LCD TV Reviews

PRICE $8,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Very bright
Accurate color
Wide viewing angle
Massive screen
Competitive price in its category
Built-in NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) tuner
Minus
$8,000 price tag
Shadow detail crushed in dark scenes (pending firmware update)
Screen reflections can be distracting
Onboard speakers sound boxy and hollow

THE VERDICT
Offering an excellent, very bright, large-screen flat-panel display, the Hisense 98UX simulates a movie theater experience at home with advanced features and one of the brightest pictures we’ve ever tested, though we noted some distracting screen reflections. Despite not being cheap, it is a relative bargain compared to other large-screen models, with a 110-inch version also available later this year.

The Hisense 98UX is an excellent, very bright, large-screen flat-panel display capable of simulating a movie theater experience at home in a way that few other LCD-based televisions can.

PRICE $6,300

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Significantly brighter HDR peak luminance than 2023
Great gaming features
Attractive design, nearly invisible bezel border
ATSC 3.0 over-the-air tuning
Attractive and snappy smart TV interface
Minus
Screen picks up room reflections when using stand.
Continued dearth of native 8K content
Lacks codecs like VVC likely to be used with future 8K content
No Dolby Vision support

THE VERDICT
Samsung's QN75QN900D Neo QLED 8K TV impresses with bright HDR, smart features, and AI game mode, offering stunning visuals from 4K and Full HD sources. Its speed and responsiveness make it a top choice for gaming, appealing to those willing to invest in premium 8K technology.

The QN75QN900D Neo QLED is Samsung's 2024 flagship 8K mini-LED LCD TV series, and it delivers a brilliantly bright, colorful, and detailed picture from most content. The series replaces last year's flagship Samsung 8K Neo QLED, offering a thinner panel design and a significantly brighter picture.

PRICE $2,800

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Screen size
Black levels
Price
Minus
Limited off-center viewing
Cluttered remote

THE VERDICT
The TCL 85QM8 has a few annoying ergonomic issues, and like most LED/LCD sets its off-center viewing won't challenge an OLED. But its performance is impressive, and its price unexpectedly affordable. Properly adjusted, and on source material ranging from the routine to the awesomely difficult, its performance was consistently irresistible.

One significant difference between building a home theater around a video projector or a conventional flat-screen television has been image size. Projector fans will point to the immersion that big-screen projection offers, with the screen size limited mainly by your available space, imagination, and budget. Until recently, however, TVs bigger than 65-inches were priced beyond the means of most consumers.

PRICE $1,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Good image contrast
Crisp picture detail
Affordable price
Minus
Limited off-center viewing angle
Limited HDR brightness
Cluttered screen interface

THE VERDICT
When it comes to TVs, Vizio has always been serious about keeping the quality high and the prices low. That program continues with the company’s new M-Series Quantum, making this set worthy of serious consideration.

Veteran videophiles will recall the days when flat-panel TVs were almost impossibly expensive. But bigscreen set prices have dropped dramatically in recent years. We might "blame" Vizio for that, as it was among the first companies to challenge the status quo. Today it's not the only one offering affordable TVs, but its newest M-Series Quantum models make a strong case for the company's continued design and marketing savvy.

PRICE $1,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Effective, 160- zone local-dimming
App-based color calibration
Affordable price
Minus
Image quality reduced at off-center seats
Some green push with HDR content

THE VERDICT
TCL's 6-Series UHD Roku TV brings the benefits of Mini-LED backlighting to a very affordable price point.

In late 2019, TCL flew me to the company's U.S. offices in California to spend an afternoon with its new flagship, the 75Q825 8-Series UHD Roku TV, a 75-inch 4K LCD model. Not all of the set's firmware was complete, but we took advantage of the opportunity to give our readers a sneak preview. The 75Q825's signature feature was TCL's use of mini-LEDs for backlighting, and at its then price of $3,000, it was something of an outlier for a brand associated with budget TVs.

PRICE $800

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Effective local dimming
Precise HDR tracking
Low price
Minus
Poor off-center viewing
Minor banding artifacts

THE VERDICT
The Hisense 65H8G proves that even budget TVs now offer features enabling a high level of performance that was previously the domain of much pricier sets.

Hisense has joined the ranks of LCD TV makers using quantum dots, a technology that enables sets to more closely approach the wider color gamut promised by Ultra HDTV. (Quantum dots generate red and green light when energized by a blue LED, with the sum total providing the backlighting that LCD TVs require.) Along with the 65-inch 65H8G reviewed here, Hisense's H8G series also includes a 75-inch model, the largest flat-panel the company offers. For larger screen sizes, the company offers a range of ultra short throw laser projectors.

PRICE $3,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Super-punchy HDR performance
Class-leading local dimming
App-based picture calibration
Minus
Typical limited off-center viewing window
No VRR or FreeSync for gaming

THE VERDICT
The Chinese TV maker TCL has been rattling the budget sector for several years. But with its new 8-Series, the company has boldly entered the rarified high-end Ultra HDTV realm.

TCL made its mark worldwide over the last few years largely by selling budget sets with built-in Roku streaming. But with its new 8-Series, available in 65- and 75-inch screen sizes ($2,000 and $3,000, respectively), the company has elbowed its way into the high end and managed to do so at a highly competitive price point.