Our top TV picks to give
Roku Pro Series
If you're looking to spend more on a TV gift, the Roku Pro Series is a great buy. It has excellent picture quality, thanks to full-array local dimming and convenience features like a simple-to-assemble stand. Of course, it offers the simple Roku system that will make your recipient's streaming as pain-free as possible.
TCL QM8K 65" Smart TV
TCL's QM8K is one of the best LED TVs we've seen, with great picture quality courtesy of two main things: excellent local dimming technology, and the vibrant colors of Quantum Dots. This is the TV to buy if you want the best alternative to OLED.
LG OLED C4
OK, let's be honest. Most people who are buying an OLED TV as a gift have only one recipient in mind: themselves. And if that's you, we're not going to judge. The LG C4 OLED is an incredible gift no matter who receives it, with top-notch image quality, excellent features and all the sleek styling you could ask for.
TCL QM6K
The TCL QM6K is a great TV under $1,000 with excellent picture quality, thanks the company's Halo Control System processing. Its Google TV operating system makes it great for streaming and gaming is well catered to as well.
Best budget TVs to give in 2026
Roku Select (2025)
Roku is the most popular smart TV system for a good reason — it's easy to use and it has some of the best free content available on a TV. Of course, being a Roku means that the Select has a bunch of convenience features, including a remote finder and voice search.
Hisense QD7
The secret to the Hisense QD7's bold and punchy picture is its mini LED backlight, which improves contrast in a way I haven't seen in a cheap TV before. With features like an excellent Game mode and Dolby Vision support, this is the best budget TV you can buy your loved ones.
Amazon Fire TV 4-Series (2024)
Though it's just been replaced by a similar, but more expensive model, the 2024 Fire TV 4-Series was second only to the Hisense QD7 in my roundup of budget TVs. With the best sound I tested and decent image quality the outgoing 4-Series is an excellent television in its own right.
Samsung U8000
While the Fire TV 4-Series and Hisense QD7 are better televisions, the U8000 is worth considering if it's cheaper than the others. Picture quality is decent for the money and it had one of the more responsive gaming modes in my budget TV roundup.
Other stuff to know about giving someone a new TV
We're sure you'd be happy with any one of the TVs above, but a new set can be a big investment, so maybe you're looking for a bit more information. Here's a quick and dirty list.
- In our opinion, bigger is better. In general, your money is best spent on large screen sizes rather than a slight upgrade in image quality.
- If you don't like the built-in smart TV system, you can always add a streaming device from Roku, Amazon, Google or Apple. They're generally cheap and easy to use for streaming services -- and they receive updates more frequently than most smart TVs. See our picks of the best streaming device for 2026.
- The sound quality of most built-in speakers is terrible, so it's worthwhile to pair your new set with a sound bar or other speaker system. Good ones start around $100. See our picks for the best soundbar for 2026.
Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.