Best TVs for Streaming in 2025: OLED, QLED, and Budget Picks

The TV you watch on matters more than most people realize. A great streaming service looks mediocre on a washed-out panel with poor contrast, and a cheap TV’s built-in smart platform can be slow enough to make you hate using apps. Here are the best TVs across every price range for streaming in 2025, chosen specifically for picture quality in movie and TV content, smart platform responsiveness, and HDR performance with streaming sources.

How We Selected: We evaluated options using full-season viewing, critical analysis, and production quality assessment. Our criteria covered rewatch value, acting performances, production values. All picks reflect editorial judgment; no brand paid for inclusion.

Best Overall: Samsung S95F QD-OLED

The Samsung S95F is the best TV you can buy for streaming in 2025. This 4K QD-OLED panel produces peak brightness around 2,200 nits in HDR, which means highlights in Dolby Vision content on Apple TV Plus and Disney Plus actually pop the way they are supposed to. The Glare Free matte coating is a genuine breakthrough for rooms with windows, eliminating reflections that plague glossy OLED screens.

Samsung’s Tizen smart platform runs every major streaming app natively, and the interface is fast enough that switching between Netflix, Max, and YouTube feels instantaneous. The built-in speakers are surprisingly capable, with Object Tracking Sound that follows on-screen action. Available in 55, 65, and 77-inch sizes.

Price: Starting around $1,800 for the 55-inch model.

Best Picture for Dark Rooms: LG G5 OLED

The LG G5 is LG’s flagship OLED for 2025, using a MLA (Micro Lens Array) panel that pushes brightness higher than any previous LG OLED while maintaining the perfect blacks the technology is known for. Streaming content in Dolby Vision on this panel is reference-quality, with shadow detail and color accuracy that make shows like Severance and Silo look breathtaking.

LG’s webOS smart platform supports every streaming service and features a universal search that works across apps. The Magic Remote with its pointer-style cursor navigation is either beloved or hated depending on your preference, but it makes text entry and app navigation faster than a traditional directional pad.

The G5 is designed as a wall-mount TV with a flush-mount bracket included. It does not have a traditional stand in the box.

Price: Starting around $2,000 for the 55-inch model.

Best Value OLED: LG C5

The LG C5 is the OLED to buy if you want the core benefits of the technology without the flagship price. The C5 offers fantastic brightness for its class, accurate colors out of the box, and strong gaming performance with four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K at 120Hz. Streaming apps run smoothly on webOS, and the picture quality in a dim or dark room is miles ahead of any LED TV at a similar price.

The C5 is available in sizes from 42 to 83 inches, making it the most flexible OLED in LG’s lineup. The 55-inch model is the sweet spot for most living rooms.

Price: Starting around $1,000 for the 42-inch, approximately $1,300 for the 55-inch.

Best Large Budget TV: TCL QM7 Mini-LED

If you want a big screen without a big price, the TCL QM7 series delivers remarkable picture quality for the money. This Mini-LED QLED panel uses hundreds of local dimming zones to produce deep blacks and bright highlights that approach OLED territory in mixed content. HDR performance is strong, with enough peak brightness to handle streaming Dolby Vision content effectively.

TCL’s Google TV platform provides a clean interface with universal recommendations and Chromecast Built-in. The main downside is viewing angles: colors shift when watching from the sides, so the QM7 works best in rooms where everyone sits relatively centered.

Available in 65, 75, 85, and 98-inch sizes, the QM7 makes huge screens affordable.

Price: Starting around $650 for the 65-inch, approximately $1,000 for the 75-inch.

Best Budget Pick: Hisense U6N

The Hisense U6N is the best streaming TV under $500. It is a 4K Mini-LED panel with Dolby Vision and HDR10 Plus support, a Google TV smart platform that runs every streaming app, and enough brightness to handle daytime viewing in a bright room.

The U6N will not match the contrast or color accuracy of TVs costing twice as much, but it does everything competently. For a bedroom, dorm room, or any space where you want a good streaming experience without spending more than a few hundred dollars, this is the pick.

Price: Starting around $350 for the 55-inch model.

Best for Apple Households: Sony Bravia 8 II

The Sony Bravia 8 II QD-OLED runs Google TV but has the deepest Apple integration of any non-Apple device. AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are built in, Apple TV Plus has a native app, and the TV supports Apple’s spatial audio format over ARC. Sony’s picture processing remains the best in the industry for film and television content, applying motion smoothing and upscaling in ways that enhance rather than distort.

Price: Starting around $1,500 for the 55-inch model.

What to Actually Buy

For most people, the LG C5 at $1,300 for a 55-inch screen is the smartest purchase: OLED picture quality, every streaming feature, and a reasonable price. If budget is tight, the Hisense U6N or TCL QM7 deliver excellent streaming experiences for half the price or less. For the absolute best picture, the Samsung S95F wins, especially in rooms with ambient light.

For more on display technology, see our OLED vs QLED explainer. If you need a streaming device to pair with your new TV, check our streaming device comparison.