How to choose the right TV

Nowadays, you won’t want to buy a TV that doesn’t support HDR unless you’re looking for a small, budget-friendly HDTV. Even if you’re on a tight budget, you’ll also want to consider a quantum dot LED TV (also known as a QLED or NeoQLED display) for its brighter, more vivid colors.

Gaming Performance

If you’re going to be gaming on your TV, I recommend paying attention to two factors: refresh rate and input lag. You can often find these specs listed on the product or on the box itself. Most standard TVs have a refresh rate of 60 Hzwhich means the display can natively reach 60 frames per second (fps), or 60 images on the screen per second. However, modern consoles and games can support up to 120 frames per second, or 120 images per second. This offers smoother motion on the screen, making gameplay feel more fluid and responsive. For this reason, the best gaming TVs use a 120 Hz panel.

Input lag is the time it takes for movement on your gamepad or keyboard to be reflected on the screen. The lower, the better. Most TVs have an input lag of around 15 milliseconds (less if the game is running at 1080p and 60 frames per second). LG’s OLED models have surprisingly low input lag times, but this is mostly beneficial for fast-paced games that require quick interactions, such as first-person shooters.

If you’re an avid gamer, you’ll also want to make sure your TV offers advanced gaming features like VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) to sync with a game’s changing refresh rate without “tearing” or feeling laggy, and ALLM (Automatic Low Latency Mode)which automatically optimizes the TV’s input lag when you turn on a modern console or gaming PC. To get those features in high resolution, you’ll need a high-bandwidth HDMI connection, and that means a TV with HDMI 2.1.

The right ports

Most TVs include an optical output for audio, Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, and three or four HDMI ports. As noted above, you should make sure your new TV supports at least one high-bandwidth port. HDMI 2.1 port (or more if you have multiple modern gaming devices), allowing for 4K resolution up to 120Hz for the best gaming performance, among other benefits.

All new TVs feature an HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) port, which lets you easily connect modern soundbars, powered bookshelf speakers, and A/V receivers with an HDMI cable, and even control volume and power from the TV’s remote. Most mid-range or higher-end TVs support the most advanced version of ARC. HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel)With a higher bandwidth, eARC allows a TV to send uncompressed sound formats to a compatible audio device. Essentially, it supports better sound quality to boost the performance of the best soundbars and surround sound systems, but you’ll need a great setup to notice the difference.

I recommend purchasing new high-speed cables if you’re buying a new TV for the first time in a long time, such as the inexpensive Amazon Basics cable linked above. Modern cables support higher data rates than cables from years past, and HDMI cables can wear out over time.

What about TV software?

All major TV brands have a basic smart interface that supports a host of streaming services, including Vizio’s Home Screen, Samsung’s Tizen OS, and LG’s webOS. New Sony TVs, as well as most new Hisense and TCL models, come with Google TV, while Roku TVs come with Roku OS, the streaming brand’s simplified, tile-based interface.

Roku and Google TV are our favorite smart TV interfaces right now, but if you don’t like your TV’s built-in operating system, don’t worry: you can easily add the streaming platform you want for very little money with a simple purchase. Just pick one of our favorite streaming devices, plug it in, and let your preferred smart interface do the heavy lifting.

How much should I expect to pay?

When shopping for a new TV, you’ll see a wide range of prices. Much of this comes down to the features you want. Here’s a basic pricing guide on what you can expect for your money. Be sure to check out our list of the best TVs for model-specific information.

Less than $500

If you just want a TV with a big screen that can stream your favorite shows, this is a good starting point, especially if you’re on a budget. I recommend you avoid TVs that are not manufactured by brands such as Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL, Hisense, Vizio or Roku. Also, avoid spending less than $300 on anythingunless it is smaller than 55 inches.

Between $500 and $1,000

If you’re a TV watcher and want something between 40 and 65 inches, this is a great price category to shop in. Stick with the top brands mentioned above (especially our favorite value-oriented brands like TCL, Hisense, and Roku) and you’ll hardly go wrong. If you want the best from more premium brands like Samsung, LG, and Sony, you’ll probably have to spend more.

More than $1,000

This price range is for TVs that are 65 inches or larger, and/or those with advanced panel technologies, like OLED and QLED/mini-LED. You’ll also typically get high-end processing for improved upscaling, and better hardware like a 120Hz panel for gaming and sports. Move into the $2,000 range and you’ll find top-notch 4K TVs from Samsung, LG, and Sony. Spend more than a few thousand and you can start to expect 8K resolution, though there isn’t a lot of 8K content to watch right now.

Get a sound bar or bookshelf speakers

TV speakers are rubbish. Companies have tried to improve them, but even the best models still sound tinny. Buy a soundbar now. Many modern soundbars come with built-in smart assistants like Google Assistant or Alexa, connect to streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify Connect, and offer advanced sound formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to immerse you in sound. Our guide to the best soundbars has several recommendations in different price ranges.

If you’re more of a music fan and aren’t as interested in surround sound formats, we recommend considering a pair of bookshelf speakers as an alternative to a soundbar. Many of the options in our guide to the best bookshelf speakers come with built-in amplification and advancements like wireless streaming and HDMI ARC, so you don’t need a separate amp – just plug in and go. If you’ve been listening to TV speakers up until now, you won’t believe what you’ve been missing.