OLED gets all the hype, but the best LCD TVs can deliver brightness, color, and contrast that come close to OLED quality—without the wallet shock. What I love about LEDs is the range of options, from simple budget sets to high-end models loaded with features. Don’t get me wrong, if you want a TV to steal the show in your home cinema, OLED still wins. That doesn’t mean LEDs don’t have perks of their own.

LED TVs can be more than backup screens for bedrooms, kids’ playrooms, or kitchens. Whether you’re after mini-LEDs, standard LEDs, or Samsung’s QLEDs, I’ve got picks that level up everyday viewing without the OLED-esque price.

1. Best mini-LED TV: Hisense U8QG

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$797.99 on Amazon

The Hisense U8QG delivers everything you want in an LCD TV for a crisp, punchy picture. It’s got mini-LED backlights that boost brightness and contrast, plus quantum dots that make colors pop. The 165 Hz refresh rate keeps every fast scene crisp and smooth, no matter what you’re watching.

A lot of LCD TVs look bright but struggle when it comes to dark scenes. That’s not the case here. People who’ve used the U8QG rave about its deep blacks, strong contrast, and eye-catching HDR effects.

You can pick from several sizes, starting at 55 inches and going all the way up to a massive 100-inch screen. Like most LCD models, it doesn’t have super wide viewing angles, so the best seat is front and center.

If gaming’s your thing, the Hisense U8QG series ($797.99, $878) won’t disappoint. The 165 Hz panel runs with a variable refresh rate between 48 Hz and 165 Hz, keeping gameplay sharp and responsive. AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Auto Low Latency Mode, and Low Latency MEMC work together to stop screen tearing and reduce lag.

2. Best budget mini-LED TV: TCL QM6K

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$497.99 on Amazon

The TCL QM6K TV goes for affordable premium, and it nails that approach. It packs features that most budget TVs skip, like Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos support.

The 144 Hz native refresh rate keeps motion smooth. Whether you’re watching fast-action movies or diving into next-gen console games, the Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) make visuals crisp and keep input lag low. At $497.99, the TCL QM6K delivers cinema-quality picture and responsive gaming in a single package.

3. Best LED TV: Sony BRAVIA 2 II

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$368 on Amazon

If your budget is tight, you could get Amazon’s Fire TV for under $200. But many buyers say the picture feels dull, with colors that don’t pop. The Sony BRAVIA 2 II costs a bit more, but it delivers vibrant, true-to-life colors, and some awesome PlayStation 5 features.

Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode fine-tune the image for gaming or streaming, giving PS5 gameplay a boost. The BRAVIA 2 II’s 60 Hz refresh rate works well for casual gaming and movies. For fast-paced games like first-person shooters, I recommend 120 Hz for a smoother experience, though for titles like A Plague Tale: Requiem, the BRAVIA 2 II should perform well.

You can pick from 43-, 50-, 55-, 65-, or 75-inch models. The Sony BRAVIA 2 II ($368, $399) runs Google TV, supports Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, and lets you cast screens with Google Cast or Apple AirPlay 2.

4. Best QLED TV: Samsung QLED 4K TV (Q7F)

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$347.99 on Amazon

I’ve used Samsung for years—a TV for 8 years, a smartphone for 4 (before switching to iPhone), and a fridge for 4. None of them gave me any trouble. That makes it easy to recommend the QLED 4K TV (Q7F). Sure, it runs at 60 Hz and isn’t OLED. But the OLED 120 Hz version costs three times as much, so if you’re upgrading from a 1080p TV, the Q7F ($347.99) still delivers.

QLED panels produce bright, bold colors that hold up in sunny rooms or during the day. The Samsung QLED 4K TV (Q7F) adjusts brightness and contrast to show details in dark and bright scenes. Users often say the colors are amazing. They look vibrant and accurate, and the brightness makes HDR content jump off the screen. Details stay sharp, and contrast stays strong.

The takeaway

I hope you saw that LEDs have more to offer than you might think. They hit a sweet spot between price, performance, and flexibility—you can grab a high-end mini-LED or a solid budget model and still get colors and contrast that impress. I still admire OLED for its flawless blacks and wow factor, but LEDs let me enjoy a crisp, vibrant picture without feeling like I’m overspending.

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