The 12 best TVs for a home theater, tested by Consumer Reports

A large TV with dull HDR, weak built-in sound or a glare-prone screen falls flat no matter how big the picture is. OLED and Mini LED panels approach brightness, black levels and color very differently, and the right pick often depends on budget as much as picture technology. Consumer Reports tested 75- and 77-inch TVs for picture quality, HDR performance and sound, so shoppers can find a set that fits their room and budget.

Credit: Samsung

The Samsung QN77S95H costs $4,300, pricier than every other TV in this lineup, and earned Consumer Reports' top scores for picture quality and HDR as the company's flagship QD-OLED set for 2026. CR found it brighter than nearly every other OLED TV available, with a glare-free screen that cuts down on reflections and four HDMI 2.1 inputs supporting 4K resolution at up to 165Hz. The set includes Samsung's Vision AI for personalized picture and sound optimization, though CR noted it supports HDR10+ but not Dolby Vision HDR. Exceptional brightness paired with top-tier scores across the board makes it the standout in this lineup, if the price fits the budget.

Credit: Samsung

The Samsung QN77S95F costs $3,800 and earned Consumer Reports' top marks across every picture-quality and HDR test as Samsung's 2025 flagship QD-OLED set. CR found the sound impressively rich, coming from an integrated speaker array arranged in a 4.2.2 Dolby Atmos configuration, aided by a matte, glare-reducing screen finish, and it ranked among Samsung's brighter OLED TVs in its release year. CR noted the set works with Samsung's own Bixby assistant as well as Alexa from Amazon $AMZN, and offers gaming-friendly extras like a screen that can refresh 144 times per second. CR also flagged a warehouse-club version, the Samsung QN77S95FD, which performs similarly and actually scored a bit higher overall.

Credit: Amazon

The LG OLED77C5PUA costs $1,800 and earned Consumer Reports' top-notch marks across every key picture-quality and sound attribute, striking a nice balance between price and performance within LG's 2025 OLED lineup. CR found it uses a more traditional WOLED panel instead of the four-stack technology in LG's flagship G5 series, yet still achieves enough brightness to excel with HDR. The set includes many gaming features such as a 144Hz variable refresh rate, an updated Magic remote, and built-in support for LG's ThinQ assistant, Amazon $AMZN Alexa and WiFi 6e for wireless streaming. That balance of strong performance and a comparatively modest price makes it a standout value in this lineup.

Credit: Amazon

The Samsung QN77S90F costs $2,200 and earned Consumer Reports' recommendation as a great set by every measure, sitting just below Samsung's flagship QD-OLED model in its 2025 lineup. CR found strong marks across the board on picture, HDR and audio quality, with Auto AI Game Mode introduced on this set to automatically adjust settings based on the genre of game being played. CR also flagged a warehouse-club version, the Samsung QN77S90FD, sold under a similar name. That strong all-around performance just below the flagship tier makes it a solid pick for shoppers who don't need Samsung's absolute top-of-line model.

Credit: Amazon

The LG OLED77G5WUA costs $3,800 and earned Consumer Reports' top-notch picture quality and HDR marks as LG's flagship 4K OLED TV, with very good sound as well. CR noted LG builds Dolby Vision support into its lineup though it skips HDR10+, and found this set uses a newer panel design, stacking four OLED layers instead of relying on MLA technology, which pushed brightness and color vibrancy higher than earlier generations. CR listed a beefed-up processor, support for Dolby Atmos audio and a range of gamer-friendly extras including screens that refresh up to 165 times per second, alongside compatibility with LG's ThinQ, Alexa, Apple $AAPL's HomeKit, Google $GOOGL Assistant and the Matter smart-home standard. CR also noted a newer version of this TV performs similarly for a higher price, while this 2025 model has become cheaper since its initial release.

Credit: Amazon

The LG OLED77C6HUP costs $3,700 and earned Consumer Reports' recommendation as a step-up version of LG's standard C6 OLED line, offered only in the 77-inch and 83-inch screen sizes. CR found this model shares the brightness-boosting panel design from the G6 lineup, stacking four OLED layers instead of using a single traditional panel, and it topped every picture-quality and HDR measurement in CR's evaluation. CR noted the audio here actually outperformed the G6 models, even though this set skips the G6's sleeker cabinet styling, and it can push its screen refresh up to 165 times per second for PC gaming. Strong G6-level picture performance paired with even better sound at a lower price makes it an interesting alternative to LG's flagship line.

Credit: Amazon

The Sony $SONY K-77XR80, also known as the Sony Bravia 8, costs $2,300 and earned Consumer Reports' recommendation for top-notch performance across HD and 4K picture quality, HDR and sound. CR found this model uses a WOLED panel instead of the QD-OLED panel in Sony's flagship A95 series, positioning it below that lineup. The set runs Google $GOOGL TV with its Assistant responding to voice commands built directly in, and CR noted an ATSC 3.0 tuner lets it pick up newer NextGen TV broadcast signals through a standard antenna. That strong all-around performance at a lower price than Sony's flagship models makes it a compelling pick for shoppers who don't need the absolute top tier.

Credit: Amazon

The Sony $SONY K-75XR90, also known as the Bravia 9, costs $3,200 and served as Sony's premium 4K QLED flagship back in 2024, earning Consumer Reports' recommendation for excelling across every picture-quality test. CR found strong HDR results driven by especially bright highlights, along with excellent audio and a backlight built from Mini LED zones with local dimming, a design that deepens black tones and sharpens contrast. CR noted this set, like others from Sony, runs on the Google $GOOGL TV platform and packs in an antenna tuner capable of pulling in NextGen TV broadcasts in markets where they're available. Peak brightness paired with strong contrast control helped it earn HDR marks that stood out even in this high-performing lineup.

Credit: Samsung

The Samsung QN75QN90F costs $2,000 and earned Consumer Reports' recommendation as Samsung's leading 4K Neo QLED model from 2025, standing alongside the Sony $SONY K-75XR90 as one of just two LCD-based sets to make this top-performing group. CR rated its picture quality excellent overall, praised how well it handles HDR content, and found the audio quite good, with Samsung's anti-glare coating helping cut down on reflections. As with other Neo QLED sets, CR pointed to a Mini LED-based backlight combined with quantum-dot color enhancement, and noted the remote charges itself via a small solar panel. Strong performance from an LCD panel shows quantum dot and Mini LED technology can compete with OLED picture quality at a lower price point.

Credit: Amazon

The Roku $ROKU 75R8B5 costs $1,000 and earned Consumer Reports' recommendation among 75-inch TVs under that price point, belonging to the Pro tier Roku launched in 2024 that sits above its Plus-branded sets. CR pointed to a Mini LED-based backlight as a standout feature at this price, and called it the only set in this budget tier delivering a genuinely compelling HDR experience, helped along by an AI feature called Roku Smart Picture that adjusts the image automatically depending on what's on screen. Compatibility with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos rounds out the format support, and CR praised its very good sound along with a wider field of view than typical for an LCD panel. CR noted this model has grown harder to find, with its price fluctuating around the $1,000 mark.

Credit: HiSense

The Hisense 75U75QG costs $900 and earned Consumer Reports' recommendation among 75-inch TVs under $1,000, a mid-range 2025 4K ULED model that CR found performs impressively for its tier. CR found top-notch picture quality and HDR, with support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats, though the sound isn't quite as strong as some other models in this lineup. High-end features include a backlight built from zoned Mini LEDs, a screen that can refresh up to 165 times per second and support for Dolby Atmos audio, and CR noted the set runs the Google $GOOGL TV smart system with a built-in Google Assistant. Strong picture quality paired with advanced features at under $1,000 makes it a compelling budget pick despite the so-so sound.

Credit: LG

The LG 75QNED84BUA costs $730, priced lower than every other TV in this lineup, and earned Consumer Reports' recommendation among 75-inch TVs under $1,000 as an entry-level LCD set from LG's 2026 QNED lineup. CR found solid picture quality overall but HDR performance that only rated middling, along with sound that came back subpar for a set this size, and unlike many QNED TVs, this model doesn't support Dolby Vision HDR. The set can push its screen refresh rate to 144 times per second for PC gaming and runs LG's webOS smart platform with Amazon $AMZN Alexa built in, along with support for Apple $AAPL AirPlay. That entry-level pricing paired with solid picture quality makes it a reasonable choice for budget-conscious shoppers willing to trade away stronger sound and full HDR support.