There is one fact that decides a television purchase before any specification does, and it is a format war nobody won: Samsung does not support Dolby Vision. LG does not support HDR10+. Every other brand on this page supports both.
If most of what you watch comes from a service that masters in Dolby Vision — Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+ — a Samsung will show you HDR10 instead. It will look good. It will not look like the thing the colourist approved. Decide that first; the rest is picture technology and money.
Every figure below is the live computed Mars Score.
Highest score in the catalog: Samsung S95F QD-OLED 77
Mars Score 84.8 at $4,499. 77" QD-OLED at 165 Hz, 3,800 nits peak, four HDMI 2.1 ports — and no Dolby Vision.
QD-OLED gives you OLED's perfect blacks with quantum-dot colour volume, and this is the brightest OLED panel Samsung has made. The 65" version scores 82.4 at $3,299 and is the same television in a smaller box.
The brightest OLED: LG G5 OLED evo 77
Mars Score 82.8 at $4,499. 4,000 nits — brighter than the Samsung — 165 Hz, four HDMI 2.1, Dolby Vision yes, HDR10+ no.
At identical prices, the LG and Samsung 77-inch flagships are separated by which HDR format you need and very little else. The 65" G5 scores 80.4 at $3,399.
Who should buy the LG: almost anyone who streams, because Dolby Vision is the more widely used format.
Brightest television here: Hisense ULED X UX 85
Mars Score 81.8 at $4,999 — the most expensive TV on this page. 85" Mini-LED at 5,000 nits with both Dolby Vision and HDR10+.
Mini-LED does not match OLED's black levels and it exceeds OLED's brightness by a wide margin. In a bright room with the curtains open, this beats every OLED here; in a dark room it does not. Its two HDMI 2.1 ports against the OLEDs' four is the real limitation — two current consoles and you are out of sockets.
The value picks
TCL QM851 Mini LED 75 (78.2, $2,299) is 5,000 nits at 75" with both HDR formats, at half the price of the flagship OLEDs. Its 65" sibling scores 76.2 at $1,499.
Hisense U9Q Mini LED 65 (77.7, $1,799) matches those 5,000 nits at 165 Hz — the fastest panel in the value group.
TCL QM7K Mini-LED 75 (76.4, $1,999) is dimmer at 3,500 nits but is the only value TV here with four HDMI 2.1 ports, which for a multi-console household is worth more than 1,500 nits.
Who should buy these: anyone who would rather have 75 inches than a perfect black level. This is the right trade for most rooms.
The affordable OLED: Samsung S90F QD-OLED 65
Mars Score 74.7 at $2,499. QD-OLED at 2,100 nits — the dimmest panel on this page — 144 Hz, four HDMI 2.1, no Dolby Vision.
It is last here and it is still an OLED for $2,499, which two years ago did not exist. In a light-controlled room it will look better than any Mini-LED above it.
How to choose, in four questions
- Dolby Vision or HDR10+? Samsung refuses the first, LG the second, everyone else supports both. Check what you actually watch.
- How bright is your room? Mini-LED at 5,000 nits for daylight; OLED for evenings and blackout blinds.
- Count your HDMI 2.1 ports. Four on the OLEDs and the QM7K, two on the Hisense UX and the QM851s. Consoles, a receiver and a streaming box add up fast.
- Size beats panel technology more often than enthusiasts admit. A 75" Mini-LED at $2,299 will please more households than a 65" OLED at $3,299.
All televisions in the catalog are ranked on the TVs page, and the full dataset behind these scores is open data.
Turn this reading into a better product decision
This buying guide is a decision framework, not a substitute for checking the exact variant, regional price, availability, and warranty that apply to you. Use the linked catalog data to separate published facts from personal priorities, then compare the final shortlist directly rather than relying on a generic ranking.
Verify the fit
Open the TVs category page to filter the relevant field, then inspect full product profiles and the score methodology.
Keep the recommendation current
This article references 10 catalog products; use the live product pages for current specifications and comparison links.
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