Best 65-inch TV: Quick Menu
The best 65-inch TVs strike the perfect balance between immersion, size and budget, and have fast become one of the most popular sizes of TV in Australia. Providing plenty of screen real estate to show off your movies and games, yet ‘small’ enough to fit into the majority of Australian homes, a 65-inch TV could be just the thing you need to amplify your home cinema.
They’ve also become so much more more affordable in the last few years, which means you can get some seriously high-quality screen tech for very reasonable prices.
Of course, any list of the best 65-inch TVs will also include some money-no-object sets – some of the best OLED TVs with next-gen tech or best 8K TVs are available at this size – but you might be surprised by how little difference there is between these and the price of the best 55-inch TVs in many cases.
A 65-inch TV is also a perfect size for those planning on hooking up an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. Some of the best gaming TVs, which we’ve included in the list below, let you truly experience the delights of 4K gaming at 120fps in incredible quality at a size the latest cinematic games were made for.
When we test 65-inch TVs, we take objective readings of elements such as their colour accuracy and brightness levels, and combine those with our subjective opinion and experience of how natural the detail is and how realistic their motion processing looks to evaluate the whole image quality. We know what to expect from the best TVs at all kinds of price levels because we’ve tested so many, so we balance performance against cost and features to arrive at the list below.
The quick list
Want to cut to the chase and find out which 65-inch TVs are the best? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices. You can also jump to a more detailed review of every pick and our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.
Best 65-inch TV for most people
The Samsung S90C provides contrast-rich picture, a host of gaming features and makes QD-OLED technology more accessible than it has been before.
Read more below
Best budget 65-inch TV for affordability
The TCL C845 redefines what’s possible from a more affordable TV, taking full advantage of QLED and Mini LED technologies to deliver a scintillating picture.
Read more below
Best OEDL 65-inch TV with great value
One of the best OLED TVs to be released in 2023 and now on the receiving end of big discounts, the 65-inch LG C3 OLED is a surefire winner.
Read more below
Best 65-inch premium OLED TV
High brightness levels, vibrant colours, spectacular contrast and extensive gaming features combine to make an excellent TV, and easily one of the best of 2023 overall. Be prepared to pay that little extra though.
Read more below
Best 65-inch OLED TV for sound
The A80L delivers punchy and immersive built-in TV audio, thanks to a mix of technologies that sets it apart from the rest of the OLED market.
Read more below
Best 65-inch OLED TV for wall-mounting
A sleek, attractive design with a delightfully thin depth, the LG G3 is the ideal TV to go on the wall and even comes with its wall-mount in the box.
Read more below
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Best 65-inch 8K TV
Want the ultimate in image tech? This set’s 4K upscaling ability and overall top-tier quality are impressive, but most 4K TVs offer better value.
Read more below
Best 65-inch gaming QLED TV
Rocking four of the all-important HDMI 2.1 inputs, VRR support and a dedicated game mode, the Samsung QN85C is a great choice for gamers. If your budget can stretch to the QN90C however (and if you can find it) that would be our preferred pick.
Read more below
The best 65-inch TVs of 2023
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Below you’ll find full write-ups for each of the best 65-inch TVs in our list. We’ve tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best 65-inch TV overall
Buy it if:
✅ You want QD-OLED for cheaper: The Samsung S90C gives you access to fantastic QD-OLED tech for cheaper than ever before.
✅ You want a TV that’s built for gaming and movies: Extensive gaming features including 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium combined with a gorgeous QD-OLED picture means the Samsung S90C can do it all.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want the best of QD-OLED: Although still a phenomenal TV, the Samsung S90C doesn’t offer the full QD-OLED experience like the Samsung S95C does.
❌You want Dolby Vision: The Samsung S90C supports HDR10+, but doesn’t support Dolby Vision – the same as every other Samsung TV.
When Samsung introduced its exciting new QD-OLED technology in 2022, it was at a premium price. The S90C is not only an improvement on its predecessor, but a more budget-friendly way into the realm of QD-OLEDs – relatively speaking. It’s still pricey, being an OLED though.
The S90C really shines in terms of its picture quality, with the fantastic contrast and deep blacks you expect from an OLED TV packaged with the kind of brightness that QLED TVs normally provide, giving it a real advantage over some of its competitors – particularly the LG C3 and Sony A80L. In our review we said “this brightness advantage feeds into the S90C’s colors, giving them a purity in the lightest parts of the picture that’s a joy to behold”.
Not just looking to excel in picture quality, the S90C also has a superior sound system to most mid-range OLEDs. With crisp treble and mid-range tones, it does suffer a little on bass, but is still superior to LG’s C3 and G3 models from 2023.
The S90C is also an excellent gaming TV. With HDMI 2.1 support across all four of its ports, VRR, ALLM and support for not only 4K 120Hz but even 144Hz refresh rates, the S90C is packed with gaming features. Coupled with a dedicating Game Bar and Hub for customizing your gaming setup, it really is a gaming paradise. Sadly, the S90C does not support Dolby Vision to get the very best out of the picture for Xbox Series X gamers. However, we feel the S90C’s excellent color and brightness will more than compensate for this for general picture quality as well as for gaming.
The S90C doesn’t deliver the full QD-OLED experience compared to the step up S95C, which offers up to 20% more brightness and a wider color range. But the S90C is significantly cheaper and gives you the best picture in terms of value for money, and with the LG 65C2’s stock dwindling, the S90C is a no-brainer and sits at the top of our list as the best 65-inch TV for most people.
Read our full Samsung S90C review
The best budget 65-inch TV
Buy it if:
✅ You want bang for your buck: Stocked with plenty of features, the TCL C845 is available in an array of sizes, all very competitively priced.
✅ You want good picture quality for less: The C845’s Mini LED picture is astoundingly bright and handles colour and motion with aplomb.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need the best built-in sound: The TCL C845 doesn’t sound bad by any means, but its Onkyo system won’t ever compare to the sound from a soundbar.
❌You need multiple HDMI 2.1 ports: It does have two of them, but some other screens offer 4. If you have multiple next-gen devices, this could prove an issue.
We’ll preface this section by saying we haven’t gotten around to reviewing the TCL C845 here at TechRadar, but our esteemed colleagues at What Hi-Fi? have reviewed the 65-inch version, where it was awarded a full five-stars and even a coveted What H-Fi? Award this year.
How come? Because it’s capable of serving up an image with practically unfathomable levels of brightness, especially for a TV of this size and costing as little as it does. John Archer, reviewing for What Hi-Fi? (and a regular contributor for TechRadar) even noted it could go brighter than other tellies far more expensive than it. It can occasionally slip up during scenes with a mixture of super bright and super dark content, mind you, as the screen technologies on offer do their best to offer consistent levels of both contrast and brightness. It’s not a deal breaker by any stretch, as it’s confined to really niche scenes.
Black levels during regular viewing are excellent, especially when watching native 4K content. And in fact, native 4K content really does let the TCL 65C845 shine at its very best.
It’s built-in Onkyo sound system is also impressive considering the cost, although as is the case with most TVs, we’d always recommend considering a soundbar to really get that home cinema feel.
The best OLED 65-inch TV
Buy it if:
✅ You want a great TV for movies: Serving up ink-deep blacks and rich colours, the C3 OLED is ideal for watching movies. Picture enhancements only serve to let 4K images truly shine.
✅ You want a well-featured gaming TV: With up to 120Hz refresh rate, VRR, ALLM and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, the C3 OLED is a fantastic gaming TV.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want the brightest picture: The C3 OLED isn’t exactly a dim TV, but the fact is there are brighter OLED TVs out there, including LG’s own G3.
❌You want to save money: The C3 OLED is now cheaper than it used to be thanks to consistent discounts, but if you can find the 65-inch version of the B3 OLED, you’ll be getting much of the same quality for les.
Succeeding the excellent LG C2 OLED was never going to be easy, but LG has pulled it out of the bag with the launch of the C3. This is still an exceptionally powerful TV which offers an impressive array of premium features that will suit almost every need imaginable, particularly those with darker rooms who want the ultimate home-viewing experience.
Improvements for the C3 over its predecessor, the LG C2 OLED, include the inclusion of the Alpha a9 Gen 6 processor – the latest version from LG – which further improves HDR performance and dynamic tone mapping. Brightness hasn’t seen much of an upgrade over the C2, but overall definition has certainly been turned up a notch. Audio performance, once again, isn’t much to write home about, although it would be fair to say it can go loud and voices are clear. But if you’re a bit of a bass aficionado, you’ll definitely want to add a soundbar. LG would love for you to add one of its latest Dolby Atmos ‘bars, which can pair with the TV via the company’s new Wow Orchestra feature. This sees the TV speakers continuing to kick out sound, providing backup for the soundbar.
In addition to those improvements, the C3 OLED maintains the four HDMI 2.1 ports that it inherited from the C2 (and the C1 before it), while also offering out-of-the-box FreeSync Premium Pro, G-Sync, ALLM and standard VRR with a generous native refresh rate of 120Hz. Altogether this makes it a great companion for the PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
It’s not a perfect score for the LG C3 however. Brightness isn’t quite on the same level as the new QD-OLED models and LG doesn’t support either the IMAX Enhanced or HDR10+ format.
Still, the LG C3 is still a great TV with plenty to offer those who are looking for a quality OLED TV.
Read the full LG C3 OLED review
The best 65-inch premium OLED TV
Buy it if:
✅ You want one of the best pictures available: The Samsung S95C has stunning colors, spectacular contrast and rich black levels for a near-perfect picture.
✅ You want a TV that looks great: With a beautifully slim design, the S95C looks particularly fantastic when hung on the wall.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want the best value QD-OLED: Although it’s still a well-priced TV, the Samsung S90C offers a lot of what the S95C does for less money.
❌You need the brightest picture: Although bright for an OLED TV, the S95C doesn’t hit the peak brightness levels of a lot of mini-LED TVs.
When it comes to a premium OLED TV, the Samsung S95C ticks all the boxes. It has outstanding picture quality, fantastic gaming support, good built-in audio and a sleek design, all combined to make a superb TV that utilizes QD-OLED technology that Samsung introduced in 2022.
Picture quality is the Samsung S95C’s biggest highlight. Stunning black levels, vivid colors and mind-blowing contrast mean images on the S95C look beautiful. Utilizing QD-OLED technology, the S95C has higher brightness levels than the regular OLEDs. When we measured the S95C’s peak brightness, it yielded a result of 1,400 nits which is much higher than most other OLEDs (with only the LG G3 on this list in the same region) and this adds an extra layer to your movie experience.
Not just for movies, the S95C is an excellent gaming TV. There’s support for up to 144Hz refresh rate, VRR and ALLM across all four HDMI 2.1 ports and there’s a dedicated Game Hub to organize all things gaming into one place, with Xbox cloud gaming compatibility as well. Frustratingly, there’s no Dolby Vision support for movies or gaming, but ultimately the S95C’s picture quality more than makes up for this.
The S95C’s built-in audio is also good, with plenty of power and immersion, especially when packed into the razor-slim TV. With all this, why is it not the best 65-inch TV available? When it comes down to it, the Samsung S90C provides a lot of what the S95C offers at a much lower price. But, the S95C is no doubt the best premium OLED TVs available.
Read our full Samsung S95C review
The best 65-inch OLED TV for sound
Buy it if:
✅ You want phenomenal built-in sound: The Sony A80L’s sound is direct, powerful and follows the action on-screen closely.
✅ You’re a PS5 owner: The A80L may not be the most fully equipped gaming TV, but thanks to its Sony auto HDR feature, HDR tone mapping looks brilliant on PS5 games.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need the brightest OLED: Models such as the LG G3, C3, Samsung S90C and S95C have higher peak brightness than the Sony A80L.
❌You need more than two HDMI 2.1 ports: The Sony A80L only offers two HDMI 2.1 ports compared to TVs such as the LG C3 and Samsung S90C which offer four.
It’s safe to say a lot of TVs nowadays don’t have the most dynamic sound, instead focusing on an improved picture. Also, with TV’s getting slimmer, manufacturers are having to squeeze in speakers into more smaller spaces. Sony is one brand that is striving to make sure its TVs provide excellent quality sound and the Sony A80L is certainly no exception.
Using a technology called ‘Surface Audio+’, the A80L enables sound to travel through the screen to create more direct, powerful audio. It also does an excellent job of processing Dolby Atmos effects to create a more immersive experience. We said in our review that “sound feels connected to the action on screen”, which makes the audio experience more dynamic. The speakers can also be pushed without distorting too much.
Another interesting feature is the ‘Acoustic Center Sync’, which allows a compatible soundbar to be connected to the TV to become the center speakers itself, enabling a bolder, more room-filling sound.
It’s not just a fantastic TV for sound, though, the Sony A80L has a brilliant, refined picture that shows detailed shadows and sharpness. It also has an extremely thin bezel, with invisible speakers and adjustable feet. It also features 4K 120Hz gaming support on two of its HDMI ports.
Now, the sound on the A80L is brilliant for built-in TV speakers, but ultimately a soundbar will add more depth and bass, which the A80L does lack sadly, but as far as TV speakers go, the Sony A80L is the best OLED TV for sound.
Read our full Sony A80L review
The best 65-inch TV for wall-mounting
Buy it if:
✅ You need a TV that looks great on the wall: The G3 comes with a slim fit-wall mount and trim design, making it the ideal TV for your wall.
✅ You want a great all-rounder: A colorful, detailed picture and plenty of gaming features mean the G3 can do everything very well.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need great built-in sound: Although decent, there are rival and even cheaper TVs such as the Samsung S90C and Sony A80L that have superior built-in sound to the G3.
❌You need HDR10+ support: Perhaps not the biggest deal breaker ever, but it should be pointed out the G3 OLED doesn’t support it.
The LG G3 is a beautiful TV, not just in picture quality (thanks to the introduction of micro-lens-array or MLA tech with the OLED panel) but also physically. A slim bezel, trim frame and minute depth means this TV looks gorgeous, particularly on the wall. Thankfully as well, the wall-mount for the G3 is in the box, so you won’t have to buy one of the best TV wall-mounts.
LG’s G3 is not just a physically appealing TV. An extra brightness boost with 1,449 nits of measured peak brightness, which is nearly double that of the LG C3, gives the G3 phenomenal picture quality with vivid color and deep blacks. Another impressive feat is the fact that the picture, despite all this added brightness, looks natural and life-like without being too overblown by the boost in brightness levels from the MLA tech.
The gaming features and performance of the LG G3 are also impressive. With four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 120Hz Dolby Vision gaming, VRR, ALLM as well as Nvidia G-sync and AMD FreeSync, the G3 also looks stunning, even during graphically intense moments. The Game Mode optimizer gives you plenty of settings to tweak to get the best out of video games and even adjusts settings to a game based on its genre with one option within the game menu, and it does a great job while it’s at it.
Although it is a bit of a let down in the audio department, with the Samsung S90C, S95C and Sony A80L all beating it, it’s undeniable just how good a TV the LG G3 is. And yes, although its brightness advantage is marginal, with only a 49 nits difference, the LG G3 is the brightest OLED TV available.
Read the full LG G3 review
The best 65-inch 8K TV
Buy it if:
✅ You want fantastic 8K upscaling: The Samsung QN900C offers incredible 8K upscaling to 4K TV shows and movies, giving even more detail.
✅ You want next level gaming: Featuring an extensive list of gaming features, the QN900C can display PC gaming at 8K if you have the setup for it.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re on a budget: The Samsung QN900C’s biggest downfall is its price, which is significantly higher than a lot of flagship OLEDs and mini-LEDs.
❌You’ll be watching low-res TV as well: While the QN900C’s upscaling is great for 4K, its SD upscaling of daytime TV isn’t anywhere near as good.
8K might seem like overkill, but the Samsung QN900C, Samsung’s flagship 8K Neo-QLED (mini-LED) TV of 2023 keeps the 8K flag flying. The QN900C delivers stunning picture quality, exceptional color and brightness, terrific sound and outstanding blacks, and it does it all in a package that’s beautifully designed too.
Samsung’s ‘Quantum’ Mini-LEDs are 1/40th the size of a regular LED, meaning thousands of smaller LEDs can be packed together in a much tighter fashion. That ensures far more accurate dimming zones, which in turn means black levels that are practically indistinguishable from an OLED.
Along with this outstanding picture quality, the design of the TV is itself is minimal and attractive, meaning even at its minimum 65-inch size, it’ll still look good in your room. It also comes with an external connections box (the One Connect) to keep things even tidier.
So, why isn’t this TV topping our list? All of this comes at a huge premium, and 65-inches is a size where 8K is overkill unless you’re sitting close. While the TV is superb, it carries with it a serious price tag that overshadows even premium OLEDs at larger sizes. While it is a phenomenal TV, it’s only for those with a serious budget.
Read our full Samsung QN900C review
The best gaming QLED 65-inch TV
Buy it if:
✅ You want a more wallet-friend Samsung mini-LED TV: Offering similar performance to the more pricey QN90C, the QN85C is a good value proposition.
✅ You want a superb gaming TV: The QN85C supports 120Hz refresh rate and has a dedicated Gaming Hub with cloud gaming, coupled with a dynamic picture.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a bright TV for daytime viewing: The Samsung QN80C is a brilliant TV, but there are brighter screens to be found, even from more affordable brands
❌You want the simplest smart TV platform: Tizen is always improving, but does still require some tinkering compared to smart TV platforms such as Roku
The Samsung QN85C TV is a mini-LED TV, which is what Samsung calls Neo QLED. It brings a good level of brightness with more refined local dimming than what you’ll get with a standard QLED model that uses a regular LED backlight. It also boasts an impressive all-around video performance that we rated highly during our testing.
Granted, it doesn’t hit the same OLED-like performance heights of the Samsung QN95 series – that’s the flagship series and it’s more expensive. However, it does check off many of the same boxes when it comes to features. Similar to other Samsung TVs, the HDR support here extends to the HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG formats, but not Dolby Vision.
The Samsung QN85C misses out on the anti-glare screen of its pricier QN sibling, so it isn’t the outright best for day time viewing, but if you’re watching with the lights off, the QN85C is a very fine choice. But we think this model is the best 65-inch TV for gaming and is a good choice for both console and cloud-based gaming alike. That’s because it offers up four 4K 120Hz-capable HDMI 2.1 ports for connecting next-gen game consoles. Its Gaming Hub also greatly expands the possibilities for gamers with cloud-based services including Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, Utomik and more.
Not only does this TV perform well, but it’s worth mentioning that it looks great. It has a slim design, thin bezel and a solid hexagonal plate stand, the QN85C has strong visual appeal. There’s also Ambient Mode, a Samsung feature that displays artwork and photos in low-power mode.
Read our full Samsung QN85C TV review
How to choose the best 65-inch TV
Should I buy a 65-inch TV?
We’ve answered this question in a much more detailed guide elsewhere on TechRadar, but the short answer is: yes, if you can afford to.
Basically, a bigger TV is often a better TV and, as mentioned earlier, these large-scale displays typically boast the best specification when it comes to new tech and useful features.
As 65-inch models are becoming increasingly popular, too, they’re also becoming less expensive, and we’d almost always recommend parting with a little bit more money to enjoy the benefits of such an impressive screen size.
Which is the best 4K TV brand?
The question of the best 4K TV brand (for 65-inch models, in particular) is a difficult one to answer when there’s so many great models out there. Displays from the likes of LG, Sony and Samsung regularly make this list, but they’re often joined by equivalent models from brands like Hisense and Panasonic.
A better question might concern what to look for when buying a 65-inch 4K TV, to which we’d say picture quality, app support, other handy bells and whistles like voice control and, of course, price.
Features like HDR support, Dolby Vision and Atmos, OLED panels and the like can be real differentiators, too, when it comes to finding the 65-inch 4K TV with the best viewing experience, though it’s no surprise that the more of these extras a display has, the more expensive it tends to be.
What is 4K resolution?
4K is, essentially, an ultra-high-definition screen resolution. Also called UHD or 4K UHD, the display technology has become the default screen resolution across all of the TVs that you’re likely to see in stores today – as well as many PC monitors, too.
The very best UHD TVs pack over eight million pixels in their high-res displays – that’s four times the amount you’ll find on the Full HD panels in today’s small TVs.
You don’t necessarily need access to 4K entertainment content to enjoy the benefits of 4K resolution, either, since many of the best 4K TVs – i.e. most of the 65-inch displays on this list – boast impressive upscaling technologies that bolster content filmed in HD.
The only displays which sport a sharper picture are the 8K variety – though, being a still-new technology, choice in that department is much more limited and, naturally, 8K models are far more expensive.
How we tested the best 65-inch TVs
Our team selects the best 65-inch TVs based on a few main factors: their overall picture performance including contrast, color saturation and motion handling, as well as their feature set, design and smart TV platform. We’re looking for TVs that are well-built and have the technology to last for the next few years.
Obviously, there is a level of subjectivity that goes into the review process, however, we strive to maintain fairness across brands by testing the same type of content on each screen (HD/SDR, 4K/HDR, games, movies and music) and reporting what we’ve found the experience to be like.
We test the brightness and color range using a colorimeter and Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software. We test each set straight ‘out-of-the-box’ as well as after calibrating the screens ourselves, so that we can tell you what you’ll get if you don’t tweak at all, as well as what the TVs are capable of in the right hands.
Like our readers, our writers’ and editors’ room layouts differ and may cause slight disparities in testing, however, we also test a lot of sets in a dedicated testing room, while also making every attempt to question our assumptions and troubleshoot our issues with performance in every review.
The latest updates to this best 65-inch TVs guide
19 November 2023
Added in ‘Buy it if’ and ‘Don’t buy it if’ boxes for each entry to summarize pros and cons for quick reading
14 November 2023
Replaced Sony A95K with Samsung S95C and re-named category ‘best premium OLED’. Replaced Samsung QN900B with Samsung QN900C as best 8K TV. LG G3 became ‘best TV for wall-mounting’.
3 October 2023
Swapped LG’s C3 for Samsung’s S90C as best OLED TV overall, replaced the TCL QM8 Class with Amazon’s Fire TV Omni QLED as the best budget buy, added Hisense’s U8K in replace of Samsung’s BU8500 and removed Samsung’s S95C for LG’s G3 as brightest OLED.
26 June 2023
Added this new ‘Latest updates’ section to help readers know how we’ve changed the guide recently. Checked all products against our latest reviews.
30 May 2023
Checked list of products against our latest reviews. Added more about how we test TVs to the introduction.
28 April 2023
Reordered products to reflect latest recommendations. Added new easier navigation features.