4K TVs: What to know before you buy

The world of televisions can be complex, with all kinds of industry jargon. Don't worry, we'll tell you what you need to know. After that, we give you CNET's recommendations on which 4K TVs are best.

You can see the products featured in this video here 👇
*CNET may get a commission from these offers.

Best 4K TV for 2021

What is TV contrast ratio?

Dolby Vision, HDR10, Technicolor and HLG: HDR formats explained

[CNET]

You can see the products featured in this video here 👇
*CNET may get a commission from these offers.

[kabysummit]

I bought a base model Samsung LED 75" TV for my living room on Black Friday sale for under $500, paired it with a Samsung surround 5.1 mid range sound system with voice enhancement and Dolby Atmos and a more than powerful enough sub, all for about One G. This is to replace a seven year old Samsung 57" LED TV which I gave to my college son. Best one thousand dollar home theatre and I love it. I'm watching movies and listening to music with all the clarity and sound stage and boom that I am absolutely enjoying every bit of it. Are there better technologies out there? yes of course, and will always be. But I'm more than satisfied.

[johnb]

The problem here is cnet has tested only a small number of models which is inexcusable for technology based website. Katzmaier hasn't tested a number of Sony televisions such as the A90J, A80J and X95 which compete very well against the LG OLED and Samsung QLED televisions.

The A90J is arguably the best television you can buy money no object. It has what is called a heatsink behind the panel which allows the TV to dissipate heat more efficiently and hence is able to push specular highlights hard without fear of image retention.

The A80J competes with the C1 on price but has better overall video processing. The C1 is better for hardcore gamers.

The X95J competes with the QN90A and arguably has better overall PQ. Currently the X95J costs more but I suspect it will come down in price as we get deeper into the Holiday season.

No one will probably believe me but I don't own a Sony and have no plans to do so. I just think it's pretty blatant that cnet has their best list but hasn't reviewed a notable part of the mid to high end television market.

[ARLizKid]

Price update! Literally every price he mentioned it’s like $300-$500 higher then what they are now. The G1 55 is $1700 now vs what he said was $2200. They must of made this like 2 months ago when prices were high.

[ZBC]

Honestly, even in 2022 1080p still looks pretty good.

[foilpainterfantasyartist]

How long does 4k tv last, how many years before needing a new tv?

[kunaiflicker]

Good video. I also go rtings myself because the have good comparisons and also clearly say who wins per tv price category

[Scientifish]

I really like CNETs videos, always informative and with friendly faces like Iyaz 😊
This was a really good video but I missed info on picture frequency. I guess that's an important aspect considering picture quality?

[dabig]

Looking for a 43" for a budget of $400. Picture Quality is top priority. Don't care about operating system as will be using an external device for streaming

[subjectbigy]

I look forward to getting the LG C1 due to that settings changing with content.

[Dee-nljk]

Hi there, great reviews and info. I am completely out of the loop on the latest tech on TV's and apps etc. I watch very little TV but I do watch a fair amount of YouTube videos and some shows and occasional movies. I am looking for an easy convenient non confusing system. I am already confused about the smart TV's versus Roku and Fire stick etc. Do many of the low to mid price Tv's offer the blue light dimming option? Does the Roku and Firestick tv have monthly charges? What low to mid price TV's would you recommend for longevity and clear crisp picture? thanks so much!

[Nyle]

The panel in the LG G1 isn't unique to G1. It is also in SONY A90Js, which has arguably better picture quality, and has much better sound quality.

[GreenAppelPie]

Mostly good video. However, I purchased the LG G1 65” for just under $1800 from Best Buy just yesterday, it was $300 off so they say. So please give typical prices, not list prices. It has the HDR and HDMI 2.1 features I was looking for. And capable of good gaming. Users will probably have to use 4K hdmi cables when they upgrade, their pretty reasonable online.

Samsung was a consideration, but it apparently uses ads that you cannot disable, so that didn’t attract me.

[hayleyharrison]

Did he never mention burn in? I have a 4 year old oled and that thing is messed up, unless oled technology has gotten better at reducing burn in I’ll be buying a mini led tv next time.

[AlComedyy]

I’m aiming to buy TCL Class 6-Series Mini-LED QLED 4K UHD Smart Google Tv - 55”

[marksmith]

But what is the cheapest usable 4K 43" (more or less) model available? Want something under $1000

[feroci-tay]

*Just don't buy an Insignia or other cheaper brand TVs*
Paying more for a Samsung or LG is worth it.

[pwest]

Most modern movie content is encoded/filmed in 2 k and upconverted. There is not much point in 4 k unless your using your TV as a fancy photo album.

[adityamonga]

I used to have the same samsung thick tv earlier

[TVArtGallery]

I created art screensavers so I can turn any TV into art display for free using the Youtube App. I believe they will look great on these TVs! :)