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#1 LG OLED48CXPUB
The best 4k TV that we’ve tested is the LG CX. Like any OLED TV, it doesn’t have a backlight as it turns off individual pixels, producing perfect blacks. This is ideal for watching movies in a dark room, and it also has very wide viewing angles, great for when you want to watch TV with the entire family.
It’s an outstanding choice for gaming. It has a near-instant response time, resulting in fast-moving content that has minimal motion blur. It has a 120Hz refresh rate and supports FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology that can match its refresh rate to your game’s frame rate, reducing screen tearing. It has four HDMI 2.1 inputs, making it future-proof, and the built-in operating system is LG’s WebOS, which is easy-to-use, and the app store has a great selection of apps available to download. It has good built-in speakers, so you won’t necessarily need to add a soundbar.
#2 SAMSUNG 49-inch Class QLED Q80T Series – 4K
If you don’t want to worry about the permanent long-term burn-in risk, then check out the Samsung Q80/Q80T QLED. It doesn’t produce perfect blacks like the LG CX OLED, but with its VA panel, it still has a great contrast ratio, great black uniformity, and a decent full-array local dimming feature. It has Samsung’s ‘Ultra Viewing Angle’ that improves the viewing angles, so it’s suggested for fairly wide seating arrangements. It’s one of the best gaming TVs we’ve tested because it has FreeSync support, a 120Hz refresh rate, an excellent response time, and incredibly low input lag. Sadly, it has some uniformity issues, but this may vary between units. It gets bright enough to combat glare or to make highlights pop in HDR, it has outstanding reflection handling, and the out-of-the-box color accuracy is excellent.
If you’re a fan of watching 4k movies in dark rooms and want an infinite contrast ratio with an OLED panel, then you can’t go wrong the LG. However, if you want an LED TV that gets brighter, then check out the Samsung.
#3 Sony X900H
The Sony X900H is an excellent choice for next-gen gaming, with four HDMI 2.1 ports suitable for gaming at 4K 120Hz on the PS5, Xbox Series X and next-gen PC graphics cards. It’s also Sony’s official ‘Ready for PlayStation 5’ TV; you’ll even be able to control the PS5 using the TV’s remote (and vice versa) which is a neat trick.
The X900H distinguishes itself with low input lag (~15ms at 60Hz and ~7ms at 120Hz), excellent contrast (4800:1 with full array local dimming) and impressive colour accuracy. As with other VA panels, viewing angles are relatively narrow but peak brightness is respectable (500 nits in SDR, around 550 nits in HDR) and as this isn’t an OLED there’s no chance of burn-in. The X900H runs Android TV, which is responsive to navigate and boasts a deep app library.
#4 Samsung TU8000
The Samsung TU8000 can’t compare to the budget options available to the American market, but it’s about as good as it gets for the UK. Input lag is extremely low in game mode (~10ms), and there’s an ALLM mode feature that ensures this is enabled automatically when you’re in-game, which is convenient. There’s also a Black Frame Insertion feature to improve motion clarity, although it’s not the best one we’ve seen.
Contrast is a strong point of the TU8000, with deep blacks that allow for an impressive contrast ratio of 6500:1. Unfortunately maximum brightness is relatively low at around 300 nits, making this a poorer choice for bright rooms. The HDR10+ and HLG standards are both supported, so you’re only really missing out DolbyVision when it comes to popular HDR formats. Viewing angles aren’t great, a common stumbling block for VA panel TVs like the TU8000, but things have improved slightly from last year’s RU7100.
#5 TCL 50″ 5-Series 4K
If you’re a fan of Roku TV, which is easier to use than Android TV, check out the TCL 5 Series/S535 2020 QLED. It doesn’t get as bright as the Hisense H8G, but it has better color accuracy and displays a wider color gamut for HDR content. The TCL offers many of the same features and performance as the Hisense. It has a remarkable contrast ratio, good black uniformity, and a decent full-array local dimming feature that helps delivers deep blacks. It upscales lower-resolution content well and removes judder from any source, which is rare for a 60Hz. Sadly, it doesn’t get very bright, and it has just decent reflection handling, so it’s not the best choice for well-lit environments. Fortunately, it’s great for gaming because it has a quick response time, low input lag, and a Black Frame Insertion feature.