With the holidays right around the corner, the time to buy is right now. Though they can get pricey, gifting one of the best TVs around is rue to put a smile on that special someone’s face. TV prices start falling in the weeks before Black Friday, and there are already quite a few early TV deals and discounts that you can take advantage of right now. Now comes the tough part — figuring which is the best TV for that special someone (or, let’s face it, yourself). Fortunately, CNET is here to help. After extensive testing in our hands-on TV lab, we’ve rounded up some great value models that will make the best gift this season.
For this list, all the prices you’ll see are for 65-inch models, unless otherwise noted. Looking for a specific screen size? Check out: 43-inch TVs, 55-inch TVs, 65-inch TVs and 75-inch TVs.
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David Katzmaier/CNET
Sizes
55-, 65-, 75- 85-inch
TV Technology
QLED with Mini-LED
Smart TV
Yes (Roku TV)
Resolution
4K
HDMI Ports
4
For the last five years the TCL 6-Series has been our favorite TV for the money, and the 2022 version — also known as the R655 series — is no exception. This TV has an excellent image thanks to mini-LED tech and well-implemented full-array local dimming that helps it run circles around just about any other TV at this price. It improves upon the previous R635 series with improved gaming extras and a new center-mount stand that you can elevate to make room for a soundbar, although the new 85-inch size has standard legs. And finally, the Roku TV operating system is our hands-down favorite.
Note that in addition to the R635, which this TV replaces, other versions of the 6-Series were released in 2021 and remain on sale. The R646 series uses the Google TV operating system but otherwise has similar specifications to the R655 models reviewed here. The R648 series has 8K resolution and is significantly more expensive.
The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.
You’re receiving price alerts for TCL 6-Series
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Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
When we compared the best 2022 budget TVs side-by-side, the picture quality of Vizio V-Series clearly emerged as the leader of the pack. The Vizio offered the most balanced and accurate picture during our comparisons, and it comes with some useful extras such as Dolby Vision support, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth compatibility and variable refresh rate for potentially smoother gaming. The biggest downside of the Vizio is its smart TV platform, Vizio SmartCast. It’s crowded, slow and littered with ads for platforms such as Tubi and Kidoodle TV. Even when you factor in the cost of adding a new streaming device, however, the V-Series remains the best overall entry-level TV that we tested.
Sizes: 43-, 50-, 55-, 58- 65-, 75-inch. (The prices shown below are for the 50-inch size.)
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David Katzmaier/CNET
The C2 represents the pinnacle of picture quality at a price that’s admittedly high, but not too crazy. It beats any non-OLED TV on this list, including the Samsung QN90B below, with its perfect black levels, unbeatable contrast and superb off-angle viewing. It also has amazing gaming features, making it the perfect companion to an Xbox Series X or S, PlayStation 5 or both. The C2 comes in a wide variety of sizes as well, although the bigger models are really expensive.
Improvements over the C1 from last year include carbon-fiber construction for up to 47% lighter weight — the 65-inch version we reviewed weighs just 37 pounds with its stand, compared to 72 pounds for the 65-inch C1 — as well as some additional tweaks to game mode and a new “always ready” feature.
The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.
You’re receiving price alerts for LG OLED C2
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Sarah Tew/CNET
Sizes
43-, 50-, 55-, 65-, 75-, 85-inch
TV Technology
LED
Smart TV
Yes (Roku TV)
Resolution
4K
HDMI Ports
3
The picture quality of the TCL 4-Series Roku TV was only a slight step behind the Vizio V-Series in our budget TV test, and the differences between the two are slight enough that you’d really have to have them set up side by side to notice anything at all. The 4-Series lacks the Dolby Vision, Bluetooth connectivity and AMD FreeSync with a variable refresh rate, all of which the Vizio offers. The 4-Series’ advantage over the Vizio is that it comes with the excellent Roku Smart TV system built in. That makes it a great choice for those looking for a one-stop smart TV solution, without having to add an external streaming device.
The prices shown below are for the 50-inch size.
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Bobby Oliver/CNET
Looking to give a high-end TV with spectacular image quality, but don’t want an OLED? The Samsung QN90B is your best bet. This TV uses QLED TV tech augmented by mini-LED for a brighter image than any OLED TV. The spectacular contrast of OLED still won out in our side-by-side tests, but the QN90B QLED screen comes closer than ever.
The prices shown below are for the 65-inch size.
You’re receiving price alerts for Samsung QN90B
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David Katzmaier/CNET
Sizes
43-, 50-, 55-, 60-, 65-, 70-, 75-, 85-inch
TV Technology
QLED
Smart TV
Yes (Tizen)
Resolution
4K
HDMI Ports
3
Samsung is the brand that sells more TVs than anyone, and one of its most popular is the Q60 series. Its sleek QLED screen design stands out compared with the other TVs on this list — even though the ultrathin OLED models are sleeker — and it offers better features, image quality and more sizes than models like the TCL 4-Series and Sony X80K. The TVs listed in this article are all superior values, but if you want a Samsung TV and can’t afford the top-tier models, this is a great choice.
Note that the 2021 version, the Q60A, is still on sale and can be cheaper than the Q60B in some sizes. The newer version measured brighter in our tests, but if you want the best deal, stick with the Q60A if it’s still available.
The prices shown below are for the 55-inch size.
You’re receiving price alerts for Samsung Q60B series
Other stuff to know about giving a new TV for the 2022 holidays
We’re sure you’d be happy with any one of the TVs above, but a new set can be a big investment, so maybe you’re looking for a bit more information. Here’s a quick and dirty list.
- In our opinion, bigger is better. In general, your money is best spent on large screen sizes rather than a slight upgrade in image quality.
- If you don’t like the built-in smart TV system, you can always add a streaming device from Roku, Amazon, Google or Apple. They’re generally cheap and easy to use for streaming services — and they receive updates more frequently than most smart TVs. See our picks of the best streaming devices.
- The sound quality of most built-in speakers is terrible, so it’s worthwhile to pair your new set with a sound bar or other speaker system. Good ones start at around $100. See our picks of the best soundbars for 2022.
