Best Smart TV for 2023: Top Picks From Roku, Amazon, Google and More – CNET

TCL has topped our list of the best TVs for the last few years but the QM8 is something different, and even better than before. In my comparison tests it stood out with superior brightness and impact while still maintaining excellent contrast; a combination no other TV could match at this price. The key is mini-LED tech and well-implemented full-array local dimming. It also has a sleek design with a center-mount stand. The operating system is Google TV, which I don’t like as much as Roku TV, but it’s still a solid smart TV. This model replaces the TCL 6-Series Roku TV from last year.

The main downside of the TCL QM8 is that it’s only available in large sizes (65 inches and up). If you’re looking for a 55-inch TV, I recommend the Hisense U8K instead. Note that prices shown here are for the 65-inch size in the QM8 series.

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If you’re looking for the best smart TV for the money and the TCL QM8 is just too big, the Hisense U8K should be your go-to. I compared the two 2023 TVs side-by-side, and while I liked the QM8 just a bit better, the U8K has one medium-size advantage: a 55-inch screen option. If 65 is too large for your room, your budget or your tastes, the choice between the two is simple: Get the 55-inch Hisense UK8.

Both offer excellent image quality and affordable prices thanks to mini-LED backlights and full-array local dimming, as well as similar gaming features and the Google TV operating system. Both cost hundreds less than you’d have to pay to get similar image quality from a better-known brand.

Note that while I tested the 65-inch size in the U8K series, the prices shown here are for the 55-inch size.

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The picture quality of the TCL 4-Series Roku TV was only a slight step behind the Vizio V-Series (below) in our 2023 budget TV test, but we liked its Roku smart TV system better than Vizio’s SmartCast, so the TCL gets the top spot on this list. The 4-Series lacks the Dolby Vision, Bluetooth connectivity and AMD FreeSync with a variable refresh rate, all of which the Vizio offers, but in our book superior smart TV streaming is more important at the budget level.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Excellent smart TV system

Cons: 

• Image quality and features lag in some entry-level TVs

Note that TCL has been selling the 4-Series for the last few years with little to no change in image quality or features in our tests, although it has recently added some larger screen sizes, including an 85-inch option.

The prices shown below are for the 55-inch size.

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When we compared the best budget TVs, the picture quality of Vizio V-Series clearly emerged as the leader of the pack. The Vizio offered the most balanced and accurate picture during our comparisons, and it comes with some useful extras such as Dolby Vision support, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth compatibility and a variable refresh rate for potentially smoother gaming. 

The biggest downside of the Vizio is its smart TV platform, Vizio SmartCast. It’s crowded, slow and littered with ads for platforms such as Tubi and Kidoodle TV. That’s why the TCL 4-Series with Roku gets the top slot. That said, if you value its image quality and extra features, you can always add a separate streaming device to this Vizio.

Pros:

• Solid image quality for an entry-level TV
• Lots of features, including VRR and Wi-Fi 6E

Cons:

• Poor built-in smart TV system

The prices shown below are for the 50-inch size.

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Best Vizio|With a load of smart features onboard, this TV delivers in so many ways. 

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Competition among TVs in the middle pricing band is heating up, and the Plus Series is the latest entrant in 2023. Unlike the TCL Roku TVs higher on this list, this one is all Roku, with no other brands on board. It adds a couple of step-up extras, including QLED and full-array local dimming, which help deliver a better picture than the TCL 4-Series, for example. It’s not as impressive as the Vizio MQX, since it lacks 120Hz for gaming and has worse picture quality overall. If you value those extras, then the Vizio is worth saving for, but if not the Roku Plus Series is a very good value.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Good picture quality thanks to local dimming
• Great smart TV system

Cons:

• Lacks 120Hz refresh rate and other gaming extras
• Not as bright as some similarly priced TVs

This is the first TV Roku has produced under its own brand, as opposed to partnering with a brand like TCL, Sharp, Pioneer or Hisense. The company also released a version with fewer features and no local dimming, called the Roku Select Series.

The price shown below is for the 65-inch size.

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The C3 represents better picture quality than any non-OLED TV on this list at a price that’s higher, but still not stratospheric. Its perfect black levels, unbeatable contrast and superb off-angle viewing kept it a notch above the mini-LED models in my comparison tests, and while its overall brightness isn’t quite as impressive, it’s still an incredible performer in all kinds of room lighting. The C3 is also one of the lightest TVs we’ve ever reviewed thanks to its carbon-fiber construction; the 65-inch version weighs just 37 pounds with its stand.

The prices shown here are for the 65-inch size of the LG C3 series.

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Don’t look now, but there’s a new picture quality champ in town for 2023. The LG OLED G3 delivers the best image quality I’ve ever tested in my 20-plus years of doing TV reviews. It’s brighter than any other OLED TV and has a superior antireflective screen, for incredible performance in both bright and dark rooms. Compared directly to the Samsung S95C those traits helped it overcome a slight color deficit to the Samsung and propel it into best-ever territory. 

Both it and the S95C cost hundreds more than less-expensive OLED TVs like the LG C3, and for most people, the difference isn’t worth it.

Pros:

• Best picture quality we’ve ever tested
• Superb contrast and off-angle image
• Best-in-class bright room performance
• Slim, wall-friendly design

Cons:

• Expensive
• Samsung S95C has superior color

The G3 replaces the G2 from last year and has an improved screen technology called MLA (for Micro Lens Array) that LG says is responsible for the G3’s superior brightness. The G3 series comes in four sizes (55-, 65-, 77- and 83-inch) but the largest 83-inch size lacks MLA, so I don’t expect it to perform as well as the others.

The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.

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I compared this TV side by side with the LG G3 above, and while I liked the G3 better overall, the Samsung S95C looked nearly as impressive. Its biggest advantage was color, thanks to Samsung’s quantum dot-infused take on OLED technology, aka QD-OLED. The S95C’s flowers, sunsets and other colorful objects looked a bit more natural and impressive than on the G3 or, frankly, any other OLED TV I’ve tested. The G3 showed excellent color and looked brighter and better overall, but it was very close. 

I also preferred Samsung’s design, with its unique external One Connect input box, if that’s a factor for you. Instead of inputs on the back panel, this TV houses them in a separate box that connects to the TV via a single cable, easing installation. The panel itself is also thinner than that of the G3.

Pros:

• Superb image quality with best-in-class color
• Superb contrast and off-angle image
• Excellent gaming features
• Ultrathin panel with the external input box

Cons:

• Expensive
• Competing LG G3 has a superior overall picture

The S95C replaces the S95B from last year and is one of two QD-OLED series Samsung is making in 2023. The other, the S90C, isn’t as bright, according to Samsung, and costs less and has standard inputs on the back panel. 

 The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.

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Looking for a high-end TV with spectacular image quality, but don’t want an OLED? The Samsung QN90B is your best bet. This TV uses QLED TV tech augmented by mini-LED for a brighter image than any OLED TV. The spectacular contrast of OLED still won out in our side-by-side tests, but the QN90B QLED screen comes closer than ever. 

The older version of this TV, the QN90A, remains on sale for hundreds less. It’s also an excellent performer but it’s slightly dimmer than the QN90B. It also lacks some of the 2022 model’s features, including the new game hub with cloud gaming. 

Pros:

• Best non-OLED picture quality we’ve ever tested
• Incredible brightness with minimal blooming
• Stylish design, packed with features

Cons:

• Expensive
• Slightly worse contrast, off-angle and uniformity than OLED

Samsung produces a number of QLED TVs, but the QN90B is among the highest-end, aside from versions with 8K resolution. This is a 2022 model, but the 2023 version — the QN90C — looks similar in terms of features and while we haven’t reviewed it, we expect it to deliver similar image quality. It’s also significantly more expensive.

The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.

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Best QLED|This TV uses QLED tech augmented by mini-LED, for a brighter image than any OLED TV.

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The Samsung QN90B QLED TV is one of the company’s higher-end televisions for 2022.

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The Samsung QN90B QLED TV is one of the company’s higher-end televisions for 2022.

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