RS Recommends: The Best TVs Designed for Bright Rooms (2024)

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Glare is an annoying issue when you’re trying to watch TV. Whether the sun is streaming in from outside, or a bright indoor light reflects on the set, external light can cut into the picture quality and create blind spots on whatever you’re watching. But with the best TVS specifically designed for bright conditions, you’ll be able to see the screen clearly from all angles, lowering the glare in the process.

The best TV sets for bright rooms are a new level of smart, analyzing weak spots in the screen and knowing when to add an extra kick of brightness or when to tone it down, striking the perfect display balance. They’re also great for patios, movie nights, or gaming with multiple people, since everyone gets the same clear view of the screen. Here’s our breakdown of what to consider in a new set.

What Are the Best TVs for Bright Rooms?

From Sony to Samsung, these are the top new TVs for the brightest rooms in your house.

Best QLED: SAMSUNG 55-Inch Class Neo QLED 4K

Best For Gaming: Sony 48 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV A90K

Best OLED: LG C2 Series 55-Inch Class OLED

Best Budget: TCL 75″ Class 5-Series 4K (2022)

1. SAMSUNG 55-Inch Class Neo QLED 4K

This impressively thin Samsung smart set shines with the Crystal 4K Processor, revealing every shot’s inner layers. You can connect up to four HDMI devices, and sound isn’t an afterthought either, with Q-Symphony automatically adjusting to whatever you’re watching.

It’s also got voice assistant compatibility, a multi-view option and the Google Duo app right on your TV, which means you can take those work calls straight from your TV.

Buy SAMSUNG 55-Inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN85B… $1,197.99

2. Sony 48 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV A90K

Sony’s 2022 Bravia XR looks incredible, and can handle the changing light conditions of almost any room. The OLED-powered picture is super bright and wide-angled, thanks to Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR and Triluminous Pro, along with a 120Hz refresh rate. Billions of crisp colors and detailed textures look realistic. This integrates with Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Home, and speakers are built-in behind the screen.

Note: if you want a bigger screen, choose the A95K, available in 55-inch, 65-inch and 83-inch

Buy Sony 48 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV A90K Series $1,198.00

3. LG C2 Series 55-Inch Class OLED

LG’s OLED screen is beaming with brightness. The pixels are each self-lit behind the screen, automatically knowing when to rest on complete black or illuminate dazzling colors. The 55-inch screen is impossibly thin, with 4K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The included remote is simple to use, too.

It even has an Ethernet connection, four HDMI ports and three USB ports, and it’s ready for Dolby Vision and Atmos sound.

Buy LG C2 Series 55-Inch Class OLED evo… $1,296.99

4. TCL 75″ Class 5-Series 4K (2022)

This 4K UHD set still holds its own against the newer OLED and QLED sets when it comes to brightness on a budget. Picture quality manages to balance contrast and colors, displaying a pristine and detailed image. Four HDMI ports let you connect a laptop, hard drive or any other new additions to your home theater.

It’s an excellent option for gaming, with surprisingly powerful speakers, and support for AMD FreeSync.

Buy TCL 75″ Class 5-Series 4K (2022) $699.99

How to Pick the Best TV for Bright Rooms

There’s a lot to consider before buying your next TV. Here are a few of the most important features you’ll want to look at, from the TV’s resolution to its connectivity options.

QLED Vs. OLED Vs LED: Both QLED AND OLED are a step up from the last generation of LED and LCD TVs. QLED uses Quantum dot filters cleverly sandwiched between the existing LED backlighting and LCD layer, with OLED backlighting providing a seriously stunning picture quality. The LED lights in back help illuminate the pixels up front producing their own light. There’s also semiconductor nano-crystals inside for RGB colors that pop, and a palette that stretches up into the billions of hues and tones. Basically, QLED sets are designed to sense where more light is needed, providing the best brightness for any room.

OLED sets are awesome too, but a little different in their makeup. These are manufactured mostly by LG, and each pixel is individually lit, as opposed to Samsung’s QLED where the lighting comes from the back and sides. The difference in performance is that OLED lights are off, or at absolute black, when not in use, and only kick in when needed. They’re also generally thinner in their design, putting the millions of little lights closer to the screen.

Don’t rule out regular LED sets entirely just yet though — if it’s brightness you’re ultimately shooting for in a new screen, they can still provide a powerful picture for their class.

Consider these other attributes too when shopping around for a bright new set:

Resolution: The standard you’ll most likely find when searching is 4K/UHD, or a resolution of around 4096 x 2160 – four times the amount of regular HD. It produces an image quality that’s super-sharp, clean, and bright, and most streaming services and gaming consoles work with it no problem. While 8K, or 7,680 x 4,320 resolution, is starting to creep into the consumer market, they’re still pretty new (and expensive), and it’s going to be a while until they become the standard.

Connection: Wireless connectivity is common on newer sets, but don’t overlook the old-school ports either. Even if you’re not using them now, it’s always good to have an extra HDMI, Optical, Ethernet and USB input for other devices you get down the road, or hooking up older ones via RCA.

Smart Home: Integrating with your existing smart home is easy too. Most of these have voice control options, and sync up with popular hubs like Alexa and Google AI. Just be sure to check it’s compatible with the system you’ve already got set up before purchasing.