Best TV 2023: the latest and greatest TVs, rated and ranked

There aren’t many things more exciting than making the decision (or getting permission) to buy a new TV. But excitement can soon turn into anxiety when you realise how many specs, features and technologies there are to consider. And then there are all of the individual TVs that are available within each category. You probably want your new TV to last a good few years so you definitely don’t want to make the wrong choice.

That’s where we come in. Every TV of note (and many of disappointingly little note) has been extensively tested by our team of expert reviewers in our dedicated testing labs. Our reviews aren’t just comprehensive, they’re comparative, so we know precisely how well each TV performs when compared with the other TVs in its class. In short, we’ve made all of the effort so you don’t have to. We know what we’re talking about and you can trust our verdicts.

Written by

Written by

Tom Parsons

Tom Parsons has been writing about TV, AV and hi-fi products (not to mention plenty of other 'gadgets' and even cars) for over 15 years. He's tested every type of TV on the market and is an expert at picking the best-performing and best-value options for every type of buyer.

The quick list

You can see a quick breakdown of all the TVs in this list with a short summary of what they’re best at and why we think they’re worth your money in the table below. If you want more detail you can click the photo of a TV to go to the in-depth entry, where we offer a more comprehensive breakdown of the specs, features and real-world performance.

The best TVs in 2023

Below, you can see our picks of the best TVs currently available. Every set has been tested by our team of product experts to ensure it delivers great performance and value, so you can trust our buying advice.

Best overall

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LG’s C-series TVs have been wildly popular for years now, and with very good reason, as they essentially represent the perfect intersection between performance, features and price. That’s never more been the case than with 2022’s C2, here represented by the 65-inch model. Before we get into comparisons with other TVs, though, let’s take a fresh look at the C2 in isolation.

This is an OLED TV that features LG Display’s OLED EX panel, which was introduced in 2022 and is brighter than those that went before it. To this, LG added its own algorithms and processing to produce what it refers to as an OLED Evo TV with Brightness Booster.

HDR is supported in the HLG, HDR10 and Dolby Vision formats (there’s no HDR10+ support but that’s not really a big deal), and all four of the C2’s HDMI sockets are 2.1-certified and support all of the most advanced gaming features – 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. Dolby Vision gaming is supported right up to 4K/120Hz, and there’s an HGiG mode for more accurate tone mapping with the HDR games that support it. In short, there’s no better-specified gaming TV, and it performs brilliantly with the latest consoles.

But it’s a brilliant TV for non-gamers, too. The brighter OLED technology makes for a more excitingly punchy viewing experience, but there’s nothing forced about the delivery. On the contrary, this is the same, balanced delivery we’ve come to expect from LG’s OLEDs, but now with more dynamism and shadow detail.

In picture terms, there’s really nothing not to like at the price, but it has to be said that the sound is decidedly average, even by the fairly low standards of modern flatscreen TVs. As with the vast majority of sets, we recommend that you also budget for at least a soundbar if you’re going to buy the LG C2.

In terms of alternatives, LG’s own G2 is the most obvious. In many ways, it’s the same TV, but it goes even brighter thanks to the addition of a heatsink. It also has a picture frame-style ‘Gallery’ design. In fact, it comes with a wall mount rather than a pedestal stand. The G2 is undeniably a better TV than the C2 until you take pricing into account, at which point the C2 becomes the one that most people should actually buy.

You also need to consider LG's 2023 TVs, which are now available. The C2's replacement, the C3, is only a slight upgrade, and it's priced higher than the C2 was at launch so is much more expensive than the discounted C2 models you'll currently find in shops. The new G3 is a big step up, particularly in terms of brightness, but it's also currently very expensive.

There are many other TVs that should also be on your shortlist, with the Sony A80K, Samsung S95B, Panasonic LZ980 and Philips OLED807 being the most similar in terms of technology (they’re all OLEDs) and price. Ultimately, though, while each of those TVs has its merits, the LG’s brilliantly balanced performance, exhaustive feature set and aggressive pricing give it an all-things-to-all-people status that can’t be matched.

And if you’re after a smaller or larger TV, you can apply all of these findings to the 55-inch and 77-inch models. There are 83-inch and 97-inch versions, too, but they would require more testing before we were prepared to stick our necks out and say they’re just as good. There are also 42-inch and 48-inch variants of the C2, but they’re a bit different to the rest so we’ll get to them in a separate entry.

Read the full LG OLED65C2 review

Read the full LG OLED77C2 review

Best cheap

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Considering the annual cycle of new TVs, it’s exceptionally rare for a model to still be available after 12 months, let alone remain the best in class for that time. That makes the Samsung AU7100 a real anomaly.

First released in 2021, this entry-level LCD TV impressed us during testing with its carefully balanced picture quality and the effectiveness of its processing. For a TV at this level, the AU7100 produces impressively deep blacks that avoid the flicker common at this end of the market. There’s a slight loss of shadow detail when compared to more expensive TVs, but not to an extent that’s a problem, and the blacks don’t feel forced or unnatural. In fact, they help to add a lustrous depth and richness to colours.

While a TV at this level will always struggle to hit the peak brightness levels for really zingy HDR, the AU7100 is punchy enough to make HDR worthwhile (HLG, HDR10 and HDR10+ are supported), and while some TVs are outright sharper, this budget Samsung balances crispness with naturalism very effectively. Motion is good, too, as long as you avoid the default Auto Picture Clarity setting, which is a bit too aggressive. Viewing angles are better than average for an LCD TV, too.

There are few TVs at any price that are smarter than the AU7100, which features a Tizen operating system with more or less every app you could possibly need. There are also three HDMI inputs for external sources, one of which handles eARC for a soundbar or other sound system. ALLM is supported, too, though 4K/120Hz and VRR predictably are not.

We’ve tested no end of rivals to the AU7100 since it launched, but not one has managed to topple it. Most notably, Samsung’s newer ‘BU’ sets, such as the BU8000, proved to be a surprising step backwards, though the company will undoubtedly look to change that with its upcoming ‘CU’ models. Other notable mentions include the TCL C735K and Toshiba UK4D, both of which are good in their own right but neither of which is the complete package in the way of the Samsung AU7100.

One thing to note is that while the AU7100 is available in absolutely loads of sizes, we’ve only tested the 43-inch model and can’t guarantee that the bigger versions will be similarly capable – approach those with caution.

Read the full Samsung UE43AU7100 review

Best small

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We’ve already covered the larger versions of the LG C2 at the very top of this list, but now it’s the turn of the 42-inch and 48-inch models. By and large, these are the same as their bigger siblings, but they don’t go quite as bright. This is the norm for smaller OLED TVs, which can’t be driven quite as hard on account of how tightly packed their pixels are. The 42-inch model also has a slightly different design that features desktop-friendly feet rather than the sleek stand of the other models.

Otherwise, you’re getting the same features, performance and user experience as that offered by the larger versions of the C2. That slight reduction in brightness really isn’t a big deal unless you regularly use your TV in a very bright room. In normal or ideal viewing conditions the smaller C2s are plenty bright enough and, thanks to OLED’s perfect blacks and pixel-level light control, contrast is truly stunning. While many TVs raise or lower their brightness as the ratio of light to dark ebbs and flows from shot to shot, the C2 exhibits a consistency that means you’re never distracted from the action by the way in which it’s interpreted by the display.

The C2 also strikes a near-perfect balance between black depth and shadow detail, exaggerating neither. You see what you’re supposed to see without there being any sacrifice to the dramatic intensity of the darkest parts of the picture. Colours, while at times just a touch warmer than is truly correct, are a lovely balance of richness and authenticity, and remain consistent across shots and scenes.

The only areas where the smaller C2 models are beaten are motion processing, which is good here but even better on the Sony A90K, and sound, which is lightweight and lacking volume. Those who would prefer an LCD-based premium TV should also check out the Samsung QN90B, which is also good but exhibited some distracting backlight inconsistencies during our extensive review.

Overall, the C2 is quite comfortably the best TV available at the size, particularly if you combine it with a soundbar. But do stay tuned for our review of the 42-inch version of the new C3.

Read the full LG OLED42C2 review

Best for sound

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The picture is only half of the home cinema experience, but while it’s pretty easy to buy a TV that looks great, finding one that sounds even decent is a real challenge. That’s why we almost always recommend partnering a TV with at least a soundbar, if not a full home cinema system. For some, though, the idea of adding even one extra box to their setup is anathema, and it’s those people at whom the Panasonic LZ2000 is aimed.

We’ll get to the picture quality, which is genuinely awesome, but the LZ2000’s more obvious differentiator is its sound system, which consists of a soundbar-like undercarriage of forward-firing drivers, a pair of side-mounted speakers that flank the screen, and dedicated up-firing speakers at the top of the set’s rear. While most premium TVs profess to deliver Dolby Atmos sound, none has a speaker arrangement as well set up for it as this.

It works, too. In our extensive review, we stated that “no other TV we’ve tested creates a soundstage as big and spacious as this, with effects stretching far to the left, right and above the set”.

It goes really loud, too, and there’s a very satisfying overall tonal balance. The Panasonic’s woofers can be provoked into some slight but distracting distortion by exceptionally deep bass, but those moments are rare, and the LZ2000 remains a TV of unusual sonic talent. The Sony A95K sounds more direct and clear than the LZ2000, and the Philips OLED937 offers even better clarity, detail and dynamics, but neither one of those rivals is as open and atmospheric as this Panasonic.

And added to that very impressive sound is one of the best picture performances that money can buy. The LZ2000 uses one of LG Display’s OLED EX panels, which Panasonic combines with its own heatsink to produce very bright and impactful images. But even more impressive is the TV’s authenticity. Everything we watch has an effortless correctness to it, and skin tones are particularly natural and convincing. If you want to watch movies and TV shows in the way they were intended to be seen, this is the TV to do it with.

Read the full Panasonic TX-65LZ2000B review

Best 8K

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All four of the HDMIs are 2.1 spec and support 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM

Let’s address this right out of the block: there’s currently no 8K content that’s really worth watching. What’s more, no streaming service has even announced plans to start streaming 8K content and it seems unlikely that an 8K disc format will ever exist. In other words, you definitely don’t need to buy an 8K TV.

Having said that, there’s every reason you might be tempted to buy a Samsung 8K TV. That’s because Samsung has done a better job than its rivals of making its 8K TVs excellent performers with the content you already watch, and pricing them so aggressively that they don’t cost vastly more than their 4K equivalents.

The big deal here is that the QN900B’s upscaling is so effective that it makes 4K content look sharper and more detailed than it does on native 4K TVs. On top of that, it’s capable of going incredibly bright – more so than any other TV we’ve tested, in fact. Its Quantum Dot-boosted colours are exceptionally rich and vibrant, too, and the Mini LED backlight allows for superb contrast, from near-OLED blacks to awesomely bright highlights.

On top of all of that, the QN900B is one of the most stylish TVs ever created, with the thinnest bezels imaginable. And the feature set is exhaustive, from the app-packed operating system to the One Connect design, which moves all of the connections to a separate box and features four HDMI 2.1 sockets that support features such as 4K/120Hz, 8K/60Hz, VRR and ALLM.

The QN900B’s closest rival is the LG Z2 8K OLED, but that costs more than twice the price and is really no better a performer with 4K content than the company’s much more affordable G2 model. So, if it’s an 8K TV you want, either to make the most of the content you already watch or so that you’re ready for the 8K content that might one day appear, the QN900B is the TV to buy – at least until its replacement, the QN900C, turns up.

If you’re after a bigger or smaller 8K TV, the QN900B is also available in 65-inch and 85-inch sizes. We haven’t tested those specific versions but Samsung’s 8K TVs tend to scale up and down very consistently, so we expect them to perform just as well as the 75-inch model tested.

Read the full Samsung QN900B (QE75QN900B) review

Best 2023

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You'll find that most of the TVs on this list are 2022 models. That's because our recommendations are based on a performance-per-pound mantra, so buying a TV that's been out for a little while and has therefore been thoroughly discounted is almost always a better decision than going for a brand new model that might be excellent but is still full price.

Having said that, there are those lucky enough to have big budgets and a desire to have something genuinely brand new. If that's you, the best performance-per-pound TV that we've tested so far this year is the Sony A80L.

While all of the OLED attention may well be focused on the super-bright new MLA and QD-OLED models (the LG G3 and Samsung S95C respectively), the truth is that they’re prohibitively expensive right now, and this Sony A80L proves that, with impeccable processing, truly exceptional picture quality is still more than possible from a ‘standard’ OLED panel.

This is a TV that combines the spectacular with cinematic subtlety in a very rare fashion. It thrills, but not in a way that’s even slightly showy. And it combines that with surprisingly atmospheric and engaging sound – though we would still, as ever, recommend a dedicated sound system if you’re serious about home cinema.

We have just one mild concern about the A80L: it's still not as good as an LG (such as the recently reviewed C3) for hardcore gaming as it has just two HDMI 2.1 sockets (one of which you're probably going to use for a soundbar), and that it doesn't support Dolby Vision gaming or have an HGiG setting for better HDR tone mapping in games.

That's only going to be a big deal for very dedicated gamers, though. For everyone else, the Sony A80L is an all-rounder that’s very hard to resist – though we would still recommend waiting for its price to come down a bit if you can.

Read the full Sony XR-55A80L review

How to choose a TV

What to look for in a new TV

There’s no single TV that’s perfect for everyone, but your ideal TV is almost certainly on this page. You just need to figure out your budget, how big you can / are able to go, and what technologies are important to you.

Only you know your budget and space (although you will find a handy guide to choosing the right size of TV further down this page), but we can help on the technology side.

The biggest thing to consider is the panel technology. OLED now rules the roost at the premium end of things and is hugely popular thanks to its perfect blacks and pixel-level contrast control. LCD is still a huge deal too, though, particularly at the budget end of the market that OLED currently can’t touch. There are plenty of premium LCD-based TVs that are great, too, most notably Samsung’s top QLEDs, which combine Quantum Dots with Mini LED backlights to deliver the brightest, most vibrant pictures possible.

You also need to consider whether the TV you’re looking at has all of the streaming apps you want. While some apps, such as Netflix and Prime Video, are now commonplace, there may be an app that you love that’s less common. BT Sport in the UK is a good example. It’s also sadly the case that some streaming apps don’t work as they should on certain TVs. For example, many Google/Android TVs support Disney+, but not with Dolby Atmos. That’s why we manually check not only that every major app is present, but that it’s working at its best.

Serious gamers also need to check that their prospective new TV supports all of the latest gaming features. The most technically advanced and therefore rarest of these is 4K/120Hz, but VRR and ALLM are also worth looking out for. There are a number of TVs on this list that support all of these features, but we have a dedicated best gaming TVs guide for those to whom gaming is the primary concern.

Finally, you need to really consider sound, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider a TV that doesn’t sound good. Confused? That’s understandable, but the disappointing truth is that even the best-sounding TV is far behind a decent soundbar for audio quality, so we always recommend focusing on picture quality when buying a TV and budgeting for a dedicated sound system to go with it. We do know that’s not an option for everyone, though, so we do of course test a TV’s speakers as thoroughly as its screen. If the audio quality matters a lot to you, you’ll find all of the necessary info below. There’s also a TV in this list that’s serious about Dolby Atmos sound.

How we test TVs

How we test TVs

Testing a TV is a long and complex process because a modern TV simply does so much. Not only does it need to handle a variety of content resolutions – standard-def, 1080p, 4K and sometimes 8K – and both standard dynamic range and high dynamic range (the latter in a number of formats), all of which need to be specifically tested, it also has a sound system with various advanced settings and a full smart platform. A TV is an all-in-one device in the best sense, but that also makes it a challenging review proposition.

As part of our testing process we manually check that every major app – from Netflix to All 4, Prime Video to Spotify – is not only present, but also outputting in the video and sound formats that it should. Just because there's a Disney+ app doesn't necessarily mean it's working in Dolby Vision and/or Dolby Atmos. In fact, in many recent cases it hasn't been.

We also connect both a PS5 and Xbox Series X in order to establish which advanced gaming features are and aren't supported, and on which of the TV's HDMI ports. Is 4K/120Hz supported? How about VRR? Is there a Dolby Vision game mode? Is there an HGiG preset for more accurate HDR tone mapping? We check all of these things, and measure input lag using a Leo Bodnar device.

We then test the TV's picture quality using a huge variety of content, from old DVDs to the latest 4K Blu-rays and plenty of streamed movies and TV shows in between. Every TV is tested against the best model at its price and size – we have a stockroom packed full of Award-winners for this very purpose.

We don't accept the out-of-the-box settings that a TV comes in either. While we intentionally don't go down the route of professional calibration (you shouldn't have to have your TV professionally calibrated in order to get the best out of it), we do spend hours adjusting settings using a mixture of test patterns and real-world content until we are sure we're getting the most out of a TV so that it has the best chance to shine.

While we almost always advise that a new TV is combined with a dedicated sound system such as a soundbar or AV amplifier, many people still prefer to stick with their flatscreen's built-in speakers, so we thoroughly test these too, using a wide variety of movie and music content and with great attention spent to the TV's many processing modes and individual settings.

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. What's more, 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 above, or on any other Best Buy page, you can be assured you are getting a What Hi-Fi? approved product.

TV FAQ

Useful links

• Looking for a bargain? Here are the best cheap TVs
• Hardcore gamer? These are the very best gaming TVs
• Need a certain size? We've rounded-up the best 55-inch TVs
• Need something bigger? What about the best 65-inch TVs
• Want a future-proof TV? Here are the best 8K TVs

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