Complete TV Buying Guide 2026

Buying a TV in 2026 is simultaneously easier and harder than ever. Easier because even budget models deliver decent 4K streaming. Harder because the sheer number of panel types, smart platforms, and acronyms can paralyze anyone standing in a store aisle. This guide strips away the marketing noise and focuses on the decisions that actually affect your daily viewing experience.

Why the Right TV Decision Matters

A TV purchase sticks with you for 5-8 years on average. Unlike a phone that gets replaced in two years, the wrong TV means half a decade of squinting at a dim screen in your sunny living room or watching washed-out blacks during movie night. The difference between a good purchase and a great one usually comes down to three or four key decisions made before you ever look at a product listing.

The good news: you do not need to spend a fortune. Some of the best-performing TVs in our testing cost half of what the top-tier models do. The trick is knowing which features matter for YOUR viewing habits and which are marketing fluff you will never notice.

The Five Decisions That Matter Most

1. Screen Size: Bigger Than You Think

Most people buy a TV that is too small. The industry rule of thumb — divide your viewing distance in inches by 1.5 — consistently pushes people toward a larger screen than they expected. At 8 feet away, a 65-inch TV fills your field of vision properly for an immersive 4K experience. At 6 feet, 50-55 inches hits the sweet spot.

A 55-inch TV viewed from 10 feet away is like watching a tablet. You paid for 8 million pixels but your eyes cannot resolve the detail from that distance. If budget is tight, buy a bigger screen with fewer features rather than a smaller screen with premium specs.

2. Panel Technology: The Real Differentiator

Four panel technologies dominate the market in 2026, each with distinct trade-offs:

• LED (basic) — Affordable, decent brightness, limited contrast. Best for bedrooms and casual use.
• QLED — LED with quantum dot color enhancement. Better color volume, similar contrast to LED. A worthwhile upgrade for most living rooms.
• Mini-LED — QLED with hundreds or thousands of tiny dimming zones. Dramatically better contrast and HDR performance. The sweet spot for most buyers in 2026.
• OLED — Self-emitting pixels. Perfect blacks, infinite contrast ratio, widest viewing angles. Premium pricing, lower peak brightness than top Mini-LEDs.

For a dedicated deep dive, see our panel technology comparison.

3. Refresh Rate: 60Hz vs 120Hz

A 120Hz panel refreshes the image twice as often as 60Hz, producing smoother motion for gaming and sports. If you own a PS5 or Xbox Series X, 120Hz is effectively mandatory — it enables 4K/120fps gaming that is a visible improvement over 60fps. Sports fans will notice cleaner motion during fast pans across a football field.

For pure streaming? 60Hz is fine. Netflix and Disney+ max out at 24-60fps content. You will not see a difference between 60Hz and 120Hz when watching a movie.

4. Smart Platform: Your Daily Interface

The smart TV platform determines your daily interaction experience more than any spec. The four major platforms:

• Google TV — Broadest app selection, excellent recommendations, Chromecast built in. Can feel cluttered.
• Roku OS — Cleanest, simplest interface. Minimal ads. Fewer advanced features.
• Fire TV — Deep Alexa integration. Good app selection. Aggressive advertising in the interface.
• Tizen / webOS — Samsung and LG proprietary platforms. Polished but limited to their hardware. Good smart home integration.

Read our full smart TV platform comparison for a detailed breakdown.

5. Budget Allocation: Where to Spend and Save

The TV market in 2026 breaks into clear tiers:

• Budget tier — Basic 4K LED with streaming. Best for secondary rooms.
• Mid-range tier — QLED with 120Hz and local dimming. The upgrade that matters most.
• Premium tier — Mini-LED with 500+ dimming zones. Excellent HDR and gaming.
• Flagship tier — OLED or top-end Mini-LED. Best picture quality available.

See our budget guide for specific recommendations at every price point.

Features That Actually Matter (and Ones That Do Not)

Features Worth Paying For

• HDMI 2.1 — Essential for PS5/Xbox gaming at 4K/120Hz. Also enables eARC for lossless audio to a soundbar.
• Local dimming — Transforms contrast in dark scenes. Even basic local dimming is better than none.
• Dolby Vision — Dynamic HDR that adjusts scene-by-scene. Most streaming services support it. Samsung TVs skip it in favor of HDR10+.
• VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) — Eliminates screen tearing in games. AMD FreeSync and HDMI Forum VRR are the standards to look for.

Features You Can Ignore

• 8K resolution — Almost no content exists in 8K. At normal viewing distances, 4K and 8K are indistinguishable on screens under 85 inches.
• "AI upscaling" marketing — Every brand claims AI-powered processing. The actual visual difference between brands is subtle at best.
• Built-in cameras — Video calling on a TV is gimmicky. A dedicated webcam or laptop is always better.
• Ambient mode / art mode — Nice if it comes free with a TV you already want. Not worth paying extra for unless decor is a genuine priority.

Five Mistakes That Waste Money

1. Buying Too Small

The most common TV buying mistake. People underestimate how far they sit from the screen. Measure before you shop. Use our TV size calculator.

2. Ignoring Room Brightness

A beautiful OLED in a store demo room looks incredible. That same OLED in a south-facing living room with floor-to-ceiling windows? Washed out by noon. If your room gets significant daylight, prioritize peak brightness and anti-glare coatings. Our bright room guide covers this in detail.

3. Skipping the Soundbar Budget

TV speakers have gotten worse as screens have gotten thinner. Even a premium TV with 40W speakers pales compared to a mid-range soundbar. Budget for audio from day one.

4. Chasing Last Year's Flagship

Buying a 2024 premium model on clearance sounds smart, but the 2025-2026 mid-range often matches or exceeds it in performance while including the latest smart platform and security updates. Newer mid-range beats older flagship more often than you'd expect.

5. Paying the Brand Tax Without Reason

Samsung and LG charge premium prices partly on brand recognition. TCL and Hisense use identical panel technologies at lower prices. Unless you specifically need Samsung's Tizen ecosystem or LG's webOS, test the alternatives first.

Our Top Picks Across Categories

Best Overall Value: Hisense 65" U75QG

The Hisense 65" U75QG sits in the Mini-LED category and delivers an outstanding combination of picture quality, gaming features, and price. It is our most-recommended TV for general living room use. Read our full review.

Best for Movie Lovers: LG 55" OLED C5

Nothing matches OLED for movie watching in a controlled-light environment. The LG 55" OLED C5 delivers perfect blacks, wide viewing angles, and Dolby Vision processing that makes cinematic content stunning. Read our full review.

Best Budget Pick: Toshiba 55" C350

At Under $300, the Toshiba 55" C350 adds Dolby Vision and improved processing over bare-minimum budget TVs. The best cheap TV we tested for bedrooms and guest rooms. Read our full review.

Best for Bright Rooms: Samsung 65" QN70F

With high peak brightness and excellent anti-reflection handling, the Samsung 65" QN70F fights ambient light better than most. A strong choice for sunny living rooms. Read our full review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start Shopping With Confidence

The TV market rewards informed buyers. Knowing your viewing distance, room brightness, and primary use case narrows hundreds of options to a handful of strong picks. Start with our category roundups — Budget TVs, QLED TVs, Mini-LED TVs, and OLED TVs — or jump to our top overall pick.