How to choose a TV: 2026 buying guide

By whichproduct.app · AI-assisted, approved by the site owner · Specs checked ; TCL 55QM7L and 65QM8L prices October 22, 2026; TCL 75QM8L price October 27, 2026; Toshiba: no price listed, read October 22, 2026

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6 questions, one tap each.

Short answer

Pick the screen size first, then the most you want to spend on the maker's own store. After that, choose the screen type: OLED for the deepest blacks in a dim room, Mini-LED for a bright backlight at a lower price per inch. If you play on a console or PC, ask for 120 Hz; if you stream a lot of Dolby Vision shows, check that the brand lists it.

What size TV should I get?

Get the largest size your room, wall and budget allow, because size is the one thing you can't change later. TV sizes are "class" sizes: the maker's rounded diagonal. A 65-inch class TV can measure a little under 65 inches corner to corner, so check the exact width on the maker's spec page if your space is tight.

We group sizes the way they're sold:

What size TV should I get?
Size optionSizes in the catalogueModels we catalogued
Under 45 inches42 and 43 inches6
45 to under 60 inches50 and 55 inches9
60 to under 70 inches65 inches11
70 inches or larger75, 77 and 85 inches14

Of the 40 TVs we catalogued (as of October 22, 2026), 25 are 65 inches or larger. Big sizes are where makers put most of their models, and where the price gap between screen types is widest.

If the TV is for a bedroom, kitchen or desk → look at 43 inches or smaller. If it's the main screen in a living room → start at 65 inches and only go smaller if the space or budget says so. If you're replacing a TV, measure it and go up one size class if the wall allows.

See 65-inch TVs · See TVs 75 inches or larger · Related list: TVs 75 inches and larger

How much should I spend on a TV?

Our budget options use the price the manufacturer's own US store charged when we checked (October 19, 2026; TCL 55QM7L and 65QM8L: October 22, 2026; TCL 75QM8L: October 27, 2026; Toshiba: no price listed, read October 22, 2026), not a retailer's price and not the crossed-out "was" price. On 34 of the 37 TVs with a price, the maker's store sold below its own list price, on average about a quarter below. That's why we budget by the store price: it is closer to what you pay. Prices change with promotions, so check the current price before you buy.

The budget options are ceilings, so "Under $1,000" also shows everything under $600. Of the 37 TVs with a maker store price:

  • Under $600: 13 models, in every size. Only 2 are 75 inches or larger.
  • Under $1,000: 22 models, including the first two OLEDs (a 42-inch Samsung and a 55-inch LG).
  • Under $1,500: 32 models, including 7 of the 10 OLEDs.
  • No limit: all 40, including the 77-inch OLEDs. Hisense and Toshiba publish no prices on their own sites, so their TVs only appear here.

If you have about $600 → expect Mini-LED or a panel type the maker doesn't state, and mostly 60 Hz. If you want an OLED → plan on $1,000 or more on the maker's store, and more for 65 inches and up. If you want 75 inches or more for under $600 → there were only two choices when we checked, both Samsung.

See TVs under $600 · Related list: TVs under $600 on the maker's store

OLED or Mini-LED: which screen type should I choose?

Choose OLED if you watch mostly in a dim room and want the deepest blacks; choose Mini-LED if your room is bright or you want a bigger screen for the money. The difference is where the light comes from:

  • OLED: each pixel makes its own light and turns fully off for black, so there's no backlight to glow around bright objects on a dark background. 10 of the 40 TVs we catalogued are OLED: Samsung S90H and LG C6 and B6 models from 42 to 77 inches.
  • Mini-LED: an LCD with a backlight made of many small LEDs in dimming zones that brighten and darken behind the picture. 24 models: Samsung's Neo QLED and Mini LED lines, TCL's QM6K, QM7L and QM8L, two LG QNED models (the QNED85B and the 43-inch QNED75B), one Hisense and two Toshiba Z670 models.
  • QLED: an LCD with quantum-dot color but no Mini-LED backlight stated. One model here, TCL's 50-inch Q Class.
  • Not stated: five models don't say: Samsung's Crystal UHD U8000H line names no panel or backlight type in Samsung's spec data. We show those as not stated rather than guess. LG's 43-inch QNED75B lists "Mini LED" as its display type (its backlight type reads "Direct"), so we count it as Mini-LED.

Mini-LED makers pitch brightness: TCL says its QM7L's brightness gives "Clear, vibrant visuals even in bright rooms." Mini-LED is also where the budget is: 8 of the 13 TVs under $600 are Mini-LED, and none are OLED. Makers publish dimming zones and brightness in different ways (TCL gives an "up to" figure for a whole series, Samsung and LG give none), so we don't compare those numbers.

If you watch movies with the lights off → OLED. If the TV faces a window or you mostly watch in daylight → Mini-LED. If you want 75 inches or more under $1,500 → Mini-LED; every OLED that size we found was above that.

See OLED TVs · See Mini-LED TVs · Related list: OLED TVs

Do I need a 120 Hz TV for gaming?

You need 120 Hz if you play on a current console or a PC that can send 120 frames per second; for TV shows and most streaming, 60 Hz is enough. A 120 Hz screen can show twice as many frames per second as a 60 Hz one, so fast motion in games and sports looks smoother when the source supports it.

28 of the 40 TVs we catalogued list 120 Hz or more in their maker's spec table; 12 list 60 Hz. The figures aren't written the same way:

  • LG, Hisense and Toshiba state the native rate. LG writes "120Hz Native (VRR 165Hz)" for its C6 OLED; Hisense states "165Hz Native Refresh Rate" for its U8; Toshiba states a "native 144Hz refresh rate" for its Z670.
  • TCL states a "Panel Refresh Rate" or "Panel Refresh" (144Hz on its QM6K, QM7L and QM8L).
  • Samsung states one figure marked "VRR Support" (144 Hz on its M80H and QN80H, 165 Hz on its S90H OLED). That figure can include variable refresh (VRR), so a Samsung 165 Hz and an LG 120 Hz native panel are both high-refresh screens; don't read the 45 Hz gap as a difference you'd see on TV shows.

The other thing to check is the HDMI inputs. Samsung rates all four inputs on its S90H OLED for 4K at 165 Hz, and three inputs on its M80H for 4K at 144 Hz. LG says all four inputs on its C6 and B6 OLEDs support 4K 120Hz. TCL's QM7L table says inputs 1 and 2 run 4K at 144Hz and inputs 3 and 4 at 60Hz; its QM6K table only says "4 HDMI (1 eARC)". If you connect two consoles and a soundbar, count the fast inputs.

Ignore "Motion Rate 480" or "Game Accelerator 288" style numbers. TCL itself lists them separately from the panel refresh rate ("Motion Rate 480 with MEMC", where MEMC means frames added by processing), so they don't tell you the panel's speed, and we never use them.

If you game on a console or PC → choose "Yes, 120 Hz or faster" in the finder. If you have about $600 → three TVs here have 120 Hz or more: Samsung's 55- and 65-inch M80H and TCL's 55-inch QM6K.

See 120 Hz TVs under $1,000 · Related list: TVs with a 120 Hz screen for gaming

Which smart TV system should I pick: Google TV, Tizen, webOS or Fire TV?

Pick the system you already know, because its menus and remote are what you'll use every day. The smart system comes with the brand:

  • Samsung Tizen: all 19 Samsung TVs we catalogued.
  • Google TV: all 10 TCL TVs and the Hisense.
  • LG webOS: all 8 LG TVs (webOS 26 on the 2026 models).
  • Fire TV: both Toshiba TVs (the 55- and 85-inch Z670).

If your current TV is a Samsung or LG, staying on Tizen or webOS keeps the same menus. Roku TV models exist, but none are in this catalogue: Roku's own site sent us to a non-US page. TCL's Fire TV models were sold out on its store, so Fire TV is here through Toshiba only.

If you want the same menus as your current TV → pick that brand's system. If the system doesn't matter to you → leave this as "Doesn't matter" and let size, budget and screen type decide.

See Google TV models · See LG webOS models · See Fire TV models

Does Dolby Vision matter?

It matters if you stream a lot of shows and films mastered in Dolby Vision, an HDR format that adjusts the picture scene by scene. 18 of the 40 TVs we catalogued list Dolby Vision: 7 of the 8 LG TVs, all 10 TCL TVs and the Hisense. LG's 43-inch QNED75B lists "HDR10 / HLG", and Toshiba's Z670 pages name "Total HDR Solution Pro" without listing the formats, so we show Dolby Vision as not stated for them.

Samsung's spec data lists HDR10+ (another HDR format) and does not list Dolby Vision on any of the 19 Samsung TVs here. We show that as "not stated" rather than "no", because Samsung's spec data doesn't say no. If Dolby Vision is on your list, choose LG, TCL or Hisense.

If you watch a lot of Dolby Vision content → choose "Yes" in the finder. If you're set on Samsung → don't count on Dolby Vision; check for HDR10+ instead.

See Dolby Vision TVs from 65 inches

What doesn't matter much

  • "Motion Rate", "Game Accelerator" and VRR maximums: marketing figures that are higher than the panel's refresh rate. Use the native or spec-table refresh rate.
  • Peak brightness and zone counts: makers publish them for a whole series, as "up to" figures, or not at all. They don't compare across brands.
  • Processor names: NQ4 AI Gen2, α11 AI Processor Gen3 and the like describe each maker's chip and can't be compared.
  • Crossed-out prices: a "was" price is the maker's list price, not what most people pay. On some models the list price was double the store price when we checked.

Common mistakes

  1. Buying too small. Size is the one thing you can't upgrade later. Measure the wall or stand and choose the largest class that fits.
  2. Paying for 120 Hz you won't use. If you only stream shows, a 60 Hz TV in a bigger size may serve you better than a 120 Hz TV in a smaller one.
  3. Assuming every HDMI input is fast. On some TVs only two inputs run 4K at high refresh. Check before you plug in two consoles.
  4. Trusting the crossed-out price. Our budget options use the price the maker's store actually charged on the check date.

Picks lists in this category

FAQ

What size TV is the most common choice?

In our catalogue, 65 inches has more models than any other single size: 11 of the 40 TVs we catalogued. Every Samsung, LG and TCL line we read is sold in a 65-inch size, so that size gives you the most choice of screen type and price.

Is OLED worth the extra money?

It is worth it if you watch in a dim room and care about black levels, because each OLED pixel turns fully off. In our catalogue only two OLEDs were under $1,000 on the maker's store when we checked (a 42-inch Samsung and a 55-inch LG), and every 65-inch OLED was between $1,000 and $1,500. A Mini-LED TV gives you more screen for the same money.

Do I need 120 Hz for streaming?

No. 120 Hz helps when the source sends more than 60 frames per second, which mostly means games and some sports. If you don't game on a recent console or PC, put the money toward a bigger screen or a better panel.

Why don't Samsung TVs show Dolby Vision?

Samsung's spec data for these models lists HDR10+ and does not list Dolby Vision. We report what each maker states, so Samsung TVs score nothing on the Dolby Vision question and show it as not stated.

Which price do the budget options use?

The price on the manufacturer's own US store when we checked (October 19, 2026; TCL 55QM7L and 65QM8L: October 22, 2026; TCL 75QM8L: October 27, 2026; Toshiba: no price listed, read October 22, 2026). When a maker shows a crossed-out list price next to a lower one, we use the lower price the store charges. We don't show live prices, and prices change often, so check the current price before you buy.

Why isn't Sony, Vizio or Roku in the finder?

We only use specs and prices from each manufacturer's own site. Sony's US store refused our automated reads, and Vizio's and Roku's sites sent us to non-US pages, so we couldn't verify their specs and prices. We don't fill gaps from retailer pages.

How we chose and sources

Written with AI assistance from manufacturer specifications; reviewed and approved by the site owner. We don't test products hands-on. How we choose

Results are ordered by how well each model fits your answers. When two models fit equally, the one with more features stated by its maker comes first, then the one with the lower price on the maker's own store, then a fixed catalogue order. Commissions never affect the order.

"Catalogued" means the 40 4K TVs we catalogued for this category from manufacturer sites as of October 22, 2026 (Samsung, LG, TCL, Hisense and Toshiba, 42 to 85 inches), not the whole market. Each product's source links appear with its specs. Pages quoted in this guide:

Written with AI assistance from manufacturer specifications and reviewed before publishing in October 2026. We don't test products hands-on.

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