The Best Smart TVs in Canada

Sizes available: 42″, 48″, 55″, 65″, 77″, 83″

LG has taken significant steps with their flagship 4K TV with the LG C2 OLED, and as a result can boast they have the top 4K TV for 2022. The LG C2 OLED offers superb visual performance for whatever you use it for.

OLED, or Organic Light-Emitting Diode, feature emissive pixels that produce their own light and function independently from other pixels – allowing for near-infinite colour contrast with over a billion shades and hues of colour – as well as some of the darkest blacks seen in televisions. Additionally, OLED televisions produce wider viewing angles than other TV types – so watching TV or movies with others is a rich visual experience for everyone. LG was a pioneer with type of pixel, and our 2020 list included the LG 4K Smart OLED as our top pick. We were happy to see LG continue the 4K dominance with the LG C2 OLED.

So, speaking of the OLED screen of this television – the picture is why we named this TV the best in its class for 4K televisions. Impressive HDR combined with the aforementioned OLEDs allow for nearly -infinite contrasts, so this TV offers colour, and lots of it. Brightness is strong, but not as strong as the other “blowing-the-competition-out-of-water” aspects of the picture. Viewing angles are overall good wherever you sit, minus some reduction in colour saturation at farther angles.

One of the new improvements of the C2 is the new Alpha 19 Gen 5 AI processor, which gives this computer the power to optimize picture and sound of any type. The Dynamic Tone Mapping Pro feature analyzes up to 5,000 blocks on the screen on the fly to optimize each frame. The processor of this television also does wonders in the audio department, upscaling and mixing the sound to 7.1.2 surround sound.

The LG C2 proves an ideal television for whatever you want – whether you are a movie-lover, sports fan, or gamer. For the latter, the C2 includes four HDMI 2.1 ports, you can connect any next-gen console from XBOX and Playstation to this TV.

You can wall-mount this TV using a VESA 300×200 mount, or use the included stand, but the latter is wobbly and ultimately not ideal. The back of this television includes cable management clips that will not stop the TV from sitting flush against the wall.

The smart system of this TV is not as unanimously received as some of the other components. The webOS system has some fans and some detractors – While it seems fast, you need to sign into an LG account and do everything through LG’s OS. Still, with separate user accounts, customized recommendations, and countless of available streaming services, we have yet to see an egregious complaint about the OS. Overall, users are very impressed by this television. It is on the expensive side, but it is worth it.

For those looking for the optimal viewing experience for years to come, the Samsung QN900A is a powerhouse of an 8K QLED TV, offering pristine clarity, gorgeous colour and immersive sound. While this TV is only available at top-dollar, if you have the money for a top-dollar TV, buy this one.

While many are getting comfortable to the idea of 4K televisions, 8K may seem newer, more exciting and better – but it isn’t there yet. While 4K content is starting to become more accessible, 8K content is not there in 2022, as none of the major streaming services offer content natively in 8K. Going after an 8K TV might be a costlier investment right now, but also means you are futureproofing your television experience, ready to enjoy 8K when available.

The Samsung QN900A, being a QLED TV, means you get amazing picture quality and a strong colour contrast, but lack the strength of local dimming or the perfect blacks of an OLED model. The Quantum Mini LED’s that make up the QN900B’s screen are tiny – 1/40^th the thickness of a regular LED – and offers excellent precision in picture quality. The Quantum matrix technology within the screen of this TV produces stunning arrays of over a billion colours, with Quantum HDR that allows for some of the very best colour range and contrast available. This TV also is very bright, able to fight off glare easily. The “Ultra-Viewing angle” layer of the screen works to improve the scope of optimal viewing angles.

Of course, with any smart TV, we need to talk about the brains behind it. The Natural Quantum Processor 8K use several neural networks for a powerful AI that is the brains behind the smart features of this TV including a comprehensive Smart Hub, improved sound and 8K upscaling. These features, respectively:

• Samsung’s SmartHub helps you find shows and the including Gaming Hub lets you to access your consoles and cloud games.
• The two features most notable for their boost to this Smart TV’s sound are SpaceFit Sound and Object Tracking Sound+. The former auto-optimizes sound options to fit the space the TV is in, while the latter tracks movement of the image and uses AI to match the audio, allowing for an immersive audio-visual experience.
• Having a strong upscaling engine will be essential until native 8K content is easily available outside of YouTube and Vimeo.

Speaking of gaming, this television’s performance is top notch. It’s got all the basic requirements for modern gaming: low input lag, fast response time, and not one but two HDMI 2.1 ports for console gaming. FreeSync and G-SYNC are naturally supported.

More and more TVs are trying to fit your space perfectly, and while the QN900B is only available in larger sizes, we like that this TV can be deceptively understated. The QN900B features a bezel so thin you would think it’s not there. The TV is wall-mountable with a VERA 400×300 mount, or on the included stand, which impressively takes up little space while providing sturdy support. An attachable component called the Slim One Connect lets you organize your cables neatly, improving the look of your space.

Overall, this TV is one of the more impressive TVs on this list. This means that this TV is expensive, several times more expensive than other TVs. Considering how new and novel an 8K TV is, this makes sense, but unfortunately we are likely a few years away from 8K content being more common.

Every other feature of this television is strong, and will perform alongside other top-rated TV’s until that day comes where Netflix or Amazon Prime offer that elusive 8K.

Sizes: 43″, 50″, 55″, 65″, 75″, 85″, 98″

They are only a letter apart, but the tech that separates OLED and QLED televisions is quite different. For some, the QLED will be the way to go. If you are looking for an awesome QLED TV, the Samsung QN90A is an excellent choice.

QLED technology, or short for Quantum light-emitting diode, is a technology that Samsung has led the charge on, which adds a quantum dot layer to your typical LED television. This quantum dot filter enhances the contrast and the colour, boosting image quality over non-quantum dot LCD TVs. Combine this with HDR10+ dynamic tone mapping, and the QN90A has an impressive gamut of colours that extenuates your content-watching or gaming experience.

QLED televisions like the Samsung QN90A certainly offer strong colour and contrast, but the viewing experience of the QN90A offers other benefits that make it one of our top QLED picks. The ultra-viewing angle allows a whole room to get great views, no matter where you are sitting in your living room. Anti-reflection minimizes annoying glare that can ruin a TV experience at certain times of the day. Motion Xcelerator Turbo+ feature minimizes blur, and provides additional clarity of motion, making it a great choice for gamers and sports fans alike. Talking about gaming, the QN90A offers many features that improve gaming experience, including Ultrawide gaming views (with ratios of 21:9 and 32:9) and an easily accessible game bar that allows you to change game settings on the fly. Additionally, the QN90A offers support for both variable refresh rate, and one HDMI 2.1 port, for gamers. These features combine to make the QN90A a great television to enjoy both console and PC gaming, viewing live sports of your favourite team, and watching the hottest shows and movies on your favourite streaming service or on the included, subscription-free Samsung TV Plus app.

A Neo Quantum 4K Processor is the brains within this powerful TV. Like many of the best processors on the market today, the QN90A’s processor utilizes deep-learning AI to process the signal and source of the content, upscaling where necessary to provide optimized experience.

The sound of this TV is noteworthy too, with as couple of included features to help you get the most out of your content’s audio. The first one is Object Tracking Sound+ that delivers directional, dynamic sound, tracking the direction of objects onscreen. The second notable feature is SpaceFit Sound. which optimizes your TV’s sound to the room it is in. The third, and perhaps would be my favourite, is the Active Voice Amplifier – which analyzes the signal and uses its AI to amplify dialogue specifically. With so much attention to sound, getting cinema quality audio with the Samsung QN90A is easy.

TV’s have been getting thinner and thinner, and the QN90A is extremely thin, able to sit flush to the wall when wall-mounted, with a max thickness of just a hair over 1-inch (2.7 cm). Some users reported the stand for this television not being super stable, so we suggest this TV is better suited for wall-mounting. The super thin bezel emphasises the screen without drawing attention to the bezel itself.

Overall, users have found this a great TV. Users complimented the QN90A’s next level brightness with impressive HDR picture. The sound is another quality users complimented, finding the sound immersive and room filling. Whether gaming though console or with a high-end video card for 4K PC gaming, gamers reported excellent experiences while using this TV for their favourite titles. However, there are some definite detractions about this television. Firstly, and this is a big one: there are unavoidable ads on the menus. Many users complained about this, and I completely understand why. After spending a decent chunk of cash on a premium television, it is almost offensive to be force-fed ads that you have no control over on that very same TV. Too bad many other companies are doing the same. While it might not be enough to dissuade an otherwise interested shopper, I personally might just look elsewhere.

Boasting impressive 4K Gaming is one thing but being truly optimized for gaming is whole other ballpark. The LG C11 OLED is the one TV we think stands above the others in gaming performance specifically.

First off: Picture quality. Of course, any gaming TV in 2022 is going to be 4K, so what makes this TV so good for gaming? First off, the LG C1 is an OLED TV, gaining significant advantage over non-OLED TVs in terms of contrast, capable of abyssal blacks and bright explosions of colour, simultaneously, with no blooming. This makes the TV perfect for turning of the lights and getting lost in the 4K picture. Another thing we like is the exceptionally wide viewing angles this TV has.

The α9 Gen4 AI Processor provides the smarts of this smart TV. The processor utilizes deep learning algorithms to optimize picture and sound automatically, resulting in both native and upscaled 4K content looking gorgeous.

Additionally, there are plenty of bonus features that improve the viewing and gaming experiences – Dolby Vision IQ analyses factors including genre of the content and the sound of the content and adjusts image settings on the fly, while Dolby Atmos delivers multi-dimensional surround sound. One mode we find very cool is “Filmmaker mode,” which turns off motion-smoothing features, preserves original aspect ratios , colours, and frame rate. The result is exactly as the filmmaker intended.

Let’s get deeper into the video game aspect, since we named this the best 4K smart TV for gaming, after all. First off, this TV has the basics needed for high-end gaming in 2022: low input lag, fast response time of 1ms, Variable Refresh Rate, easily capable of 4k at 120 hz. Each of the four HDMI ports included on the television are HDMI 2.1 ports, making it a perfect companion with the PS5 and Xbox Series X.The Game Optimizer panel offers a place for all your video game settings, including both G-SYNC and FreeSync settings. Additionally, the LG C1 supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, HGiG and HLG, but note that there’s no support for HDR10+. The results of these features are “fast moving content in higher resolution and smooth, synchronized graphics”

We dived into the tech quite thoroughly, but a Television is not JUST what’s under the hood. A great TV fits your home well. For starters, the screen of the C1 comes in five different sizes – ranging from 48-inches to 83-inches, letting you pick the size of TV that fits your home. The super-thin design means your TV will only draw attention to itself when its on. The thinness of this TV is uneven however, and so a wall mounted TV will sit close to the wall, but not completely flat. Talking about wall mounts, this TV can be mounted with a VESA 300×200 wall mount, or can sit on the included TV stand, which dependably sits the television. A slot in the back makes

Overall, users were huge fans of the impressive picture and gaming attributes of this TV. Users, putting it mildly, were blown away on average. Granted, this TV is on more of the expensive side of things, but you could’ve probably expected that for what this TV offers. The colour, the clarity, the sound, the gaming options were all raved about. In fact, we found little that users commonly critiqued this television for. Users did recommend getting help installing this heavy television set. Some reviewers noted that this TV might be lacking in the brightness required to overpower sun or glare, but otherwise, we cannot say anything bad about this television set. It’s a monster and performs as such for whatever purposes you need.

Size: 19”, 24”, 32”, 40”, 43”

If you are looking for a cheap TV with none of the bells and whistles, the Insignia N10 Series is a good place to start. A basic model with no smart tech anywhere, this is a great TV for kids or those who have very basic requirements for a TV.

We’ll be honest, the picture quality of the N10 Series is highly outdated. Maxing out at full 1080p HD is not impressive at all in 2022. The Refresh rate is only 60Hz. There is not High Dynamic Range features, because of course not. It’s an unfortunate fact, but there really is not a “dumb TV” on the market that keeps up with the specs of Smart TVs at the current moment. The limitations on screen size (maxing out at “mid-sized”) also are unfortunate.

The back panel offers inputs for what most used need – 3 HDMI ports is a decent amount to connect a console, a Fire TV or Roku stick, and still have an extra port. Granted, none of these are HDMI 2.1 ports, but we think you are probably starting to see the picture here. Other inputs include a USB port, an RF Antenna Input, a headphone aux jack, and a composite video input.

So, what might make you swing for such TV? Well, there are a handful of times where a simpler TV is better. You can throw on a TV show for your kids unsupervised without worrying about them stumbling on content they shouldn’t watch. It’s also very inexpensive, across the entire series. You also don’t need to worry about privacy in your home due to this TV. That’s definitely a worthwhile factor for some users.

Overall, for what this TV offers, users seem impressed.  While behind the other televisions on this list in picture quality and colour, this is still high-definition TV by definition, so watching movies and gaming can still look good with the Insignia N10 series

Sizes: 55″, 65″

The Hisense U6GR is a great 4K LED TV that is both pretty and budget-friendly.

In terms of picture quality, the Hisense U6GR offers 4K HD resolution, combined with Dolby Vision HDR, and full-array Local Dimming Zones, for strong picture quality across films and games. The QLED quantum-dot improves the range of the colours and shades to numbers rivaling amounts offered by high-end OLED and QLED televisions. Combined with exceptional peak brightness – more than enough to fight glare – this TV offers strong picture quality. What puts it below the more expensive OLED and QLED televisions is primarily movement blurring – with a longer input lag than the more expensive televisions, movement can blur more than premium televisions.  Additionally, the Automatic Brightness Limiter feature, designed to dim large bright areas on the screen might be something to consider for sports fans, as testers reported the ice of a hockey rink might be dimmed automatically. Sports fans, take note.

At the brain of the television is a quad-core processor managing the necessary algorithms for generating the wide spectrum of shades and colours. However, this TV does struggle with upscaling 480p signals, and the response time of this TV can lead to motion blur behind faster objects. The Roku OS proves to a great operating system, offering many apps with loads of free content, as well as all the classic streaming services.

Despite some motion blurring, the Hisense U6GR is still an alright choice for gaming, with VRR support, and input lag levels that are acceptable for gaming. Unfortunately, there is no HDMI 2.1 support, so you cannot get the most out of your next gen console with this TV.

The cable-management system consists of clips on the back, which is able to organize all your cables in a neat manner. The U6GR is wall-mountable with a VESA 300×200 mount, but due to the cable management system will not sit flush against the wall – but will sit flat against the wall without the cable management system. In case you are not planning on mounting the TV on a wall, Users commented that the stand, consisting of two plastic feet, have some front-to-back wobble.

Overall, users find this TV offers excellent value with the price. Is it limited? For sure. But when this TV can be significantly cheaper than others, complaining about a lack of HDMI 2.1 or lack of Bluetooth is silly since you are saving money by excluding these features. Don’t like this TV’s feature set? Look elsewhere. However, since this TV offers strong picture quality for movies and gaming, at an inexpensive price, we think that lacking certain features is not a dealbreaker.

Sizes: 55″, 65″, 75″

The TCL 6-series is the TV series that keeps on giving. Utilizing mini-LED technology – a technology found on higher-end TV’s – in a mid-range TV is an awesome way to get the most out of your money when shopping for your next TV. For the money, you will get a lot of value of the TCL 6 Series Roku TV.

The 6-series is a wide product line for TCL, consisting of a wide range of sizes and either Google or Roku smart TV systems. Due to its wide range of apps and its interface, we prefer the Roku version, but the Google OS is still a good choice.

This television includes a QLED screen with TCL’s mini-LED backlight display technology, which combines for expansive expressive colour and striking contrasts between light and dark. Combined with excellent 4K resolution, this TV looks so good – almost too good to be true! This TV includes the impressive HDR due to Dolby Vision, and impressively immersive sound via Dolby Atmos. Where this TV’s impressive performance falters is limited brightness, which might be susceptible to glare, and admittedly poor motion handling. Still, comparably limited brightness and poor motion handling do throw a slight hindrance in the performance of this TV, but the value is there.

There are a handful of features added to improve the gaming experience with the TCL Roku 6 Series.The Series 6 includes “Game Studio Plus,” a suite of gaming features to improve the gaming experience. These features include Variable Response Rate, a feature called Auto-Game Mode that turns off unneeded video processing elements to prioritize those needed for gaming, as well as THX Certified Game Mode for 1440p/120HZ gaming. However, this television offers no HDMI 2.1 ports among the 4 HDMI ports on this TV, and cannot push 4K image quality at 120 fps. As a result, we would stop short of recommending this TV for gaming if that’s your primary concern – this TV is best suited for 4K streaming. This TV might not be as good for gaming or sports viewing than a more expensive TV, and that is okay considering the savings you will get with this choice.

On the back side of this TV are all the ports you might need, including four HDMI ports, a USB port, a coaxial connection (for cable or antenna use) and an AV input, among some other connections.

This TV runs on AiPQ engine which enables the HDR, 4k upscaling and smart contrast features. With a smart TV system provided by Roku, there is a huge selection of apps available on this TV, and our preferred interface on the TV too, although the Google OS will have most of your favourite streaming services too.

Even as a cheaper TV, the TCL Series 6 does not look outdated or cheap. The TCL 6-Series is thin, with 2.8 inches at its thickest point, and a bezel that is less than half an inch (0.9cm) wide. The 6-series can be wall mounted with a VESA 300×300 wall mount, or the wide TV stand that is included. The integrated cable management system helps to de-clutter your space, keeping your wires organized and separate.

Overall, users who purchased this TV find the value it offers incredible. The picture, the price, and the overall loaded featureset are all hits among owners of this TV. Users complimented the ease of the operating system, too, which is a plus in our eyes. Some users with negative experiences found the long-term longevity of this TV, which is unfortunate when combined with only one-year of warranty protection. However, the vast majority of users raved about the quality of the TV only.

Sizes: 43”, 49”, 50”, 55”, 65”, 75”

TCL’s 4-Series was our choice for this category two years ago and this line is still holding up as a top value pick on a Smart TV, with the three smaller sizes coming in at just under or around the $500 mark. Equipped with 4k Ultra HD and HDR10 dynamic range, the Series 4 maintains the picture quality modern smart TVs are renowned for, while available for a fraction of the price.

With a strong contrast ratio (despite its lack of local dimming) the TCL 4 Series is a solid television for watching TV or movies in a dark room. While low-input lag at 4k resolution means the 4 Series is no slouch for gaming either, it has no VRR support and a slow response time, the latter of which may result in motion blur.

The 4 Series is available with three different operating systems: Roku TV, Google TV, and Android TV. By our comparison, each size of TV is priced with the same MSRP as others with the same size but different OS. We can recommend springing for Google or Android, depending on what might fit your home ecosystem, but if you do not have a preference, you cannot go wrong with Roku.

At such a cheap price tag, the 4 Series proves you can have the modern convenience of a Smart TV at any budget. Overall, users enjoy this TV, but the price is definitely its biggest selling point – what this TV includes at this price range is more important that what it does not.

Sizes: 55″, 65″

While the OLED TV’s we have included above will show your favourite team in all their glory, something that is cheaper that still offers excellent picture quality is the Hisense U8G. This powerful LED TV offers great picture and sound. While it is not Hisense’s most up-to-date model, this television can be had for a great budget price.

LED pixel TVs are lagging behind what is currently possible in the TV aspect, but most of the time, users want a good TV that is affordable, not the best TV. Despite the LED display, the Hisense U8G offers impressive picture quality, with a strong contrast ration and high-peak brightness. The depth of some of the black shades are not as deep as OLED televisions, but this might not be the biggest deal in the world unless tracking the puck on the ice is difficult for your eyesight. The picture is especially smooth – with very few motion artifacts – but those were really only seen in game mode – so sports and movie watching should be unaffected. Glare is not much of an issue since this television has a high peak brightness and strong reflection handling. Unfortunately, for the best viewing angles for a viewing party, this TV does come up a little short – the optimal viewing angles are directly in front of the screen.

The technological aspects of this TV are up to par, but ultimately don’t surpass the heights other TV have. The interface for this GTV is Android, which offers a large number of apps including most of the mainstream streaming services. The back of the TV supports lots of formats and connectivity, with two HDMI 2.1 inputs, you can enjoy 4k @ 120 hz with a variable refresh rate.  Albeit, gaming has more artifacts than other modes of this TV.

There are a number of nice features that can make this TV fit cleanly into your room. It is thin and light enough to be wall-mounted, but also has a sturdy base that can protect the TV from falls. Clips in the back help to organize your cables.

The Hisense U8G is a TV that’s nearing the end of its lifespan on store shelves and can be had for cheap. If you like the feature set of the U8G, yet cannot find this TV (or find a good deal on it), then look into 2022’s Hisense U8H QLED TV, which is the successor of the U8G. Overall, you can generally save money with a older TV model, but don’t just settle