4K TVs are in their prime right now. The major TV manufacturers have their best technology going into 4K TVs, and that means there’s a huge range of options. You can find budget 4K TVs and even 4K TVs for gaming, but if you want the TVs that hold nothing back, you’ll need to look to the high-end, premium segment of the market. There you’ll find OLED displays with the richest contrast ratio you can get and exceptionally capable QLED displays with staggering brightness levels and ample local dimming zones.We’ve rounded up the best offerings on the market. These gaming TVs will let you sit back, relax, and enjoy their stunning pictures for years to come. These TVs are made to dominate walls with their enormity. But, their size will also ensure you’re getting the most benefit from that increased resolution of 4K. That said, many of the models we’re recommending here can also be found in smaller sizes, such as the popular 55- and 65-inch size, without much lost in terms of other specs or features. Here’s a look at our picks.TL;DR These are the Best High-End 4K TVs:
1. LG 77″ Class CX Series Ultra HD Smart OLED TV
Best High-End 4K TV
Screen size: 77″ Resolution: 4K Panel Type: OLED HDR Compatibility: Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10 Pro, HLG, HGiG Peak Brightness: 850cd/m2 Refresh Rate: 120Hz Inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x Satellite In, 1 x RF, 1 x Optical Audio Out, 1 x 3.5mm audio out
When it comes to getting the best-looking displays and a whole host of other premium features, you really can’t beat LG’s OLED TVs. LG’s 77-inch CX OLED isn’t its most expensive, but it offers the perfect blend of features, value, and quality. That’s a combination that goes unmatched by the competition.The 77-inch LG CX OLED continues to deliver on the nearly infinite contrast ratio of OLED displays, making for stunning HDR performance even if LG’s OLED don’t manage to get as bright as some of its QLED competitiors. The quality of the picture is also aided along by a true 10-bit color depth, letting the screen display over a billion colors at once without any frame rate control trickery.
Gamers get some special treatment from this TV as well. LG supports a special gaming-specific HDR mode called HGiG, and there’s support for both G-Sync and FreeSync, so you can enjoy gaming without any nasty tearing to ruin your 4K visuals. The inputs even support an uncomprimising 4K/120Hz with no choma subsampling at a 10-bit color depth, letting you get the picture you’re meant to see.
2. Vizio 75″ Class P-Series Quantum X HDR Smart 4K TV
Best Budget High-End 4K TV
Screen size: 75″ Resolution: 4K Panel type: Full Array QLED HDR Compatibility: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Peak Brightness: 2,700cd/m2 Local Dimming Zones: 480 Refresh Rate: 120Hz Inputs: 5 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x Component, 1 x Composite, 1 x RF, 1 x RCA Audio Out, 1 x Optical Audio Out
Spending money with reckless abandon is fun and all, but the 75-inch Vizio P-Series Quantum X is a great way of getting the biggest and best picture on the market at a bargain. For half the price of the LG C9 OLED, the PX75-G1 serves up one of the best looking LED panels around with a peak brightness of 2,700-nits and 480 local dimming zones.Contrast and colors are both excellent on this premium 4K TV, allowing users to enjoy media shot in Dolby Vision HDR. Additionally this TV packs in plenty of smarts with a built-in Chromcast as well as Apple HomeKit support.
3. Sony 77″ Class Bravia A9G Master Series Smart OLED 4K TV
Best High-End OLED 4K TV
Screen size: 77″ Resolution: 4K Panel Type: OLED HDR Compatibility: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Peak Brightness: 600cd/m2 Refresh Rate: 120Hz Inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x Composite, 1 x RF, 1 x Optical Audio Out
LGs not the only manufacturer with a killer high-end OLED TV. Sony delivers some of the best picture quality of any 4K TVs on the market. No, this 77-inch Bravia A9G Master Series isn’t thinner than a phone, but it is quite thin, with a minimalist stand to hold it in place.Its got fantastic color reproduction and amazing contrast, along with nearly non-existent motion blur. And its a little bit more affordable than the LG C9 OLED.
Whereas Sony’s older OLED TVs were notorious for their input lag in the past, the A9G Master Series has finally fixed this. At only 27ms, input lag is finally tolerable on the XBR-77A9G in game mode whether you’re playing at 4K, with or without HDR, or 1080p.
4. Samsung 85″ Class Q90T Smart QLED 4K TV
Best High-End QLED 4K TV
Screen size: 85″ Resolution: 4K Panel type: Direct Full Array QLED HDR Compatibility: HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, Quantum HDR 16X Peak Brightness: 2,000cd/m2 Refresh Rate: 240Hz (Motion Rate) Inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x RF, 1 x RS232C, 1 x Optical Audio Out
Samsung’s QLED technology is about as good as an LCD display can get right now, and Samsung’s 85-inch Q90T blows that to epic proportions. This huge display will give you such a big 4K display to look at that you actually can get close enough to see the individual pixels. So, you’ll want to make sure you have a big enough room to get the maximum benefit from it.As one of Samsung’s premium 4K TVs, The 85-inch Q90T naturally comes with all the bells and whistles. You’ll get Samsung’s smart TV operating system for easy control and access to all your favorite content. You also get support for a wide range of HDR technologies to let you take full advtange of the staggeringly bright screen (up to 2,000 nits!). Don’t worry about that brightness hurting your eyes though, as Adaptive Picture adjusts the TV display as the ambient lighting changes, making for easy viewing in all conditions. There’s something for the gamers as well, with a high refesh rate and support for AMD FreeSync.
5. Sony 85″ Class Bravia X900H Smart 4K TV
Best High-End LED 4K TV
Screen size: 85″ Resolution: 4K Panel type: Full Array VA HDR Compatibility: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Refresh Rate: 120Hz Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x Composite, 1 x RF, 1 x Optical Audio Out, 1 x 3.5mm Audio Out
If you’re not sold on QLED or OLED TVs, Sony has you covered with the massive, 85-inch X900H. This TV will give you a 4K picture to fill your room, so you won’t be squinting to make out the fine details in your content. This TV uses a VA panel with a full array of LED backlights, giving bright highlights and rich shadows. Combine that handling of light with the display’s 10-bit color, and you’re looking at one hell of a picture.The X900H is also one of the latest TVs to include HDMI 2.1 (two ports with the spec). That will enable you to pipe in content at 4K and 120Hz for some of the sharpest, smoothest gaming you can find. Variable refresh rates will also be on deck, giving you a truly excellent gaming experience once HMDI 2.1 source devices hit the market looking at you, PlayStation 5.
6. LG 65″ Class Signature WX Smart OLED 4K TV
Best High-End 4K TV for Show-offs
Screen size: 65″ Resolution: 4K Panel Type: OLED HDR Compatibility: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Refresh Rate: 120Hz Inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.1 (1 x eARC), 1 x Composite, 1 x RF, 1 x Optical Audio Out
LG’s Signature WX OLED is truly something to behold. This 4K TV effectively separates the display panel from everything else, letting you mount the ultra-thin OLED panel to your wall almost as if it were just a pane of glass. A separate soundbar-like box connects to the display panel with a small tether and houses all the other elements of the TV. If that setup isn’t already sexy enough, then just wait until you see the picture.The WX OLED TV, as the name suggests, relies on the self-emissive OLED technology that makes for stunning visuals with an infinite contrast ratio. That’ll let HDR content dazzle your eyes. OLEDs have some advantages in gaming as well, as they don’t rely on any special processing to handle local dimming zones, thereby letting you enjoy HDR in games with minimal input lag. And, since this display uses HDMI 2.1 ports, you can enjoy 4K at 120Hz with variable refresh rates on supported devices.
What’s next?
The high-end TV market isn’t sitting still. There are new technologies on the rise with the likes of MicroLED and new vendors employing OLED. Of course, some of these new technologies may be far enough off that they’ll only see wider adoption when 8K becomes the new mainstream.We’ve seen one new display technology demonstrated already this year with the stunningly thin Samsung Q950TS. At only 15mm thick, the Q950TS can rival OLED panels in size, but it’s an LCD display. Unfortunately, this is just an 8K model for now, and we still have no idea about pricing. Fortunately, Samsung has shown off the pricing of its new 4K models, including the premium Q90T. The new Samsung Q90T will start at $1,800 for its 55-inch size, while there’s also a 65-inch model for $2500 and a 75-inch model available $3800. These models will include variable refresh rate technology to make for an extra-compelling gaming experience. Lastly, Samsung has employed a object tracking sound feature, which uses an upward- and downward-firing speaker to give its high-end TVs more multi-dimensional audio.
The high-end 4K segment is getting some love in 2020, though. Vizio’s lineup of high-value TVs will get a bump in visual quality when Vizio introduces new panels, including P-Series Quantum X models that will offer peak brigthness levels over 3,000 nits and 792 local dimming zones. It’s also introducing its first OLED TVs later this year. Not to be outdone, Hisense is launching the high-end XD9G that will use a special 2K luminance panel with over two million local dimming zones. The XD9G is slated for sometime between July and September. So, there’s plenty to look forward to later this year.
Kevin Lee is IGN’s Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspamMark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
