Best 65-Inch TVs in 2023

TVs have never looked better, but figuring out which of the best 65-inch TVs to get has become more complicated. Each TV manufacturer is racing to make their set slimmer, smarter, and ready for both video watching and gaming. 

 A 65-inch TV is large enough to provide an immersive experience as part of a living room home theater without overtaking the entire room. That's possible because a modern TV's bezel (the frame around the screen) has gotten significantly smaller. A 65-inch TV takes up roughly the same physical size as a 55- or 60-inch TV from a few years ago. The other benefit to smaller bezels is that there's less distraction when you're using your TV. Ideally, all you'll be able to see is the content you're watching.

If you're ready to upgrade from an HDTV to a 4K TV (sometimes called Ultra HD, which is shortened to UHD), or jump from a 50-inch TV to a bigger model, we've found the best 65-inch TVs you can get.

— Best Overall: Sony A80J
— Best Budget: Toshiba M550KU
— Best LED TV: Hisense U7G
— Best Roku TV: TCL 6-Series
— Highest Resolution TV: Samsung QN800B

How We Picked the Best 65-Inch TVs

We chose the 65-inch TVs in this guide based on our personal experience with each model. Our tests consisted of watching TV shows and movies, and playing PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X games at their highest-possible resolution and frame rate. We also made sure to watch videos that were available in 4K, HD (1080p), and standard definition (480p) to assess how well the TVs handled both high and low quality videos. 

Screen Size: All of the TVs in our guide come in multiple sizes, and while we're focused on the 65-inch models here, the product pages for each set display every possible configuration. The features of the TVs we’re recommending are present in every model, so you can choose one that best fits in your room. 

Operating System: Every TV we're recommending runs software designed by Google (Android TV), Roku (RokuOS), or Amazon (Fire OS), which allows you to access media from streaming services, adjust system settings, and run additional applications like games. All of these operating systems can perform the same set of functions, but the big difference is the design of their interface, which impacts how easy they are to use. 

Energy Consumption: We're only recommending TVs that have earned an Energy Star certification, which was developed by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to highlight home electronics that use at least 30 percent less energy than the average piece of gear in its category. Find out more about how we gauge sustainability.

Inputs: A TV's inputs, commonly called ports, are the sockets that allow you to plug accessories like a 4K Blu-ray player, cable box, soundbar, or a game console into your set. The most common TV input is called an HDMI port, which is used by almost all TV accessories released in the past decade. Each TV we're recommending has multiple HDMI ports, so you can plug all of your equipment in at once. 

Sound: You'll find that we don't mention the audio quality of the TVs in this guide, which is by design. None of the audio systems in the TVs we've tested have been better than average. This isn't for lack of trying; the issue is that TVs are getting slimmer, and speakers require as much space as possible to sound good. 

Don't get us wrong, a TV's built-in speakers are perfectly adequate for casually watching the news or a TV show, but you'll find them lacking if you've got an ear for audio quality. Our advice is to pair your new TV with one of the best Samsung soundbars or invest in an audio system with an AV receiver and dedicated speakers. 

Best Overall: Sony A80J

Why It Made The Cut: The quality of the A80J’s panel is second to none, providing the most true-to-life image of any TV we’ve ever tested.

Specs:
— Panel Type: OLED
— Refresh Rate: 120Hz
— Operating System: Android TV

Pros:
— Fantastic color reproduction and contrast
— Can play 4K games at 120 frames per second
— Beautiful design

Cons:
— Expensive
— Set up to play 4K games at 120 frames per second isn’t a default setting

Let us be blunt: If the Sony A80J's price tag doesn't bother you, it's the only 65-inch 4K TV you should consider. Period.

In every test, from watching HD and 4K videos, to playing PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or Nintendo Switch games, the A80J displayed a flawless picture with incredible detail. Part of that comes down to the fact that this is an OLED TV, which means it uses a screen technology that's far superior to traditional sets when it comes to color reproduction and contrast (the differences between light and dark parts of a scene). We explain more about the differences between OLED and LED screens below. 

It's clear that Sony spent a lot of time sweating small details when designing the A80J, and it paid off. The TV's feet can be attached in three different locations, which ensures that it'll sit correctly on media stands of different sizes. OLED TVs are thinner and lighter than typical flat-panel sets, which made the TV easy to lift and arrange on a media console. This is particularly important when dealing with a 65-inch TV, which can be heavy and a little unwieldy. We still recommend getting a friend to help you unbox, assemble, and arrange your TV to avoid the possibility of dropping or otherwise damaging your TV.

The A80J runs Android TV, which we found fairly simple and intuitive to use. We were easily able to find and change screen settings, especially turning off motion smoothing, which can lead to the "soap opera" effect where videos look like they're running too quickly. Downloading streaming apps from the Android App Store was quick and easy, and Android TV allows you to quickly rearrange them for your convenience. Android TV isn't our favorite television operating system, but it's perfectly usable. 

While no product is perfect, we couldn't find an area where the A80J came up short in an appreciable way. TV shows and movies looked fantastic, especially when watching a Blu-ray remastered as part of the Criterion Collection, or professionally shot 4K videos from Netflix or YouTube. Standard definition video only looked okay, but that's an issue with the source material rather than the TV itself. Even so, you won't find a better TV for watching DVDs or digital transfers of home movies originally shot on film.

Similarly, playing video games on the A80J was a delight. The TV has a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, and we were able to play the latest games at their peak level of performance. Games developed for next-generation consoles, especially colorful ones like Tales of Arise, looked stunning. HD titles developed for the Wii U and Nintendo Switch looked and played well too, but weren't quite as jaw dropping as the current crop of cutting-edge consoles. 

One important thing to note: If you'd like to play 4K games at 120 frames per second (fps) with high dynamic range enabled, you need to dig into the settings and set the HDMI port your console is plugged into its "enhanced" mode. Failing to do so will result in your game consoles giving you the choice between playing games at 120 frames per second in HD, or limiting the frame rate to 60 but bumping the resolution up to 4K. Why this setting isn't enabled by default is beyond me, but seems like it could be fixed by a software update. 

Speaking of ports, Sony outfitted the A80J with four HDMI ports, an optical audio input, two USB ports, an Ethernet jack, headphone jack, and an RF antenna port. If you have an accessory for your TV, the A80J is ready for it. The only port-related information you should be aware of is that only two out of the four HDMI ports have enough bandwidth (the speed at which data is transferred) for 4K gaming at 120 fps. These HDMI ports are clearly labeled, so you won't have any trouble locating them. That said, it's something you'll need to pay attention to when hooking up your systems.  

Yes, the Sony A80J is a luxe TV, but we couldn't be happier with how well it worked. Few electronics we've tested are worth the splurge, and we can wholeheartedly recommend this TV to anyone looking for a new set. Once it's set up, you won't be tempted to upgrade anytime in the near future, even when 8K TVs become in vogue over the next few years. 

Best Budget: Toshiba M550KU

Why It Made The Cut: Toshiba’s M550KU is a big-screen TV with modern features, but won’t break the bank.

Specs:
— Panel Type: LED
— Refresh Rate: 120Hz
— Operating System: FireTV

Pros:
— Good color reproduction
— Plethora of ports
— Nice design

Cons:
— FireOS is a mess
— Can’t play 4K games at 120 frames per second

Amazon and Toshiba have collaborated a lot over the past few years, but the M550 is the biggest, best-looking Fire TV yet, and an excellent value overall. 

In our tests, the M550 performed pretty well. Its color reproduction wasn't as strong as the more premium TVs in our guide, but TV shows, movies, and games looked perfectly fine when viewed from a distance of around six feet or so. The only image problem we had was with the TV's brightness. It looked a little dim regardless of the image settings we used, which is something to keep in mind if you watch TV in a room that has a lot of bright light. When cranking up the brightness, the image on the TV started to look a little more washed out.

Gaming on the M550 was fine, but you can’t play games at 120 frames per second in 4K, which is a limitation if you want a big screen TV to play the latest and greatest titles. If you're a casual gamer, or don't plan on upgrading to an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 in the near future, this won't be a big issue. Beyond this limitation, we were pretty happy with the M550's hardware, especially its physical design, which looks sleek. We were equally impressed with the TV's port assortment: four HDMI, one A/V input, a headphone jack, one Ethernet jack, and a USB port. This is a generous amount of ports for a budget-friendly TV. 

The M550's Achilles heel is FireOS, which makes the television feel like one big advertisement for content available on Amazon Video. Everything about the TV, from the background of its screen to the images that play when the set is idle, is Amazon branded. On one hand, this makes total sense — the company did develop this software in-house after all — but seeing ads on your TV all the time can start to feel grating. FireOS' interface is also hostile to all but the most tech-savvy users. Disabling unwanted features, like ad tracking and motion smoothing, required several Google searches to accomplish. Another common setting — having the TV jump to the last input you use the next time you turn the TV on — was buried deep in the settings. 

You can permanently fix this problem by connecting a media streamer from Roku, Apple, or Google to the TV, but that defeats the purpose of using an Amazon FireTV-branded set. Instead, you should be prepared to spend the first 20 minutes of your time with the M550 tuning it to your particular preferences. If the Amazon branding and default settings don't bother you, all the better, the M550 won't disappoint. 

Best LED TV: Hisense U7G

Why It Made The Cut: With the U7G, Hisense managed to make an LED TV that comes close to the quality of an OLED model at a significantly smaller cost.

Specs:
— Panel Type: LED
— Refresh Rate: 120Hz
— Operating System: Android TV

Pros:
— Excellent color reproduction for an LED TV
— Fantastic contrast
— Can play 4K games at 120 frames per second

Cons:
— Picture quality can’t quite measure up to an OLED TV

Hisense's U7G retains most of the features we love in our best overall pick at a substantially lower price. 

Its image quality was the best out of all the LED TVs we tested, with excellent color reproduction and contrast. We noticed lots of little details in TV shows and movies that came off as dull or fuzzy on lesser TVs. The U7G's image quality draws you into whatever you're watching and maintains its grip on your attention until it's over. We re-watched videos we'd seen several times before and could immediately notice an improvement in image quality compared with other TVs, which is the highest compliment we can give. 

Gaming on the U7G was equally impressive. The TV can play 4K games at 120 frames per second and could keep up with any fast-paced title we threw at it. Hisense says this TV was designed with gamers in mind, and we agree, it's a fantastic choice for anyone who likes to play games regularly. If you have multiple consoles, you'll be happy to hear that the U7G has four HDMI ports in addition to its Ethernet jack and USB port. Every accessory we connected was instantly recognized, and we never had an issue with the TV flaking out when accessories were plugged in. The U7G runs Android TV, and it ran just as well on this TV as it did on Sony's A80J. 

Overall, we're impressed that Hisense was able to create such a great looking LED TV, but the U7G is definitely the one to get, especially in its price range. It's a great all-around choice that can satisfy households with a cinephile, gamer, and casual TV show watcher.  

Best Roku TV: TCL 6-Series

Why It Made The Cut: TCL’s 6-Series TVs run RokuOS, which is intuitive to use and proves a smart TV doesn’t have to make you feel stupid if you’re less comfortable with new technology.

Specs:
— Panel Type: LED
— Refresh Rate: 120Hz
— Operating System: RokuOS

Pros:
— RokuOS is easy to use
— Amazing contrast
— Great color reproduction

Cons:
— Can’t play 4K games at 120 frames per second

TCL's 6-Series TV addresses one of the sad truths in the tech world: TVs have gotten more complicated to use as they got "smarter." 

The company decided to build the 6-Series to run RokuOS, which is by far the most user-friendly smart TV software available today. Instead of focusing on looking cool, the Roku team designed software that's easy to use. We had no problem adjusting settings, downloading new apps, and navigating around the TVs menus. If you're less of a tech-savvy TV watcher, this makes TCL's 6-Series very easy to recommend. 

While we're big fans of RokuOS, the TCL 6-Series also has excellent hardware. In our tests, TV shows and movies looked very good, with great color accuracy that was one notch in quality below the U7G. One place where the 6-Series triumphed was lighting. The TV's panel is sophisticated enough to light specific areas on the screen with extreme accuracy, which made dimly lit scenes look far more realistic. One place where TCL's 6-Series falters is gaming. This TV can't run games in 4K at 120 frames per second though, which makes it a no-go for serious gamers.

Still, that's its only real downside, and if you don't play games often — or at all — it's no real loss. TCL outfitted its 6-Series TV with four HDMI ports, a USB port, one headphone jack, a coaxial input, and an Ethernet jack. If you use a lot of peripherals in your home entertainment center, TCL's 6-series is ready for them. 

If you don't want to feel like you're fighting with your TV each time you want to download a new streaming app, switch inputs, or change a system setting, TCL's 6-series TV is the way to go. 

Highest Resolution: Samsung 8K QN800B

Why It Made The Cut: If you like living on the cutting edge of technology, Samsung's 8K QN800 is an exceptional ultra high definition display.

Specs:
— Panel Type: LED
— Frame Rate: 120Hz
— Software: AndroidOS

Pros:
— 8K resolution
— Processor that upscales lower resolution content
— Anti Reflective Screen

Cons:
— Not a lot of native 8K Video available
— Very expensive

If you can only be satisfied with using technology that's on the cutting edge, Samsung's 65-inch QN800B has the best tech specs we've ever seen. The main attraction is its 8K resolution, which makes it capable of showing the most subtle details in each frame of your movie, TV show, or game look incredibly sharp. This TV was just released, and we're looking forward to trying it for ourselves; this guide will be updated with our impressions once that happens. 

The QN800's ultra high resolution screen is its greatest technical strength, it's also the TV's biggest weakness. There is barely any native 8K video available right now — even 4K video is pretty scarce — so you won't be able to take full advantage of this TV for years to come. Samsung has countered this by designing a custom processor that upscales lower resolution video to look sharper on its stunning screen. The results will vary based on the quality of the original video, but we're confident the QN800's chip will make everything you watch or play look as good as possible. 

Samsung spared no expense making the QN800, which is why we're not surprised that it can play games at 120 frames per second, and has a ton of inputs. This TV has four HDMI ports, three USB ports, an optical audio input, Ethernet jack, and a coaxial input. If you want to connect something to this TV, you won't run into any issues. We’re also intrigued by the QN800’s anti-reflective screen, which could make it a worthwhile upgrade if you primarily watch TV in a room with a lot of natural light.

Samsung's QN800 is one of those gadgets that we can only recommend to the most die hard video watchers and gamers. Those with discerning eyes will appreciate the extra pixels this TV offers, even if movie and game studios don't catch up for a few years. 

Things To Consider When Buying A 65-Inch 4K TV

Panel Type: TVs in 2023 have either an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen. 

An LED TV uses a physical light panel behind the screen to illuminate the image you're seeing. This is the most common type of TV screen since the dawn of the HDTV era. 

The display used OLED TVs are made out of an organic compound, and the screen is illuminated by sending electric pulses that can illuminate every single pixel individually, rather than lighting up a light panel. The result is a TV that's far thinner, and provides much more natural-looking lighting in scenes with a lot of contrast (think of fireworks exploding against a pitch-black sky). 

LED TV manufacturers have leveled the playing field by developing a technology called "local dimming zones," which allows the TV to illuminate part of its panel instead of the whole thing. The more dimming zones a TV has, the better it is at creating contrast between light and dark parts of a scene. Local dimming zones have come a long way since they were first introduced around five years ago, although they're still worse than using an OLED TV. 

High Dynamic Range: Another TV technology that's become popular lately is High Dynamic Range, which is typically shortened to HDR. TVs that support HDR can show colors that are more true-to-life than older sets, and allow you to differentiate between different shades and hues of the same color more easily. This is most noticeable when watching content that was shot using cameras that can capture HDR video. 

Refresh Rate: A TV's refresh rate determines how quickly its screen can display new information each second. Movie and TV watchers don't need to worry about this TV specification, but it matters a lot to gamers. The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 can both play certain games at frame rates of up to 120 frames per second, which makes them look incredibly smooth. If you play games often, you'll want to get a TV that supports a refresh rate of 120Hz (hertz), which will allow you to play 120fps games natively. 

FAQs

Q: Can I recycle my old TV?

Yes. If you'd like to get rid of your old TV in an environmentally friendly way, we recommend dropping it off at the nearest Best Buy. The store will also take your old TV away if you order a new set through them. Find out more about how to recycle electronics.

Q: How does a 65-inch 4K TV compare to a 4K projector?

A 65-inch 4K TV compares very favorably to a 4K projector. A projector can display a far larger screen than a 65-inch TV, but will suffer when used in a room with any light pollution. Additionally, even 4K video will start to look blurry and grainy on a gigantic screen. 

Q: How will HD video look on a 4K TV?

How HD video looks on a 4K TV can vary, but many of the 65-inch 4K TVs in our guide can upscale (digitally manipulate) HD video to look great on your new set. 

Q: Can I wall mount a 65-inch TV?

Yes, there are many mounts that support TVs that are 65 inches or above. We recommend the Cantalever Full Motion TV Wall Mount from AmazonBasics because it can hold TVs up to 110 pounds and screen sizes up to 70 inches. 

Final Thoughts on 65-Inch TVs

The thought of owning a 65-inch TV may have seemed outlandish — or at the very least extremely indulgent – but having tested many, we found them completely reasonable if you have the space. A TV of this size hits a particular sweet spot that provides complete immersion in whatever you're watching or playing without seeming overwhelmingly large. The experience is only enhanced when a 65-inch TV is paired with an equally impressive audio system.

This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurism’s owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.