Best 4K TV 2023: top OLED and LED screens for every budget – reviewed

Forget going out – the best 4K TVs can bring the home theater experience right to your living room. Keen for a private viewing? Save the money you’d spend on multiplex tickets and stick it into a new TV. Even with limited cash to spend, you can treat your peepers to an entertainment upgrade.

And if you’ve got a blockbuster budget, there’s no shortage of classy gear to transform your movie room. Need help picking the right panel for your pad? We’ve tested a battalion of big-screen TVs to bring you the best 4K TVs fit for every budget (need a soundbar too?)

Before we dive into the list though, it’s also worth mentioning that there are a plethora of unreleased TVs that were launched at CES 2023 that have yet to hit shelves. These include LG’s gigantic 97in OLED TV M3 (complete with a wireless Zero Connect box for cable-free connections), and Panasonic’s super-bright MZ2000 OLED.

In fact, brighter OLED TVs were somewhat of a CES 2023 tech trend, with Samsung revealing a plethora of shiny new TVs, including an ultra-large 77in OLED model. Oh, and let’s not forget Displace’s crazy, completely wireless, battery-powered TV that has built-in vacuum-powered suction pads to stick to walls and other vertical surfaces without mounts.

Keep an eye out for future reviews of all of the above, as we’ll be updating the below list accordingly. And with all that said, it’s time to meet the best 4K TVs for 2023:

The best 4K TVs for budget buyers

Hisense A7200G

Further proof that Hisense is serious about making serious TVs for not-at-all serious money, the 50in version of the Roku TV is yours for a bargain price. Yet, apart from the thickness of its chassis, there’s really little about the screen that gives the bargain game away.

No, you don’t get dynamic metadata and no, it doesn’t sound very good. It also struggles to upscale low-spec content. But its native 4K pictures look clean and detailed, while its Roku interface is a better operating system than the software you’ll find on several ‘premium’ screens.

It’s not perfect and there are better options for more money – but there’s nothing nearly as good in this price bracket. The Hisense A7200G is a bona fide 4K bargain.

Stuff Says…

Not perfect – but a perfectly good way to get a biggish screen at a little price

Tech spec:

Display: 50in 3840×2160 DLED • Supported formats: HLG, HDR10 • UI: Roku • Connectivity: 3x HDMI, USB, Ethernet, optical, Wi-Fi

• Read our full Hisense A7200G review here

Samsung UE43AU71000

When we go shopping for a new TV, few of us are looking for a flagship model. Buying an entry-level box? Samsung’s AU7100 doesn’t require you to make too many sacrifices.

With detailed, vibrant images, a solid build and a slick interface, the AU7100 represents excellent value – especially if you opt for the 43in version. Its materials might not be the most indulgent, but the AU7100 is flawlessly finished and built to last.

Front and centre is an LCD/LED panel with edge-positioned backlighting. It works best with native 4K content, serving up detailed, realistic images with nuanced tones – especially when there’s HDR10+ dynamic metadata involved. Motion is handled confidently, too. Things only really deteriorate when you drop below 1080p.

Sound from the 20W drivers is better than you might expect, although there’s no low-end punch. As long as you don’t watch lots of vintage content – and you’re not expecting the quality of the audio to match the quality of the pictures – this is one of the best ‘real world’ TVs around.

• Read our full Samsung UE43AU71000 review here

Samsung 50AU9000

Samsung’s AU9000 is available in 43in, 50in, 55in, 65in and 75in sizes, so you should be able to find one to fit your living room. Whichever dimension you go for, you’ll be buying a TV with cracking specs for the cash – including HDR10+, some HDMI 2.1 compatibility for high frame rate gaming, a class-leading Tizen interface and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity

You also get a telly that’s made from high-quality materials and clearly built to last. Samsung certainly doesn’t make you feel like a penny-pincher for not choosing one of its flagships.

In every significant respect, the AU9000 knocks it out of the park, wildly outperforming its price tag. It handles motion calmly, has an apparently limitless colour palette, includes plenty of detail in even the darkest images, and is bright enough to create wide contrasts. Just ignore its feeble sound and budget for a soundbar. One of the best 4K TVs for the price, the Samsung 50AU9000 is a genuine steal.

Stuff Says…

A big chunk of flagship performance at a fraction of a flagship price

Tech spec:

Display: 50in 3840×2160 LED • Supported formats: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ • UI: Tizen • Connectivity: 3x HDMI, 2x USB, Ethernet, optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

• Read our full Samsung 50AU9000 review here

The best 4K TVs for mid-range money

Philips 55OLED807

Philips has established itself as a hero of the 4K TV sweet spot, delivering great sets where affordability meets performance. And the 55OLED807 knocks it out of the park again. Nicely designed and robustly built, it shows no signs of corner cutting. Philips has even added some swivel adjustment for easier positioning.

Its feature set doesn’t come up short, either. The 55OLED807 works with every mainstream HDR standard and offers a stack of inputs, including a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports for next-gen console compatibility. Four-sided Ambilight also remains a perfect complement to pictures. We still found setup menus complex and relentless in testing, but the remote at least made it easier to battle through. And the reward is great picture quality in almost every circumstance.

Peak brightness is right up there with the best OLED panels, resulting in incredible contrast, with both white and black tones packed with detail. The colour palette is extensive yet natural, too. Spend time tweaking and you can also achieve smooth, expertly rendered motion. Upscaling is similarly effective and even the 2.1-channel sound system is pretty composed for the set’s size. In short, this is one of the best pound-for-pound TVs around right now.

• Read our full Philips 55OLED807 review here

LG OLED55CX

With big bucks hacked off the original asking price, LG’s brilliant 55CX is now within the reach of those without high-end spending power. Also available in 48in, 65in and 77in versions, the CX uses the same screen tech as the more expensive GX and WX models. The main differences lie in the styling: with a slimline top and thicker base, the whole thing is finished in brushed metal, with a chunky blade-style stand that anchors it solidly.

But the only part of the 55CX you’re really likely to look at is the screen, because its 4K HDR picture is absolutely stonking. OLEDs are particularly good at colours and contrast – and this LG is no different. Blacks are deep, detailed and endlessly nuanced, whites are clean and bright, while colours are punchy without being unnatural. Noise is non-existent, and motion is smoother than a lubed-up manatee in a tuxedo.

Its A9 Gen3 processor is no longer the latest, but it still does a great job of controlling the brightness, optimising the audio and upscaling anything that isn’t in 4K. The CX series also has LG’s excellent WebOS interface, which comes with voice control and an intuitive point’n’click remote. There’s little room for a soundbar underneath, but the 40W speakers do a decent job. One of the best 4K TV choices that money can buy.

Stuff Says…

You can get newer tellies, but not much better for this kind of money

Tech spec:

Display: 55in 3840×2160 OLED • Supported formats: HDR10, Dolby Vision IQ, HLG • UI: WebOS • Connectivity: 4x HDMI, 3x USB, Ethernet, optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

• Read our full LG OLED55CX review here

Sony KE-48A9

If you’ve got a bit less space but a bit more money, Sony’s 48in A9 is an understated beaut of a telly. The slenderness of its OLED panel is spoiled somewhat by the bulge that houses all the electronics, but the bezel around its 4K HDR screen remains nice and thin. It’s a blandly handsome set.

Powered by Android TV, it’s packed with apps and functionality, but arguably its greatest party trick is the Acoustic Surface Audio tech, which turns the entire display into a speaker. That doesn’t mean it won’t benefit from a soundbar, but the difference is smaller than usual.

As for picture quality, the Sony is effortlessly impressive. It has those endlessly deep black tones that are the OLED trademark, but freights them with stacks of detail. Its ability to deliver clean, bright whites makes contrasts pop from the screen. The colour palette it draws from is extraordinarily wide and varied, with punch, subtlety and detail available in every shade. This is simply the best little OLED TV you can buy.

Stuff Says…

Sony takes its winning OLED formula and shrinks the screen-size without affecting performance in the slightest

Tech spec:

Display: 48in 3840×2160 OLED • Supported formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision • UI: Google TV • Connectivity: 4x HDMI, 3x USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplay

• Read our full Sony KE-48A9 review here

Panasonic TX-55JZ1000

In the TX-55JZ1000, Panasonic has delivered one of its most competitive TV packages to date. It competes not just on specs and performance, but is also ready to meet its rivals head-on in the price war. Side-on, the chunky lower housing seems dated, measuring in at up to 7cm thick in places. But what’s not in doubt is the quality of construction: it’s mostly made of plastic, but still feels solid and robust.

Because it’s a Panasonic, the TX-55JZ1000 covers every HDR standard: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ Adaptive and Dolby Vision are all supported. Connectivity options are similarly extensive, while My Home Screen 6.0 is Panasonic’s slickest interface by some distance (complete with Alexa and Google Assistant support).

Wherever you source your 4K content from, the JZ1000 is admirable in virtually every visual respect: it’s brighter than we’ve come to expect from an OLED, the colour palette is impressively wide, blacks are deep but detailed, while motion is believable. Upscaled 1080p is very watchable, too. The only major compromise? The uninvolved sound produced by its 30W speakers.

• Read our full Panasonic TX-55JZ1000 review here

Sony XR-55A90J

Throwing money at something isn’t always a solution. But in the case of the Sony XR-55A90J OLED, it very much is. Yes, it’s super expensive for a 55in television, but it’s also worth every penny. There’s a lot of cutting-edge tech here: the super-fast and deeply intelligent XR processor is present, with Acoustic Surface Audio+ trickery. Google TV has replaced Android TV, which is a major upgrade. Sony’s exclusive Bravia Core streaming service is included, too.

Performance, as the price demands, is profoundly impressive. The A90J is very bright by OLED standards, so contrasts absolutely pop from the screen. This TV can call on a seemingly limitless array of colours, and easily describe minute differences in shade and texture. It handles on-screen motion with casual effortlessness and can bring detail and subtlety to inky black tones. Plus it also upscales low- resolution content without having a panic attack.

The A90J’s feet can sit low or stand high enough to fit a soundbar beneath, but Sony is so pleased with its in-built audio that it’s fitted speaker binding posts on the back panel, so the entire screen can be the centre channel in a surround-sound setup.

• Read our full Sony XR-55A90J review here

Philips 65OLED+936

Even with its hefty price tag, the Philips 65OLED+936 overdelivers. If you’re shopping for a box with cutting-edge picture quality, cinematic sound and console gaming smarts, this thing has you covered. Physically, it’s exactly what a big, premium TV should be: well-made and beautifully finished, with supernaturally slim bezels. The aesthetics are matched by a comprehensive feature count, covering every worthwhile HDR standard and unlocking clever console features with full-fat 2.1-compliance on two of its four HDMI ports.

It also deploys an intimidating number of processing engines and algorithms to bring you the most realistic, vibrant and convincing pictures possible – from brightness adjusted by ‘Ambient Intelligence’ to sharpness tuned by ‘Perfect Natural Reality’. And it wouldn’t be a Philips TV without Ambilight, which exists on all four sides of the chassis to serve up a hugely immersive viewing experience.

Colours, motion, detail, contrast: whatever you watch on the OLED+936, picture quality is easily a match for any comparably priced alternative. But that alone doesn’t set the OLED+936 especially far apart from its rivals. It’s the integrated Bowers & Wilkins audio system that truly makes it a compelling proposition: this is the best-sounding 4K TV you can buy.

• Read our full Philips 65OLED+936 review here

Sony XR-55A95K

First out of the blocks with a QD-OLED telly, Sony’s A95K promises to combine the advantages of OLED – deep blacks and vivid colours – with the brightness of LCD. In practice, it’s one of the best out-of-the-box TVs you can buy.

All-screen from the front, build quality is everything you’d expect from a premium Sony product. Read: basically flawless. Its feature set is similarly superlative, with two out of four HDMI inputs supporting 4K at 120Hz. Less useful is the Bravia Cam, which attaches magnetically to the top. It will one day adjust settings based on ambient conditions, but for now it’s a glorified webcam.

Like all of Sony’s OLED TVs, the A95K’s screen itself acts as a speaker, reinforced by a couple of rear-firing subs. When it comes to fidelity, detail and outright punch, it can sonically match any TV without a separate speaker bar.

Star of the show, though, is the picture. While it isn’t startlingly brighter than the best non-QD OLEDs, the A95K can generate the most convincing and nuanced brightness of any OLED currently available. Detail is high across the board, colour fidelity is effortlessly natural and depth of field is almost three-dimensional, given the right material. All of which means the A95K is as enjoyable as 4K televisions get right now.

• Read our full Sony XR-55A95K review here

The best 4K TVs for big spenders

Philips 65OLED+986

It takes an eternity to configure, but this top-end Philips set is worth the wait. Topped by a 65in panel with barely-there bezels, it also benefits from a sizeable Bowers & Wilkins sound system beneath the screen. Constructed without compromise, the whole package feels tactile and truly premium, as you’d expect for one of the best 4K TV options.

Because it’s a Philips, the 986 is compatible with every worthwhile HDR standard. Two of its four HDMI inputs are 2.1 spec for zippy gaming frame rates, although the twin-chip processor prioritises movie pictures over console performance.

It’s capable of remarkably lifelike, vibrant and engrossing images, but only after you grapple with its endless setup menus. Take the time to tinker and you’ll find there’s no aspect of picture-making it can’t master. The colour palette is broad and naturalistic, detail levels are staggeringly high, motion control is absolute, and edge definition is smooth and believable.

And your ears won’t be disappointed either: the Bowers & Wilkins audio system is the best a television was ever fitted with. The unit houses three mid/bass drivers and two tweeters, with a third tweeter on top. All fire forward to create a wide, deep soundstage with dynamism in spades.

Stuff Says…

Your reward for wading through endless setup menus? Eye-pleasing pictures, superb build quality and unbeatable sound from the built-in Bowers & Wilkins system

Tech spec:

Display: 65in 3840×2160 OLED • Supported formats: HDR10+, Dolby Vision • UI: Android TV • Connectivity: 4x HDMI, 3x USB, Ethernet, optical, CI+, line out, satellite, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

• Read our full Philips 65OLED+986 review here

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LG G2 77in OLED

LG’s long been an OLED pioneer and the G2 is a top-spec telly to cement its reputation. With an upgraded panel, brand-spanking processor and improved heat dissipation, it promises brightness to rival the best LCDs.

LG calls the G2 its “Gallery Edition” for good reason: it’s designed to be wall-mounted. And in 77in guise, it does plenty to justify the framing, as well as the Picasso price tag. Hues are vivd, yet colour accuracy is second to none. Blacks are as inky as you’d expect, while its OLED evo panel is dazzlingly bright. Image clarity is similarly excellent, with clever AI upscaling to make older content look good in 4K. All of which combines to produce a masterpiece and definitely one of the best 4K TV options around.

Besides the occasional bug, LG’s updated webOS interface remains intuitive and clutter-free. A new gaming menu lets you tweak refresh rates, with all four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K at 120fps. The G2’s down-firing speakers also pull off a convincing Atmos experience, simulating virtual surround with decent punch – which you can’t say of many integrated TV speakers.

Stuff Says…

Picture-perfect quality in a properly premium TV package, the G2 is one of the best and brightest OLED tellies on the market

Tech spec:

Display: 76.7in 3840 x 2160 OLED • Supported formats: HDR 10, HLG, Dolby Vision • webOS • Connectivity: 4x HDMI, 3x USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Chromecast

• Read our full LG G2 77in OLED review here

Samsung 75Q950TS

Investing in a set with more than 33 million pixels is one way to future-proof your home theater room. Sure, there’s hardly any native 8K content to watch at the moment, but the Samsung Q950TS will be ready when it comes.

Why buy it now? For starters, it’s a work of art. Cables are housed in a separate One Connect box, meaning the set itself is wafer-thin – despite shipping in whopping 65in, 75in and 85in sizes. The bezels are tiny, too.

But it’s the QLED screen that makes the magic. Although the Q950TS will spend 99.9% of its time using AI guesswork to upscale 4K content, the results are dazzling. It makes Ultra HD sources look better than most 4K televisions do, with an amazingly wide colour palette and formidable contrast. White tones stay clean, bright and meticulous, thanks in part to the 480 lighting/dimming zones behind those pixels. And it’s got a vice-like grip on movement.

Obviously the Q950TS does its best work when you give it top-notch source material, but even basic HD pictures are impressive, despite an inevitable drop-off in detail. We didn’t sully it with anything in standard def – and if you’re willing to spend this much on a telly, presumably you won’t either.

Stuff Says…

Definitely one for the future, but it’s also mind-blowing in the present

Tech spec:

Display: 75in 7680×4320 QLED • Supported formats: HDR10+, HLG • UI: Tizen • Connectivity: 4x HDMI, 3x USB, Ethernet, optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

• Read our full Samsung 75Q950TS review here