours, so you'll likely to buy a new TV before the one you choose stops working.
The real question of TV longevity is specifications and features. If you buy an 8K TV today, it's likely to remain relevant for the next decade or so, while modern 4K TVs might seem a bit antiquated when 8K becomes the norm in five years or so. Still, technology moves fast, so even buying top of the line today won't seem that impressive a few years from now.
Don't worry too much about longevity. Just buy the TV that is right for you today and will still look good a year from now: That's anything from the top names with a price tag of $500 or more.
How Big Should Your TV Be?
You don't need to buy the biggest TV you can afford, and in actuality, buying one that best fits your room and has the features you need is a better idea. If you have a typical size room, then a 50 to 65-inch TV would be the best fit, for which you'll want to sit somewhere between eight and 10ft away for an ideal viewing experience.
If you have a bigger room or want to sit further away, it might be worth considering a 77 or even 85-inch TV, though those do get much more expensive.
You can still enjoy smaller TVs at greater distances, but know that you won't get that same immersive feeling as when sitting at an ideal distance from the right-size TV.
