10 Best Futuristic Smart TV's Leaping 10 Years Ahead
Since the advent of Television, they have always been at the forefront of entertainment. As kids or adults, we always look forward to watching our favorite cartoons or movie nights with the family.
It's 2024 already, and technology has come a long way. Now, watching TV is not a simple mode of entertainment but has become a hub of diverse entertainment. Here are some cool things you can do with a smart TV:
Watch Online Shows and Movies: Use your smart TV to watch shows and movies from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.
Browse the Internet: Most smart TVs have an in-build web browser so that you can surf the Internet on a big screen.
Make Video Calls: Some smart TVs have cameras and microphones built-in, so you can make video calls and join virtual meetings.
Control Smart Home Devices: Connect your smart TV with other devices like lights and thermostats to control them from your TV.
Stay Fit with Fitness Videos: Stream workout videos on your smart TV to make exercising more enjoyable.
Play Games: Download games from app stores or connect a gaming console to your smart TV for some gaming fun.
Learn with Educational Content: Watch documentaries and lectures on your smart TV for a more educational experience.
Boost Productivity: Access apps like Microsoft Office and Google Docs on your smart TV to work on documents and presentations with a larger screen.
Key Takeaways
- Smart TVs have evolved into entertainment hubs with diverse functionalities.
- Online streaming, web browsing, video calls, smart home control, fitness videos, gaming, educational content, productivity apps.
- Choosing the right TV involves understanding technology nuances and lifestyle preferences.
- Options like LG C3 and Samsung S95C offer diverse choices catering to various needs.
- The best TV aligns with viewing habits, lifestyle, and budget without compromising on quality.
- Smart TVs are a gateway to immersive, interactive, and connected home entertainment experiences.
The Top 10 Best Smart TVs of 2024
As we enter 2024, the world of smart TVs is brimming with innovation, style, and unmatched functionality. This year, we witness a lineup of TVs that aren't just about broadcasting your favorite channels; they are about redefining the home entertainment experience. Let's see the top 10 smart TVs:
1. LG C3
The LG C3 has a lot going for it regarding what you want in a TV.
- It's got excellent picture quality, loads of gaming, and smart TV features, and it comes in various sizes that should fit whatever you need—whether it's for your new PC monitor or to make your wall feel like a movie theater.
- The colors are bright without being too much, and the picture is perfectly sharp. You don't need to mess with the settings much because the LG C3 looks fantastic.
- If you're into gaming, the LG C3 covers you with Dolby Vision, VRR, ALLM, AMD FreeSync, and Nvidia G-Sync support, plus 4K 120Hz on all four 2.1 HDMI ports. The Game Optimiser lets you tweak settings to make gaming on the C3 right. And with sizes ranging from 42 to 83 inches, it's suitable for gamers from the bedroom to the living room.
2. Samsung S95C OLED
In 2023, Samsung upgraded its outstanding flagship quantum dot OLED TV, advancing from the S95B to the next-generation S95C, considered off-the-charts impressive. Let's dive into the details of the Samsung S95C.
The S95C is just as remarkable as the S95B, but it enhances the experience with improved brightness, a sleeker design, and better features.
While it doesn't come with a wall mount like the LG G3, its all-metal stand is robust and provides space for a soundbar underneath.
More importantly, it cradles the S95C's One Connect box, an intelligent solution for cable management, consolidating all connections in a separate box connected to the TV with one cable.
Unsurprisingly, the picture quality is exceptional. With 60% more brightness than its predecessor, the S95C peaks at 1,600 nits in tests, making it ideal for well-lit rooms.
The color brightness is also impressive and accurate, covering 100% of P3 color space and 75% of BT.2020. However, it's worth noting that Samsung still doesn't support Dolby Vision, a dynamic HDR format supported by various streaming services.
Gamers will appreciate the S95C's Game Mode, which supports fast gaming at up to 120Hz, and Samsung's Gaming Hub, which supports cloud gaming without needing a console.
One unique feature of the S95C compared to the LG G3 is the array of eight bass transducers on the back of the TV.
Regarding audio support, the S95C is compatible with Dolby Atmos sound and offers pass-through via eARC, but unfortunately, not for DTS.
Available in 55, 65, and 75-inch models with prices ranging from $2,500 to $4,500, the Samsung S95C and the LG G3 present a formidable challenge for other TVs.
3. Sony A95L QD-OLED
Sony's flagship for 2023 is truly outstanding, boasting cutting-edge QD-OLED display technology.
- For those who may not know, "QD-OLED" stands for Quantum Dot-Organic Light Emitting Diode. Essentially, the TV has an OLED foundation with self-emissive pixels on the screen.
- What sets the A95L apart is the additional layer of quantum dots, enhancing color and peak brightness levels, resulting in an extensive color range. These are the basics, but Sony has packed many more impressive features into this remarkable TV.
- The TV's audio system comes with incredible sound quality. The treble, midrange, and bass are robust, making it feel like you're using a high-quality soundbar or a lite surround sound system – all thanks to the TV's built-in speakers.
4. Hisense U8K
Breaking the stereotype that high-quality TVs must be exorbitantly priced, the Hisense U8K stands out. It delivers an impressive 4K HDR experience at a price that doesn't break the bank. Its ULED technology enhances color, contrast, and brightness, making it a top choice for budget-conscious yet quality-seeking consumers.
- The Hisense U8K stands out with its impressive picture quality, fantastic gaming capabilities, and highly competitive price, making it a solid choice in the mid-range category.
- Utilizing mini-LED technology for enhanced brightness, the TV excels in daytime viewing and is equipped with Google TV as its smart TV platform, offering a smooth interface and a variety of helpful streaming apps.
- While emphasizing brightness, the Hisense U8K doesn't compromise on deep black levels, delivering excellent contrast. However, it's worth noting that the contrast diminishes when viewed from off-center angles.
- The anti-glare coating and a remarkable peak brightness of 1,590 nits (surpassing any available OLED TV) make it ideal for well-lit environments.
- In the gaming department, the Hisense U8K pleasantly surprises with two HDMI 2.1 ports supporting a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, along with Dolby Vision, VRR, and ALLM support. The TV is well-equipped for gaming, featuring a dedicated game mode for optimal performance.
- The audio and design aspects of the Hisense U8K are commendable, offering decent bass and clear dialogue in terms of audio, while its design includes adjustable feet for added flexibility.
While it may not be flawless, the Hisense U8K is a budget-friendly option that caters to a wide range of users, providing an array of features as a bonus in the category of best smart TV.
5. TCL QM8 mini LED
Indeed, the LG G2 and Samsung S95C are among the top-notch TVs this year, but the hefty price tags of around $3,000 for a 65-inch screen can be a bit hard to digest. Even the more affordable 65-inch LG C3 OLED still costs over $2,000. Now, let us introduce you to a TCL TV that has truly bridged the gap between performance and price in a surprising way: the 2023 TCL QM8.
- Catering to a broad audience, the TCL QM8 stands at the pinnacle of TCL's new Q-class flagship lineup. It's a 4K mini-LED QLED TV that runs on Google TV.
- The focus in 2023 has been on brightness, a feature TCL emphasizes with the QM8 through its "High Brightness ULTRA LED Backlight" technology. In simpler terms, it's bright!
- The QM8 registered readings of up to 3,500 nits in HDR mode before settling at a remarkable 2,500 (although TCL's website lists the peak nits at 2,000). In short, it's incredibly bright.
- Now, let's consider the black levels. Although OLED technology is renowned for its deep blacks, this mini-LED display approaches closely, delivering commendable contrast and compatibility with Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG.
- The QM8's brightness and black-level capabilities suit dark home theaters and well-lit rooms.
- In terms of color, the TCL QM8 is outstanding, covering 97% of DCI-P3 and about 76% of BT.2020 color gamuts.
- The TV looks great out of the box, even without calibration.
- Gamers will appreciate the QM8's support for VRR and an auto game mode with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.
The TCL QM8 comes in 65-, 75-, 85-, and 98-inch variants, ranging from $1,200 to $10,000.
6. Roku Plus Series
The Roku Plus Series is a budget-friendly TV with impressive overall picture quality surpassing its affordable price. Complemented by an excellent smart TV interface, the Roku Plus Series becomes a viable choice for individuals seeking a new TV within a constrained budget.
- The standout feature of the Roku Plus Series is its picture quality. It boasts vibrant colors with a visually striking impact. Motion processing is adept, handling fast panning shots without the noticeable blurring often seen in many budget TVs. Images appear sharp and clean. However, the picture quality diminishes slightly when viewed from off-center, and the Roku Plus Series exhibits average brightness levels, making it less optimal for brighter viewing environments. Nevertheless, considering the value for money, it's challenging to dispute the quality of the picture offered by the Roku Plus.
- The Roku TV smart TV platform integrated into the TV is among the better interfaces available. It offers easy navigation and many app choices and includes the Roku Live TV portal, providing access to numerous free channels.
- It's worth mentioning that adjusting picture settings within the Roku Plus Series can be somewhat challenging, but the Roku TV retains its status as one of the top-notch smart TV platforms.
- However, the Roku Plus may not be the best option for gaming, lacking support for 120Hz or cloud-based gaming options.
- Additionally, its built-in audio quality is not exceptional, so investing in a soundbar may be advisable.
Despite these considerations, the Roku Plus Series remains an aesthetically pleasing TV with commendable features and a top-tier smart TV platform, especially considering its budget-friendly pricing.
7. Sony XR X95L mini LED
We couldn't overlook the impressive Sony XR X95L mini-LED set.
- Compared to the impressive Sony XR X93L, the X95L isn't drastically different. The main distinctions lie in local dimming capabilities and brightness levels. However, if you're a severe viewer who pays close attention to details, especially in brightness and dimming, the X95L might be the better choice.
- In recent years, mini-LED lighting has become more common in TVs, providing consistently impressive results. However, issues like haloing and light bloom can be bothersome. With LED sets, some blooming is almost inevitable, excluding OLED sets, and the X95L is no exception. Nonetheless, Sony's flagship minimizes haloing and blooms to an exceptional degree.
- The X95L boasts features like XR Backlight Master Drive and XR Triluminos Pro, ensuring its picture performance is finely tuned for outstanding quality. Whether you're watching 4K HDR content or lower-resolution material, the X95L enhances the visual richness of your source.
- It also includes HDMI 2.1, a gaming dashboard for PS5 and Xbox optimizations, and features one of our preferred smart TV platforms, Google TV.
- Currently, the X95L is only available in an 85-inch size. When stock levels improve, you should also find it in 65 and 75-inch sizes.
Despite the limited size options, we wanted to share the details. If you're looking for slightly smaller big-screen alternatives, the Sony XR X93L is just as good as the X95L, except for the extra local dimming zones and higher nit numbers.
8. Samsung 65-inch QN9OC
The Samsung QN90C is an impressive 4K TV, offering a premium experience without the hefty price tag of flagship models over $3,000.
- Samsung's latest Neo QLED stands out for various reasons. Firstly, its HDR performance is striking, providing vibrant colors without needing ultra-bright settings. In filmmaker mode, the QN90C achieves incredible peak brightness levels, although the highest peak brightness is reserved for the Samsung S95C.
- While the S95C takes the peak brightness crown, the QN90C outshines competitors like TCL's QM8 and Hisense's U8K in overall picture quality. The QN90C excels at upscaling low-resolution and low-bit-depth content, minimizing issues like color banding, pixelization, and posterization. If you want a TV that enhances the quality of lower-resolution streams or old DVDs, the QN90C delivers.
- The TV boasts four HDMI 2.1 inputs, each supporting refresh rates up to 144Hz, making it ideal for gaming enthusiasts.
- Samsung's switch to ADS panels enhances off-angle viewing, and with mini-LED backlighting, the QN90C achieves impressive black levels.
While it may not match an LG OLED or the S95C, the QN90C exudes a premium feel without reaching a financial commitment that requires financing.
9. LG C2 Evo OLED
When LG introduced its new OLED Evo panels in select 2021 models, seeing this new hardware's impact on the TV-watching experience was impressive, particularly for specific types of movies. The OLED-flavored contrast and the brightness typically found in the most potent QLED sets resulted in an immersive home cinema experience that shines even in well-lit rooms.
- In 2022, the LG C2 OLED Evo entered the scene and quickly gained popularity. Although not classified as a flagship set, the C2 builds upon many exceptional picture features and add-ons that we appreciated in its predecessor, the LG C1.
- Available in sizes ranging from 55 inches to 83 inches, the 65-inch C2 strikes a perfect balance for most households.
- LG stepped up both design and technology with the C2, featuring a completely redesigned WRGB screen boasting top-notch peak brightness, four HDMI 2.1 inputs for next-gen entertainment sources, and an enhanced Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor delivering stunning colors, adaptive brightness control, and impressive upscaling.
- Gamers will find the inclusion of Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync particularly appealing, as both technologies work together to create an optimal TV for high-bandwidth, action-oriented gameplay from today's leading consoles and PCs.
While the sound may not receive lavish praise, LG fulfilled its promise of a revamped and reimagined C series TV. It's worth spending your money on.
10. Samsung The Frame
Fueled by the Tizen operating system, which makes getting to your favorite stuff easy, Samsung's "The Frame" stands out from the crowd with unique features.
- This TV uses a thin border you can customize like a picture frame. It looks like a piece of art when it's on your wall. And when you're not watching shows, it automatically shows famous artworks or your favorite photos, so you never have a plain black rectangle on your wall.
- To make the art on the screen look more accurate, "The Frame" has a matte finish that reduces glare. This makes the artwork look better and ensures that TV shows and movies appear detailed with lifelike colors.
- Despite being just 1 inch thick, it looks like a hanging picture frame on any wall. Yet, it uses a QLED display to show 4K-resolution video with HDR support and Quantum Dot technology that can display over 1 billion colors.
- "The Frame" has become the most popular TV among many. You can pick from six bezel colors and styles, so it will blend nicely with your decor, giving a classy and modern look.
Finding the Perfect Match: Best TVs for Different Needs
In the diverse landscape of smart TVs in 2024, which TV to buy for your specific needs can be a delightful journey of discovery. Whether you're a hardcore gamer, a movie enthusiast, or someone looking for a budget-friendly option without compromising quality, a TV out there fits your unique lifestyle and preferences. Let's explore the best TVs we've ever wanted to own tailored for different needs this year.
For the Cinema Enthusiasts: Immersive Picture and Sound
For movie buffs, a TV that's able to recreate the magic of the cinema is essential; that's best for them. The top contenders in this category are those featuring OLED technology, known for their deep blacks and vibrant colors. Models like the LG C3 and Sony A95K offer exceptional picture quality and advanced sound technologies like Dolby Atmos, ensuring an immersive audio-visual experience. These TVs bring the grandeur of the big screen into the comfort of your living room.
For the Gamers: Low Latency and High Refresh Rates
Gaming on a TV requires a blend of high refresh rates, low input lag, and swift response times. Models like the Samsung S95C and TCL 6-Series are designed with gamers in mind, offering features like AMD Freesync and high refresh rates that ensure smooth and responsive gameplay. Additionally, HDMI 2.1 support in these TVs allows 4K gaming at 120Hz, making them ideal for next-gen gaming consoles.
For the Budget-Conscious: High Quality at an Affordable Price
In 2023, high-quality TVs will no longer be a luxury reserved for those with deep pockets. Brands like Hisense and TCL have introduced models like the Hisense U8K and TCL 6-Series, offering 4K HDR experiences at a price point accessible to a broader audience. These TVs balance cost and performance, ensuring that a limited budget doesn't mean a compromise on quality.
For the Tech-Savvy: Smart Home Integration and Connectivity
For those who love to have the latest technology, TVs that can serve as the hub of a smart home are the perfect match. With built-in Alexa functionality, the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series offers voice control and integrates seamlessly with various smart home devices. This level of connectivity turns your TV into a central control unit for your connected home.
For the Eco-Conscious: Energy-Efficient Models
As environmental concerns become more prevalent, eco-conscious consumers are looking for TVs that are energy efficient. Many modern TVs are designed with power-saving features and are made from sustainable materials, reducing their environmental impact without sacrificing performance.
For the Space Savers: Sleek Design and Wall-Mount Options
For those with limited space, a TV that blends into the living environment is critical. The LG G2 OLED, with its ultra-slim design and wall-mount compatibility, is perfect for minimalistic living spaces. Its ability to blend into the decor while offering top-notch performance makes it a favored choice for modern, space-conscious homes.
For the Sport Fanatics: Crystal-Clear Action and Fast Motion Handling
Sports enthusiasts need a TV that can handle fast-paced action without blurring. TVs with high refresh rates and advanced motion handling, like the Vizio P-Series Quantum X, ensure that every goal, swing, and sprint is captured with crystal-clear clarity, bringing the excitement of live sports into your living room.
Wrapping it Up
The key takeaway of this blog is that choosing the suitable TV is more than size and resolution. It's about understanding the nuances of different technologies, considering how the TV fits into your lifestyle, and anticipating future trends and content availability. With models like the LG C3, Samsung S95C, and others, the options are diverse and cater to various needs and preferences.
Remember, the best TV for you is the one that aligns with your viewing habits, integrates with your lifestyle, and fits within your budget while not compromising on quality. As we move forward, these smart TVs are not just entertainment devices but a gateway to a new era of immersive, interactive, and connected experiences in home entertainment. So choose wisely, and prepare to embark on a visual journey that redefines the boundaries of traditional television viewing.
FAQ's
Q: What are the key features to look for in the best smart TVs for 2024?
A: When choosing the best smart TVs 2024, it's important to consider features such as OLED technology, 4K resolution, HDR support, S90C series, 8K capability, and QLED displays.
Q: Is OLED TV technology crucial in determining the best smart TV for 2024?
A: OLED technology is a significant factor in determining the best smart TV for 2024, as it offers superior picture quality and color accuracy compared to other panel technologies.
Q: What are the benefits of choosing a QLED smart TV in 2024?
A: Choosing a QLED smart TV in 2024 offers advantages such as vibrant and lifelike colors, enhanced brightness and contrast, and the latest display technology for an exceptional viewing experience.
Q: What factors contribute to the best OLED TVs for 2024?
A: Factors contributing to the best OLED TVs 2024 include picture quality, design, size options, advanced features, and the overall viewing experience, making them a popular choice for consumers seeking top-tier smart TVs.
Q: When is the best time to buy a new smart TV in 2024?
A: The best time to buy a new smart TV in 2024 is during seasonal sales events such as Black Friday, where consumers can find attractive deals and discounts on a wide range of smart TVs from leading brands.
Q: What factors should I consider when choosing the size of a smart TV for 2024?
A: When choosing the size of a smart TV for 2024, factors to consider include the viewing distance, available space, preferred screen size, and the desired immersive viewing experience, ensuring that the chosen TV meets your specific requirements.