Best in class for Smart TVs
Best Budget Smart TV
Hisense 40H4C Roku TV (40-inch) New TV sizes are popping up as manufacturers try to distinguish their models, and the 40H4C is a winner in the 40-inch category. Hisense may not be a household name in the United States, but the Chinese TV giant is coming on strong with its new line of smart TVs built in collaboration with set-top box-maker Roku. The 40H4C interface trumps other smart TVs by using a simple yet handsome design, instead of something flashy and complex. It recognizes the mixed bag of content people are watching today. We could easily flip among a cable box, a Blu-ray player, Netflix and Hulu Plus (among Roku's nearly 2,000 channels), and other sources. On top of that, the Hisense 40H4C delivers surprisingly good image quality, with nuanced and pleasing color, impressive shadow detail and smooth motion-rendering despite having just a 60-Hz refresh rate. BUY IT HERE Best Small TV
Vizio M322i-B1 (32-inch) We were delighted to see the care that Vizio put in a category of TVs that other manufacturers often neglect. The M322i-B1 is as tricked out as larger sets in Vizio's line, with cutting-edge features such as a full-array LED backlight to boost contrast and one of the cleanest, most-intuitive smart TV interfaces we have seen. It's remote is also top-notch, with a QWERTY keyboard on the back for easily entering account passwords and searches in streaming video apps. Colors are pleasing and accurate (if you select the Calibrated picture mode), and details are plenty sharp on the 1080p screen. We'd like to see deeper black levels, but that's only a problem with certain content, such as the film Gravity. For most viewing, the M322i-B1 is delightful, especially at a price of about $300. BUY IT HERE |
BEST TV you can buy
LG 55EC9300 (55-inch) If you live for your home cinema experience, the modestly curved LG 55EC9300's price may be worth it. Though not a 4K/UHD TV, this 55-inch set's superior contrast and beautiful, vibrant colors more than make up for what higher-res LED-LCD TVs offer. The LG 55EC9300 maintains color quality and contrast even when you view the screen far off-axis — another benefit of OLED, and a good thing given the slightly curved screen. The 55EC9300 also delights with LG's webOS, one of the most intuitive and certainly the prettiest smart TV interfaces out there. The design of the TV does little to take away from the screen, with a nearly nonexistent bezel and a thickness of just a quarter-inch over most of the set. There are OLED TVs with 4K/UHD screens on the market, but they cost several times more. Thus we dub the 55EC9300 the best TV that you could afford. BUY IT HERE Best Midsize TV
Sony KDL-50W800B (50-inch) If you're an image-quality snob (and there's nothing wrong with that), this is the midsize TV for you. Sony lives up to its reputation for obsession with color fidelity with the KDL-50W800B, and Sony's image processor renders fine detail and smooth motion. The 50W800B is also a handsome TV, with a virtually nonexistent bezel around the screen and a minimalist but sturdy stand. The smart TV interface is not the most intuitive, but it's easy enough to navigate. Cool bonus features include 3D capabilities and PlayStation Now, which allows you to play cloud-based version of PS3 games. BUY IT HERE |
Best 4K/Ultra HD TV
Samsung UN65HU8550F (65-inch) 4K TV prices are plummeting; and while the UN65HU8550F isn't quite cheap, it's well worth the money for videophiles who want to step up to 4K. Detail is as exquisite as 4K/UHD technology promises. Color is also vivid, and - most importantly - spot on to what the director and colorist intended, based on our viewing and instrument measurements. Contrast is better than average for an LCD. And Samsung's smart TV interface, while a bit busy, is well stocked; and the gesture-based remote is a joy to use. If your means or space are not so grand, you can try out screen sizes as low as 50 inches. BUY IT HERE Best Budget Midsize TV
TCL 55FS4610R Roku TV (55-inch) If you like a big, bright picture, and don't stress out about perfect color fidelity, you'll have a blast with the TCL's 55-inch Roku TV. This set performs much better than its bargain price would suggest - rendering smooth motion in action scenes. Contrast ratio - based on our measurements and observations - is better than average. And TCL offers fine adjustment to tweak black levels. But the real star is Roku's brilliant smart TV interface, which puts the best set-top box into your TV. It' a breeze to jump between online video channels, game consoles, cable TV and antenna TV. Roku's minimalist, intuitive remote, which accesses context-sensitive menus, is a joy after the button-encrusted wand-style remotes that come with many competing TVs. BUY IT HERE |