4K TVs are more affordable now than ever before, but which model should you buy? Whether you want a set for gaming, movie watching, or just a good all-rounder, we have some recommendations to eliminate the guesswork.

UPDATE: 02/05/2024

We've reviewed our recommendations and updated our pick for the best 4K TV for movies.

What to Look For With a 4K TV

When it comes to enjoying 4K content, the television must be up to the task. Ideally, your TV will be viewable from just about any angle and offer great contrast. You want the blacks to be deep and rich without losing clarity of important details in a dark-lit scene.

Some of the best TV models use full-array local dimming to dim parts of the screen that are supposed to be dark. This can vastly improve the contrast ratio, giving you a vivid, color-rich picture.

An excellent 4K TV will also provide a fast response time, so you don't see lag or stuttering in your video. It will also offer you enough HDMI and USB ports to plug in your cable or satellite box, gaming console, and whatever other media devices you might want to enjoy. The "top of the line" models will provide the latest HDMI 2.1 ports, along with 120Hz refresh rate.

In our guide to choosing the best TV overall, we explain two leading display technologies available. Many models, especially budget TVs, use LED-lit LCD TVs. These can provide an excellent picture but suffer from contrast issues if they don't use the latest technology.

Then there are self-emissive OLED displays, where each pixel creates its own light. An OLED display can "switch off" individual pixels, providing almost infinite contrast ratios but risk burn-in. These different screen types have their benefits and drawbacks. Make sure you fully understand how they differ before you make your purchase.

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Best 4K TV Overall: LG G3

LG OLED Evo G3 TV at CES 2023.
Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek

Pros

Cons

Fantastic picture quality

Expensive

High peak brightness

No tabletop stand in the box

Dolby Vision support

Advanced gaming features

LG's 4K OLED TV—the G3—is the best TV you can buy in 2023. Like all OLED TV models, it can deliver inky blacks, wide viewing angles, and stunning visuals. But thanks to LG's use of a Micro Lens Array, the G3 can also get significantly brighter than the company's older OLED TVs. This makes the G3 an excellent option for not just dark room viewing but also bright rooms.

Beyond the impressive picture quality, the LG G3 also comes with Dolby Vision and Atmos support and can send Dolby and DTS audio to a connected soundbar via the eARC port.

Its gaming features are also among the best on the market. You get a 120Hz refresh rate, four HDMI 2.1 ports to connect your gaming consoles or PC, low input lag, and a fast response time. The TV supports Nvidia G-Sync, AMD FreeSync, and HDMI Forum VRR for virtually tear-free gaming.

Plus, the TV has a sleek design and is meant to be mounted on a wall. The company even supplies a low-profile mount in the box. But unfortunately, you don't get a tabletop stand. Also, you'll need to pay for all of these features, as LG's flagship television is not cheap.

But it's hard to go wrong with the G3 if you have the budget. You can buy it in 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch, and 83-inch sizes.

lg-g3-small-1
LG G3
Best 4K TV Overall

LG's OLED TVs have consistently ranked among the best TVs, and 2023's G3 is no exception. It's a phenomenal 4K TV with stunning visuals, all the gaming features you may need, and a beautiful design.

Best Budget 4K TV: Hisense U6H

hisense u6k
Hisense

Pros

Cons

Good picture quality

Doesn't get very bright

Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive support

Limited to 60Hz refresh rate

VRR and ALLM

Although a budget model, the Hisense U6K packs many features limited to high-end models just a couple of years ago. As a result, you get more than a bang for your buck.

One of the biggest upgrades in the U6K over the previous generations is the inclusion of Mini-LED backlighting, which allows the TV to deliver a much better local dimming performance. So the TV produces better blacks and has an improved contrast ratio. Combined with the quantum dot technology, this results in excellent picture quality with lifelike visuals.

One improvement that we would have liked to see as a result of the Mini-LED backlighting is higher peak brightness. Unfortunately, the TV tops out at around 600 nits, which isn't shabby for a budget TV, but still not outstanding.

Among other highlights, the TV supports Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, and HDR10. So this set will have no trouble decoding all types of HDR content.

The U6K is also a decent option for casual gaming. But there are no advanced features, so you are stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate. That said, Hisense has included VRR support to remove some screen tearing from games.

Lastly, Google TV handles software duties, giving you access to all your streaming services and Google Assistant.

hisense-u6k-small-1
Hisense U6K Series
Best Budget 4K TV
$398 $580 Save $182

The U6K from Hisense is an excellent value for money. It runs on the Google TV platform and packs Mini-LED and quantum dot technologies.

Best 4K TV for Gaming: LG C3

lg c3
LG

Pros

Cons

120Hz refresh rate and support for VRR

Not the brightest OLED TV

Four HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K 120fps gaming

Impressive visual performance

Dolby Vision support

The LG C3 is an excellent 4K TV that gamers will love. It has all the gaming-related features in our best overall pick but at a significantly lower price. For example, the C3 sports a 120Hz OLED evo panel and supports all popular VRR technologies, including NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync. Moreover, its Low Framerate Compensation (LFC) feature can remove screen tearing even at very low frame rates.

The LG C-series TV also has a low input lag in Game Mode, which automatically gets activated when you start playing a game, thanks to the Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) feature.

Among other highlights, you get four HDMI 2.1 ports. So you won't have to struggle with ports even if you own both Microsoft and Sony consoles and a high-end gaming PC.

Besides its impressive gaming chops, the LG C3 produces fantastic visuals and supports Dolby Vision. The TV runs on webOS, which supports user profiles and has apps for all popular streaming services and NVIDIA's GeForce Now cloud gaming service.

But it lacks LG G3's MLA technology, so it doesn't get as bright. That said, even at its sub-1K nits peak brightness, it can deliver a good HDR experience.

You can buy the LG C3 in 42-inch, 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch, and 83-inch sizes.

lg-c3-small-1
LG C3 OLED
Best 4K TV for Gaming
$1297 $1800 Save $503

The LG C3 shines as a 4K gaming TV. It is chockful of advanced gaming features, including a 120Hz panel, VRR support, and HDMI 2.1 ports. It also comes in several sizes.

Best 4K TV for Movies: Sony A95L

sony a95l
Sony

Pros

Cons

Fantastic picture quality and color accuracy

Expensive

Impressive picture processing

Minor bugs in Dolby Vision implementation

Solid onboard audio

If you are looking for a 4K TV that delivers the best movie-watching experience, there is no better option than the Sony A95L. This QD-OLED TV from the Japanese tech giant produces some of the best visuals you will get on any television on the market, thanks to its inky blacks, high peak brightness, and incredible color accuracy. The A95L also offers complete coverage of the DCI-P3 color space.

Plus, you get Sony’s impressive processing, which is arguably the best in the industry. So, whether you are watching a low-bitrate compressed stream from Netflix or a UHD Blu-ray, you get excellent clarity and realism.

Dolby Vision HDR support is available. But you may have to deal with some minor bugs, such as slowing down the user interface for 10 to 15 seconds and occasionally brighter shadow details while enjoying content in Dolby Vision.

The A95L also excels on the audio front, something that’s not the case for most other televisions. So, whether or not you pair it with a soundbar, you will get pretty great audio. Moreover, there is Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support.

As a movie enthusiast, you will be happy to know that Sony TV can efficiently remove judder from all sources and packs an ATSC 3.0 tuner for 4K broadcasts in supported regions.

On the software front, Google TV works flawlessly, and you have access to all popular streaming apps and Google Assistant for hands-free voice control.

Finally, the television has a beautiful design and solid build quality. You can buy the Sony A95L in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 77-inch models.

sony a95l
Sony A95L
Best 4K TV for Movies

The Sony A95L delivers a fantastic movie-watching experience with its top-notch picture quality, HDR support, and best processing in the business.

Best 75-Inch 4K TV: LG G3

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

Pros

Cons

Impressive picture quality

No HDR10+

Dolby Vision support

Expensive

Four HDMI 2.1 ports, 120Hz refresh rate

Besides being our pick for the best 4K TV overall, the LG G3 is your best bet for a TV of around 75 inches. While it doesn't come in at exactly 75 inches, you can get a 77-inch model of the G3. It has all the features you may want from a high-caliber television with tons of features.

Thanks to its OLED evo panel and the Micro Lens Array technology, it produces vibrant pictures, and everything you watch pops off the screen. You also get high peak brightness, resulting in superior HDR performance, as the TV can accurately represent the highlights in high dynamic range content. Speaking of HDR, there is support for Dolby Vision and HDR10. While you miss out on HDR10+, only some content is graded for it.

The LG G3 looks fantastic thanks to its Gallery design, which is meant to be hung on a wall. The company also ships a slim mount in the box to make the TV sit flush with the wall. Plus, there are skinny bezels, and the build quality is excellent.

In other features, gamers will be happy with the G3 as it supports 4K 120fps gaming, and there are four HDMI 2.1 ports to connect all your gaming consoles and PC. The TV also includes support for VRR and ALLM. Moreover, it has a low input lag and fast response time.

lg-g3-small-1
LG G3
Best 75-Inch 4K TV
$3497 $4197 Save $700

If you want a 75-inch TV, there is no better option than the LG G3. It has a sleek design, spectacular picture quality, and advanced gaming features.

FAQ

What does 4K mean?

4K refers to the horizontal resolution of a display, and it's approximately 4,000 pixels. "K" in 4K stands for "kilo" (thousand). TVs featuring a 4K display are known as 4K TVs.

How many pixels are in a 4K TV?

4K TVs have a resolution of 3840 x 2160, which is 82,94,400 pixels. It's exactly four times the pixel count of full-HD TVs (1920 x 1080).

How do you clean a 4K TV?

You can clean your 4K TV with a microfiber cloth. Unfortunately, any abrasive materials or alcohol-based cleaner can damage the coating on the TV screen. But you can spray a little distilled water on the microfiber cloth for help if you encounter smudges or tough stains.

Do you need a 4K TV for a PS5 or Xbox Series X?

Although you don't necessarily need a 4K TV to use a PS5 or Xbox Series X console, a 4K TV will allow you to enjoy video games in much crisper detail.

How can I tell if my TV is 4K?

You can check the TV manual or original packaging, which will mention if your TV is 4K. But if you cannot find both, you can look up the model number on the internet. The model number is typically mentioned on a sticker on the back of your TV.