Best 4K TV 2023: Our favourite sets to buy right now

If we’re talking about true 4K HDR prowess, then there are few better than the JZ2000 OLED from Panasonic. And with the LZ2000 in shops, the 2021 flagship is available for less than £2000.

The JZ2000 accommodates all HDR formats, so if you watch a wide range of HDR content, producing a higher peak brightness that is equal to the Philips 65OLED+936 and better than LG’s Evo OLED G1. Over the course of testing our assessment was that the JZ2000’s picture quality was class-leading among the 2021 OLEDs – the set’s HCX Pro AI processor delivers extraordinary nuance and detail. If you want to see what a movie looks like in a mastering suite, this is as close as you’ll get.

Considering the number of speakers built into the Panasonic JZ2000’s chassis, it’s remarkable it looks as svelte as it does. The screen sits on a neat circular pedestal stand with swivel action, offering flexibility to tweak the viewing angle. The new 360° Soundscape Pro iteration of its Dolby Atmos sound system is also quite a performer. When we watched films on the TV, the sound was larger, wider, and more exciting than any 55-incher we’ve tested.

Freeview Play guarantees mainstream catch-up TV needs are covered, and the addition of Disney+ and Apple TV+ widens the breadth of video streaming apps on offer. Gaming is improved over previous models with the addition of Dolby Vision Gaming, better input response and AMD FreeSync VRR though it still lags the LG C1 for sheer breadth of features.

The JZ2000 won’t be for those who already have a capable home cinema system but as an all-in-one audio-visual solution, we found the JZ2000 was the best OLED TV Panasonic has produced so far – until the LZ2000, that is.

Reviewer: Steve May
Full Review: Panasonic JZ2000

The A90J is one of Sony’s Bravia XR Cognitive TVs, which features a processor that claims to work like how our brain does, boosting colour, contrast, and detail for a more lifelike image.

It’s not as slim as the LG G1, but its stand can be configured in more ways that offers a degree of flexibility in terms of placement. ALLM and VRR support were added in March 2022, but gaming features are still behind the LG C1 and Panasonic JZ1000.

We found using the Google TV interface to be a more welcoming affair than previous Android TV interfaces such as the one on Sony’s A8 model. Sony’s Bravia Core movie-streaming service has lots of content and streams in high quality (if you have the broadband speeds to match), as well as IMAX Enhanced content.

And when given high-quality content to work with, our reviewer found the Sony capable of producing profoundly impressive pictures. The overall colour palette was striking, the Sony drawing on a wide, subtle, and entirely convincing palette. Its motion skills show the Sony is at its most accomplished, gripping images with laser focus.

The A90J uses the company’s ‘Acoustic Surface Audio+’ technology and we enjoyed it, sounding more nuanced and more direct than flatscreens are usually capable of, though the bass performance is not as powerful as the Philips 65OLED+936. The A90J is a very good TV but it is bettered by the A95K QD-OLED. If you’re after the best picture quality from Sony, we’d recommend that model even though it comes at a premium.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Sony XR-55A90J

The previous occupant of this spot was the still great LG C1, but with the OLED65C2 now having fallen below the £2000 mark in the wake of the OLED65C3 being released, we felt it now merited its position on this list.

And that’s because it’s a fantastic 4K TV. With the OLED65C2 you can get as comprehensive a performance as you can get from a mid-range 4K TV. We measured the HDR performance to offer 854 nits of brightness, which is a step from the older C1 model. That level of brightness along with OLED’s ‘perfect blacks’ allows for an excellent level of contrast to give films that three-dimensional look.

The set’s motion processing has been improved, and while we found there remained a degree of artificiality to movement in World War I drama 1917, it’s less obvious and less distracting. Upscaling has been boosted with impressive levels of detail and clarity conveyed with HD content. Even with 720p content and lower, there’s a decent amount of detail being shown on screen.

The set’s Dolby Atmos performance is spacious, as well as being crisp and clear, but we found it lacked impact and heft for a overall performance that’s lacklustre. A soundbar would certainly help with in boosting the TV’s sound, as LG’s OLEDs really seem to suffer from an anaemic performance.

An aspect we’re much more favourable about is the design of the TV. The plinth the TV stands on is smaller, which helps with positioning the TV on smaller furniture. It also has the added benefit of making it easier to to trail cables in a less messy manner, especially helpful when adding a soundbar, and the set weighs much less than previous generations, making it easier to assemble.

Like previous LG OLEDs, there’s a full set of gaming features to enjoy with ALLM, VRR and 4K/120Hz HFR across all HDMI inputs, making it a better specc’d TV for gaming than the Samsung QN95B. Latency isn’t as fast as the Samsung model at 12.9ms but with Game Boost and VRR engaged, latency falls to very low levels.

Aside from the limp audio, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better mid-range model than the C2 at this price. We’d even recommend it over the OLED65C3, which we found to not be that big a step over the C2.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: LG OLED65C2

The QN95B has been replaced by the QN95C, but right now it’s dropping so fast in price that it can be had for just over £1000, and in that context it is a bargain. While the previous incumbent of this position, the QN94A, is still available, the QN95B improves upon its picture performance.

When it comes to HDR, you won’t find a more capable TV than this Samsung on this list. In its Standard mode we measured its HDR performance at 2369 nits, which is bright enough to make content visible in a room with lots of ambient light so what’s on screen won’t appear washed out. It produces a colourful and vibrant image with a splendid array of colours and, in our estimation, compared to the step-down QN90B model, we feel it’s more controlled in how it deploys its vast amounts brightness, more accurately representing brighter objects in a bright scene.

That level of brightness does produce blooming, with halos of light around bright objects that can distract. This isn’t too distracting from a head-on position, but people watching at wider angles will be more sensitive to it.

When it comes to gaming, the QN95B is outfitted with Auto low latency mode to the TV into its quickest mode for gaming, while variable refresh rate support (HDMI VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro) reduces screen tearing for better picture quality. We measured input lag at 10.2ms, which makes the QN95B one of the most fastest and most responsive models on the market.

Like it is for most TVs, audio is the QN95B’s weakest area. The sound from the built-in speaker unit is crisp and clear, and the OTS (Object Tracking Sound) system cleverly places audio where it should be on screen. But the TV lacks weight and sounds thin, the lack of bass is especially notable in action films. We’d recommend budgeting for a soundbar.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Samsung QE55QN95B