Best 65-inch TVs 2026: the top models we've tested

Is 65 inches the sweet spot for a new TV? We certainly think so. It's big enough to deliver a properly cinematic experience without completely dominating most living rooms, and it's a size at which you're spoiled for choice.

Whether you're after a premium OLED, a seriously bright Mini LED or a more affordable big-screen bargain, there's no shortage of tempting options. The arrival of RGB Mini LED has added another dimension, too, offering a new flagship-grade alternative for those who don't want an OLED.

So which models are actually worth your money? We've been testing 65-inch TVs for years, putting the latest sets through rigorous, comparative reviews to find the best picture and sound quality, the most useful features and the strongest value.

Our recommendations cover a range of budgets and requirements, with each TV earning its place for a particular reason.

These are the 65-inch TVs we recommend. If you're after a different size or a more affordable option, take a look at our guides to the overall best TVs and the best cheap TVs.

Written by

Written by

Tom Parsons

I'm What Hi-Fi?'s TV & AV Editor, and I've been testing TVs (as well as soundbars, AVRs, speaker packages and hi-fi) since way back in 2007. In that time, I'm confident I've reviewed more 65-inch TVs than models in any other size. I also switched to using a 65-inch TV at home about a decade ago and haven't looked back since (though I do change my TV every year or so). For me, it's the perfect size for getting a cinematic experience at home without actually turning the living room into a cinema – and thankfully, my wife agrees! You're also spoiled for choice at this size and have the very best features and picture quality available to you.

The best 65-inch TV overall

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The Samsung S99H (known as the S95H in the US and Australia) is a spectacular all-round OLED TV, combining dazzling brightness, superb contrast, beautifully judged colours and excellent motion handling.

More impressively, it has finally dethroned the Sony Bravia 8 II – the awesome OLED that dominated our recommendations for the past year. It's the only TV we've tested this year to beat it, which is quite an achievement in itself.

Samsung’s latest QD-OLED panel delivers an image that's both immediately eye-catching and impressively refined.

Highlights are wonderfully bright, blacks are deep and inky, and the resulting contrast gives pictures a real sense of depth. Colours are rich and vibrant, but there's a welcome level of restraint to the processing, too, with natural skin tones and plenty of subtlety in darker scenes.

Detail is superb, motion is handled with care, and the S99H makes everything from blockbuster films to standard Blu-ray discs look fantastic.

It's also a formidable gaming TV. All four HDMI 2.1 sockets support 4K at up to 165Hz, alongside VRR and ALLM, making it an excellent choice for both console and PC gamers. Samsung's Tizen smart platform is comprehensive, too, while the improved Glare Free screen coating helps keep reflections at bay.

There is just one significant omission: Dolby Vision. Samsung continues to back HDR10+ instead, and while that format offers its own dynamic metadata advantages, Dolby Vision remains much more widely supported by streaming services and 4K Blu-ray releases. If you want the broadest possible HDR compatibility, this is something you will need to consider.

The S99H's sound system has also taken a welcome step forward. Dialogue is clear and effects are spacious, although it lacks the bass weight and sheer impact of a dedicated system. It's enjoyable by TV standards, but we strongly recommend adding a soundbar or home cinema system.

One note on sizing: our full review is of the 55-inch model, but we've also spent time with the 65-inch version and are confident that it delivers the same excellent performance.

The S99H is expensive, and its unusual design won't appeal to everyone, but its outstanding picture quality and all-round ability make it the finest 65-inch TV you can currently buy.

Read the full Samsung S99H review

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The best mid-range 65-inch TV

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If the Samsung S99H is a little too expensive, the LG C6 is an excellent alternative.

It doesn't quite reach the heights of its more expensive rival, but it delivers a wonderfully cinematic OLED picture, a comprehensive feature set and some genuinely impressive improvements over its predecessor. In performance-per-pound terms, it's a stunner.

The biggest step forward comes courtesy of LG's Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor. While the 65-inch C6 sticks with familiar WOLED panel technology, the new chip extracts noticeably more performance from it, producing a brighter, richer and more refined picture than the C5.

Highlights have greater intensity, colours are more vibrant without losing their natural balance, and the overall image has a greater sense of depth. Black levels are superb, contrast is excellent, and there's plenty of detail, whether you're watching a blockbuster in Dolby Vision or catching up with your favourite HD TV shows.

The C6 is particularly well equipped for gaming. All four HDMI 2.1 sockets support 4K at up to 165Hz, alongside VRR and ALLM, while HGiG and Dolby Vision gaming support make it a great partner for the latest consoles and gaming PCs. LG's webOS 26 platform is slick and comprehensive, too, with all the major streaming apps accounted for – though we could do with less prominent advertising.

There's even good news on the audio front. LG has made meaningful improvements to the built-in sound, with clearer dialogue, stronger dynamics and a more open presentation than we're used to from its C-series TVs.

Volume is still somewhat limited, though, and a dedicated soundbar or home cinema system is pretty much an essential upgrade.

The design is now a little too familiar, but the C6's striking slimness and surprising lightness remain strengths.

The C6 might not be a revolutionary upgrade, but its picture improvements are substantial enough to make it the new mid-range OLED benchmark. If you want a superb 65-inch TV without stretching to flagship prices, it's an easy recommendation.

Read the full LG C6 review

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The best budget 65-inch TV

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You don't have to spend a fortune to get a thoroughly enjoyable 65-inch TV, and the TCL P8L is excellent proof.

This affordable Mini LED model combines a surprisingly sophisticated picture with an impressive feature set, making it one of the most compelling big-screen bargains we've tested.

Its 72-zone Mini LED backlight gives the P8L a significant advantage over many budget LCD TVs. Contrast is convincing, with deep blacks and good control of blooming, while Quantum Dot colour delivers a vibrant, lively image without things becoming excessively saturated.

The overall presentation is nicely balanced, too, with a natural sense of colour and plenty of detail. It's a dynamic performer that produces good contrast and impressive depth for the money.

There are a couple of limitations to be aware of. The P8L isn't especially bright, so it can struggle to punch through in very bright rooms, while a little black crush means some fine detail can disappear into dark shadows. These are relatively minor niggles, though, and don't detract significantly from an otherwise very enjoyable picture.

It's no slouch when it comes to gaming, either. Two HDMI 2.1 sockets support 4K at up to 144Hz, alongside VRR and ALLM, giving gamers plenty to get excited about at this price.

Support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, standard HDR10 and HLG is very welcome, too, while Google TV provides a comprehensive selection of streaming apps and smart features.

The built-in sound system is also better than you might expect from a budget TV, offering clear dialogue and a decent sense of scale, although a dedicated soundbar will give films and games considerably more impact.

One important regional caveat: the P8L isn't available in the US or Australia. TCL's QM6K is understood to be a very similar model, but potential differences between the two mean we wouldn't automatically apply our P8L review to it.

If you're shopping for a big-screen TV on a relatively modest budget in the UK. though, the P8L is a terrific buy.

Read the full TCL P8L review

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The best 65-inch Mini LED TV

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TCL has made some seriously impressive TVs in recent years, but the C8L is arguably its most accomplished yet.

Its combination of extraordinary brightness, vibrant but carefully balanced colours, and remarkably accomplished local dimming makes it the best TV you can buy if you don't want an OLED.

The biggest improvements over last year's C8K come in two areas: TCL's new Super Quantum Dot technology and a significantly upgraded Mini LED backlight.

The former delivers a wider, richer colour range while retaining impressive accuracy and subtlety, while the latter brings better contrast, deeper blacks and more precise control over bright highlights.

The result is a picture with tremendous punch and vibrancy, but also the sort of nuance and naturalism that lesser bright LCD TVs often struggle to achieve.

The C8L is exceptionally bright, too, with highlights that really leap from the screen and bright scenes that look breathtakingly vivid. Yet its local dimming system does an excellent job of keeping blooming to a minimum, while preserving the finest details in dark scenes.

Native 4K images are beautifully crisp and detailed, and both the Standard preset and Filmmaker Mode deliver a compelling blend of impact and authenticity.

It's a terrific gaming TV, too. All four HDMI sockets support 4K/120Hz, while 4K/144Hz, VRR, ALLM and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro are also supported. Input lag is impressively low at 10.1ms, and there's even support for refresh rates up to 288Hz at HD resolution.

The built-in Bang & Olufsen sound system is good by TV standards, offering a wide, detailed and powerful presentation, although its sometimes inconsistent balance and limited bass depth mean we still recommend a dedicated sound system.

There are a couple of caveats: blooming becomes more obvious when viewing from wider angles, and the screen can reflect bright light sources. The jump in price from the 65-inch C7L is surprisingly large, too, although the picture improvements do justify the premium.

If picture quality is your priority, though, and you don't want an OLED, the C8L is a superb Mini LED TV that's easy to recommend.

Read the full TCL C8L review

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The best RGB Mini LED 65-inch TV

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RGB Mini LED is one of the biggest TV developments of the year, and Sony’s Bravia 9 II is its most impressive implementation yet. It isn't quite good enough to topple the best OLED TVs – which is why it hasn't earned five stars – but if you want a flagship-grade television and don't want an OLED, this is the one to buy.

The Bravia 9 II's biggest strengths are its extraordinary brightness and colour performance. Quite simply, it produces the finest colours we've seen from any TV, combining exceptional vibrancy and colour volume with the natural balance and authenticity that have long been Sony trademarks.

Its brightness is equally spectacular, and unlike OLED, it can maintain that intensity across large areas of the screen. That makes it particularly compelling in bright rooms, where its exceptionally effective anti-reflective coating is another major asset.

Sony's local dimming is remarkably accomplished, too, delivering deep blacks and keeping blooming to a minimum in most viewing. Add excellent processing, natural skin tones, impressive detail and controlled motion, and you have the finest picture we've seen from a backlit TV.

But OLED still has the edge where it matters most. The Bravia 9 II can't quite match the pixel-level precision, solidity, depth and consistency of the best OLEDs, while motion smearing is occasionally apparent in games.

We also encountered faint horizontal lines in some Dolby Vision scenes, suggesting a processing issue that Sony may be able to address with a software update.

Google TV provides a comprehensive smart platform, with excellent app support, while gaming features include 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. There are four HDMI inputs, although only two support the full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.

The built-in sound is impressively spacious and immersive by TV standards, with more weight than the Bravia 8 II, but some lack of refinement and loose bass mean we recommend a dedicated sound system.

This is an expensive alternative to OLED, and one that doesn't quite match the best sets overall, but for those who want the brightness and colour impact of RGB Mini LED, particularly in a very bright room, the Bravia 9 II is a hugely impressive flagship.

Read the full Sony Bravia 9 II review

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Also consider

Sony Bravia 8 II
After roughly a year at the top of this list, the awesome Bravia 8 II has finally been toppled, but it remains a great TV. In fact, only the Samsung S99H is better overall, and the Sony still has a couple of advantages, most notably its Dolby Vision support and superior sound.

LG G6
While LG's flagship OLED isn't quite at the level of the Samsung S99H and Sony Bravia 8 II, it's still a very good TV overall, with a super-bright display, awesome gaming specs and a very wall-mount-friendly, picture frame-style design.

TCL C7L
If your budget won't stretch to the TCL C8L, but you want a TV that's a step up from the budget-oriented P8L, the C7L is an excellent option. Bright, vibrant, but still natural and balanced, it's extraordinarily good value for money.

How to choose the best 65-inch TV for you

Panel technology:

The type of display you choose will have a huge bearing on your TV's picture performance.

Without a doubt, OLED has become the premium TV technology of choice, thanks to its perfect blacks, extraordinary contrast and exceptional viewing angles.

QLED, which combines LED (or Mini LED) backlighting with ultra-vibrant Quantum Dots, is a strong alternative thanks to its potential for greater brightness and colour vibrancy, but quality is more variable than with OLED.

Mini LED uses much smaller backlight LEDs than conventional LCD TVs, allowing for more precise control of brightness and contrast.

RGB Mini LED takes things a step further, using separate red, green and blue LEDs to produce colour directly. This promises even greater brightness and a wider, more accurate colour range, although it remains fundamentally an LCD technology.

Your choice will largely come down to budget, and we broadly recommend going for an OLED model if you're able, but you might want to consider a super-bright Mini LED (RGB or otherwise) model if you often watch TV in an exceptionally bright room.

Audio:

Even the best TVs sound pretty poor next to a decent dedicated sound system such as a soundbar. For that reason, we generally recommend budgeting extra for sound and, if you do that, you can largely ignore the TV's own sound quality.

However, if you are determined to stick with your TV's built-in sound system, look for models that offer good dialogue clarity but also a sense of width and height, particularly when playing Dolby Atmos content.

Most TV speakers are essentially invisible, hidden in very thin chassis with very little room to move. These sound systems don't necessarily sound bad, but you can usually do better by going for a model with larger, forward-facing drivers, or a Sony OLED with clever actuators that make sound by imperceptibly vibrating the whole screen.

Gaming:

If you're a gamer, it's also worth considering the next-gen gaming features of your prospective new TV. Xbox Series X and PS5 gamers can gain a competitive advantage on certain games if their TV supports 4K/120Hz, while VRR support can result in a smoother gameplay experience. ALLM, meanwhile, simply ensures that you automatically get the best visual experience from both games and movies / TV shows. If you are a more casual gamer or not a gamer at all, you can pretty much disregard these features, and doing so will likely save you a lot of cash.

How we test 65-inch TVs

Testing a 65-inch TV isn’t just a case of sitting down in front of it and sticking a film on. Modern TVs now do so much that thoroughly evaluating all of their strengths and weaknesses is a complex and time-consuming process. As well as assessing its performance when fed multiple content resolutions, from standard-definition to 4K (and sometimes even up to 8K), there are also multiple high dynamic range (HDR) formats to try – and that’s before you even get to the audio performance and general usability.

Modern 65-inch TVs also now come with a suite of smart features, and testing them out isn’t just a case of ticking off which streaming apps are installed. Each one needs to be checked to make sure it’s outputting the video and sound formats that the manufacturer claims it can. Just because the Disney+ app is available doesn’t necessarily mean it supports Dolby Vision and/or Dolby Atmos on that specific TV, so each one must be fully tested.

Many people like to plug a PlayStation or Xbox into their 65-inch TVs too, so we hook up both a PS5 and Xbox Series X to establish which advanced gaming features, such as 4K 120Hz, VRR, HGiG, and Dolby Vision, are supported and how well they work. We also check which of the TV’s HDMI ports support these features, and measure input lag using a Leo Bodnar device.

Picture quality on a 65-inch TV isn’t just tested with the latest 4K Blu-rays. We know that plenty of people still watch HD and sometimes even SD content, whether it’s over-the-air, streamed over the internet, or on good old-fashioned DVD, so we feed each set plenty of different sources to see how it copes with each.

Every 65-inch TV arrives with its own set of factory settings, and while we don’t enlist any professional help when it comes to calibration (you won’t have that at home, so we don’t either), we do spend hours tinkering with them to make sure we’re getting the best out of each set. For this, we use a mixture of test patterns and real-world content to give every TV the best chance to shine.

Bigger TVs also tend to come with bigger built-in speakers, so while we almost always advise that a new TV is paired with a soundbar or AV amplifier, we also thoroughly test the onboard sound system with a variety of movies and music. Just as with the picture, we’ll also test out the various audio settings and processing modes to see how they affect the sound.

Every 65-inch TV we test is compared to others at its price and size so we can compile a definitive list of the very best – it’s why we keep all of our Award-winners on hand as benchmarks.

All of our testing takes place at our state-of-the-art facilities in London and Reading, which means we have total control over the process and can ensure consistency across the board. None of our reviews are just the opinion of a single writer either, with all verdicts agreed upon by the whole team, so you can be sure they’re consistent and free of personal preference.

With over 100 years’ experience of testing and writing about televisions, the What Hi-Fi? team has the knowledge and authority to only pick out the very best products and include them in our Best Buys. That’s why if you choose to buy a 65-inch TV that’s recommended on this page, or a product from any other Best Buy page, you know you’re getting a What Hi-Fi? approved product.

FAQ

Glossary

There are a lot of buzzwords and acronyms in the world of TVs, and we understand that can be very confusing, so read below for a quick summary of many of the terms on this page. If a term is clickable, it means we have a dedicated explainer page for those who want to dig deeper.

4K/120Hz
Part of the HDMI 2.1 spec, 4K/120Hz refers to a TV's ability to receive 4K signals at a 120Hz refresh rate – double the typical 60Hz limit. These 4K/120Hz signals can be sent by an Xbox Series X, PS5 or high-end gaming PC when certain games are being played, and the result is super-fluid and responsive gameplay.

4K/144Hz
Some new TVs are going beyond 4K/120Hz and offering support for 144Hz refresh rates. This is something that only PC gamers with very high-end gaming rigs can take advantage of as it's not supported by current consoles.

ALLM
Auto Low Latency Mode is a feature that allows a TV to recognise when a gaming signal is being received and automatically switch to its optimised game mode, which should result in lower input lag.

ARC/eARC
Audio Return Channel (ARC) is a feature that allows a TV to output sound via an HDMI socket that can also receive a picture signal. It can support various sound signals, including compressed Dolby Atmos. Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) adds support for higher-quality formats, including uncompressed Dolby Atmos. Almost all modern TVs support ARC or eARC and it's now the most common way to connect a soundbar or AV receiver.

Dolby Vision
Dolby's 'dynamic' HDR (high dynamic range) format adapts to the content and the capabilities of the TV playing it in real-time, generally resulting in an even more dynamic but accurate picture than you get with 'static' HDR formats such as HDR10 and HLG. Dolby Vision is supported by at least some of the TVs of most brands, but not those made by Samsung.

HDMI 2.1
The latest core version of HDMI, HDMI 2.1 offers faster data rates than HDMI 2.0, enabling support for formats such as 4K/120Hz, 4K/144Hz and 8K/60Hz. However, having HDMI 2.1 doesn't necessarily mean that a TV can handle any of those features or others such as VRR or ALLM, which is why we specify the type of HDMI sockets a TV has as well as the specific advanced features it can support.

HDR10
Essentially the core version of HDR (high dynamic range), which offers brighter highlights, more contrast and more vibrant colours than SDR (standard dynamic range). All HDR TVs should support this and HLG.

HDR10+
A 'dynamic' version of HDR10 that, like Dolby Vision, adapts to the content and the capabilities of the TV playing it. When done right, it results in an even more dynamic but realistic picture. Samsung is the pioneer of HDR10+, but you will also find support for the format in TVs from Panasonic, Philips, TCL and Hisense.

HLG
Hybrid Log Gamma is the 'static' HDR format used for broadcasting and live streaming via services such as Sky and the BBC. All HDR TVs should support this along with HDR10.

Input lag
The time it takes for presses on a game controller to be represented by on-screen actions. This is measured in milliseconds and the best gaming TVs can now hit less than 10ms, though anything under 40ms is imperceptible to most people.

Mini LED
A type of backlight that involves far smaller LEDs than are found in typical backlights. Because they're so much smaller, many more can be packed in, generally resulting in better contrast and less blooming of light into dark parts of the picture.

OLED
The most popular premium TV technology, OLED features organic light-emitting diodes that can be lit on a pixel-by-pixel basis, resulting in far greater contrast control than a backlit TV can manage.

QLED
A TV technology pioneered by Samsung (but now used by many brands) that combines a backlight (either LED or Mini LED) with Quantum Dots for greater colour vibrancy.

RGB Mini LED
A type of LCD backlight that uses tiny red, green and blue LEDs instead of conventional white LEDs, allowing for greater brightness and more accurate, vibrant colours.

VRR
Variable Refresh Rate allows a TV to dynamically adjust its refresh rate to match the frame rate being sent by a connected games console or PC, resulting in more fluid and responsive gameplay.

Recent updates

• 3rd November 2026:
  This page has been completely overhauled, with new recommendations across the board. The recommendations in our also consider section have all been replaced, too, and all of the other information on the page has been updated to reflect the most up-to-date buying advice.
• 22nd May 2026:
  We've added two new entries to the main list: the LG C6 (as best new) and Hisense UR9 (as best RGB Mini LED). We've also check the copy throughout to ensure it's up to date.
• 14th January 2026:
  This page has been completely overhauled and stripped back for 2026, with just three models (the Sony Bravia 8 II, LG C5 and TCL C7K/QM7K) having survived the cull. All of the models in the Also Consider section have been replaced, too, and all of the text on the page has been checked and updated to represent our latest buying advice.
• 29th September 2025:
  Replaced the Sony Bravia 8 with the LG C5 as the overall best 65-inch TV. Added the TCL C7K as the best mid-range option, and replaced the Sony A95L with the Sony Bravia 8 II as the best premium 65-inch TV.
• 6th May 2025:
  Added the LG C5 as the 'best new' option, and revised the copy for the LG C4 to acknowledge and reflect that. Added the Sony Bravia 8 II to the 'coming soon' section and tweaked relevant copy elsewhere to reflect the fact that it exists but hasn't been tested by our review team yet.
• 31st January 2025:
  Removed the Panasonic Z90A, Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Mini LED, LG B4 and Samsung S90D from the coming soon section and added the LG C5, LG G5, Samsung S95F, Panasonic Z95B and Philips OLED910. Also reworked the how to choose section and added an FAQ about the best viewing distance for 65-inch TVs.
• 21st November 2024:
  Added the Panasonic Z95A to the also consider section, and added the Panasonic Z90A and Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Mini LED to the coming soon section.
• 28th October 2024:
  Replaced the LG C4 with the Sony Bravia 8 as the best overall after conducting side-by-side comparisons for the What Hi-Fi? Awards. The C4 remains the best for gaming. Also replaced the discontinued TCL C845K with the newer (and much cheaper) TCL P755K as the best budget UK  choice.
• 5th September 2024:
  Removed the Sony A80L due to lack of availability and promoted the LG C4 from 'best 2024' to 'best overall'. Made the LG C4 the 'best for gaming' as its discounted price brings it close enough to last year's C3 to become the better option. Also replaced the Philips OLED908 and Panasonic MZ1500 in the 'also consider' section with the Philips OLED809 and Sony Bravia 8. Finally, we added a 'coming soon' section and glossary of common TV terms towards the bottom of the page.
• 19th June 2024:
  Added the LG C4 as the best 2024 TV and added the LG G4 and Samsung S95D to the also consider section
• 6th March 2024:
  Added new also considered entries, intro, FAQ answers, and how we test sections