Best TVs of 2021

2021 was a great year to shop for a new TV. There were new TVs in a variety of sizes, and the big brands brought in a lot of new technology to improve everything you watch. Here’s a quick look at the brands who brought you the best TVs of the year.

New LG TVs for 2021

LG has long been a TV fan favourite, and the LG OLED lineup has been very popular with gamers. The LG OLED series for 2021 included the LG C1 series OLED with the new Alpha a9 Gen 4 Processor. The processor uses deep learning and will analyze whatever content you’re watching, optimizing it for the best picture and sound quality. Everything will look spectacular, even if you’re watching a TV show in 1080p in very dim or very bright light.

If you asked gamers, they’d tell you that LG OLEDs are at the top of the list for best TVs of the year. The LG OLED lineup has features built in to make it compatible with NVIDIA G-SYNC, VRR, and ALLM. Just plug in your console and the TV will automatically switch to a low-lag mode that’s perfect for gaming.

LG ups display size to 88 inches

LG must have decided that 2021 was the year they were going to bring the biggest TV to the market possible. They’ve expanded their OLED display size up to 83 inches. A TV that size would make a massive 75 inch TV look small, and if you have the wall space you’re definitely going to have to check them out. LG also brought in the LG Z1 series with 8K TVs in sizes up to 77 inches and 88 inches.

Perks of owning an LG TV in 2021

Beyond the amazing display quality, LG has an easy-to-use operating system and the LG Magic Remote. The remote lets you wave or use gestures to change channels, making it easier for you to find the content you’re interested in.

New Sony TVs for 2021

Sony has had quite a year in terms of TV releases, with the biggest being the brand new Sony BRAVIA XR lineup and the Sony Master Series. I tested out one of the Sony BRAVIA XR TVs and it’s safe to say it was the most beautiful TV I’ve ever laid eyes on. Sony has quite a few of the best TVs of the year.

Sony Cognitive Processor XR is new for 2021

The backbone of quite a few of the Sony TVs for 2021 is the Sony Cognitive Processor XR. I wrote about it earlier this year so you can take a look at my article on it for more details. One of the best parts is that it uses an algorithm to enhance and upscale everything you watch. It’s called XR 4K Upscaling, and it takes content that’s not 4K and upscales it so it’s as close to 4K as possible. Sony Cognitive Processor XR can be found on Sony OLEDs, Sony Master Series, and Sony LED TVs. Sony also released a BRAVIA 8K model with the Sony Cognitive Processor XR on board.

If you’re looking for a big-screen TV, Sony has you covered. They’ve got sizes ranging from 43 inches all the way up to 85 inches.

Google TV onboard Sony for 2021

Google TV is one of the best TV operating systems, and it’s being added to quite a few different TVs in 2021. It’s a great operating system because it has a universal appearance, is easy to use, and easy to organize. All of your favourite streamings are pre-loaded and ready for you to sign in, and you can use voice control on some models to search for content just by asking Google a question. It also lets you stream your own content from your phone using AirPlay or Chromecast.

New Samsung TVs for 2021

Out of all of the big brands, it looks like Samsung has been the busiest. They’ve unveiled quite a few new technologies that have really been game-changers in terms of brightness, contrast, and quality. Sizing on the new 2021 Samsung TVs runs from 43 inches up to 85 inches.

Mini-LED and Neo QLEDs 

Samsung unveiled new Mini-LED TVs for 2021. If you’ve never laid eyes on a Mini-LED, you definitely need to see it to believe it. You can read about Mini-LED in Jason’s article, but the quick explanation is that it’s an LED TV with much smaller, miniaturized lights as the backlight. Because the Mini-LEDs are smaller, you can fit more into the display.

Samsung calls their new Mini-LED TVs Neo QLEDs. Using a backlight of Mini-LEDs, light is transmitted through a layer of quantum dots, also known as quantum LEDs. It’s not another light source, but a film or layer that provides the colour for the TV. Neo QLEDs are even smaller than traditional quantum dots, and Samsung can pack them into different dimming zones to enhance brightness, deepen blacks, and provide contrast that’s pretty amazing when you see it in person.

The Samsung processor that runs the show

New for Samsung TVs in 2021 is the Neo Quantum Processor. Like Sony and LG, this processor uses deep learning, called Multi-Intelligence Deep Learning, to analyze a picture, enhance the brightness, and deepen the dark portions. The processor can also assess the room the TV is in, adjusting brightness and deepening contrast depending on what your lighting conditions are.

The Neo Quantum Processor can upscale all of your content too. Even if what you’re watching is not 4K or 8K, the processor will use 16 neural networks to enhance video quality.

Gaming features on 2021 Samsung TVs

Samsung MicroLED

MicroLED is a technology that’s just coming to the mainstream market, and while Samsung did release The Wall, a MicroLED TV that takes up an entire wall and is geared toward businesses who want a flat panel display, there hasn’t been a home release as of yet.

When they do release a MicroLED, you’re in a treat. The technology can’t produce a display that can go as dark as OLED but it’s pretty close, and MicroLED TVs tend to be brighter than OLEDs without the possibility of burn-in. You’ll be able to find it in sizes ranging from 76 inches up to 110 inches.

TCL TVs for 2021

TCL is a TV fan favourite and ranks among the best TVs of the year because of the quality to price ratio. You can get an absolutely spectacular TV for a lot less than what you’d pay for bigger brands.

TCL QLEDs for 2021

TCL has unveiled a few new TVs for 2021, and out of all the most popular are the TCL QLEDs. They are available in 5 Series, 6 Series, and 8 Series TVs. You’ll find them in sizes ranging from 50 inches up to 75 inches.

QLED TVs are absolutely on par with OLED TVs, although they can’t reach the absolute pitch black that an OLED can. The TV is brighter, colours pop, and there are several different settings you can use to tweak your TV and customize it for your room.

The new 8-Series is an 8K TV ranging as is available in 65 inches and 75 inches. It has everything you’d want in a TV including a Mini-LED with QLED backlight, upscaling, 8K resolution, and the Roku operating system.

Roku or Google run on TCL TVs

Roku has long been the standard operating system for TCL TVs, and you can still find Roku on board quite a few of their latest offerings. TCL did change it up a bit this year by also offering the Google TV operating system on the latest 5-Series and 6-Series.

Both are very easy to use, with Google having a central hub that looks more like a computer browser and Roku having all of the apps lined up for easy access.

The best TVs of the year

Now that you’ve taken a look at the rundown of the best TVs of the year for 2021, which one will you choose? With so many great features packed in, you’re going to have to spend a bit of time looking at features and deciding which is for you. Looking for more gift ideas You can find all of the latest TVs for 2021 on Best Buy right now.