The 20 Best Smart TVs of 2023

Goodbye cable TV, hello smart TV! In 2023, most people will upgrade their TVs to smart ones, if they haven’t already done so. It makes life just so much easier.

A great smart TV will have all the basics covered, but some of them have amazing resolutions and offer picture perfect viewing. Your TV experience will bring you so much joy, you might never want to leave your house again.

What is a Smart TV?

Basically, it is a TV that has internet capabilities, meaning the Wi-Fi is built-in.

That means it can stream apps and services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube and Hulu directly, without an external device such as the Chromecast or Fire Stick.

Things to Consider

That being said, there are a few things that differentiate the makes and models from one another. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, this guide might come in handy.

Of course, we are not professionals, so if you have very specific questions you should get the help of a technician that can give you a lot more details.

Panel Type

The panel type, or the type of display technology. The OLEDs offer the best picture, but they are very expensive. They have better viewing angles than the LED or LCD displays, deep blacks, and the images are more lifelike.

LED/LCD TVs, on the other hand, are more affordable, while providing good image quality. They rely on back lights to illuminate the display, while the OLEDs can turn individual pixels on or off completely.

Resolution

The resolution is the detail of the display, and it is measured in pixels. While 1080p is the minimum, some newer models have a 4K UHD 3840×2160 resolution.

The edges and textures have more detail, therefore the overall look of the display is superior. While the 8K sets have 7680×4320 resolutions, not much content is compatible with the 8K content yet.

Refresh Rate

The refresh rate is measured in hertz, or Hz, tells you how fast the screen refreshes the image per second.

If you’re a gamer this might be very important to you, but if you just like watching movies or series, the 60-Hz panels are good enough.

HDR

HDR stands for high dynamic range, or support for better contrast, color, and a more detailed picture.

Life-like definition with rich color pop makes for the best picture quality possible.

Operating System

Whether the operating system has a large selection of streaming apps or not, the OS is the platform that is used to navigate between applications and switch between inputs. Some allow you to use Airplay in order to send content from your portable device to the big screen.

The most important thing to remember is that a great TV will not need to update quickly, so you should have it for at least a few years.

Although manufacturers do not build them as durable as 20 years ago, some reliable TV brands will still give you a great device that will serve you well for a good number of years.

Those few guidelines should give you an idea what to look for when you’re purchasing your next TV. Now, let’s take a look at the 20 best smart TVs of 2023.

20. Amazon Fire TV Omni Series TV

A basic 4K TV that comes with the Fire TV smart platform. Very affordable, it does lack the local dimming feature you get from high-end TVs. It also has some trouble upscaling some of its lower-resolution content, but it does have excellent contrast.

Offering a great selection of streaming apps and decent reflection handling, a good overall choice for TV watching on a budget.

19. Toshiba 4K Fire TV

This is probably one of the most affordable smart TVs on the market. It is also smaller, because not everyone has the space for a behemoth in their homes. The largest size it comes in is 55 inches, which is still pretty decent for a condo or apartment.

The 4K display offers a great quality picture, and the Fire experience offers a similar experience to that of a Google TV. A great option for regular TV watching, it has a low input lag and fast response times that make it a capable gaming TV.

18. Vizio P-Series Quantum X TV

A decent choice for regular TV watching, the refresh rate and lack of HDMI 2.1 VRR doesn’t appeal to gamers. The HDR performance has a high peak brightness and local dimming zones, which makes the display’s definition pop.

The SmartCast TV platform gives you access to a wide array of content, and it accepts AirPlay 2 and Chromecast. An overall good choice for a budget TV.

17. TCL 6-Series Roku TV – R635

Another option if you’re on a budget, this is one of the best models available. Made by TCL, this TV has an excellent QLED and a mini LED display, an improved Roku remote, and offers great gaming performance.

The interface is easy to navigate, and it offers a large app selection. The sound is not the best, but the HDR performance it offers is amazing.

16. Hisense H8G Quantum TV

For a budget TV, the Hisense H8G offers a bright and colorful display. Equipped with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision HDR, it offers outstanding value for well under $1,000.

Some of its technical specs rival some of its much pricier brands, and the Google Assistant support is very well-implemented. The design isn’t the most inspiring, but for all the great qualities and the great performance across HD and 4K, it’s a real bargain.

15. TCL 5-Series Google TV – S546

The value of TCL’s QLED Google TV is a serious upgrade from their Roku model. The HDR performance is excellent because of the QLED display that has local dimming capabilities.

It is affordably priced, the color quality is great, and the motion is smooth. While the audio is good it isn’t great, and the display has limited viewing angles.

14. Toshiba C350 Fire TV

This Amazon powered TV is a great addition to the Toshiba inventory that offers decent performance and good features. It has responsive Fire TV capabilities and low lag time. The color in standard mode is good, but the HDR is a bit flat.

Unfortunately the backlighting is also pretty inconsistent, but it supports Dolby Vision.

13. Hisense U6G TV

A great all around TV that offers a versatile performance, the U6G form Hisense is a smart affordable choice. Equipped with the Android TV, you get access to a huge selection of apps. The remote control allows voice control thanks to the built-in mic, and it operates with Alexa or Google Assistant.

The VA panel has a high native contrast ratio and displays deep blacks. But images might seem washed out from the side, and the viewing angles are narrow.

12. Vizio H1 OLED TV

This affordable OLED from Vizio comes with a few caveats. It comes with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support, but it isn’t as bright as the more expensive OLEDs.

While the upscaling could be better, the wider viewing angles and exceptional contrast are just as good as its more expensive counterparts. Other advantages worth noting are the extremely thin chassis and amazing black levels.

11. Hisense U8G Android TV

One of the best Android TVs out, this affordable Hisense model offers great value. With a very bright display and low lag time, it also has excellent color, contrast, and sharpness. The viewing angles are mediocre though, and it has an overactive motion smoothing.

But the integrated Chromecast and Google Assistant make this full-featured smart TV a great quality device.

10. Samsung Frame TV

The Frame TV from Samsung is a great option for people who want a TV, but they also don’t want it to look like one. When not in use, it displays a picture-frame with the artwork of your choice. A very capable TV, it comes with 4K resolution and HDR support.

Samsung’s Tizen platform and voice assistant support give you a broad array of content watching. If you want you can even customize the bezel that attaches magnetically for a different look.

9. Sony A8H OLED TV

If you’re a home cinema fan, this TV offers you a gorgeous, refined picture, and good sound quality. Its ultra-wide viewing angles and Dolby Vision make for excellent qualities in a home theater. The TV carries the brand’s X1 Ultimate processor and the Pixel Contrast Booster.

The Android operating system can get fiddly and frustrating with all the upgrades, but all its qualities might convince you to overlook its minor flaws.

8. LG G1 Gallery Series OLED TV

This television will impress you with its sleek, thin design and outstanding contrast and color the OLED evo technology offers. The a9 Gen 4 AI processor upscales and processes on screen objects like no other in its category.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Atmos sound seems to struggle with the bass, so beware of that. But the picture-on-wall style is gorgeous and makes this model a real centerpiece TV.

7. Samsung QN90A Neo QLED 8K TV

This TV boasts a beautiful, thin design with some impressive anti-glare abilities. The solar-chargeable remote is pretty cool too, as are the Neo QLED capabilities. They deliver incredible brightness, but sometimes there is visible blooming while watching something.

It lacks Dolby Vision support though, and it only has one HDMI 2.1 port. But with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a 4K Quantum image processor, it offers an overall great TV watching experience.

6. Sony Bravia X90J TV

A great gamer’s TV that offers best in-class image quality and full-bodied sound. Impressive upscaling, the new Cognitive XR processor offers great contrast control as well. The new Google TV smart platform is easy to set up and offers broad app support.

With Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision HDR, the XJ90 delivers stellar performance for an affordable price. Some of its issues are some limited viewing angles and a slight screen glare.

5. LG QNED90 TV

A great 4K TV from LG that comes with Mini LED backlight technology and an IPS panel. It delivers great contrast that comes with decent local dimming enabled. While not the greatest, it does have some of the best contrast with local dimming on an IPS panel.

With high-peak brightness, wide viewing angles and decent reflection handling, it is a very good TV overall. The downside is some uniformity issues where similar colors clutter.

4. Sony A90J OLED TV

Movie buffs, this TV is a great model for you! For gamers, the features of the LG C1 that follows are more geared for you, but if you’re hard core into TV watching, then this one is it.

The bright display that you get thanks to the HDR feature makes the highlights pop up more, and the better image processing includes an improved gradient handling. And the motion activated backlighting is a cool feature that allows you to see the buttons in darkness.

3. LG C1 Series OLED TV

This is by far the best gaming TV there is. It offers the best gaming performance in its class, plus some additional gaming features. The picture quality is fantastic, which proves that OLED is superior to the other models.

The sound quality needs some tweaking, but once adjusted it is good, and the webOS lacks some apps. Otherwise, with a full complement of HDMI 2.1 ports and a rich picture quality, it is one of the best options on the market.

2. Samsung QN900A Neo QLED 8K TV

When it comes to high-end televisions, this 8K from Samsung sets a new benchmark. The picture quality is awesome, with exceptional brightness and color, outstanding blacks, and terrific sound. Ideal for gamers that can get connected via AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Game Motion Plus, or HDMI 2.1.

The HDR is standard setting, but the limited 8K content and no Dolby Vision support might make you wonder if it’s worth the hype.

1. Sony Bravia XBR A80J TV

This model from Sony is an excellent OLED that has net-gen tech incorporated. With features such as the HDR, ATSC 3.0 tuner, 120 Hz refresh rate, and Acoustic Surface Audio+, this TV offers an outstanding picture and audio quality. What’s even better is that it’s also more affordable than other options in this list. 

The Google TV interface is powerful, and it boasts lots of dynamic and smart features that really work. Although the Bravia Core streaming service won’t dazzle you, if you get your dynamic adjustments just right, you will watch the best quality picture yet.

There you have the list of the 20 best smart TVs of 2023. Just keep in mind that buying a TV should be a fun process, so go with what you like, but mostly with what you can afford. As you have seen, there are options available for all types of budgets, so you don’t need to get yourself in huge debt in order to enjoy your favorite hobby.