Best TVs of 2026: Expert Tested and Reviewed

So you want a new TV? Whether you want a screen for sports, gaming or streaming shows and movies, there’s a TV here to meet your needs. I’ve reviewed most of the current TVs head-to-head in a dedicated lab to help you find the TV that offers the best picture quality, the right size for your room, and, most of all, the best price.

Though I have reviewed many 2026 TVs, including the Samsung S95H and full review of the LG G6 OLED here, much of this list is from 2025 or even earlier. This is because TVs are a stable technology, and year-to-year improvements are usually minor, which means you can buy a TV similar to a current model for a fraction of the price. 

The TVs on this list are the best models you can currently buy, from high-end QLED and OLED TVs to midrange mini-LED TVs and cheap 4K smart TVs. CNET has awarded one of these TVs, the LG G5, as the winner of the first Labs Award for Best Color Accuracy, while the TCL QM9K is the brightest screen I’ve tested.

What we updated: July 2026

Added TCL QM8L and added QM8K to also tested list. Updated tables and all pricing.

These are the best TVs for 2026

Other TVs I’ve tested

LG G6 OLED: Not quite as good as the G5 in some respects, and certainly more expensive, but it is preferable to the older model if you want to watch TV in a lit room — its antireflective layer is great. Read my review of the 2026 LG G6.

TCL QM8KLast year’s TCL was also at the top of CNET’s list of the best TVs for the past few years, and it’s still a great television. It’s available for much less than the current QM8L and is almost as good, making it a bargain. Read my review of the TCL QM8K.

Samsung S95H OLED: I had big hopes for the Samsung S95H as it’s able to show static artwork, which is a big no-no for most OLED TVs. The TV is still good, but its color isn’t as accurate as its rival directly above. Read my review of the Samsung S95H.

Hisense U8Q: An excellent TV, the Hisense U8Q goes tit-for-tat against the TCL QM8K and it’s also a lot brighter. Read my review of the Hisense U8QG.

Roku Pro Series: If you want a TV that’s also a Roku, this is the best one yet, though third-party models may give you better picture quality. Read my full review of the Roku Pro Series TV.

LG C5: Like the Samsung S90F, this is an excellent OLED TV for watching TV or playing games. It’s a fine TV, but the S90F is better. Read my review of the LG C5 TV.

How CNET tests TVs

In every CNET TV review, I compare three or more similar TVs side by side in a dedicated, light-controlled test lab. With each review, I employ a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process honed over more than two decades of TV reviews. I test TVs with a combination of scientific measurements and real-world evaluations of TV, movies and gaming content.

To evaluate picture quality, I use an AVPro Connect 8×8 4K HDR splitter so each TV receives the same signal. I test the TVs using various lighting conditions, playing different media, including 4K HDR movies and console games, across a variety of test categories, from color to video processing to gaming to HDR.

To measure each TV, I use specialized equipment to grade according to light output and color. My hardware includes a Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer and a Murideo Six-G 4K HDR signal generator. I use Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software to evaluate every TV I review according to its brightness, black levels and color.

To determine a television’s color accuracy, I compare three results in every TV’s Geek Box chart: Avg color error (primary and secondary colors), Avg grayscale error (10 measurements of gray from almost black to white) and Colormatch HDR error (over 20 HDR colors). With these three tests, I can compare almost 50 data points of how each TV’s color output varies against its input. By averaging these values, I can then pick the one with the lowest overall value. In 2026, the Labs Award for Best Color Accuracy belongs to the LG G5 OLED.

My reviews also account for such things as features, design, smart TV performance, connectivity including HDMI inputs and gaming compatibility.

Check out How CNET Tests TVs for more details.

Factors to consider when choosing a TV

With all of the TVs available today, and all of the technical terms and jargon associated with television technology, it can be tough to figure out what’s important. Here’s a quick guide to help cut through the confusion.

Picture quality: Broadly speaking, the type of display technology helps dictate how good a TV’s picture quality is, but OLED is typically the best display technology, and this is followed by LCD (including QLED, and Mini LED). OLED tends to have the best picture quality because it doesn’t need a backlight, and every pixel can be either on or off, leading to great black levels. In comparison, each LED in a backlight looks after multiple pixels at a time, so it isn’t as precise — it’s not yet 1:1. Among midrange models, look for a feature including full-array local dimming, mini-LED and 120Hz refresh rate, which (unlike some other extras) do help improve the picture in my experience. Additionally, if a TV uses Quantum Dots, it often leads to better color performance, whether it’s an OLED or an LCD.

Screen size: Bigger is better in my book. I recommend a size of at least 43 inches for a bedroom TV and at least 55 inches for a living room or main TV — and 65 inches or larger is best. More than any “feature,” stepping up to a larger TV screen size is the best use of your money. One of the most common post-TV-purchase complaints I’ve heard is from people who didn’t go big enough. And I rarely hear people complain that their TV is too large. It’s worth adding that while TVs can get really big indeed, 4K resolution is sufficient for even the biggest models, and CNET doesn’t recommend any 8K TVs as they represent a poor comparative value.

Price: TVs range in price from $100 to more than $2,000. Smaller screens are cheaper, well-known brands are more expensive and spending more money can also get you better image quality. Most entry-level TVs have a good enough picture for most people, but TVs last a long time, so it might be worth spending more to get a better picture. It’s also best to shop for a TV in the fall when prices are lower.

Sound quality: Every TV has some sort of built-in speaker, but in my twenty years of reviewing AV equipment the sound of modern TVs has been routinely terrible. While I do test the audio on each model, if you are serious about sound quality, buying a separate soundbar (from $100) or a home theater system will instantly improve key aspects such as speech and bass reproduction.

Smart TV: Among entry-level TVs the most important feature is what kind of smart TV system the TV uses, and while some are proprietary to each brand (Samsung and LG) some models do offer Roku and Google TV.

For more TV buying advice check out How to Buy a TV.

TV brightness according to CNET’s testing

One important aspect of image quality I test is overall brightness using the CS-2000 spectroradiometer. Here’s how brightness compares in nits across select TVs listed above. Read TVs Are Getting Uncomfortably Bright, and This is Why for more information on how the most recent models fared.

FAQs on the best TVs of 2026