Smart TV Buying Guide 2025
TV technology has evolved rapidly. Here's how to navigate the options and find your perfect screen.
Display Technologies Explained
OLED (Organic LED)
- Perfect blacks, infinite contrast
- Best for movies and dark rooms
- Wide viewing angles
- Risk of burn-in with static images
- Most expensive
- Brands: LG, Sony, Samsung (QD-OLED)
- Excellent brightness
- Great for bright rooms
- No burn-in risk
- Good color accuracy
- Mid to high price
- Brands: Samsung, TCL, Hisense
- Most affordable
- Decent picture quality
- Good for casual viewing
- Various backlighting options
- Budget to mid price
- Brands: All manufacturers
What Size TV Should You Buy?
Distance from TV determines ideal size:
- 5 feet: 40-43"
- 6 feet: 50-55"
- 7 feet: 55-65"
- 8 feet: 65-75"
- 10+ feet: 75-85"
Resolution: 4K vs 8K
4K (2160p) - The sweet spot
- Plenty of content available
- Noticeable upgrade from 1080p
- Affordable pricing
- Very limited content
- Significant price premium
- Minimal visible difference at normal distances
Features That Matter
Must-Have:
- 4K resolution
- HDR support (HDR10 minimum)
- 3+ HDMI ports
- Built-in streaming apps
- 120Hz refresh rate (for gaming)
- HDMI 2.1 (for PS5/Xbox Series X)
- Dolby Vision HDR
- eARC for soundbars
- 8K resolution
- Built-in cameras
- Gesture controls
Smart TV Platforms Ranked
1. Google TV/Android TV - Best app selection 2. Roku TV - Simple, reliable 3. webOS (LG) - Smooth, intuitive 4. Tizen (Samsung) - Good, some ads 5. Fire TV (Amazon) - Alexa integration
Brand Recommendations
Best Overall: LG OLED, Samsung QLED Best Value: TCL, Hisense Best for Gaming: LG OLED, Samsung QN90 Best Budget: TCL 4-Series, Amazon Fire TV