Best Samsung TVs 2024: budget, premium, QLED, 4K, 8K, QD-OLED

If you haven't heard of Samsung before, then we can only assume you've been living under a particularly isolated rock for quite some time. It's spearheaded many developments in the world of TVs, pioneering QLED, QD-OLED and 8K TVs for many years now. 

While 2023 wasn't its strongest year on record if we're looking at review scores, it has already made promising strides for a 2024 comeback. Its premium QD-OLED TV and 8K flagship have already earned itself a pair of five-star commendations, while early looks at the QN95C, S90D and QN800D have contributed to a swathe of positive attention to kick the year off with.  

So, if you're in the market for a new TV, we certainly wouldn't blame you for taking a look at Samsung's offerings. Its 2024 TV lineup is one of the most versatile around right now, with plenty of options depending on your budget or preferences for certain display technologies. 

Samsung TVs are also a solid bet for gamers. It's one of the few companies that includes four full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets on its TVs thanks to its in-house developed chipsets, meaning gaming enthusiasts who have both the PS5, Xbox Series X and a sound system needn't worry. PC gamers shouldn't feel left out either, as its newest sets also include support for a maximum 144Hz refresh rate.

The question remains, however, which Samsung TV should you buy? That answer will differ depending on your preferences, but any model on this list will be a safe bet. Each TV here has been subjected to our rigorous testing process, with full reviews attached for each. 

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The quick list

Best Samsung TV overall

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Samsung has delivered an absolute blinder of an OLED TV in more ways than one. The S95D was expected to excel in the brightness department, but its expert contrast, punchy colours and enhanced subtlety over its predecessor sealed the deal, earning it five stars in our reviews. 

So what's new this year? Samsung is touting a 'glare-free' filter on its levelled up third generation QD-OLED display, and while the name might be ever so slightly exaggerated, we can't deny how effective it is. Ambient light and reflections of colourful t-shirts were no match for this TV as it effectively warded off distractions in our testing. 

When it comes to picture performance, we noticed a plethora of notable upgrades over the 2023 S95C (which also features on this list), including the claimed 20 to 30 per cent improvement in brightness. We're more than inclined to believe that claim, as the S95D dazzled, providing plenty of brightness even to the most challenging of movies. The S95D is also crisp, packed with contrast and punchy, which is attributed to its excellent performance. 

It's also a knockout when it comes to gaming, with four full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets with support for up to 4K/120Hz on consoles, or 4K/144Hz on PC. Samsung includes a host of useful gaming features like VRR and ALLM, as well as a handful of game streaming apps if you don't have a console. Its Tizen operating system is also packed with movie and TV streaming apps, as well as a bunch of new AI-driven enhancement features.  

While we wish it sounded a bit meatier and more dynamic, the S95D has very few flaws to note, making it a stellar flagship outing for Samsung. We, of course, do wish it would throw in the towel and give us Dolby Vision, but we'll keep dreaming. 

Read the full Samsung S95D review

Best QLED Samsung TV

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On the surface, at least, the traditional divisions between different TV technologies appear to be breaking down. In 2023 we’ve got OLED screens turning to new technologies to deliver levels of brightness alongside their traditional black-level prowess that we never thought OLED would be capable of, while in the LCD world we’ve got Mini LED TVs combining their tiny light sources with much more advanced local dimming to introduce better black level performance to go with their traditional brightness advantage.

Fun though this picture quality convergence sounds in principle, though, the reality as represented here by Samsung’s new flagship 4K Mini LED TV, the QN95C, suggests that not only is there actually still plenty of TV tech divergence out there, but that such divergence is actually something to celebrate.

After only achieving a relatively mild improvement over their predecessors with its 2022 Mini LED TVs, Samsung has moved things on much more convincingly with the QN95C. Nearly doubling the number of dimming zones has elevated almost every aspect of picture quality, aided and abetted by an also much-improved video processing system. The spectacular new pictures are partnered, too, by far more immersive and impactful new sound. 

A few presets require a bit of tinkering, but provided you can live with that (and surely you can), the dazzling but also newly refined QN95C is very much the LCD TV world’s new benchmark.

Read our full Samsung QE65QN95C review

Best 8K Samsung TV

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8K is a confusing phenomenon in the world of TVs. We still feel Samsung put the cart before the horse when it came to pushing its 8K TVs without there being any native content to support them, but it's showing no signs of slowing down in 2024. Thankfully, the QN900D is a fantastic TV in its own right.

Before we dive into picture and sound, can we take a moment to appreciate that this might be the best-looking TV we've ever seen? Its futuristic design uses a mirrored finish that makes it look like it is suspended in the air, while the solid construction and uniform thickness (or should we say thinness) are a sight to behold. Finally, the bezels are paper thin, making this TV appear like a floating screen in your living room or home cinema. 

Moving onto picture performance, the QN900D delivers "groundbreaking 8K upscaling", which upgrades your 4K content with enhanced clarity, improved motion and upgraded contrast. This has been achieved thanks to Samsung's new Neo Quantum 8K AI Gen 3 processor, which includes the "accumulated knowledge of 512 neural networks that have been tirelessly analysing different types of imagery to make it easier for the TV to know how to optimise its picture performance on the fly." In practice this TV is simply magic, adding enhanced texture details to everything from skin to hair, to foliage and environmental textures.

It's also well equipped for gamers with four full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets (complete with support for 4K/120Hz gaming, VRR and ALLM) packed into its external One Connect box. This houses the ports and brains of the TV, which accounts for its slender frame that holds the panel and speakers. 

Speaking of speakers, the QN900D sounds fine, but we think it would benefit from a Dolby Atmos soundbar or AVR and surround sound speaker package. Those sonic drawbacks aren't enough to deter from the impressive picture, feature set and design, making this the 8K TV to buy right now in our opinion. 

Read the full Samsung QN900D review

• Which Samsung QLED TV should you buy?

Best cheap Samsung TV

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Samsung’s long run as the (mostly) undisputed champ of the budget TV world took a hit last year as big improvements from some rivals coincided with a strange dip in the South Korean brand’s usual standards. And with so much of its energy seemingly focused on its new QD-OLED ventures and keeping ahead of an ever-growing chasing pack with its Mini LED sets, can we really expect Samsung to have put the hard miles in to get more affordable sets such as this 55-inch CU8000 back on track, too?

The 55-inch CU8000’s pictures are a handy improvement over those of its 2022 BU series predecessors, getting Samsung back on track as one of the better-performing ‘budget’ brands.

At the heart of this improvement is better handling of its edge-based lighting system. This manages to deliver deeper black levels while also suppressing more effectively the backlight clouding and inconsistencies that affected those 2022 BU models. There’s occasionally a faint hint of light ‘jetting’ in the bottom corners, but this hardly ever draws your eye unless you’re actively looking for it.

While not quite a budget classic on the level Samsung used to deliver routinely, the 55-inch CU8000 still delivers good picture quality and impressively comprehensive smart features for such an affordable TV – all wrapped up in an attractive, well-built and slender design. 

Read our full Samsung CU8000 review

Best affordable QD-OLED Samsung TV

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Samsung's second-generation QD-OLED TV wasn't the smash hit of 2023 that we were hoping for, but it's still a very capable TV. More importantly, its price has been massively discounted since it launched, which makes it an even more tempting choice if you want a QD-OLED TV.

The S95C is a powerhouse of a TV, sharing many specs with the S95D that sits at number one on this list. Its terrific contrast, punchy colours and excellent brightness make for a truly impressive picture performance, even if we felt it lacked a bit of subtlety and balance.

It's also as fully featured as you'd expect, with four HDMI 2.1 sockets and all the gaming features of its successor (apart from 144Hz support), as well as a bountiful helping of streaming apps and smart features. It's also nearly identical to the S95D in design, with an impressively thin chassis and the One Connect box solution alike. 

Once again, sound performance is a bit underwhelming, but there are always solutions in the form of soundbars and speaker packages. Most importantly, this TV has dropped drastically in price, making it a better buy now than it was at launch. 

Read the full Samsung S95C review

How to choose the best Samsung TV for you

Before you lay down your cash, there are a few things to consider. 4K and HDR will improve the picture quality drastically, but only when fed compatible content, so check your source. And do remember that no Samsung sets support Dolby Vision – they plump for Samsung's own format, HDR10+.

Samsung was the first to sell 8K sets in the UK, and while there's still very little 8K content available, 8K sets are worth considering. This is because they upscale 4K content using Samsung's processing tech, and generally do it very well. As for size, measure where you'll put your TV and see which set will suit your space best. Bigger isn't always better – if it towers over your sofa, you might want to reconsider.

Keen gamers will require a TV with HDMI 2.1. Also worth knowing: Samsung's first QD-OLED TV launched last year and was met with great acclaim here, with the pair of second-generation models showing promise, but the first one that we've reviewed not quite living up to its predecessor's showstopping debut. 

How we test the best Samsung TVs

Here at What Hi-Fi? we review hundreds of products every year – and that includes many of the best Samsung TVs. So how do we come to our review verdicts? And why can you trust them?

We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London, Bath and Reading, where our team of expert reviewers do all of our testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency. 

All products are tested in comparison with rival products in the same price category, and all review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer, again helping to ensure consistency and avoid any personal preference.

The What Hi-Fi? team has more than 100 years experience of reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics.

From all of our reviews, we choose the best products to feature in our Best Buys. That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended below, or on any other Best Buy page, you can be assured you're getting a What Hi-Fi? approved product.

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Our guide to the Samsung 2024 TV lineup

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