The 8 Best Smart TVs of 2023 for the Ultimate Viewing Experience

Editor’s Note: At CES 2023, Hisense announced this TV’s eventual successor, the Hisense U8K, which will feature a low-reflecting, anti-glare screen, a built-in 2.1.2 audio system, and double the local dimming zones as the current model. Pricing and availability for the U8K have not been announced yet. If you’re in the market for a new TV now, the U8H is still an outstanding TV.

If you want a high-performance smart TV but don’t want to pay the price for a high-end model, the Hisense U8H smart TV is the model to buy.

What we love about the TV is how versatile it is. Want to watch a movie? It’ll look astonishing. Looking for something with a wide selection of gaming features like HDMI 2.1 and support for FreeSync variable refresh rate? This TV has ’em. Want a TV that just looks great right out of the box and is easy to use? The U8H has your back. And thanks to the U8H’s impressive peak brightness, it doesn’t suffer from glare in bright rooms, either.

The U8H has received high marks across the board from audio and video experts, too. In his video review of the U8, Caleb Denison, Digital Trends’ editor at large, said for the price, the TV is astonishing. “Considering what you get for what you pay, it is mind-blowing. It offers very good performance, and it’s just incredible what you get for the money.”

The bottom line is this: It’s just an excellent TV all around, and since it’s more affordable than the competition, shopping for one should practically be a no-brainer.

Editor’s Note: At CES 2023, TCL announced the company is changing its naming scheme. The 6 Series’ likely successor will be called the Q Series, which includes the Q6, Q7, and Q8M models. Pricing and availability for these models have not been announced yet. If you’re in the market for a new TV now, the 6-Series is still an excellent buy and is widely available.

The TCL 6-Series and Hisense come this close 🤏 when you compare their picture quality, feature set, design, and overall user experience — but the Hisense has an edge, but only by a small margin.

With the Hisense, you get a brighter image with better color accuracy and contrast. Not only that, the TV provides users with a more robust sound. What makes the 6 Series stand out, though, is its faster 144Hz refresh rate. The TV delivers a highly immersive and robust gaming experience in HDR.

Not only that, it supports 4K gaming at 120Hz and is equipped with the proper HDMI 2.1 ports so you can have two next-generation consoles plugged in simultaneously for peak performance.

We also like that the TV runs Roku. The Hisense U8H, on the other hand, is powered by Google TV, which is laden with ads. Roku’s platform is easier to use and doesn’t have as many obtrusive ads. Overall, both TVs deliver above-average performance at a price point you simply can’t beat.

Editor’s Note: At CES 2023, TCL announced the company is changing its naming scheme. The 5 Series’ likely successor will be called the S Series, which includes the S2, S3, and S4 models. Pricing and availability for these models have not been announced yet. If you’re in the market for a budget-friendly TV now, the 5-Series is still widely available.

This smart TV delivers a phenomenal picture despite its low price tag. It supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, which help the TV produce a bright, lifelike image that's full of color. It also has Dolby Atmos for highly immersive spatial audio. The TCL TV runs Roku. Its remote lets you search for shows or movies with just your voice, and it has hotkeys for all your favorite streaming apps.

The 5-Series’ biggest downside is that it isn't equipped with an HDMI 2.1 port, which is convenient to have if you own a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X console.

It’s also limited to a 60-hertz refresh rate. This means the TV is refreshed 60 times every second. 120 Hz models deliver much smoother motion, which is ideal for watching sports and action movies. Fortunately, the TV has a low refresh rate, meaning overall, it still provides a decent gaming experience.

Despite its minor shortcomings, I think that this TV from TCL is still an excellent value considering its superb picture, a slew of smart features, numerous ports, and ease of use. It looks excellent in bright rooms and even better for your movie nights.

Editor’s Note: At CES 2023, Samsung announced this TV's eventual successor, the Samsung S95C, which packs a brighter screen, a 144Hz frame rate support for gaming, and it will be available in a larger 77-inch configuration. Pricing and availability for the new model have not been announced yet.

Over the last several years, LG’s C-Series televisions have earned their place as the best OLED TVs thanks to their sleek design and industry-leading picture quality. However, there’s a new king in town, and it comes from Samsung.

So, what’s so special about the S95B? This Samsung combines a traditional OLED panel with the brand’s “quantum-dot” QLED backlighting. If that sounds like mumbo jumbo to you, basically, the TV uses a new type of panel that delivers deeper blacks, higher contrast, and improved viewing angles. OLED TVs from a couple of years ago already delivered stunning image quality, and now thanks to the team at Samsung, the performance is somehow astonishingly better.

Lee Neikirk, a senior staff writer who reviews TVs and other AV gear for Wirecutter, said this TV produced was the brightest, most color-rich, and most room-flexible OLED TV his team has ever tested. “Despite being significantly cheaper than competing models, it delivers blue-ribbon picture quality,” he said.

The TV is incredibly bright, so you can comfortably watch it in practically any room without worrying about glare. It also packs four HDMI 2.1 inputs, eARC capabilities, VRR support up to 4K at 120 Hz, and is compatible with HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. Basically, all that means is the TV is futureproofed, works with the latest video game consoles, and will be supported for many years to come. Without an ounce of doubt, the S95B Series has all the chops to be the focal point of your living room.

Editor’s Note: Sony usually debuts its latest BRAVIA TV lineup in Las Vegas at CES each year, but in 2023 the tech giant did not announce any new models. So, if you’re in the market for a new home theater TV, the A95K is a safe bet, and you won’t have to worry about potential buyer’s remorse from missing out on a newer model.

If your top priority is picture quality for watching movies and TV shows in your home theater, the Sony A95K is the best option. Like the Samsung S95B Series we previously mentioned, the Sony is a QD-OLED TV (a TV with an OLED display that incorporates quantum dots) to help it push out impeccable image quality.

If you’re deciding between the Samsung S95B and the Sony A95K, to be perfectly honest, it’s a tough call — because both TVs are absolutely remarkable. Sony’s TV focuses more on accuracy over brightness, meaning images are truer to life and more detailed while the Samsung delivers a brighter picture that’ll work better in well-lit rooms.

If we had to choose, the Sony has a slight edge over the Samsung for a few reasons. For starters, it has a more premium and modern-looking stand, it comes with a backlit remote that feels better in the hand, an easier-to-use operating system, and most importantly, an integrated sound system that we guarantee will sound better than any TV you’ve ever owned.

With all this praise, if you’re wondering why we named the Samsung as our Best OLED TV and not the Sony — well, it all comes down to price. At the time of publishing, the Sony A95K was $1,000 more expensive, making it only
the best choice for home theater enthusiasts or folks with deep pockets.

Our former best overall pick, the Sony X90J (which this model replaced), has since been discontinued. This newer model offers a bright picture, a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner for getting over-the-air 4K broadcasts, and similar image quality specs. Not only that, it packs a bevy of gaming-related features that’ll take your games to the next level.

For starters, the Sony features two HDMI 2.1 inputs which make it fully compatible with the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 consoles. PlayStation owners can even take advantage of Sony-exclusive features like Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture, which you can learn more about in this informative HDTVTest video.

The TV also supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM). The former matches the TV’s refresh rate to the game console’s rate, and the latter ensures the image remains smooth on-screen even if the frame rate drops.

For those looking for a gaming TV that supports a high frame rate of 120 frames per second, we recommend the LG C2 (or LG G2 if you want the crème de la crème and have the budget for it). It’s an excellent but much more expensive TV with a host of gaming-centric features, including a 120 Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on every one of its HDMI ports (only two out of the four HDMI ports offer this on the Sony), and support for VRR and ALLM.

The TCL 32S334 features a sleek design, a 32-inch 720p display panel, and a built-in Google TV streaming player (If you prefer Roku's platform, you should opt for the similar TCL 32S335 model). Both operating systems easily allow the TV to stream content from popular services such as Amazon, HBO, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and ESPN.

A reviewer at Wirecutter said that the 3-Series is a great all-in-one TV with good picture, sound quality, and better black levels and brightness than the competition.

We previously recommended the 32S327 TV from TCL as our best overall small TV because it offers a more detailed 1080p picture and has three HDMI ports compared to the 3-Series' two. However, that model is from 2019 and lacks useful features like Bluetooth audio support and voice controls, and it doesn't have an Ethernet port.

Related: More Small TV Reviews Here

If you could care less about acronyms like HDR, OLED, and HDMI-ARC and think all TVs look the same, then we urge you to consider buying the Frame from Samsung.

When you're not watching a show or movie, this TV can display hundreds of gorgeous works of art, as well as your personal photos. You'll be blown away at how well the Frame disguises itself and doesn't look like a TV when it sits idle.

Users have the option to change the TV's wood frame to better match their home decor. The Frame also comes bundled with Samsung's brand-new, no-gap wall mount, so it sits flush against your wall.

When it comes to picture quality, the Frame features an ultra-HD 4K resolution and support for HDR. Although the Frame's image quality isn't as impressive as other models in its price bracket, it still is crystal clear and true to life. If you want a unique television that is unlike any other and better blends in with your decor, you can’t go wrong with the Frame.

Related: The Best 75-inch TV Money Can Buy