South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Best TV picks for every size, budget
It’s 2023, which means now is a great time to buy a TV. TV prices are cyclical, and every year the best TV deals start happening during the fall and into the winter as stores slash prices and TV-makers compete for your dollar. But which TVs are actually good?
Our list, featuring TVs we’ve reviewed side by side, is designed to help you find the best TV for you, from high-end OLED and QLED models to budget LCD TVs and everything in between. We’ve reviewed many of the best TVs of the year and are presenting three of CNET’s favorites here. For more great TV suggestions for different preferences and budgets, go to cnet.co/3jG1t14.
BEST TV FOR THE MONEY: TCL 6-SERIES ROKU TV
For the past five years the TCL 6-Series has been our favorite TV for the price tag, and the 2022 version — also known as the R655 series — is no exception. This TV has an excellent image, thanks to mini-LED tech and well-implemented full-array local dimming that helps it run circles around just about any other TV at this price. It improves upon the previous R635 series with improved gaming extras and a new center-mount stand that you can elevate to make room for a sound bar, though the new 85-inch size has standard legs. And finally, the Roku TV operating system is our handsdown favorite.
BEST HIGH-END TV FOR THE MONEY: LG OLED C2
The LG OLED C2 represents the pinnacle of picture quality at a price that’s admittedly high, but not too outrageous. It beats any non-OLED TV we’ve reviewed, including the Samsung QN90B, with its perfect black levels, unbeatable contrast and superb off-angle viewing. It also has top-notch gaming features, making it the perfect companion to an Xbox Series X or S, PlayStation 5 or both. The C2 comes in a variety of sizes, although the bigger models are expensive.
Improvements over the C1 from last year include carbon-fiber construction for up to 47% lighter weight — the 65-inch version we reviewed weighs just 37 pounds with its stand, compared to 72 pounds for the 65-inch C1 — as well as some additional tweaks to game mode and a new “always ready” feature.
BEST BUDGET-FRIENDLY MIDPRICED TV: VIZIO MQX
The Vizio MQX is one of the least expensive TVs to feature full-array local dimming, which lets it reproduce TV shows, movies and games with enough contrast and pop to do HDR justice. The MQX has fewer dimming zones than more expensive TVs like the TCL 6-Series and Hisense U8H, but it offers 16 zones on the 50-inch, 30 on the 65-inch and 42 on the 75-inch, which is more than enough for excellent overall picture quality, with bright highlights, dark black levels, punchy contrast and accurate color.
Unlike the M7 last year, the MQX has a true
120Hz refresh rate, which allows compatibility with
4K/120Hz signals from game consoles like the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, and worked well in our tests. Vizio supports both major HDR formats,
HDR10 and Dolby Vision, in the M-Series. If you can’t save up for the TCL but want a better picture than the TCL 4-Series or Vizio V-series, the Vizio MQX is an excellent happy medium.