Best 4K TV

Considered in terms of picture quality, the Samsung QE55QN85A is almost entirely admirable. Content of 1080p standard and above looks an absolute treat, even if the QN85A isn’t the most surefooted TV when it comes to motion-processing.

Its minimal bezel that surrounds the screen and a consistent depth of just 27mm mean that as an object, too, it’s a looker – especially if you want to hang it on the wall. With four HDMI inputs, one with eARC and another that accommodates HDMI 2.1, you’ve got options for plugging in a high-end soundbar or gaming console. There’s no Freeview Play for UK customers but it’s nevertheless stacked with apps and catch-up services.

Packing HDR10+ (but not Dolby Vision) what’s most immediately impressive is the depth of black tones. They’re not as inky as the OLED equivalent; but by the standards of backlit LCD TVs, they’re super-impressive. Backlighting control is splendid with no noticeable blooming or haloing, and the hefty peak brightness (at least 1500 nits) delivers extremely wide contrasts. Overall detail levels are extremely high, which adds to the lifelike impression of the Samsung’s pictures.

The TV’s audio performance is bland, undemonstrative and strangely boneless – which means you’ll likely need to invest in a soundbar. However, ignore the humdrum sound and the lack of Dolby Vision and this is an excellent investment.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Samsung QE55QN85A

The G1 is one of LG’s best OLEDs, from its minimalist design, fabulous picture quality and extensive features the G1 OLED oozes quality.

Marketing of OLEDs predictably focuses on the thinness of the screen, but the G1 is the first we’ve encountered where that holds true. With a rear panel depth of 23.1mm, the G1 can sit flush against a wall and given it is designed to be wall-mounted, you should bear that in mind before purchase.

The new webOS 6.0 hub offers an overview of smart features but doesn’t feel like it makes the best use of space. It’s good if you like options, but also feels as if LG has tried to pack too much in. LG’s OLEDs are the most gaming-friendly TVs available with VRR, ALLM and 4K/120Hz HFR supported across all HDMI inputs, plus PC gaming VRR solutions available with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium.

When it comes to picture quality, the LG G1 OLED produces an outstanding performance. The added brightness of the Evo panel isn’t orders of magnitude more brightness but produces a more illuminating performance than previous generations. Black levels are, as you’d expect from OLED, stupendously good, creating an excellent sense of contrast, while colours are rich and saturated with highlights (the brightest part of the image) impressively bright.

Sound quality is more of a qualified success, with voices in lacking a sense of weight and character. Like other LG TVs, it’s best to consider picking up a soundbar to match the beautiful images the screen creates.

The G1’s preoccupation with wall-mounting means it is not for everyone, but this is another high-quality TV from LG.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: LG OLED55G1

LG’s mid-range CX makes the top of the list not just because it offers fantastic picture quality, but that it does so for less than 2019 C9’s initial RRP. While performance isn’t a huge leap over the C9, the lower price makes it less an attractive jump into the OLED market.

The design is elegant and attractive, and the feature set is robust with plenty of streaming apps, smart features and HDMI 2.1 for gaming, with webOS interface tying everything together. The lack of Freeview Play integration means that only a couple of UK catch-up apps are supported.

Still, both native 4K and upscaled images fare excellently with the CX, with bold, natural colours and expressive contrast. We feel this set from LG is an impressively strong 4K set.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: LG OLED55CX

The JZ980 is a superb OLED that only a few years ago would have warranted flagship status. Image quality is outstanding, thanks to even-handed AI image processing and excellent HDR management; and support for all significant HDR formats gives it an edge over rivals.

Design-wise the JZ980 presents a clean, no-nonsense face with a gun-metal grey micro bezel and a pair of mid-placed slot-in feet that should make it easy to find suitable AV furniture. A swivel pedestal would have been nice, but it looks tidy all the same.

The TX-48JZ980 is well served for streaming options. Freeview Play offers a full fist of mainstream catch-up services, including BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My5 and UKTV Play, while the My Home Screen smart platform adds Netflix, Amazon Prime, Rakuten TV and BritBox, Disney+ and Apple TV+.

Its colour performance is rich without over-saturated exaggeration, detail depiction is uniformly superb, and its HDR highlight performance is a knockout. There’s a unique velvet sheen to Panasonic’s picture handling that’s super-easy on the eye. The set has a standard speaker complement and plays with authority; however, out-boarding Dolby Atmos to a soundbar or AV receiver is the way to go.

We rate the TX-48JZ980 as a top-notch TV, particularly as it doesn’t come with an overly onerous price tag. This small OLED TV makes a big impression.

Reviewer: Steve May
Full Review: Panasonic TX-48JZ980

Impressive as Philips’ 2019 OLEDs were, their latest efforts have taken performance even further. Part of that is down to the new Philips AI-enhanced P5 picture engine, which delivers impressive images by adjusting picture quality to suit the content watched.

During the course of testing, images were delivered with almost three-dimensional depth and detail, with the Philips’ HDR performance just as impressive. And there’s Ambilight, which adds a reflective glow to whatever you watch. For gamers looking to the next-gen consoles this isn’t the best choice with no 4K/120fps support and a relatively sluggish latency. Still, for home cinema lovers, it’s a stunning set.

Reviewer: Steve May
Full Review: Philips 55OLED805

It’s a case of small but welcome improvements over the previous model with the Panasonic TX-65JX940. Picture quality is accomplished, and the addition of Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive help tailor its performance a bit better.

The JX940’s build quality is in-keeping with Panasonic’s spartan design philosophy, not drawing much attention to itself and disappearing into a room with little fuss. The JX940 is outfitted with a new remote that’s lighter, neater affair but still big in size. My Home Screen 6.0 is still pretty much the same as before, although it’s gained built-in voice assistants along with Disney+ and Apple TV+.

HDMI 2.1 has been bolstered with Auto Low Latency Mode, Variable Refresh Rate, High Frame Rate. Dolby Vision VRR (up to 60Hz) and AMD FreeSync Premium make the JX940 a worthwhile option for gamers with the latest consoles.

The presence of Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive help eke out improvements over the HX940, with better performance in brighter and darker rooms thanks to adaptive HDR formats that use the TV’s ambient light sensor to finesse the image. Motion processing is naturally handled, and Panasonic’s feel for colours, especially with 4K HDR content, is vibrant, confident and expressive. There are still issues with blooming and backlight bleed, which make the JX940 fall in comparison to direct full-array LCD rivals.

In terms of sound, the Panasonic JX940 is perfectly fine. It handles dialogue without succumbing to sibilance. Anyone with more serious home cinema ambitions will want to pair this 65-incher with an external sound system.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Panasonic TX-65JX940B

The 48OLED+935 is the smaller version of the the 65-inch model and Philips first 48-inch OLED.

This is arguably the best ‘small screen’ OLED on the market. It’s another fantastic TV from Philips in terms of design, with its OLED thin panel and integrated speaker system screaming a premium feel. In terms of smarts it’s exactly what you’d get from the bigger OLEDs with its Android UI and wide range of streaming apps and features.

The picture and sound in our estimation, are just as captivating as they are on bigger models. With Philips introducing its AI processor for its 2020 TVs, image quality is further improved with better detail, sharpness and pop given to images. A wide HDR support means this TV will support virtually any piece of content available and when it comes to sound this TV is several notches better than an average TV with its big, well-balanced performance.

Reviewer: Steve May
Full Review: Philips 48OLED+935

LG CX were the first out with their 48-inch OLED and despite the dip in size, the performance is just as good as the 55-inch model.

That means the fantastic picture quality, good sound and most comprehensive gaming-friendly connectivity on the market. Black levels remain excellent, providing a fantastic foundation for dynamic and intense colours, especially with HDR content. We didn’t feel it looked as sharp as LG’s other OLEDs, predominantly down to its smaller size, but that does mean that you can sit closer to this OLED for the best effect.

Aside from iPlayer it is still missing most of the UK catch-up apps and that the 48-inch model costs more than the 55-inch version. That makes the larger size the better value in our rankings.

Reviewer: John Archer
Full Review: LG OLED48CX

Sony is the latest TV brand to produce a 48-inch OLED and it stands up with the best, though to be fair, there have only been three so far. Still, this OLED takes a similar approach to Philips’ 48-inch TV in that its focus is all on picture and sound.

There’s no VRR, ALLM or HFR skills to take advantage of the new gaming consoles – something of a surprise given Sony also makes the PS5. It’s a top-notch upscaler and Sony’s implementation of motion continues to be the best in the market in our view. In terms of HDR it doesn’t go as bright as the LG can, but Sony’s processing allows for images to take on a detailed, sharp, and intensely gorgeous look.

The TV’s Acoustic Surface Audio system is an impressive feat of engineering, vibrating the screen to produce sound and pushing sounds into the room. It’s cheaper than it was went it first went on sale, with prices not far off what LG is asking for their respective OLED.

Reviewer: John Archer
Full Review: Sony KD-48A9

Sony KD-65XH9505

A 4K TV with an exhilarating HDR performance

Trusted Score

Pros

• Fantastically bright, colourful HDR pictures
• Excellent sound quality
• Strong upscaling and motion handling

Cons

• Some backlight blooming with high-contrast content
• Minor clipping in the most extreme brightness areas
• No 4K/120Hz HDR gaming support

The XH95 produces a fantastically bright picture performance and aggressive colour application that really unlocks the potential of HDR images. It’s a great choice for those with bright rooms.

Upscaling of sub-4K sources and motion handling is strong, and sound quality – not always something TVs do well – is done very well here. The biggest disappointment is the lack of next-gen gaming features, with Sony instead saving them for the XH90. It means that for gamers with a PS5, the XH95 lacks the skills to take advantage of what that console can offer.

Reviewer: John Archer
Full Review: Sony KD-65XH9505

The Q95T’s pictures are some of the best currently available on the market, a showcase for bright and punchy HDR colours. And it’s a super upscaler of sub-4K content, delivering consistently bright and clean images from any source. Its gaming performance is class-leading across any device, boasting HDMI 2.1 features in VRR and 4K/120Hz that ensures it’ll get the most out of the next-gen consoles.

The sound quality is respectable, made even better if it’s paired with a compatible Q-series soundbar to unleash the full potential of its sound. The one real disappointment is Samsung’s continued omission of Dolby Vision, preferring it’s own HDR10+ dynamic format instead.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Samsung QE55Q95T