The 7 Best HDR TVs

Editor's Notes

January 14, 2021:

For starters, it's important to recognize that just because a TV is labeled "HDR" doesn't mean it will actually do HDR content justice. Local dimming and a high native contrast ratio are two important features, although peak brightness and black levels also play a part. You may notice that the only OLED model on our list is the LG CX, which is because it's actually better than Sony's options in many ways, and also costs less (although it's still expensive).

If you're going for something big, the Vizio P-Series Quantum X is hard to beat, if you like to watch movies with just one or two other people, the Sony X950H is the way to go, and if you plan on playing a lot of games, the Sony X900H is probably your best bet. If you want to keep the costs low while still taking advantage of HDR content, the TCL R635 and TCL S535 are both reasonably priced and do a good job of bringing out highlights.

March 14, 2019:

This is one of those electronics categories with a pretty reliable annual turnover, so the options on our previous list all had to be swapped out for their newer models, each of which proved to be at least a slight improvement over last year's offerings. Currently, OLED is still the best tech on the market for picture quality, and the models offered by Sony and LG are outstanding. Samsung is a bit of a holdout in the field, focusing much of their R&D into their QLED system, which is fine, but which can't quite meet the high contrast and deep blacks of individually controlled pixels. In some cases, if the specs aren't up to snuff, it might even be smarter to grab a standard UHD Samsung like the Series 8 we have at number six, than to downgrade in size in pursuit of their Quantum Dot technology. Lower on our list you'll find a pair of simpler options by TCL and Toshiba for people on tight budgets that both have good streaming platforms built in.