One big benefit to being a full-time TV reviewer is hands-on experience with all the best TVs. That level of access, of course, helps immensely when gauging the performance level and feature set of top models from the most established brands, but also sets a benchmark for evaluating all manner of TVs, from mid-range to budget models.
Of the 30-plus TVs TechRadar reviewed in 2024, three stood out and captured my attention. Not surprisingly, these three were flagship models for their respective brands and, also not surprisingly, they are priced above what most people would consider paying for a TV. What did come as a surprise? A mini-LED model made my top three list.
In the past, any list of top TVs would be dominated by the best OLED TVs, mainly because of their ability to reliably deliver pictures with infinite contrast, detailed shadows, and rich, eye-catching color. But today’s best mini-LED TVs are catching up with OLED TVs on those picture quality fronts, and they additionally provide high brightness, making them a great option for not only movies and gaming but also daytime sports viewing.
I’ve been impressed by the mini-LED TVs I’ve tested over the years, and have even given some of them five-star picture quality ratings. But of all those TVs, the Sony Bravia 9 is the first mini-LED model I’ve reviewed that approached OLED-like performance when it came to rendering shadows in dark movie scenes, and its picture was virtually free of any backlight “blooming” effects. Having lived with Bravia 9 for a few weeks while testing it, I can honestly say I admired its picture as much as the other two models in this list, the Samsung S95D and LG G4 OLED TVs.
Sony Bravia 9
Sony created something of a stir when it announced it would switch from OLED to mini-LED for its only new flagship TV in 2024. But in initial demonstrations of the Bravia 9, the company made an effective case for the new XR Backlight Master Drive with High Peak Luminance tech, which uses a highly miniaturized 22-bit LED driver (other TVs typically use 10- or 12-bit drivers) for enhanced local dimming – something also helped by a 325% increase in local dimming zones over Sony’s previous top mini-LED TV.
What does this mean for you? A screen that’s brighter for stunning colors and HDR, but with the super-cinematic dark tones and contrast of OLED. I measured the peak HDR brightness at 2,280 nits (in Standard mode), meaning the Bravia 9 is capable of rendering the full range of highlight detail in movies with high dynamic range, and its ability to also display detailed shadows is second to none for a mini-LED TV.
I was also impressed with the X-Wide Angle feature that ensures pictures look uniformly good over a wide viewing arc, so it doesn’t matter if you’re sitting way off center.
On top of that, there’s a 2.2.2-channel, 70-watt speaker system with “Frame” tweeters positioned in the sides of the TV’s frame and “Beam” tweeters located at the top for audio performance that’s as good as basically any TV I’ve heard, meaning the Bravia 9 qualifies as a complete premium TV package, as I said in my full Sony Bravia 9 review.
Samsung S95D
Samsung’s top OLED TV made its mark as the brightest OLED TV we’ve ever measured, thanks to a QD-OLED panel working in tandem with clever AI processing that optimizes HDR handling plus detail and color enhancement. It also uses the company’s Glare Free tech to virtually eliminate screen reflections in bright rooms – a traditional pain point for OLED TVs due to their limited fullscreen brightness compared to LED models. Sick of seeing mirror-like image of yourself or windows on your TV? Thanks to a matte screen here, you literally can’t – we were so impressed by the difference in our full Samsung S95D review.
Our review praised the bright and rich colors, the very impressive texture and lifelike realism to images, and the supreme contrast that OLED TVs are known for – having seen it in person, I can attest to all this. The Samsung S95D was our pick for best TV in the TechRadar Choice Awards 2024 mainly owing to its fantastic overall picture quality.
But that’s not all you get with Samsung’s flagship OLED TV. Its 4.2.2-channel, 70W built-in speakers deliver immersive, yet precise sound with powerful bass. It also has a slim, elegant design with an external One Connect Box handling all inputs to the TV, meaning that only a single cable goes into the screen itself, so it’s very tidy. The box can be hidden away somewhere else. It also an unbeatable set of gaming features, including four HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support and Samsung’s Gaming Hub for cloud-based gaming.
LG G4
The LG G4 is the company’s brightest OLED TV yet, an advancement made possible by a new generation of LG’s OLED evo display panel with Micro Lens Array (MLA) tech, which uses microscopic lens elements to enhance picture brightness. Not only does this panel design boost brightness, but colors are also elevated with a more robust, detailed look, which gives the G4 a notable picture quality edge over the also impressive LG C4 OLED TV.
Our brightness measurements for the G4 weren’t as high as the S95D above, but in our full LG G4 review, we noted that this doesn’t really matter so much in practice. We found that it delivers a beautiful and well-layered image, with super-accurate colors out of the box, and we said it’s a “a master at picking out detail in darker areas of an image”, which is exactly what you want from a cinematic OLED screen.
The G4’s exceptionally slim design makes it a perfect choice for wall mounting, and there’s a custom bracket that means it sits totally flush to the wall. It also comes with a table stand for the 55- and 65-inch models.
LG’s flagship OLED TV is packed with gaming features, including 4K 120Hz (and up to 144Hz for PC gaming) across all four HDMI 2.1 ports, along with 4K 120Hz Dolby Vision gaming. Despite its slim frame, the G4 also has strong onboard sound, with a 4.2-channel speaker system and an AI Sound Pro mode that upmixes audio to 11.1.2-channel virtual surround sound – though other two TVs I’ve picked here offer better built-in sound overall.
Obviously, my picks here are all pretty high-end – but it’s the expensive stuff that tends to be the best, naturally! If you want something more mid-range, I can strongly recommend the Hisense U8N mini-LED TV, or the TCL QM851G mini-LED TV for US buyers.
At the more budget end, we rate the Hisense U7N mini-LED TV, or I also highly recommend the Roku Pro Series mini-LED TV.
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al.griffin@futurenet.com (Al Griffin)
