Most TVs sold these days have a 4k resolution, except for a handful of 8k options and a few 720p or 1080p TVs. Since a lot of streaming content is in 4k, it's beneficial to have a 4k TV because it doesn't have to upscale anything. However, there's a lot more that goes into good image quality than just resolution, and that's why we perform over 350 tests on every TV we review. For example, contrast is the most important factor to consider if you use your TV in a dark room and want deep blacks. That's why OLEDs, with their near-infinite contrast ratios, are ideal for watching movies and shows in a dark room. If you mostly watch content in a bright room, you need a TV bright enough to overcome glare, and that's where good LED models typically excel.
Below are our recommendations for the best 4k televisions you can buy. You can also vote on which new models you want us to buy and test. To learn more about the 2024 models, check out our 2024 TV lineup page. For more options, check out our picks for the best 8k TVs, the best 120Hz TVs, and the best gaming TVs.
The best 4k TV we've tested is the Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED. It's an incredible 4k TV that looks amazing in a dark room, as bright highlights in HDR content stand out incredibly well, with no distracting blooming or haloing around bright areas of a scene. Its QD-OLED panel has much brighter and more vibrant colors than the WOLED panels found on some other OLEDs. Unlike some other TVs, the Samsung model doesn't support Dolby Vision HDR, nor does it support advanced DTS audio formats. However, it does support Samsung's less widely used HDR10+ format. Just keep in mind that only some sizes use a QD-OLED panel, and this varies depending on your region.
This TV is also great for gaming thanks to its near-instantaneous response time, so there's no noticeable ghosting behind fast-moving objects. Its input lag is extremely low, resulting in a very responsive gaming experience, and it has a few great gaming features, including VRR support to reduce screen tearing. Finally, it supports up to 4k @ 144Hz on all four HDMI ports, so you can take full advantage of the latest gaming consoles and graphics cards.
If you want the absolute best TV for a basement home theater, get the Sony A95L OLED. It's significantly more expensive than the Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED, but it's better for a home theater setup, as it has wider format support than the Samsung TV and delivers a more accurate image overall. Compared to Samsung's HDR10+ format, the Sony TV supports the more popular Dolby Vision, so you'll enjoy the most advanced HDR experience possible from almost any source. Sony's processing does a better job upscaling and cleaning up low-bitrate content, so you get the best possible image regardless of the source.
It also supports more advanced audio formats than the Samsung through eARC, so you don't have to worry about the audio formats that your favorite movies use. It displays an incredibly wide HDR color gamut and looks stunning in a dark room thanks to its nearly infinite contrast ratio, delivering perfect blacks with no distracting blooming around bright areas of the screen. It also gets very bright, so HDR content stands out, and colors are lifelike and vibrant. It's only available in three sizes: 55, 65, and 77 inches.
If you need a very bright TV that still looks amazing in a dark room, consider the best 4k LED TV we've ever tested, the Sony BRAVIA 9 QLED. Its superb SDR brightness and reflection handling make it easily overcome glare in the brightest of rooms, so you aren't distracted by reflections on your screen. It also looks spectacular in a dark room, with exceptional contrast for incredibly deep blacks that are about as close as you can get to the inky blacks you get from TVs like the Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED and the Sony A95L OLED, with almost no blooming. It's also a great option for a home theater due to its support for Dolby Vision and DTS audio formats.
It's also a very accurate TV in both SDR and HDR, so the content creator's intent is respected. Its image processing is excellent for upscaling and smoothing out low-quality content. Unfortunately, its viewing angle is mediocre, meaning that it's not the best option if you regularly watch shows or movies with a big group of friends. However, it's a great option if you need something that pairs well with modern consoles. It has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 4k @ 120Hz, VRR, low input lag, and a fast response time, making it a great option to pair with modern consoles.
If you want a good home entertainment OLED but don't want to get the expensive Sony A95L OLED, check out one of the best upper mid-range TVs we've tested, the LG C4 OLED. It uses a different type of OLED panel that delivers the same perfect blacks in a dark room, but its colors aren't as bright and vibrant as those found on QD-OLED TVs, and HDR content doesn't stand out as well due to the LG's lower peak brightness. The LG partly makes up for it with its versatility, as it has very good image processing, has Dolby Vision, and can pass through advanced DTS audio formats. It's also available in a wide range of sizes, from a small 42-inch up to an impressive 83-inch size.
Thanks to its wide range of gaming features, it's a fantastic choice for gamers. All four of its HDMI ports have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, all of which can do up to 4k @ 144Hz. It also supports all VRR technologies, ensuring a nearly tear-free gaming experience from any VRR-compatible source. Plus, it has nearly instantaneous response time and low input lag, so it's truly a gaming standout.
If you want something cheaper but still want high-end features and great performance, a mid-range TV like the LG B4 OLED is an excellent choice. The TV has all the features of the more expensive LG C4 OLED, but the B4 is dimmer in HDR and is limited to 120Hz. It still delivers outstanding picture quality, especially in a dark room, with its near-infinite contrast ratio delivering deep, inky blacks with no blooming. Its built-in webOS platform is just as fast on this lower-tier model, and it still has very good image processing, so it has no issues upscaling lower-resolution content if you watch DVDs, cable boxes, or Blu-rays. It also has Dolby Vision HDR and supports DTS advanced audio formats, which is great for physical media collectors.
Its viewing angle is fantastic, so viewers can watch the TV from all over the room without degrading their viewing experience. Like the C4, this TV has a wide color gamut and is extremely accurate without any calibration, so movies look as the content creator intended. This TV is also great for gaming, as it's compatible with every VRR technology, has a fantastic response time, and has extremely low input lag.
If you want high-end performance but don't want to spend high-end prices, check out the Hisense U7N. It's cheaper than anything recommended up to this point but delivers picture quality that is almost as good as the more expensive choices. It has a great Mini LED backlight, letting it simultaneously provide very bright highlights and deep blacks, with only some noticeable blooming around bright objects in dark scenes. HDR content looks great, and it supports both Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+ for the best HDR experience possible, as well as advanced audio formats, like DTS:X over eARC. And just like the more expensive LG TVs, the U7N has very good image processing overall.
Unfortunately, its viewing angle is sub-par, making it a bad choice for a wide seating arrangement. It runs the Google TV interface, which is fast and easy to use, and it has a great selection of streaming features, so you're sure to find your favorite shows. It's also great for gaming thanks to its two HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports, both capable of up to 4k @ 144Hz gaming with VRR.
If the Hisense U7N is too expensive or you just simply don't need modern gaming features, the best budget TV we've tested is the Hisense U6/U6N. Its very effective local dimming feature gives the TV fantastic contrast, delivering deep blacks in a dark room. The TV isn't as bright as the U7N, but it still has very good SDR brightness and good enough reflection handling to fight some glare in a well-lit room. It supports a wide color gamut, so colors in HDR content are vibrant and lifelike. Another standout feature of the TV is its support for HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and DTS audio formats. The TV's upscaling is on par with the U7N's, but unfortunately, its low-quality content smoothing doesn't work well.
Although the TV doesn't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and 4k @ 120Hz support, it still supports up to 1440p @ 120Hz for those who prefer a higher frame rate over resolution. Unfortunately, the TV's VRR feature is limited to 60Hz, so you can't game in 120 fps with VRR active. The TV does have an excellent response time, so there's not too much blur behind fast motion, and you get a responsive gaming experience due to its incredibly low input lag.
It's not the best 4k TV in 2024, but if you want something cheap that gets the job done, the Hisense A7N is the best overall cheap TV we've tested. It isn't as good in a dark room as the Hisense U6/U6N due to its lack of local dimming, but its black levels are good enough for a decent dark room viewing experience. It also displays a similarly wide range of colors like the more expensive Hisense options, so colors are vibrant and lifelike. It doesn't get very bright in SDR, but it has good reflection handling, so it can handle a few lights in a moderately lit room. Unfortunately, it's quite dim in HDR, so highlights in HDR content lack impact.
Like the more expensive Hisense models, it upscales lower resolution content well. Unfortunately, it does a poor job of removing artifacts from low-bitrate content. Still, it's a great smart TV due to its Google TV OS, so finding content is simple. Despite not having many modern gaming features, the TV has a great response time for minimal blur behind fast motion, has low enough input lag for a responsive feel, and even supports VRR.
The Hisense U8/U8N is a cheaper alternative to the Sony BRAVIA 9 QLED. It's an incredibly bright TV that easily overcomes glare and makes highlights stand out in HDR content. It also has very impressive contrast for an LED TV, providing very deep blacks in a dark room. Still, the Sony has better contrast, image processing, accuracy, and a more consistent VRR feature.
See our reviewThe TCL Q6/Q651G QLED is a decent TV from TCL and directly competes with the Hisense U6/U6N. The Hisense is brighter and displays significantly deeper blacks, so it provides better overall picture quality. However, the TCL is the slightly better gaming TV because it outputs up to 1440p @ 120Hz, with a wide VRR range on all sizes except the 43-inch and the 50-inch models.
See our reviewThe TCL QM7/QM751G QLED is a good alternative to the Hisense U7N, and the two are very similar. However, the Hisense is slightly better overall, as it has better contrast and accuracy.
See our reviewThe LG G4 OLED is an amazing TV for a home theater and competes with the Sony A95L OLED. Unfortunately, it doesn't use a QD-OLED panel, so colors aren't as vibrant as they are on the Sony. For this reason, the Sony unit is the better option if you're looking for the best home theater model.
See our reviewOct 04, 2024: Swapped the LG C3 OLED, the LG B3 OLED, and the Hisense U6/U6K with their 2024 successors. We also condensed the article for clarity and updated the Notable Mentions.
Jul 09, 2024: We replaced the Hisense U7K with the Hisense U7N in the 'Best Lower Mid-Range 4k TV' category and replaced the Sony X93L/X93CL with the Sony BRAVIA 9 QLED in the 'Best Bright Room 4k TV' category. We also refreshed some text throughout the article for accuracy.
May 10, 2024: Added mentions of the Hisense U6N and the Hisense U7N in the 'Best Budget 4k TV' and the 'Best Lower Mid-Range 4k TV' categories. We also refreshed the text throughout the article for clarity and accuracy.
Mar 14, 2024: Mentioned the upcoming LG B4 OLED, LG C4 OLED, and Samsung S90D in the 'Best Mid-Range 4k TV,' 'Best Upper Mid-Range 4k TV,' and 'Best 4k TV' categories, respectively. We also refreshed the text in the introduction.
Feb 16, 2024: Confirmed that picks are accurate and available, updated the intro text, and clarified that the TCL Q5/Q550G QLED is a Best Buy exclusive.
Our recommendations above are what we think is currently the best 4k TV in 2024 to buy 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 4k TV reviews. 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.