Apple tvs any good

Apple TV+

All Apple Originals.
Only on Apple TV+.

Watch on the app

• New Apple Originals every month.
• Stream on the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, consoles, or sticks.
• Share Apple TV+ with your family.

Buy an Apple device

3 months free.

Apple TV+ is included for 3 months when you purchase an Apple device and redeem the offer within 90 days. 1

Free 7-day trial

$4.99/mo.

A monthly subscription is just $4.99 per month after a free 7-day trial. Share Apple TV+ with your family. 2

Free 1‑month trial

Apple One

Bundle Apple TV+ with up to five other great services for one low monthly price. And enjoy more for less. Learn more

Watch Apple TV+ anywhere
on the Apple TV app.

Find the Apple TV app on your favorite Apple devices.

Or watch Apple TV+ online at tv.apple.com.

Apple TV

iPhone

AirPlay

See it on your smart TV or streaming device.

Samsung Smart TV

LG Smart TV

Vizio

Amazon Fire Tv

Google TV

PlayStation

In case you
missed anything.

What is Apple TV+?

Apple TV+ is a streaming service featuring Apple Originals — award-winning series, compelling dramas, groundbreaking documentaries, kids’ entertainment, comedies, and more — with new Apple Originals added every month.

How can I watch it?

Watch Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app, which is already on your favorite Apple devices. Just open the app, click or tap Apple TV+, and enjoy the shows and movies. You can also watch Apple TV+ on streaming platforms, popular smart TVs, and AirPlay-enabled TVs with the Apple TV app — or watch online at tv.apple.com.

What does it cost?

That all depends on which offer you choose. (1) If you buy an Apple device, Apple TV+ is included free for 3 months. 1 (2) A monthly subscription is just $4.99 per month after a free seven-day trial. 2 (3) Apple TV+ is included in Apple One, which bundles up to five other Apple services into a single monthly subscription. Apple One plans start at $14.95 per month. (4) The Apple Music Student Plan comes with a free subscription to Apple TV+. 3

Can I share with my family?

Of course. Apple TV+ lets you share your subscription with up to five family members.

Are there commercials? And can I watch on demand?

Apple TV+ is always commercial-free. Some shows release all episodes at once. Other shows add new episodes every Friday. You can then watch them on demand anytime, anywhere.

Do I need an Apple TV 4K?

No, you don’t. While Apple TV 4K — with 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos sound — is the ultimate way to experience Apple TV+, the original shows and movies on Apple TV+ are always available on the Apple TV app on your favorite devices.

Can I download to watch offline?

Absolutely. Download your favorite Apple Originals to your Apple device and watch them anywhere, anytime without a Wi-Fi connection.

Apple One

Bundle Apple TV+
with

up to five other great services.
And enjoy more for less.

The Apple Music Student
Plan comes with
Apple TV+ for free. 3

Apple TV 4K

A higher
definition of TV.

AirPlay

Bring Apple TV+ to
a screen near you.

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Best TVs for Apple TV 2021

Best TVs for Apple TV iMore 2021

While the best Apple TV is the Apple TV 4K, it’s no good to you unless you have one of the best TVs to connect it to. The Apple TV 4K can hook up to just about any modern TV you can name, but some TVs rise above the rest in terms of quality through a standard HDMI cable. Here are the best TVs for Apple TV.

Top pick : The LG CX OLED

The LG CX OLED is pretty much the best TV you can buy in terms of value and performance. Thanks to its OLED display, it has perfect blacks and a very wide color gamut, allowing for incredible 4K visuals and excellent viewing angles. This set supports HDR 10+, has four HDMI ports, three USB ports, and a sleek, modern design. It comes in 48, 55, 65, and 77-inch models.

Budget pick : TCL 6-Series QLED

TCL’s top-of-the-line 6-Series has a display that belies its price tag, with excellent color in beautiful 4K, with Roku’s smart platform built right in. The minimal, nearly bezel-less design helps you focus on nothing but the picture, and you’ll have an excellent experience with this TV through a variety of uses, including low-lag gaming, extra bright sports, and great contrast and blacks for movie watching. Available in 50, 55, 65, or 75-inch models.

Best LED TV : Samsung Q90 Series

Samsung’s «Neo QLED» TV is the best TV outside of OLED TVs. Quantum dot LEDs have much less chance of image burn-in and can produce better blacks and more colors than your typical LED display. This TV shows you everything Samsung is known for, from outstanding color and well-balanced contrast to deep blacks and little motion blur, all in glorious 4K, with HDR10+ support. Available in 50, 55, 65, 75, and 85-inch.

Great for gaming : Sony X900H

If you like gaming — whether on Apple TV or console — the Sony X900H is perfect. Its gaming mode offers really low-latency input, which makes playing games a breeze. Plus, the 4K HDR display will make all your content looks absolutely beautiful and can reach a 120Hz refresh rate, meaning your picture will be super smooth for everything you watch.

Great for the wall : The Frame from Samsung

The Frame was designed to be hung up on the wall like a piece of art, and regardless of what size you get, its 4K QLED display is brilliant for watching movies and gaming alike. It also supports AirPlay 2, can download the Apple TV app, and is even Alexa-compatible if you’re into that sort of thing. Available in 43, 50, 55, and 65-inch.

Apple HomeKit compatible : VIZIO P-Series Quantum

With HDR 10, Dolby Vizion, AirPlay 2, and HomeKit compatibility, the VIZIO M-Series Quantum is a perfect TV to complement your Apple TV 4K. Plus, it even has Chromecast built-in making it super easy to stream your content from your other devices right on to the biggest screen in your home!

Get the screen that works for you

The best TVs for Apple TV are going to let you enjoy all your favorite content, including all the Apple TV+ shows, the way they were meant to be seen.

Shopping for a TV can be tricky, especially since what may seem like an awesome deal (according to the salesperson) can often be a dud. If you want the best all-around TV you can buy right now, buy the LG CX OLED, which offers the best in OLED panels today. It’s going to give you a viewing experience like none other. You’ll be in awe of the contrast and picture performance.

Secondly, if you want to ensure you have one of the best TVs for years to come, the Sony Z8H is expensive but mighty. While the Apple TV can’t support 8K resolution right now, there’s no doubt that 8K content is the future of home entertainment. You can get an amazing TV for right now and for the future if you splurge on the Sony Z8H.

Lastly, we would be remiss not to mention the TCL 6-Series QLED because it performs so well for its price point. If you have a really discerning eye, you may find that the picture is slightly less good compared to some of the top-end TVs. However, if most people aren’t going to notice too much of a difference — it’s that good.

Your Apple TV paired with any of the TVs above is bound to give you a wonderful entertainment experience and last you for years to come!

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

How to get the Apple Watch classic buckle look for less

While the Apple Watch Classic Buckle band is beautiful to look at and a truly timeless accessory that matches almost any outfit and occasion, the price can seem a little steep for some.

Make sure you have all the ports you need for your Mac with a USB-C hub

The current MacBook Pro sports at least two, and up to four Thunderbolt 3 ports, but that’s all. What to do if you need more ports? Get a hub!

Get the most out of your Apple Pencil with these cases, grips, and more

The Apple Pencil (1st Gen) is a fabulous drawing tool for iPad users, but it gets lost very easily. Here are some accessories that’ll keep your Pencil safe and secure.

Luke Filipowicz

Luke is a senior writer at iMore and often describes himself as an «Apple user on a budget.» When he isn’t playing video games (Apple Arcade included), he’s typically playing disc golf, taking photos, or fiddling with his favorite tech. Follow him at @LukeFilipowicz on Twitter.

Mick Symons

Mick is a staff writer who’s as frugal as they come, so he always does extensive research (much to the exhaustion of his wife) before making a purchase. If it’s not worth the price, Mick ain’t buying.

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The Best TVs for 2022

If you want a new television, you now have more options than ever, including HD, 4K, and smart TV sets. No matter your budget or the size of screen you want, here’s what to look for when shopping, along with the best TVs we’ve tested.

Our 10 Top Picks

Cutting-Edge LCD Technology

Hisense 75U9DG

Best OLED Screen

LG OLED55C1PUB

Best Contrast

Samsung 50-Inch Class QN90A Neo QLED TV

Brightest OLED Panel

Sony Master Series XR-55A90J

High-End Performance for a Midrange Price

Hisense 55U8G

Best Google TV Value

TCL 55-Inch 6-Series 4K Google TV 55R646

Best Affordable Alternative to Hisense

TCL 55-Inch 6-Series 4K Roku TV (55R635)

Best Affordable OLED TV

Vizio OLED55-H1

Best Picture for the Price

Hisense 55U7G

Best for 8K Early Adopters

TCL 65-Inch 6-Series 8K Roku TV (65R648)

The TV market has been changing a lot recently, both in terms of technology and price. New types of screens with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels and ultra-high definition (UHD, or 4K) is replacing the 1080p standard we’ve become used to. But which one should you buy? Here are the main points to consider when shopping for a new set, as well as the best TVs we’ve tested.

The Best 4K TVs

The TV resolution question used to be between the options of 720p (1,280 by 720 resolution, or just under one million pixels) and 1080p (1,920 by 1,080, or just over two million pixels). Then it moved on to 1080p versus Ultra HD, or 4K (3,840 by 2,160, with eight million pixels). Now it’s no longer a question: 4K has become the standard for medium-sized and larger televisions from every major manufacturer.

The higher resolution no longer commands a huge premium, and you can now find a 65-inch 4K TV for under $1,000. Realistically, you’d be hard-pressed to find a TV from a major brand larger than 40 inches that isn’t 4K. In fact, every TV on this list is 4K.

Nearly all 4K TVs have connected features that let you stream 4K content. The Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV platforms have enabled many TV brands to add smart TV functions without developing their own systems like LG and Samsung do. These platforms are full of features and offer access to most major streaming services, along with features like voice assistants, local media streaming, and a variety of apps. If you can’t find the apps or services you want on your TV, you can connect a separate 4K media streamer to an HDMI 2.0 port.

The Best TV Deals This Week*

*Deals are selected by our partner, TechBargains

Most recently, support for Apple AirPlay 2 is being added to several new TVs (as well as older models) from LG, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio. This lets you use your iPhone or iPad to stream content from iTunes to the TV. Apple is also releasing the Apple TV app with its Apple TV+ service on many smart TV platforms. This means you can watch Apple video content on nearly any TV without needing an Apple TV 4K, which was previously necessary.

4K content is now freely available on many streaming services and on Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, even if it hasn’t been adopted by broadcast or cable TV services yet. If you have a very fast internet connection, you can watch some excellent shows on Amazon and Netflix in 4K (and most new original programming on the services is being produced at that resolution). New films are also coming out digitally in 4K through various on-demand streaming services like Vudu.

Ultra HD Blu-ray discs are a relatively new physical media format similar to Blu-ray discs. Don’t expect to play them on your current Blu-ray player, though; you need a dedicated Ultra HD Blu-ray player, a Microsoft Xbox Series X, or a Sony PlayStation 5 to handle the format. The good news is that it stores 4K video with HDR (explained below), and even can handle advanced surround sound audio if your speaker system supports it. Since it’s a physical media format, you don’t need to worry about your internet connection to be sure you’re getting 4K, either.

Should I Wait for 8K?

That’s it. Don’t worry about 8K for now. You might have heard about it, and the new HDMI 2.1 standard is designed to support it. 8K is 7,680 by 4,320 resolution, or four times the number of pixels of 4K. 8K TVs are currently available as premium models for significantly more money than their 4K equivalents (including OLED TVs, which are already pricier), but they aren’t going to be meaningful for consumers for a few more years, and there’s little reason to consider buying one yet.

There’s no consumer-ready 8K media available, and no major studios or distributors have even talked about releasing 8K movies or shows so far. There aren’t even physical or streaming media standards that let 8K video be commercially released. Even if you can find an 8K TV, at best you’ll be able to watch upconverted 4K video on it. So for the time being, don’t worry about 8K suddenly replacing 4K. It won’t happen anytime soon.

High Dynamic Range (HDR)

While 4K is now established as a no-brainer, there’s a new next-step video technology to consider when shopping for a TV. High dynamic range (HDR) content gives much more information to the display than a standard video signal. The resolution remains the same as UHD, but the range of color and amount of light each pixel can produce is significantly broader.

Thanks to improving LCD and OLED panel technology, high-end televisions can display wider color gamuts and finer gradients of light and dark than before. Standard video was built around the limitations of older televisions, intentionally using a set range of color and light information in the signal. HDR breaks those limitations and uses expanded ranges with finer values between them. Basically, this means HDR displays can produce more colors and more shades of gray (or, rather, luminance values) than standard dynamic range displays.

HDR is still a developing technology, and it’s easy to be confused by it. There are two major HDR standards out there with commercially available content: HDR10 and Dolby Vision. HDR10 is an open platform that uses 10-bit color values. The UHD Alliance certifies televisions that meet the HDR10 standard, along with minimum brightness and contrast ratios, as UltraHD Premium. Dolby Vision is a closed standard used by Dolby, which supports 12-bit color and determines ranges in the signal it provides to a display on the fly, based on the display itself and the needs of the scene. Televisions that support Dolby Vision will note so on their packaging.

Some other HDR standards and variants are also out there, but they’ve yet to see the broad acceptance in TVs that HDR10 and Dolby Vision have. Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) is a standard developed by the BBC and Japanese broadcaster NHK, which is backward compatible with standard dynamic range TVs. Meanwhile, Samsung and Amazon Video are working on HDR10+, which is said to add variable metadata to brightness, changing the range of bright and dark that video can display from scene to scene.

HDR content is generally rarer than SDR UHD content, but it’s still widely available, especially for new shows and films on major streaming services. Ultra HD Blu-rays, along with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and other streaming apps, all support HDR in HDR10 and/or Dolby Vision. Whether one standard is better than the other is difficult to determine at this point; HDR10 uses more concrete values and is easier to technically evaluate, but Dolby Vision is designed to specifically fit the needs and limits of whatever television you use. No matter which you use, HDR-capable televisions can produce a better picture than TVs that don’t support the wider color gamuts or increased range of luminance information.

Shopping for TV Sales

New TVs don’t usually hit shelves until spring or summer, so you’re looking at a solid three or four months where you know what new TVs are coming out. If you can find deep discounts for the previous year’s models in January, and you know they’re good performers based on our reviews, you should go for them.

Keep an eye out for sales around big sports events like the Super Bowl, or when football season is just starting. You might be able to find price cuts of a few hundred dollars or more. Like all sales, pay attention to which models are on sale; different tiers and series of TVs can have wildly different performance.

Huge price slashes on Black Friday often promote budget or midrange televisions with seemingly big discounts, but their pictures might not be nearly as good as higher-end models. Check the model numbers against the reviews for a good sense of whether the discount you see is worthwhile.

Are Cheap TVs Worth the Price?

Budget-priced TVs can be very appealing, especially if you haven’t yet made the jump to 4K and are daunted by $1,000-plus price tags. Be careful when you see a great deal on a TV, though, even if it says 4K HDR. It could be a steal, or it could be a disappointment.

Performance among budget TVs varies wildly, and trends toward the mediocre. You’ll find a few very good deals, like the TCL 6-series that manages to combine excellent picture quality with a low price. You’ll also find a sea of cheap TVs that don’t measure up.

Don’t count on big names to be reliably high-quality in their budget lines, either. While companies like LG, Samsung, and Sony can make some incredible flagship TVs, their inexpensive models generally aren’t any better than baseline models from more budget-centric brands like Element, Hisense, and TCL—and they’re usually a bit more expensive. As always, our reviews (and the picture quality tests we perform) can help you find a screen that doesn’t trade quality for price.

For the top budget-friendly models we’ve tested, head over to our story on the The Best Cheap TVs.

What’s the Difference Between OLED and LED?

Plasma TVs were the only flat-panel models available when they were first introduced more than a decade ago. They’re now a dead category, and you won’t see a major television manufacturer offering a new plasma television any time soon. That means your choices will mostly consist of LED-backlit LCD TVs (also simply called LED TVs), as well as much less common, much more expensive OLED displays.

First, a note: LCD and LED TVs have been generally considered separate, despite both using LCD panels. LCD panels themselves aren’t lit, so they need to be illuminated. LED TVs simply backlight the LCDs with LEDs, while LCD TVs use CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamps) for backlighting. CCFL-backlit designs have fallen by the wayside, and nearly every LCD television out there right now is lit by LEDs.

There are further differences in the various designs. LED TVs can be either edge-lit or backlit. Edge-lit TVs light up their screens with arrays of LEDs along the edges of the panels, allowing the set to be thin and light. Backlit TVs use a large array of LEDs directly behind the panel, making the screen a little thicker, but allowing it to more evenly illuminate the panel and, for high-end screens, adjust individual LEDs to enhance black levels in scenes. Very good edge-lighting systems can produce excellent pictures, though, and TV manufacturers are making backlit LED arrays smaller and thinner, so the distinction means less than it used to. No matter the technology, an LED TV’s thinness and brightness will be roughly proportional to its price range.

OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays are a rare and very expensive technology for TVs, and despite their name are drastically different from LED-backlit televisions. In fact, they’re closer to plasma screens in how they work. Each diode generates both color and light, like in plasma screens, but they can be much smaller and thinner than even LED-lit panels, and can produce some of the best black levels possible. Currently, LG and Sony are the only television manufacturers that offer OLED models, and they remain pricey, though Vizio has recently entered the fray with some relatively affordable models (though the biggest, most expensive OLED TVs can cost as much as $15,000).

What Screen Size Should You Get?

A big TV that’s too close can be just as uncomfortable to watch as a small one that’s too far away, so don’t assume that the biggest screen available is the best choice. There are a few different rules of thumb regarding TV screen size based on your distance from it.

Generally, the distance of your couch to your TV should be between 1.2 and 1.6 times the diagonal measurement of your screen. So if your couch is six feet away from your screen, you can comfortably watch a TV between 42 and 60 inches. If your couch is five feet away, a 37- to 52-inch screen should work well.

TV Refresh Rate and Contrast Ratio

One of the biggest problems with narrowing your choices to a single TV is the sheer number of specs. To make your job a little easier, two of the biggies, refresh rate and contrast ratio, are safe to ignore.

Refresh (or response) rate, the speed at which your TV’s panel refreshes its image, is expressed in hertz (60Hz, 120Hz, 240Hz, 480Hz, or 600Hz). The theory is that a faster refresh rate results in a smoother image. But in reality, there are several reasons this simply isn’t true, and it’s not worth paying more for a set with a faster response rate. In many cases, 60Hz will do just fine for films and 120Hz will be plenty for video games and sports (though you should probably turn off those higher refresh rate modes when watching most shows and movies, or else you’ll get that jarring soap opera effect). Also, numbers above 120Hz tend not to indicate a panel’s native refresh rate; they’re usually numbers produced through various backlight flickering and other image processing tricks, so keep that in mind.

Contrast ratio, meanwhile, is the difference between the darkest black and the brightest white a panel can display. In theory, the highest contrast ratio possible is desirable since dark blacks and bright whites contribute to a high-quality picture. There isn’t really a standardized way for manufacturers to measure this spec, though, and vendors are vying to come up with the highest ratios, so their TVs can seem more appealing. Ignore any claims of contrast ratios in the millions or infinity; with the exception of OLEDs (which are the only TVs we’ve tested to actually produce an «infinite» contrast ratio with a perfect 0 black level), the best TVs tend to have just five-digit contrast ratios. We measure contrast ratios with a consistent process across all TVs, so you can trust our numbers.

Smart TV Apps and Services

Almost all TVs now offer web apps and built-in Wi-Fi. These features let you connect your television to the internet and access online services like Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV, and YouTube. Many also integrate social network services like Facebook and Twitter, and many manufacturers offer entire downloadable app ecosystems with other programs and games you can use on your TV. Some manufacturers like LG and Samsung develop their own connected platforms for their smart TVs, while others like Hisense, Insignia, Sony, and TCL use third-party systems like Amazon Fire TV, Android TV/Google TV, and Roku TV to give their TVs apps and online services.

These apps are also available in most Blu-ray players, all major video game systems, and even on inexpensive media streaming devices, so they’re not vital. But a friendly interface and the services you want to use available directly on your TV adds some convenience, and doesn’t require you to buy any additional devices.

Getting the Right Connections

Your ideal TV should provide enough video connections not only for now, but for the foreseeable future as well. The most important input is HDMI, which supports all major forms of digital video sources including Blu-ray players, game consoles, set-top boxes, cameras, camcorders, phones, tablets, and PCs through a single cable. Most TVs have three or four HDMI ports, but some might only have two. It’s the best way to send 1080p video from your devices to your screen with one cable, and will be the main way you connect your main sources of entertainment to your TV. If you want a 4K screen, make sure at least one of the HDMI ports is HDMI 2.0. It’s the latest standard that supports 4K video at 60 frames per second; older HDMI ports can only handle 4K up to 30 frames per second, at best.

As for cables, unless you have a huge home theater system and plan to run cables between devices at distances longer than 25 feet (and that’s being generous), brands and prices don’t matter. We’ve compared the performance of high-end cables and inexpensive ones, and found that they all carry digital signals similarly. More expensive cables might have a better build quality, but you won’t see any performance advantages from them. Don’t shop for HDMI cables at retail stores, and ignore and clerks who warn you of «dirty electricity» or «viruses» that can come with cheap cables (both claims I’ve witnessed). Hop online and find the least expensive cable at the size you need and snap it up.

How to Calibrate Your TV

Most modern TVs are accurate enough out of the box that they don’t need calibration. Just follow our 5 Simple Tweaks to Get the Best Picture Settings for Your TV and you’ll be good to go.

Still, if you spent a lot on your new TV, you still might want to get it calibrated to really get the best picture possible. Professional calibrations can cost hundreds of dollars, but if you have a high-end home theater it can be a worthwhile expense. You can also use the Apple TV’s Color Balance feature, though it doesn’t come close to a professional calibration.

And, of course, don’t forget to turn off motion smoothing (the effect that makes everything look like a soap opera) unless you’re watching sports.

Adding a Sound System

TVs have built-in speakers that function well enough in the sense that you can understand dialogue, but beyond that they’re typically pretty underwhelming. With few exceptions, you can improve your movie and gaming experience greatly by getting an add-on speaker system, like a soundbar or a dedicated multi-channel home theater system.

If space is at a premium or your budget is limited, a soundbar is your best bet. Soundbars are long, thin, self-contained speakers that sit under or over your TV. Small and simple to set up, they’re less expensive than multi-speaker systems. Soundbars generally don’t separate the channels enough to accurately place sound effects, but they’ve become quite good at producing a large sound field around you. Here are some of our favorite soundbars.

The Best Outdoor TVs

As a rule, TVs aren’t rugged and you shouldn’t use them outside. They aren’t built to handle extreme temperatures or any significant amount of moisture or dirt. If you want a TV to put on your porch or deck, you need a specialized one designed for that location.

Companies like SunBriteTV make rugged TVs that can function in a much wider range of temperatures than most consumer TVs, and are protected against the elements. They’re built to be left out in the rain and snow, with a heavy chassis and shielded connection bays. That extra protection will cost you, though; most rugged TVs cost at least twice as much as comparable indoor TVs. Our Editors’ Choice, the SunBriteTV Veranda Series SB-V-43-4KHDR-BL, costs $1,499 for the 43-inch model we tested.

For more buying advice, see our story on what TV model numbers and SKUs actually mean.

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