Televisions with 4K resolution aren't just increasingly common. Few 1080p TVs are still on the market, and these are becoming exceedingly outdated.
Aside from brighter and bolder TVs, the mainstream adoption of the Ultra HD standard also means lower prices, even for high-performance models. In fact, you can now get your hands on a TV with support for advanced techniques, like HDR, without spending an absolute fortune. Widely considered the best 4K option on the market, the LG C1 is the latest in LG's line of premium 4K OLED TVs, but there are also lots of other great options.
TVs range in size from 42 inches all the way to 88 inches. They all have the same number of pixels, so as a TV gets larger, it will be easier to see pixelation when up close. Most people sit roughly 6-8 feet away while watching TV, which is why 55-inch and 65-inch TVs are the most popular by far. It's OK to err somewhat on the side of a larger 4K smart TV, as you still won't be able to pick out individual pixels with the naked eye if you're sitting 7 feet away from a 72-inch screen. At a certain point, though, too large of a TV will make it hard to pay attention to the entire screen at once, making it difficult to enjoy most content.
Different 4K smart TVs TVs excel when watching various kinds of content. Movies, for example, benefit from HDR as there are simply most movies rather than TV shows encoded with HDR formatting. Sitcoms or dramas tend to look better on IPS panels because they have significantly wider viewing angles than more common VA panels. While sporting events also tend to benefit from wide viewing angles, courts and fields of consistent colors can fall victim to inconsistent grays and colors, which can be distracting in the middle of a game. Finally, if you plan on gaming on your new TV, there's a host of other features to look for.
On its most basic level, the contrast ratio is the measured difference between two on-screen colors. In real-world terms, a high contrast ratio lets a 4K smart TV display the boldest parts of a scene accurately while maintaining deep, consistent black and gray levels throughout the frame. It's one of the most worthwhile features to keep your eye on when selecting a TV.
The volume of colors that a display can produce is called the gamut, and it's an important aspect to consider on both entry-level and high-end 4K smart TVs. Not only does a wide color gamut make the content look bolder, but it's also an absolute must-have if you plan on taking advantage of HDR content.
A 60-hertz panel updates the image on screen 60 times per second, and a 120Hz panel does so 120 times per second. For years, 60Hz was the only refresh rate available for 4K smart TVs, but with the advent of HDMI 2.1, that's finally changing. While it's true that most recorded content won't directly benefit from this upgrade, there are indirect benefits. Movies, which are still recorded at 24 FPS, play more smoothly on a 120Hz panel than a 60Hz panel, for example.
Also known as motion smoothing and proprietary names like Samsung's Auto Motion Plus, frame interpolation is a method modern 4K smart TVs use to essentially estimate what's going to come in between two frames of video data and simulate the in-between frame. Almost all 4K smart TVs have this. This helps eliminate the "soap opera effect," which is when shows are recorded at a very high frame rate and appear unnaturally smooth.
Now that the latest consoles support 4K output at 120Hz, gamers can finally take full advantage of high-end 4K smart TVs. Those same high-end TVs are also increasingly equipped with premium gaming features, like auto low latency mode, which detects when you're using a game system and enters into a gaming mode with low input lag. Even more important is having a variable refresh rate, which lets the TV match its refresh rate to the frame rate output of the gaming console. This eliminates screen tearing and stuttering you'd otherwise see when the frame rate and refresh rate don't match.
You can spend as little as $300 on a basic 4K TV, while the biggest premium models can easily approach several thousand dollars. However, you can still find good TVs for under $500 and between $500-$1000. 4K OLED TVs tend to be more expensive as well. For what's realistically the best image quality on a set as large as 82 inches though, look to spend in the neighborhood of $4,000-$5,000.
A. When someone says a TV is "4K," they're talking about the resolution — how clear the picture is going to be on the TV. TVs with 4K resolution have 3,840 horizontal pixels and 2,160 vertical pixels, adding up to around 8.3 million pixels. When it comes to resolution, the more pixels there are, the clearer the picture looks on the TV. The "K" in 4K stands for the Greek root "kilo," which means "thousand" (like in "kilogram"). Because the horizontal resolution (3,840 pixels) equates to roughly 4,000 pixels total, it's abbreviated to "4K."
A. Yes! HD TVs, like those labeled "1080p," have less digital information presented on your screen than 4K ones. The more digital information that's on the screen, the higher the resolution. When you switch to a 4K smart TV from a 1080p HD TV, the new TV presents almost four times the amount of digital information to your screen as the old one.
A. When it comes to buying these types of TVs, bigger brand names tend to have TVs of higher quality. This includes brands like Samsung, LG and TCL. All of these brands are well-known in the 4K smart TV industry for manufacturing high-quality products that last a long time.
A. That depends. A couple of the top-rated TVs on the market use OLED technology. Across the board, 4K OLED TVs are significantly more expensive than all but the top-of-the-line LCD models. Also, because all 4K OLED TV panels are manufactured by LG Display, there isn't a lot of difference in the performance of various 4K OLED TVs. You'll see diminishing returns as you consider more exorbitant 4K OLED models. However, every 4K OLED TV currently available is pretty much guaranteed to be a premium TV set.
A. Maybe. HDMI 2.1 is a relatively recent standard that adds a few important features, like an enhanced audio return channel, making it significantly easier to wire a surround sound setup. Probably the most important part of the HDMI 2.1 standard is the increased bandwidth, allowing for a 4K image at 120Hz. If there's a chance you'll invest in the latest-generation gaming console, then HDMI 2.1 is the kind of future-proof feature you may want to consider.
Samsung 55-inch Class Crystal 4K UHD AU8000 Series
What you need to know: This user-friendly TV provides a stunning picture at an amazing price.
What you'll love: You'll enjoy realistic colors on this TV with Samsung's Dynamic Crystal technology. It's also got a wide range of HDR brightness and contrast to enhance the picture. The Motion Xcelerator technology also minimizes blur. It includes several smart apps and three built-in voice assistants to help you navigate your TV easily.
What you should consider: Some customers were unimpressed by the sound quality of the speakers. If you want better sound, you might want to buy a soundbar along with this TV.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
TCL 50-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Smart Google TV 50S446 (2022 Model)
What you need to know: This budget TV is extremely user-friendly with a straightforward layout and Google Assistant included.
What you'll love: The TV includes a "watch list" menu where you can pin all the things you want to watch from various apps in one place. It also has a wide color range and great HDR for the price. It includes Chromecast integration so you can stream content easily from your mobile devices.
What you should consider: You'll need to have a Google account to make this TV work. Some customers did not like the Google operating system and thought it was a bit difficult to use.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: Once known mostly for its user-friendly Roku operating system, TCL's line of 4K TVs has expanded to include premium image quality at a low price.
What you'll love: This is a budget-friendly TV with impressive performance. It's among the rare TVs in its price range with both local dimming and quantum dot technology, which combine to deliver a great HDR experience.
What you should consider: It doesn't offer a variable refresh rate, and it's limited to a 60Hz output, so it's not optimal for those who have already invested in the latest gaming hardware.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Amazon Fire TV 65-inch Omni Series 4K UHD smart TV with Dolby Vision
What you need to know: With the Dolby Vision picture quality at such an affordable price, this smart TV is definitely worth buying.
What you'll love: You can operate this TV hands-free with integrated Alexa voice assistant capability. It has several popular streaming apps and three HDMI ports for convenience. The Enhanced Dolby Vision technology provides a stunning 4K picture.
What you should consider: Some people had issues using the Alexa assistant.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: The top choice among experts and movie buffs alike, this high-performance 4K OLED TV packs tons of features and a nearly perfect picture.
What you'll love: The technology driving this 4K OLED TV uses self-illuminated pixels, which means there's no color washout when viewed from an angle, blacks look perfectly black instead of gray and there's no light bleed or blooming like you'll find on many LCD TVs. Its 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 compatibility make it an ideal HDR-capable display for the latest gaming consoles.
What you should consider: It's quite expensive, and if you want it to remain in absolutely perfect condition for many years, you might have to take some extra precautions when using it for gaming to avoid long-term burn-in. Most users, however, shouldn't have to worry about burn-in.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: Essentially in the middle of Samsung's 4K lineup, the Q80B combines some of their high-end features with a midrange price.
What you'll love: The quantum dot filtration that Samsung popularized is on full display here, delivering an impressive color gamut that makes movies and games look great. It's also equipped with the most useful gaming features like a variable refresh rate. It also offers direct full-array backlighting, which lets the screen dim and brighten different sections to bring out highlights in HDR content.
What you should consider: Like most TVs that have VA panels, its viewing angles are relatively narrow. Plus, while it's not Samsung's top-of-the-line model, it's not exactly cheap.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
