This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
We’re living in a high-definition, super-connected world. It makes sense that 4K smart TVs are now the expected standard for streaming from your favourite apps, up-to-date to gaming, and accessing a whole host of tech-savvy features. Not to mention the fact that 4K resolution looks absolutely incredible across a 50-inch (or bigger) screen.
Let’s put it another way: You need a TV that’s up to the task of keeping you entertained while also keeping pace with the latest innovations. But one that comes at a price that suits you, of course. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of choice when it comes to 4K TVs. The top manufacturers, such as Samsung and LG, update their smart TV ranges pretty much every year. There’s never a bad time to upgrade.
But with an ever-growing selection of TV brands, not to mention all the head-spinning terminology, choosing a new 4K TV isn’t always straightforward. If you want the latest spec — and a model that won’t look out of date after a few months — it can be hard to navigate. After all, it wasn’t so long ago that Full HD was the sharpest resolution on the block. Now it’s budget level.
To help put you in the picture, we’ve pulled together some helpful information and a selection of the best 4K TVs available right now.
What resolution is 4K?
The futuristic sounding 4K is another way of saying ultra-high definition. A 4K TV display has at least 8 million active pixels. That’s a standardised resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 — four times the resolution of the HD standard of 1080p. Top branded TVs will also do a great job of upscaling regular HD and SD content so it looks as polished as possible on your 4K display.
How big are 4K TVs?
When it comes to 4K, bigger is indeed better. And why not? A bigger screen makes sense to get the most out of the 4K quality — and to set these TVs apart from smartphones and small devices, which we increasingly use to watch HD content. The smallest size in 4K is usually 48 inches, going up to 55, 65, 75, and even 80+ inch screens. The screen size is measured diagonally, from corner to corner.
How much do 4K TVs cost?
This very much depends on the spec and manufacturer. It’s possible to find basic (but good quality) models around the £400 mark. You might be surprised to find that for TVs that offer multiple screen sizes, there isn’t a huge price difference between 48 and 65-inch models. It’s when you go past 80 inches that the prices really start to go up.
What’s better, OLED or QLED?
OLED and QLED are the panel technologies behind premium 4K screens. OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. It uses a carbon-based film between two conductors that emits its own light when electric current is passed through. This creates a “self-emissive” display, as the OLED panel generates light without needing to use a backlight (as used by LCD displays). Its pixels are individually lit.
OLED has whiter whites, because the panel lights itself, and blacker blacks, because the pixels turn off entirely without using a backlight. OLED prevents “hotpsots” (overly bright areas) and “blooming” (when lighter images bleed into dark patches).
QLED stands for Quantum-dot Light Emitting Diode. Championed by Samsung — the world’s biggest manufacturer of televisions — QLED is a type of LCD panel technology. It uses an LCD backlight and quantum dot colour filter that boosts colour and contrast. QLED is renowned for delivering a brighter picture than OLED — which is especially useful if you’re watching in a brightly-lit room. Samsung also has its own version called Neo QLED, which replaces usual LED diodes with ever smaller “mini” LEDs.
What is the best 4K TV for gaming?
If you’re planning on connecting a TV to a PS5 or Xbox Series X, there are features to look out for. Make sure it has HDMI 2.1 ports, which deliver better bandwidth, higher resolution, and higher frame rates. A gaming-friendly TV will also support eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), 4K@120Hz (High Frame Rate), HGiG tone-mapping, and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate).
What is the best 4K TV?
We’ve searched the internet for some of the best 4K TVs. Maybe you’re looking for pure power, or maybe you’re on a tight budget. No matter what you’re looking for, there should be something for you in this list. These 4K TVs are truly eye-popping.
These are the best 4K TVs in 2025.
