The 7 Best Smart TVs For Streaming for 2020
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Amnesia
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Best Smart TV For Streaming: LG B9 OLED
The LG B9 OLED is the best smart TV for streaming we've tested so far. It performs almost identically to the LG C9 OLED and the LG E9 OLED, but it doesn't have the more premium design of these two models, so it's less expensive. All these TVs run LG's WebOS, which is an easy-to-use and very intuitive smart platform. It gives you access to LG's app store where you'll find all of the latest apps that can cover almost any need. This is an excellent TV that delivers an fantastic performance in almost any use thanks to the amazing picture quality, remarkable motion handling, and low input lag.
Unfortunately, just like any other OLED TV, it has the risk of temporary image retention and permanent burn-in. We don't expect most people to experience this with normal varied content, as it's usually the cumulative result of prolonged exposure to static content. On the upside, this TV has wide viewing angles, and the image remains accurate even when viewed from the side, making it a great choice for watching your favorite game with a group of friends or doing chores while watching your TV shows.
Overall, like all OLEDs, this TV has outstanding picture quality with perfect blacks and nearly instantaneous response time. It does an excellent job with HDR content and supports Dolby Vision, making it great for streaming HDR content from Netflix, Apple TV+, or Disney+. This TV is well-suited for nearly every use, and its smart interface should be smooth and easy enough for anyone.
The LG B9 OLED is the best smart TV for streaming we've tested so far. It performs almost identically to the LG C9 OLED and the LG E9 OLED, but it doesn't have the more premium design of these two models, so it's less expensive. All these TVs run LG's WebOS, which is an easy-to-use and very intuitive smart platform. It gives you access to LG's app store where you'll find all of the latest apps that can cover almost any need. This is an excellent TV that delivers an fantastic performance in almost any use thanks to the amazing picture quality, remarkable motion handling, and low input lag.
Unfortunately, just like any other OLED TV, it has the risk of temporary image retention and permanent burn-in. We don't expect most people to experience this with normal varied content, as it's usually the cumulative result of prolonged exposure to static content. On the upside, this TV has wide viewing angles, and the image remains accurate even when viewed from the side, making it a great choice for watching your favorite game with a group of friends or doing chores while watching your TV shows.
Overall, like all OLEDs, this TV has outstanding picture quality with perfect blacks and nearly instantaneous response time. It does an excellent job with HDR content and supports Dolby Vision, making it great for streaming HDR content from Netflix, Apple TV+, or Disney+. This TV is well-suited for nearly every use, and its smart interface should be smooth and easy enough for anyone.
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Amnesia
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LED ALTERNATIVE: SAMSUNG Q80/Q80R QLED
If you don't want to have any burn-in concerns, then the Samsung Q80/Q80R LED is the best smart TV with an LED panel. Although it can't display the perfect blacks of the LG B9 OLED, the Samsung is a remarkable TV overall. It has a great picture quality, can get very bright, and will deliver excellent performance in any use. It runs Samsung's Tizen OS smart platform, which is easy to use and has an abundance of apps where you'll find what you need. Unfortunately, it doesn't support Dolby Vision, so for the majority of streaming services, you'll be reduced to HDR10, which doesn't offer as good an HDR experience.
For the smart TV that delivers the best overall performance, consider the LG, but if burn-in is a concern, then the Samsung is a good alternative.
If you don't want to have any burn-in concerns, then the Samsung Q80/Q80R LED is the best smart TV with an LED panel. Although it can't display the perfect blacks of the LG B9 OLED, the Samsung is a remarkable TV overall. It has a great picture quality, can get very bright, and will deliver excellent performance in any use. It runs Samsung's Tizen OS smart platform, which is easy to use and has an abundance of apps where you'll find what you need. Unfortunately, it doesn't support Dolby Vision, so for the majority of streaming services, you'll be reduced to HDR10, which doesn't offer as good an HDR experience.
For the smart TV that delivers the best overall performance, consider the LG, but if burn-in is a concern, then the Samsung is a good alternative.
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Amnesia
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Best Streaming TV With Accurate Colors: Sony X950G
The best streaming TV with the most accurate colors we've tested so far is the Sony X950G. It has fantastic out-of-the-box color accuracy with bright and vivid colors, which is great if you don't plan on getting your TV calibrated. It has an impressive, wide color gamut, which is good for HDR content. This TV has a great response time, delivering a picture with minimal blur trail behind fast-moving objects.
The TV can get very bright with both SDR and HDR content, so if you're planning on putting it in a bright room, you shouldn't have any problems. On the other hand, the contrast and black uniformity are both great, so this TV performs well even in dark rooms. There's a local dimming feature, but it's just okay because you might notice the local dimming zones when a bright object moves across the screen. Unfortunately, the viewing angles are poor, so people viewing it from an angle won't get the same quality.
On the upside, there are a ton of downloadable apps through the Google Play Store, and the user interface is easy-to-use, so streaming from this TV should be an ease. This is a great streaming TV with the most accurate colors.
The best streaming TV with the most accurate colors we've tested so far is the Sony X950G. It has fantastic out-of-the-box color accuracy with bright and vivid colors, which is great if you don't plan on getting your TV calibrated. It has an impressive, wide color gamut, which is good for HDR content. This TV has a great response time, delivering a picture with minimal blur trail behind fast-moving objects.
The TV can get very bright with both SDR and HDR content, so if you're planning on putting it in a bright room, you shouldn't have any problems. On the other hand, the contrast and black uniformity are both great, so this TV performs well even in dark rooms. There's a local dimming feature, but it's just okay because you might notice the local dimming zones when a bright object moves across the screen. Unfortunately, the viewing angles are poor, so people viewing it from an angle won't get the same quality.
On the upside, there are a ton of downloadable apps through the Google Play Store, and the user interface is easy-to-use, so streaming from this TV should be an ease. This is a great streaming TV with the most accurate colors.
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Amnesia
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ALTERNATIVE WITH BETTER VIEWING ANGLES: LG SM9000
If you're looking for better viewing angles, the LG SM9000 is a good alternative. It can't display the same deep blacks as the Sony X950G, but with an IPS panel instead of VA panel, the viewing angles are much better, so viewers from most angles in a wide room should be happy. Unlike the Sony, the out-of-the-box color accuracy isn't good, but there's also a big selection of apps on LG's WebOS, and built-in media players support most common media formats. Unfortunately, the gray uniformity is only decent, and there's visible dirty screen effect with the sides of the screens being noticeably darker. However, it has great reflection handling, so it's suitable for most bright rooms.
If you want the best streaming TV with accurate colors, the Sony is a great choice. If you want good viewing angles instead, look into the LG.
If you're looking for better viewing angles, the LG SM9000 is a good alternative. It can't display the same deep blacks as the Sony X950G, but with an IPS panel instead of VA panel, the viewing angles are much better, so viewers from most angles in a wide room should be happy. Unlike the Sony, the out-of-the-box color accuracy isn't good, but there's also a big selection of apps on LG's WebOS, and built-in media players support most common media formats. Unfortunately, the gray uniformity is only decent, and there's visible dirty screen effect with the sides of the screens being noticeably darker. However, it has great reflection handling, so it's suitable for most bright rooms.
If you want the best streaming TV with accurate colors, the Sony is a great choice. If you want good viewing angles instead, look into the LG.
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Amnesia
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GAMING ALTERNATIVE: SAMSUNG Q70/Q70R QLED
If you want better gaming performance, the Samsung Q70/Q70R QLED is a good alternative. You won't get the Sony X950G's reflection handling, but this TV has a much lower input lag, and gamers will appreciate the goodies that come along with the TV. It supports FreeSync, has low input lag with motion interpolation, and features an auto low latency mode to detect when you're gaming. This TV has the same great smart features on the Samsung Q80/Q80R QLED, with an excellent selection of apps. Unfortunately, like all Samsung TVs, it doesn't support Dolby Vision, so if you stream from Netflix, Apple TV+, or Disney+ you'll be stuck with HDR10, which doesn't give as good an HDR experience.
If color accuracy is more important, the Sony is the way to go. However, if you care about gaming just as much as color accuracy, the Samsung has a better balance of both.
If you want better gaming performance, the Samsung Q70/Q70R QLED is a good alternative. You won't get the Sony X950G's reflection handling, but this TV has a much lower input lag, and gamers will appreciate the goodies that come along with the TV. It supports FreeSync, has low input lag with motion interpolation, and features an auto low latency mode to detect when you're gaming. This TV has the same great smart features on the Samsung Q80/Q80R QLED, with an excellent selection of apps. Unfortunately, like all Samsung TVs, it doesn't support Dolby Vision, so if you stream from Netflix, Apple TV+, or Disney+ you'll be stuck with HDR10, which doesn't give as good an HDR experience.
If color accuracy is more important, the Sony is the way to go. However, if you care about gaming just as much as color accuracy, the Samsung has a better balance of both.
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Amnesia
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Best Budget Smart TV For Streaming: Hisense H9F
The best smart TV for streaming in the budget category that we've tested to date is the Hisense H9F. This TV offers a fantastic price-to-performance ratio and is among the best TVs that we've tested. It has a surprisingly premium look and feel, deep blacks, and an excellent response time. It has excellent HDR performance thanks to its wide color gamut and high peak brightness and supports Dolby Vision, so you'll get the best possible HDR performance from Netflix and Disney+.
It uses Android TV for its smart interface, which gives you a massive selection of apps and a fair amount of customizable options. Android TV also gives you the ability to load up any Android app even if it isn't available on the Android TV store. Android TV can be a little more difficult to use and navigate than Roku or LG's WebOS, but it's the most robust and customizable.
Unfortunately, like with most budget TVs, there are some noticeable uniformity issues and the corners of our unit had noticeable vignetting, though this may differ from unit-to-unit due to panel variances. Overall, this is an excellent TV for the price, and its HDR capabilities and Android TV interface make it an excellent TV for streaming.
The best smart TV for streaming in the budget category that we've tested to date is the Hisense H9F. This TV offers a fantastic price-to-performance ratio and is among the best TVs that we've tested. It has a surprisingly premium look and feel, deep blacks, and an excellent response time. It has excellent HDR performance thanks to its wide color gamut and high peak brightness and supports Dolby Vision, so you'll get the best possible HDR performance from Netflix and Disney+.
It uses Android TV for its smart interface, which gives you a massive selection of apps and a fair amount of customizable options. Android TV also gives you the ability to load up any Android app even if it isn't available on the Android TV store. Android TV can be a little more difficult to use and navigate than Roku or LG's WebOS, but it's the most robust and customizable.
Unfortunately, like with most budget TVs, there are some noticeable uniformity issues and the corners of our unit had noticeable vignetting, though this may differ from unit-to-unit due to panel variances. Overall, this is an excellent TV for the price, and its HDR capabilities and Android TV interface make it an excellent TV for streaming.
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Amnesia
Member
ROKU SMART PLATFORM ALTERNATIVE: TCL 6 SERIES/R625 2019
If you're looking for a budget alternative with the Roku smart interface, the TCL 6 Series/R625 2019 is a good choice. It doesn't have same response time as the Hisense H9F, but it still has excellent black uniformity, so blacks look great in dark rooms. It can get very bright, even in bright rooms, and has decent reflection handling. In terms of color accuracy, this TV performed well after calibration, with minimal-to-no inaccuracies. Unfortunately the viewing angles are mediocre, so it's not suggested to put it in a wide room. However, the Roku interface is easy-to-use with a ton of options and apps available.
If you're looking for the best budget smart TV for streaming with good HDR performance, consider the Hisense. If you prefer the Roku interface, the TCL is a good alternative.
If you're looking for a budget alternative with the Roku smart interface, the TCL 6 Series/R625 2019 is a good choice. It doesn't have same response time as the Hisense H9F, but it still has excellent black uniformity, so blacks look great in dark rooms. It can get very bright, even in bright rooms, and has decent reflection handling. In terms of color accuracy, this TV performed well after calibration, with minimal-to-no inaccuracies. Unfortunately the viewing angles are mediocre, so it's not suggested to put it in a wide room. However, the Roku interface is easy-to-use with a ton of options and apps available.
If you're looking for the best budget smart TV for streaming with good HDR performance, consider the Hisense. If you prefer the Roku interface, the TCL is a good alternative.
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