Smart TVs are always a great gift to pick up, no matter the holiday. And these days, good TVs are getting cheap, and expensive TVs are getting even better. In fact, the expensive TVs are leaving little reason to go to the theater to watch any type of movie. In this gift guide, we’re going to aim to bring you the best smart TVs you can buy right now, so you spend your money wisely.

Best Smart TVs

These are the two absolute best Smart TVs that you can buy this holiday season. So if money is no object, then these two will provide you with the best picture quality on the market.

Samsung S90D OLED

The Samsung S90D is perhaps the best TV that money can buy right now. Particularly when you factor in the cost. The S90D starts at $1,397 and does go as small as 42 inches. But for all of these TVs, we will be comparing the 55-inch model which is the most popular size. At 55 inches, the S90D does go for $1,797. However, it is often on sale for cheaper than that.

With the S90D, you’re getting a stunning OLED TV that does have a refresh rate of 120Hz but it can go up to 144Hz, making it great for watching sports and playing games.

Like most 4K TVs, Samsung is also using 4K AI Upscaling so that your HD and FHD content look great on this incredible OLED TV. Samsung has included Dolby Atmos and Object Tracking Sound Lite, giving you 3D surround sound straight from the speakers inside the TV. Now, unfortunately, there is no Dolby Vision included with this TV or any Samsung TV. Instead, Samsung prefers to support HLG, the open-source alternative to Dolby Vision.

This is all powered by the NQ4 AI Gen2 processor, which utilizes 20 specialized networks to drive the intuitive smart TV hub, Dolby Atmos sound, and the upscaled 4K content.

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Sony Bravia 8

The Sony Bravia 8 is about the same price as the Samsung S90D OLED, but it does offer better sound, without a soundbar. The 55-inch Bravia 8 is normally priced at $1,799, however it is also often on sale for less.

With the Bravia 8, Sony said they were “bringing cinema home,” and when we reviewed the Bravia 8, we agreed that they did just that. This is a stunning TV, with incredible picture quality, great viewing angles, and of course Google TV built-in.

Having Google TV built-in means that Sony is able to run all sorts of apps like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and much more. Bravia Core is also included. Sony has also made the Bravia 8 use less power. In fact, it has also included a ton of different power saving features, so you’re electric bill doesn’t go through the roof while you’re watching TV on the Bravia 8.

Since this is an OLED TV, that means that the colors are true-to-life, and the blacks are actually black. However, this does also get pretty bright, which isn’t always true for OLED TVs. It is also supporting Dolby Vision and Atmos, along with IMAX Enhanced. Making it great for watching all sorts of TVs at home.

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Best TVs under $1,000

If you have a budget of $1,000 for a new TV, then you really can’t go wrong with either of these options. They aren’t quite as good as the Samsung and Sony options above. But for under $1,000, you are still getting a fantastic TV.

TCL QM7 QLED 4K TV

The TCL QM7 QLED 4K TV is a QD-Mini LED TV, which means that you’re getting a lot of the same advantages as using OLED, but it’s much brighter. This TV is actually probably one of the best that you can buy for $799, and TCL does sell it in other sizes, up to 98-inches.

One of the main advantages that the TCL QM7 has is the amount of dimming zones it has, which is 1,500+. This allows the TV to change color more accurately, instead of giving you gray instead of black. Similar to OLED, but there’s two major advantages that QD-Mini LED have over OLED which is the brightness and no screen burn-in.

For 2024, TCL’s TVs all use Google TV as the software (next year, it’ll be all Roku, as they do switch back and forth to support both platforms). Which means you get the Google Assistant, Cast, and all of your favorite apps built into the TV, saving you a HDMI port.

This is an incredible value for under $1,000, and even at its regular price this does tend to go on sale quite often as well.

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Sony Bravia 3

Also announced this year is the Sony Bravia 3, which is Sony’s entry-level TV. Which, as you likely know, Sony’s “entry-level” is still really good. This is a 4K LED TV, so it’s not Mini-LED or OLED like its other models, which is what brings the price down considerably. This 55-inch TV is $699. Sony does also sell it in 43-, 50-, 65-, 75- and 85-inch models, up to $1,098.

This TV is also part of Sony’s “Bring the Cinema home” marketing, and while it is an LED TV, it is still a really good option. For those who aren’t looking to spend a ton but still want good picture quality, this is a great option.

The Bravia 3 supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos, giving you a great movie-watching experience. Sony also includes some other features for the PlayStation 5, like Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode. It does also have HDMI 2.1 for 4K120 gaming.

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Best TVs under $600

Looking for a good TV on a budget? We’ve got you covered, with two great TV options that are under $600. And during the holiday season, they are typically even cheaper.

Amazon Omni QLED

It’s still pretty surprising that you can get a QLED TV for under $600. The 55-inch model is normally priced at $599, though it is also sold in 43-, 50-, 65- and 75-inch models.

With this being an Amazon TV, you get Fire TV built-in. Of course, that gives you tons of apps to use on the TV, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and much more. Alexa is also included for voice support and controlling smart home products. Amazon claims that there are over 1.5 million movies and TV episodes available on Fire TV, so you’ll definitely find something to watch.

Amazon is supporting Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, HDR10, and HLG for HDR content, which is going to provide a really incredible picture for watching TV and movies. Unfortunately, the Amazon Omni QLED does not support HDMI 2.1, but it does have three HDMI ports. There are two HDMI 1.4 and one HDMI ARC port, so you can toss in a soundbar if needed.

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TCL S5 Series

Rounding out our gift guide for TVs is the very comparable TCL S5. This is a cheaper TV, coming in at $329 for the 55-inch model. TCL sells this TV in sizes ranging up to 75 inches. This would be a great TV gift to give to someone going to college or to put in a spare bedroom.

The TCL S5 is a 2024 model, and uses Fire TV built-in. Giving you access to a ton of apps like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and much more. TCL has also been able to add support for Apple AirPlay 2 as well as Google Cast. So no matter which ecosystem your smartphone is using, you’ll be able to cast content to this TV with ease.

It also has support for Dolby Vision and HDR PRO+. On the audio front, there’s Dolby Atmos available too. While the TCL S5 does not support HDMI 2.1 for gaming, it does have Auto Low Latency Mode or ALLM. Which TCL actually calls “Auto Game Mode”.

For the price of this TV, it’s pretty hard to find a better value.

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