Samsung’s TV lineup is one of the most versatile around, featuring options at both ends of the price spectrum, and covering the bases of today's latest display technologies, including QLED, QD-OLED and 8K, all of which Samsung was instrumental in pioneering. Indeed, the South Korean giant offers over between 24 and 98 inches.
Such a choice can make choosing your next Samsung TV an overwhelming task, so where should your shopping start, you ask? Well, right here of course.
Year in and year out, our in-house team of expert reviewers test every Samsung TV we can get our hands on, right up to the company's most bank-breaking offerings. Each one is put through an exhaustive testing process at our dedicated facilities, where we judge their picture accuracy, sound reproduction, user-interface intuitiveness and gaming spec bragging rights – not only in their own right but against the current class-leading TV and also often their own predecessor from the year previous.
It’s been a good year for the brand so far, with the Samsung 2024 range receiving more than one five-star review and making it onto this discerning list of the best Samsung TVs you can buy...
I’m a staff writer here at What Hi-Fi? and barely a day goes by when I don’t write something about a TV, whether it’s a news story, hands-on preview, or a full review. I’ve also seen Samsung’s latest developments up close and personal in the UK, Germany and its native South Korea, so I know its range inside out.
Recent updates
July 2024: We have now tested Samsung's QN95D TV, which in the brand's lineup replaces last year's QN95C on this very list. It doesn't actually dethrone its still-available predecessor, though, which we explain in the QN95C's entry...
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The quick list
Samsung's third attempt at a flagship QD-OLED TV is a triumph, with a glare-reducing screen taking things up a notch.
For
- Phenomenal brightness, contrast and colour
- Excellent gaming support
- Anti-reflection filter works almost uncannily well
Against
- Filter has minor negative side effects
- Audio lacks power and impact
- Some minor shadow detail loss
Samsung's 2023 flagship Neo QLED is still worth looking into thanks to its dazzling picture, extensive features and discounted price.
For
- Dazzlingly bright HDR pictures
- Peerless LCD TV black levels
- Excellent gaming support
Against
- No Dolby Vision support
- Some out-of-the-box backlight flaws
- Default motion settings are poor
8K is a divisive TV trend, but the QN900D is one of the most convincing products yet thanks to its stunning design and picture performance.
For
- Groundbreaking 8K upscaling
- Exceptionally bright and colourful
- Stunning futuristic design
Against
- Average sound quality
- No real 8K content
- Backlight-dimming distractions in some presets
You don't need to spend a fortune on a TV to get a good picture and broad feature set, as proven by the 55-inch CU8000.
For
- Good picture quality for the money
- Content-rich smart system
- Excellent value for what’s on offer
Against
- Insipid, bass-light sound
- No Freeview Play or Dolby Vision
- Some HDR clipping in bright areas
Samsung's 2023 flagship QD-OLED TV has dropped in price dramatically since launch, making it a tempting option indeed.
For
- Incredible contrast
- Bright, vibrant and super-sharp
- Excellent gaming specs
Against
- A slight lack of picture subtlety
- No Dolby Vision
- Below-par sound for the price
The best Samsung TV overall
Samsung has delivered an absolute blinder of an OLED TV in more ways than one. This year's S95D was expected to excel in the brightness department, but its expert contrast, punchy colours and enhanced subtlety over its predecessor sealed the deal, earning it five stars in our S95D review.
So what's new this year? Samsung is touting a 'glare-free' filter on its levelled-up third-generation QD-OLED display, and while the name might be ever so slightly exaggerated, we can't deny how effective it is. Ambient light and reflections of colourful t-shirts were no match for this TV as it effectively warded off distractions in our testing.
When it comes to picture performance, there are a plethora of notable upgrades over the 2023 S95C (further down this list), including the claimed 20 to 30 per cent improvement in brightness. We're more than inclined to believe that claim, as the S95D dazzled, providing plenty of brightness even to the most challenging of movies. The S95D is also crisp, packed with contrast and punchy, which is attributed to its excellent performance.
It's also a knockout when it comes to gaming, with four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets with support for up to 4K/120Hz on consoles, or 4K/144Hz on PC. Samsung includes a host of useful gaming features like VRR and ALLM, as well as a handful of game streaming apps if you don't have a console. Its Tizen operating system is also packed with movie and TV streaming apps, as well as a bunch of new AI-driven enhancement features.
While we wish it sounded a bit meatier and more dynamic, the S95D has very few flaws of note, making it a stellar 2024 flagship outing for Samsung. We, of course, do wish it would throw in the towel and give us Dolby Vision, but we'll keep dreaming.
Read the full Samsung S95D review
The best QLED Samsung TV
On the surface, at least, the traditional divisions between different TV technologies appear to be breaking down. Last year we had OLED screens turning to new technologies to deliver levels of brightness alongside their traditional black-level prowess that we never thought OLED would be capable of, while in the LCD world the new Mini LED TVs combine their tiny light sources with much more advanced local dimming to introduce better black level performance to go with their traditional brightness advantage.
Fun though this picture quality convergence sounds in principle, the reality as represented here by Samsung’s QN95C suggests that not only is there actually still plenty of TV tech divergence out there, but that such divergence is actually something to celebrate.
After only achieving a relatively mild improvement over their predecessors with its 2022 Mini LED TVs, Samsung moved things on much more convincingly with the QN95C last year. Nearly doubling the number of dimming zones elevated almost every aspect of picture quality, aided and abetted by an also much-improved video processing system. The spectacular pictures are partnered, too, by far more immersive and impactful new sound.
A few presets require a bit of tinkering, but provided you can live with that (and surely you can), the dazzling QN95C is very much the LCD TV world’s benchmark. Fast forward a year to today and that remains the case, despite the new arrival of its 2024 successor, the QN95D (QE65QN95D). The new model is, like the QN95C, highly impressive in most of what it can do, but as we note in our review, "some distracting visual oddities... and the blooming effect found in particularly dark scenes is very disappointing".
While it remains on sale, then, the QN95C continues to be our top recommendation.
Read our full Samsung QE65QN95C review
The best 8K Samsung TV
8K is a confusing phenomenon in the world of TVs. We still feel Samsung put the cart before the horse when it came to pushing its 8K TVs without there being any native content to support them, but it's showing no signs of slowing down in 2024. Thankfully, the QN900D is a fantastic TV in its own right.
Before we dive into picture and sound, can we take a moment to appreciate that this might be the best-looking TV we've ever seen? Its futuristic design uses a mirrored finish that makes it look like it is suspended in the air, while the solid construction and uniform thickness (or should we say thinness) are a sight to behold. Finally, the bezels are paper thin, making this TV appear like a floating screen in your living room or home cinema.
Moving onto picture performance, the QN900D delivers "groundbreaking 8K upscaling", which upgrades your 4K content with enhanced clarity, improved motion and upgraded contrast. This has been achieved thanks to Samsung's new Neo Quantum 8K AI Gen 3 processor, which includes the "accumulated knowledge of 512 neural networks that have been tirelessly analysing different types of imagery to make it easier for the TV to know how to optimise its picture performance on the fly." In practice this TV is simply magic, adding enhanced texture details to everything from skin to hair, to foliage and environmental textures.
It's also well equipped for gamers with four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets (complete with support for 4K/120Hz gaming, VRR and ALLM) packed into its external One Connect box. This houses the ports and brains of the TV, which accounts for its slender frame that holds the panel and speakers.
Speaking of speakers, the QN900D sounds fine, but we think it would benefit from a Dolby Atmos soundbar or AVR and surround sound speaker package. Those sonic drawbacks aren't enough to deter from the impressive picture, feature set and design, making this the 8K TV to buy right now in our opinion.
Read the full Samsung QN900D review
The best cheap Samsung TV
Samsung’s long run as the (mostly) undisputed champ of the budget TV world took a hit recently as big improvements from some rivals coincided with a strange dip in the South Korean brand’s usual standards. And with so much of its energy seemingly focused on its new QD-OLED ventures and keeping ahead of an ever-growing chasing pack with its Mini LED sets, could we really expect Samsung to have put the hard miles in to get more affordable sets such as this 2023 55-inch CU8000 back on track, too?
The CU8000’s pictures are a handy improvement over those of its 2022 BU series predecessors, seeing Samsung return to being one of the better-performing ‘budget’ brands.
At the heart of this improvement is better handling of its edge-based lighting system. This manages to deliver deeper black levels while also suppressing more effectively the backlight clouding and inconsistencies that affected those previous BU models. There’s occasionally a faint hint of light ‘jetting’ in the bottom corners, but this hardly ever draws your eye unless you’re actively looking for it.
While not quite a budget classic on the level Samsung used to deliver routinely, the 55-inch CU8000 still delivers good picture quality and impressively comprehensive smart features for such an affordable TV – all wrapped up in an attractive, well-built and slender design. It's still available today and remains a great buy.
Read our full Samsung CU8000 review
The best affordable QD-OLED Samsung TV
Samsung's second-generation QD-OLED TV wasn't the smash hit of last year that we were hoping for, but it's still a very capable TV. More importantly, its price has been massively discounted since it launched, making it an even more tempting choice if you want a QD-OLED TV.
The S95C is a powerhouse of a TV, sharing many specs with the S95D that sits further up this list. Its terrific contrast, punchy colours and excellent brightness make for a truly impressive picture performance, even if we felt it lacked a bit of subtlety and balance.
It's also as fully featured as you'd expect, with four HDMI 2.1 sockets and all the gaming features of its successor (apart from 144Hz support), as well as a bountiful helping of streaming apps and smart features. It's also nearly identical to the S95D in design, with an impressively thin chassis and the One Connect box solution alike.
Once again, sound performance is a bit underwhelming, but there are always solutions in the form of soundbars and speaker packages. Most importantly, this TV has dropped drastically in price, making it a better buy now than it was at launch.
Read the full Samsung S95C review
How to choose the best Samsung TV for you
Considering Samsung’s track record there’s certainly sound logic behind deciding to buy one of its TVs, but there’s so much choice within the range that picking the one that suits you best is a little bit trickier.
As with any TV purchase, size should be high on your list of considerations; there’s no point in having a TV that’s too big or too small for the space. It’s not an exact science, but if you take the size of a TV’s screen in inches and multiply it by 1.2, that’ll give you a good idea of how far away you should sit. You can read all about the theory behind which TV size you should buy, and while there are other factors to take into account, it’s a good place to start.
Most of Samsung’s TVs use either QLED or QD-OLED panels. The big difference between the two is that QLED TVs require a backlight and QD-OLEDs don’t, with the former usually noted for their brightness and the latter for their contrast, but there are pros and cons to both. We have a comprehensive OLED vs QLED explainer here.
If you’re looking for a larger TV, you’ll probably need to opt for QLED, particularly if 8K is on your agenda. There’s an argument that the lack of 8K content makes buying a TV capable of showing it completely pointless, but if you’ve got the money to spend, Samsung’s processing tech is generally excellent at upscaling 4K. One thing you won’t get from a Samsung TV no matter how much you spend, though, is support for Dolby Vision – Samsung has its own HDR codec called HDR10+.
Keen gamers should pay attention to a TV’s HDMI ports. To get the most out of your PS5 or Xbox Series X, you’ll need full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets, so if you own more than one console and also want to plug in a soundbar, make sure the TV you’ve got your eye on has enough. PC gamers shouldn't feel left out either, with Samsung’s newest sets also including support for a maximum 144Hz refresh rate.
Samsung TV FAQ
What’s the difference between OLED, QLED, and QD-OLED?
All three are different types of screen technology, although there is a certain amount of crossover between them.
Like many LCD TVs, QLED TVs use an LED backlight, but instead of creating the colours by shining the light through an LCD layer, they have a layer of Quantum Dots instead. These go brighter and produce richer colours.
As you can probably guess from the names, OLED and QD-OLED are also related. OLED TVs don’t need a backlight, instead charging individual pixels and passing the light that’s emitted through an RGB filter to create the colours. QD-OLED differs in that it emits a blue light for each pixel, which then passes through green and red Quantum Dot layers. This allows QD-OLED TVs to be brighter, which is the main criticism that’s often aimed at OLED TVs.
To go into the full details on each would take up much more space than we’ve got here, but those are the basics. If you want more depth, this full explainer has you covered.
Should I buy an 8K Samsung TV?
It’s now six years since Samsung introduced its first 8K TV you could actually go out and buy, and the amount of 8K content available to watch is pretty much the same today as it was then: almost non-existent.
Sure, there’s the odd video on YouTube that might make a good demo, but none of the streaming services offer 8K and there isn’t a physical disc format that offers it either (and chances are there never will be).
Does that make buying an 8K TV a completely pointless endeavour? Not entirely, but because of the price it’ll only make sense for a very small number of people. Choosing an 8K TV today does futureproof you to a certain extent, and the QN900D listed above is excellent at upscaling, so it can make 4K stuff look absolutely stonking in the meantime.
How we test the best Samsung TVs
Samsung is one of the most prolific TV manufacturers out there, so plenty of its sets pass through our doors every year – but how exactly do we test them?
Behind those doors are our state-of-the-art testing facilities – we have test rooms in the heart of London – which have been designed to provide the best environment for evaluating the picture and sound performance of a TV under the same conditions, ensuring consistency across all reviews.
Every TV is tested in isolation on its own merits, but as part of every review we also conduct side-by-side comparisons with the highest-rated TVs in the same price category from both the current and pervious year, which allows us to find the very best.
Each verdict is also formed after several pairs of eyes and ears have taken part in the testing (the What Hi-Fi? team has over 150 years of experience), so while the reviews are written by one individual, the final assessment is free from the influence of any personal preferences.
It’s from these reviews that we compile these Best Buy lists, so if you pick a product listed above as your next TV you can be sure that it’s going to live up to expectations.
You can read more about how we test products here.
Latest updates
- May 2024: Revised the intro, 'how to choose', and 'how we test' sections, added an FAQ section and 'author' block.
MORE:
Our guide to the Samsung 2024 TV lineup
Our pick of the best Sony TVs: LCD, OLED, HD, 4K HDR
And the best LG TVs: LCD, OLED, 4K HDR
WRGB OLED vs Quantum Dot OLED: what are the differences and which is better?