Shopping for the best TV can be daunting.
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TVs often look the same, sound the same, cost the same amount and have names that sound like a string of random numbers and letters.
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Learning more about TVs can be tough, too, with terms like OLED, QLED and HDR used loosely.
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That’s why we spoke with tech and retailer experts — to learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of each TV brand, without drowning in terminology.
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Narrowing in on the best brands, we selected the best TVs from each one to recommend below.
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Sony TV
Sony is known for amazing picture quality and color accuracy, says Carl Prouty, the technologist at Abt, a national electronics and appliances retailer based in Glenview, Illinois.
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The brand has decades of experience creating imaging equipment for professional cinematographers and videographers, says Mark Steinberg, the senior technologist at B&H Photo & Video, a national electronics retailer in New York City.
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Other TV brands do not have this history, and it shows in Sony’s superior image quality, says Steinberg.
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Sony also has excellent built-in audio, especially in its top-end smart TVs, according to our experts.
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Plus, most of its TVs have Google TV built in, one of the easier interfaces to use, in my experience.
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Sony TVs tend to be slightly more expensive than similar models from competing brands, however.
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Best Sony TV: Sony Bravia 8 Series TV
This isn’t Sony’s most premium consumer TV, that would be the Sony Bravia 8 II, but this model has most of the brand’s best qualities, including a vivid 4K OLED screen, fast 120Hz screen and easy-to-use Google TV software, in a fairly-priced package that’s great for most people.
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OLED TVs are known for rich color accuracy and contrast, which plays into Sony’s main strength: superior image quality.
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The Bravia 8 also has better built-in audio quality than most competitors.
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It projects sound from the screen itself using an advanced audio system called Acoustic Surface Audio+.
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This leads to much richer audio quality compared to traditional TV speakers, which occupy more limited space around the sides of the TV frame, according to our experts.
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Best Sony TV for brightness: Sony Bravia 7 Series TV
This is a better Sony option if you plan to place it in a bright room that gets lots of natural light — the QLED screen can get much brighter than the OLED screen of the Bravia 8.
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It doesn’t have as rich of color and color contrast as the Bravia 8, but it still has a similarly detailed 4K resolution, fast 120Hz screen and easy-to-use Google TV software.
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If you want the absolute brightest Sony TV, the Sony Bravia 9 gets brighter than the Bravia 7, but it costs significantly more.
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Best brand for design: Samsung TV
Samsung is another well-regarded brand that makes excellent TVs, some with unique designs.
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Its quantum dot LED (QLED) TVs are extremely bright and are a great fit for group watching in rooms that have a lot of ambient light or glare, according to our experts.
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When turned off, it displays art and can blend into your space instead of looking like a blank void.
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Most Samsung TVs have the Tizen interface built in — its menus can be a little less intuitive than those on Google TV and Roku, says Steinberg (and in my experience).
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Best Samsung TV: Samsung QN90F Series TV
This 2026 model is very bright and comes in a range of sizes that make it easy to fit in all kinds of spaces.
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It has advanced mini-LED lights in the panel that display a vivid, bright picture across a wide viewing angle, according to the brand.
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That means it’s a good fit for group daytime programming like sports.
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New to this version is a matte coating on the screen that reduces glare and reflections compared to previous models.
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Like most of the TVs on our list, it has a 4K resolution, multiple HDMI 2.1 ports, a fast refresh rate and HDR support.
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The screen has a matte finish that makes it less reflective than traditional screens.
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When turned off, it becomes a digital art frame of sorts, displaying different artwork curated by the brand.
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You can also upload your own images or access additional artworks from Samsung’s Art Store (for a fee).
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Best brand for gaming: LG TV
LG TVs are great for all forms of media, but they are particularly loved by gamers, according to our experts.
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The brand’s OLED TVs have an especially striking, vibrant image (though image quality may not be as dynamic as Sony models, says Steinberg).
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The brand also has Filmmaker Mode built into its TVs: it automatically sets the picture settings to better match the TV show or movie you are watching, according to the brand.
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LG TV also uses the Web OS interface for its menus and control — it is relatively simple and intuitive to use (though not my absolute favorite).
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LG TVs are typically a little less expensive than Sony and Samsung TVs, says Steinberg.
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While not LG’s most high-end model (that would be the LG G5), the C5 Series is more than enough TV for most, with a striking OLED screen that has excellent color contrast and very wide viewing angles, according to the brand.
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Great colors, wide viewing angles, a fast screen and ample connectivity make it a good fit for movies, sports and gaming.
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Like most OLED TVs, the C5 is not the best fit for a bright living room — consider a Sony or Samsung QLED TV for very bright spaces that get lots of natural light.
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If the C5 Series TV is out of your budget, consider the lower-priced B5 series instead.
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…and 40 more, not listed.
The Aporia
