Best TVs of CES 2025 (so far): New models from Samsung, LG, Displace, and more

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Kerry Wan/ZDNET

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicked off today, and we've already seen some impressive tech. From phone chargers and headphones to gaming laptops and office desktops, brands are unveiling new, innovative features, machine-learning integration, and a host of hardware and software updates across the board.

Our favorite TV brands are no exception. Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL have all announced additions to their 2025 line-ups, with new models boasting updated OLED and QD-Mini LED panels, enhanced picture and audio processing, and in one case, total wireless power and connectivity. While there's plenty more to come as CES unfolds, we've rounded up our top picks from what we've seen up-close and personal on the show floor.

1. LG G5

Best overall TV at CES 2025

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

LG has been the king of OLED TVs for some time now, and this year's unveiling of the G5 OLED at CES aims to keep it on the throne.

Along with an improved OLED panel for signature picture quality, it uses LG's Brightness Booster Ultimate and LG's Filmmaker Mode with ambient light compensation, which monitors your living room or home theater's lighting and adjusts your TV's brightness accordingly. And console gamers will love the 165Hz refresh rate and support for both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium VRR.

While an official release date and price haven't been confirmed, we expect the new G5 OLED to be priced similarly to the current G4, which retails for $2,800 for the 65-inch version.

2. TCL QM6K

Runner-up best TV at CES 2025

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

TCL has started to cement itself as a serious competitor for bigger TV brands like Samsung and Sony, and the new QM6K is a good reason to switch brands if you haven't already. With screen sizes from 65 to 98 inches, you'll be able to find a screen that fits your home theater perfectly.

Also: TCL won the opening of CES 2025 with a great new TV you can actually preorder

And the new QD-Mini LED panel gives you color accuracy, detailing, and contrast almost on-par with flagship OLED models. It also sports a 144Hz refresh rate and support for AMD FreeSync VRR. And unlike its competitors, you can actually preorder the QM6K right now at TCL's website.

3. Samsung S95F

Best OLED TV at CES 2025

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Samsung's newest version of its flagship OLED, the S95F, was unveiled at CES 2025 and Samsung calls it the "world's brightest" OLED TV. Along with an improved OLED panel for better brightness, color accuracy, and detailing, the S95F features a 165Hz refresh rate that's perfect for console gamers, a glare-free screen, and an updated, AI-assisted processor for faster loading of your apps and better picture and audio processing.

Also: Every Samsung TV announced at CES 2025

4. Displace TV

Best innovative TV at CES 2025

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Displace is a TV startup that aims to shake up the market with what it's billing as the world's first truly wireless TVs. The Displace Basic and Pro are available in 27- and 55-inch screen sizes, making them perfect as a main screen in your home theater or a secondary TV in your office or bedroom.

With its innovative mounting system, you don't need specialized tools or a dedicated TV mounting plate to put the Displace pretty much wherever you'd like. An internal battery and Bluetooth connectivity mean you don't even need to plug the TV into the wall to get it to work or physically connect your playback devices to enjoy music, videos, and photo slide shows.

If you're intrigued by the Displace Basic, the Pro version is available in the same screen sizes and also comes bundled with a soundbar that doubles as an extra battery.

5. Hisense 116UX

Best 100-inch TV of CES 2025

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Like TCL, Hisense is trying to leave their "budget brand" reputation behind, and it's doing so with not only incredible models like the Hisense U8N, but with truly cinema-sized screens like its newly unveiled Hisense 116UX.

With an impressive 116-inch screen, the 116UX uses thousands of RGB optical lenses for not only color accuracy but also local dimming to give you the best picture possible in a 100+ inch television. And with a peak brightness of 10,000 nits, you'll never have to worry about harsh ambient or overhead light ruining your viewing experience. It also integrates a 6.2.2CH speaker system, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision IQ for room-filling sound and enhanced contrast.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a yearly tech trade show and expo held in Las Vegas. Brands across all areas of tech from laptops and smartphones to TVs and earbuds take the opportunity to announce upcoming product releases as well as innovative concepts for the speculative future of tech.

CES 2025 is open from Tuesday, January 7 to Friday, January 11; members of the press were invited a few days ahead of the event for dedicated panels and Q&A sessions.

It can be. If you've been looking to upgrade your TV anyway, a preorder is a good way to get a bigger screen, more features, or premium tech like OLED panels at locked-in prices if brands and retailers offer a preorder price guarantee. But being an early adopter can have its downsides, since software and hardware upgrades may have unforeseen issues when put into real-world use. It will take time to roll out firmware patches or for you to box the TV back up to return for a refund or exchange.

If you've bought a smart TV within the last five years, you can still get quite a bit more time out of your current setup if you make sure to stay on top of firmware and security updates. And with such a recent purchase, newly announced TVs may not have enough new or innovative features that you'll need or want to use. Unless you're a die-hard cinephile who agonizes over color accuracy percentages, refresh rates and latency times, and borderline incomprehensible technical specs of different OLED substrates and bulb combinations, you're not likely to get much more out of a simple picture processing algorithm refresh or bump in hertz as what you're already using.

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