The Best Smart TVs For Streaming In 2023

There are a lot of smart TVs out there, and there are many differences between competing models when it comes to details like available screen sizes, the type and number of I/O ports, and interfaces. The good news is that the smart TV segment is relatively mature, so whatever model you opt for, it's likely to include a good range of streaming apps and user-friendly controls. When it comes to finding the right smart TV for you, look for one that suits your viewing environment and the types of content you like to consume. A great TV for video gaming in a child's playroom might not be the best for watching high-dynamic-range movies in a darkened room, for example. 

A major factor to consider when comparing different models is what screen technology they use – some smart TVs use OLED screens and some use LED panels. The pixels in OLED screens generate their own light, so OLED screens can offer a very high contrast ratio, meaning that bright areas in a scene are genuinely bright, and darker or black areas are genuinely dark. By comparison, LED screens use a backlight. They can't match the extreme contrast ratios of OLEDs, and they consume more power, but they're typically cheaper at comparable screen sizes, and their displays can be made brighter. If you're shopping for a new smart TV for streaming, it's important to understand the relative merits of both technologies. Without further ado, here are the five best smart TVs for streaming in 2023.

Samsung has been in the OLED business for a long time, and it shows in products like the S95C OLED, which features Samsung's QD-OLED "quantum dot" technology, promising improved brightness over conventional OLED screens. The Samsung S95C OLED offers incredible image quality, including a near-infinite contrast ratio, excellent, uniform blacks, and vivid, lifelike color. The lack of support for the Dolby Vision HDR format is the only disappointing omission from the Samsung S95C OLED's feature set.

The Samsung S95C OLED offers excellent performance across a range of use cases. Its exceptional contrast ratio, excellent brightness, and good handling of reflections make it a useful screen for all media in both dark and well-lit rooms, while its high refresh rate and virtually instantaneous response time mean that it's great for gaming, too.

This model runs the latest version of Samsung's Tizen OS, which is very fast and user-friendly, and offers a wide selection of games and apps, including all the usual streaming services. With support for Amazon Alexa, Bixby, and Google Assistant voice assistants, it's easy to find the content that you're interested in, but like most of its competitors (including all of the TVs in this roundup), you can expect to see ads scattered throughout the Samsung S95C OLED's user interface. Meanwhile, the innovative Samsung One Connect box gives you the option of separating I/O ports from the main body of the TV, for a less cluttered setup. The model is available on Amazon for $3,000.

The A95K OLED is Sony's first to use QD-OLED "quantum dot" technology, as seen also in the Samsung S95C OLED. The Sony A95K OLED offers a near-infinite contrast ratio with deep uniform blacks, bright highlights, and vivid colors. As well, the virtually complete lack of "blooming" around bright objects means that HDR content looks amazing, especially in darkened rooms. Meanwhile, it's bright enough for well-lit spaces and handles reflections well, making the Sony A95K OLED another great choice for viewing media in any home environment. 

The only negative mark from an image quality point of view is a slight tendency for blacks to look purplish when there's a bright light source elsewhere on the screen, but this is likely to be a minor issue in normal use. The Sony A95K OLED's maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz isn't the fastest in this roundup, but its near-instant response time means there's practically no motion blur in fast action content, making this a great screen for sports viewing and gaming.

This model uses Google TV OS and includes Google Chromecast, which means that you can stream content directly to the TV from your phone, plus there's support for voice control so you can find content without using the included remote. While relatively thick, an innovative stand design means that the TV can be positioned in front of the stand itself, removing a potential visual distraction. The model is available on Amazon starting at $2,500.

The Samsung QN95B Neo QLED sits at the top of Samsung's 4K LED TV lineup and combines "quantum dot" technology with an LED backlight, enabling higher brightness. The Samsung QN95B Neo QLED offers excellent contrast, with deep blacks and bright highlights, thanks to an effective local dimming feature. Peak brightness is excellent, which means HDR content looks great, and color accuracy is very good straight out of the box. Reflections are well-managed, which, along with the exceptional brightness of the screen, makes the Samsung QN95B Neo QLED a good choice for bright viewing environments.

While this is a great TV for consuming television and movie content, the Samsung QN95B Neo QLED also has a lot to offer gamers. With a native refresh rate of 144 Hz, support for all three variable refresh rate (VVR) formats, and automatic low-frame rate compensation, gaming is smooth at all times. Audio from the built-in speakers is great.

The model runs on Samsung's Tizen OS, which offers a wide selection of streaming apps and support for multiple voice assistants. Design-wise, this TV doesn't stand out, but the slim bezel design puts the focus on content, and the build quality is high. Like the more expensive Samsung S95C OLED, the QN95B Neo OLED features Samsung's One Connect box. The included remote doesn't need batteries and can be charged via solar energy. The TV is available on Amazon now for $1,600.

The LG C3 OLED is part of LG's popular C-series OLED lineup, which offers many of the features of the company's flagship G-series TVs but at a lower cost. As you'd expect from an OLED TV, the LG C3 OLED offers excellent contrast, with bright whites and truly black blacks, which makes HDR content look amazing, especially in dark rooms. Meanwhile, extremely low input lag in Game mode means that onscreen action will never lag behind gameplay.

While it can't match the brightness or color accuracy of the best OLED TVs in this roundup, the LG C3 OLED represents a very good balance of features, performance, and cost. TV and movie content on the LG C3 OLED looks great, thanks in part to its low-resolution upscaling. Meanwhile, sports fans will appreciate this TV's wide viewing angle, excellent response time, and good control of reflections, which makes it possible for large groups to enjoy a game, even in a brightly lit living room.

The LG C3 OLED is powered by webOS, which includes a wide selection of streaming apps. It also supports user profiles, allowing you to customize the home page for different people in your household. Of note is the Nintendo Wii-style remote, which allows you to navigate the interface by pointing. Design-wise, the LG C3 OLED features a classy, modern design with ultra-thin bezels that almost disappear from a normal viewing distance. The model is available on Amazon now for $2,599.

The TCL 6 Series/R655 2022 QLED is a midrange TV from budget manufacturer TCL, and sits above the lower-cost TCL 5 series/S555 2022 QLED, offering substantially better brightness and reflection handling. Existing as a more affordable alternative to many competing models, the TCL 6 Series/R655 2022 QLED offers excellent performance for the price.

The model's contrast ratio of 66,000:1 is impressive, making HDR content appear crisp and immersive. Meanwhile, it offers a wide color gamut and can get impressively bright, making this a good TV for mixed environments including brightly lit rooms. There's low input lag and a high refresh rate at 144 Hz. One of the few negative points of the TCL 6 Series/R655 2022 QLED is a fairly narrow viewing angle, which causes colors to lose accuracy and vibrance if you move off-center.

From a design point of view the TCL 6 Series/R655 2022 QLED looks premium, and despite its mostly plastic construction, build quality is high. The TCL 6 Series/R655 2022 QLED runs the Roku TV smart OS, which is characterized by a simpler interface compared to other TVs in this roundup, and, sadly, a lot of (non-removable) ads, and no support for voice control. On the plus side, the streaming app selection is great, and the interface is fast and user-friendly. The TV is available on Amazon for $999.