Category - Entertainment
I Pored Over the Latest Home Theater Essentials. The Best TVs and Projectors of 2025 Are in a League of Their Own
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TVs and projectors have never been better. They’ve also never been harder to shop for. OLED, QD-OLED, mini-LED, ultra short-throw…the terminology piles up fast and changes quickly. Five years ago, a great TV just had to be big and bright. Now there’s more nuance—richer darks, brighter highlights, and a level of clarity that makes decade-old screens look washed. Projectors sit inches from the surface and throw razor-sharp images. Picture quality has reached a level that's justifiably making movie chains nervous.
But you’ve got to find a set that actually deserves your money. So we tested this year’s most promising models—from $500 budget sets to flagships with price tags that rival a trip to the impossibly blue lagoon they’re showing you to demo their HDR—for Men's Journal's 2025 Tech Awards.
Whether you want to revamp your home office with the hottest new desktop computers, laptops, and accessories; upgrade your everyday essentials with new earbuds or headphones; or want to elevate your home with the latest speakers, sleep tech, and smart home gadgets, we have the vetted picks and expert insight to guide you.
Best TVs and Projectors at a Glance
- Best TV Overall: Sony A95L QD-OLED
- Best Budget TV: Hisense U8N ULED TV
- Best Projector Overall: Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800
- Best Streaming Hub: Roku Ultra (2024)
- Best WiFi Signal Booster: TP-Link Deco BE63
Best TV Overall: Sony A95L QD-OLED
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Why I Chose It
A great TV should have it all—deep contrast, rich colors, smooth motion, and enough brightness to handle any room. Sony A95L QD-OLED checks every box. It takes OLED’s perfect blacks and boosts brightness and color in a way that helps it stand out from regular OLEDs. Instead of using color filters that dim the screen, A95L starts with pure blue OLED light and converts some of it into red and green using microscopic quantum dots. That means brighter highlights and richer colors, without losing the deep blacks OLED is known for.
With HDR brightness peaking at over 2,000 nits, explosions and sunsets have real cinematic punch. Shadows hold detail instead of turning into a murky mess, and colors pop without looking overdone. Motion stays sharp without introducing any weird smoothing effects.
We tested the 55-inch model, and the picture quality lived up to expectations. Bright highlights, deep blacks, and rich colors made everything from movies to sports look stunning. Sony also takes a different approach to sound by using actuators behind the screen to vibrate the panel, making dialogue and effects feel like they’re coming from the action rather than a separate speaker. It’s a clever design that adds to the immersion, though a dedicated sound system or soundbar will offer more depth. The A95L also supports every major HDR format, so no matter what you're watching, you’re getting the best version of it.
It is indeed a pricey set. But if you want the best picture OLED can offer right now, the A95L makes a strong case. Just don’t place eyes on one unless you’re ready to get out your wallet.
Best Budget TV: Hisense U8N ULED TV
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Why I Chose It
Budget TVs tend to have budget compromises like weak contrast, motion blur, and backlighting that can’t keep up. But Hisense’s U8N fights back with tech usually reserved for pricier sets. Its mini-LED backlighting hits peak brightness around 3,000 nits in HDR highlights (thats really bright, in nerd speak), and the 144Hz refresh rate keeps motion fluid—features you’d expect from TVs that cost twice as much.
Available in sizes up to 100 inches, we tested the 55-inch model to see if the specs live up to the hype. A Lakers home game looked sharp enough to spot whether LeBron’s foot was actually behind the three-point line. Dark scenes in The Last of Us held onto their shadow detail instead of dissolving into gray mush. Fast-moving action stayed clean, and even standard HD content on YouTube TV looked sharper than expected, with none of the artificial edge enhancement budget sets use to fake detail.
Viewing angles aren’t the best, but from dead center, the picture rivals sets costing hundreds more. A little calibration pays off big time. Spend a half-hour tweaking settings, and the U8N delivers a plot twist. Sometimes, the best budget TV isn’t from the usual suspects.
Best TV for Gaming: TCL QM8 QLED
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Why I Chose It
A gaming TV needs three things: smooth motion, quick response, and HDR that pops. TCL’s QM8 checks all three boxes with a 144Hz refresh rate, over 5,000 mini-LED dimming zones, and gaming-focused features like variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode.
The 65-inch model (also available in 75", 85", and a massive 98") brings serious firepower for the price. Those dimming zones mean deeper blacks and brighter highlights. The anti-glare screen fights reflections, so you don’t need blackout curtains for HDR to shine. And while it won’t match OLED’s inky blacks, its peak brightness means that explosions in HDR games like Cyberpunk 2077 feel like they’re meant to—blindingly bright, not washed out.
While Sony and Samsung push past $2,000 for top gaming TVs, QM8 makes a simple point: Maybe the best gaming screen is the one that leaves room in your budget for games.
Best Art TV: Samsung The Frame
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Why I Chose It
Most TVs are just sad black rectangles when Netflix isn’t rolling. The Frame fixes that with a clever trick. Its matte screen displays art that actually looks like art, not like a TV pretending to be art. While TCL and Hisense offer cheaper copycats, The Frame still wins with better glare control and a box that hides your cables, eliminating the wire fettuccini.
The 2024 model (available in dimensions from 32" to 85") mounts flush to your wall and swaps bezels with snap-on magnetic frames, a step up from the plastic trim competitors use. Five bucks a month gets you access to fresh works from Art Basel, museum collections, and curated artists—so your guests can sip wine and act like they recognize the painting you’ve got posted up.
Later this year, The Frame Pro will add mini-LED backlighting for better contrast and ditch all cables except power. For now, the regular Frame proves that the best TV might be the one that’s working even when it’s off.
Best OLED for Most People: LG G4 OLED evo
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Why I Chose It
OLED TVs are known for perfect blacks and infinite contrast, but older models struggled with brightness, making them a tough sell for well-lit rooms. LG’s G4 OLED evo fixes that, offering significantly better peak brightness than previous OLEDs while maintaining the inky blacks that make the tech special.
The 65-inch model tested delivered the kind of picture quality that makes you want to rewatch old favorites just to see what you’ve been missing. Dune: Part One looked absurdly cinematic, with deep shadows that held onto detail and desert landscapes that felt textured rather than washed out. Colors are vibrant without looking artificial, and LG’s motion processing avoids the common pitfalls of cheaper OLEDs—fast movement looks smooth, but not unnatural.
The G4 costs a little less than Sony’s A95L, and while it doesn’t quite match the A95L’s processing or color purity, it has a key advantage: brightness. That makes it a better pick for sunlit rooms, sports, and daytime TV. We tested it in a window-filled room, and the new anti-glare coating handled reflections impressively, keeping the image crisp from every angle. For those who want the pinnacle of contrast and sharpness at a slightly lower price, the G4 is a stellar choice.
Best Projector Overall: Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800
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Why I Chose It
Most projectors need a dark room and a 10-foot runway to shine. Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800 skips the hassle. This ultra short-throw (UST) laser projector sits just inches from the wall, throwing a massive 100- to 150-inch image without ceiling mounts, tangled wires, or a complicated setup.
With 4,000 lumens of brightness, it shrugs off ambient light better than almost any UST projector at this price. Watching a daytime NFL game doesn’t feel like peering through a fogged-up window, and the 3LCD tech means no “rainbow effect”—the distracting color streaks that plague some DLP projectors. Colors look accurate straight out of the box. You won’t spend hours in its menus.
Gamers aren’t left out, either. A dedicated HDMI 2.1 port supports 1080p at 120Hz, keeping lag low and motion smooth. The built-in Yamaha 2.1-channel speakers are fine for casual viewing, though if you’re buying a projector that rivals a movie theater’s like this, you probably have other speaker options in mind.
At $3,499, it’s not cheap. But if you want a massive screen without turning your living room into a cave, the LS800 is one of the best UST projectors available. Even better: you don’t need an engineering degree to set it up.
Best Portable Projector: Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser
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Why I Chose It
Projectors are supposed to be fun, not frustrating. During our test of the Nebula Capsule 3 Laser, it actually delivered. At 6.7 inches tall (about the size of a tallboy of Miller Lite) it’s small enough to toss in a backpack, but packs full 1080p resolution and 300 ANSI lumens of brightness, enough to turn a dark wall into a solid movie screen.
It’s easy to use. We pointed it at a wall and watched it focus itself, square the image automatically, and start streaming through Google TV. No endless menu navigation. The built-in battery can handle movies up to two and a half hours, and the speaker’s not half bad for something this tiny.
Yes, $799 is pricey for a portable, and 300 lumens won’t replace your TV. But with dead-simple setup and actual portability, the Capsule 3 solves a real problem: sometimes you just want to project a movie without turning it into a whole thing.
Best Streaming Hub: Roku Ultra (2024)
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Why I Chose It
Remember when TVs just worked? Roku Ultra brings back that simplicity. This $99 box handles everything a modern streamer needs: quick app launches, all major formats (4K, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Atmos), and a clean interface that keeps ads to a minimum.
The remote is genuinely useful: backlit buttons for night viewing, a headphone jack for private listening (still missing on Apple TV), and a find-my-remote feature. Voice search helps find shows across services without hassle.
While cheaper streaming options exist, Ultra nails the basics: no auto-playing trailers, minimal algorithmic suggestions. Just your streaming services, hot to go.
Best WiFi Signal Booster: TP-Link Deco BE63
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Great home theater in 2025 means having great Wi-Fi. If your 4K streams keep buffering or your HDR movies look less than pixel perfect, your internet might be the weak link. TP-Link Deco BE63 is built to fix that, giving your entire house Wi-Fi 7 speeds. The whole idea here is to not have to think about routers...for years.
Deco BE63 supports up to 10Gbps speeds and has four 2.5GbE ports for wired connections meaning you can plug in a streaming box or gaming rig, and get rock-solid stability. A dedicated 6GHz band cuts congestion, even if you've got family members Zooming and your gamers gaming. Setup is close to plug and play.
The BE63 isn't cheap, but it undercuts the cost of some current flagship mesh systems. If you’re sick of slowdowns and want to kill that buffering wheel, BE63 might just be your ticket.
What to Look for in the Best TVs and Projectors
Don’t just focus on specs. The best display isn’t necessarily the biggest or the most expensive, it’s the one that actually fits the way you watch. Here’s what matters:
Picture Quality: Contrast, Color, and Brightness
A great TV delivers deep blacks, accurate colors, and enough brightness to master real-world conditions. OLED and QD-OLED sets are great with contrast, making dark scenes look rich and detailed instead of washed out. Mini-LED models can’t match OLED’s perfect blacks, but get significantly brighter, a big advantage in sunlit rooms.
With projectors, brightness is key. High lumens help, but contrast and color accuracy matter just as much. A projector that only works in total darkness isn’t useful. The best ones balance all three.
HDR Performance
HDR should make highlights shine and shadows look natural. Not all TVs handle it well, though. A set that’s too dim won’t reveal much HDR impact. Brightness levels of 1,000 nits or higher make a difference.
Motion and Gaming Performance
Fast motion should look smooth. A 120Hz refresh rate helps, but response time and motion handling determine whether sports and action scenes look realistic.
For gaming, low input lag is key. Features like variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode reduce lag. Do your own research: not all gaming modes work as advertised.
Brittany Smith
Viewing Angles and Glare
Not all rooms have ideal viewing angles. OLED and QD-OLED panels hold color accuracy at wide angles, while many LED models lose contrast when viewed from the side. Glare matters, too. A high-end TV that reflects every lamp in the room might drive you crazy.
Ease of Use
A sluggish interface makes any TV feel outdated. Roku, Google TV, and Apple TV tend to be the fastest and most intuitive. Built-in platforms from the manufacturers tend to feel cluttered with ads and recommendations. But you can circumvent them with a streaming hub.
Audio Quality
Most TVs have terrible built-in speakers with weak bass, tinny dialogue, and no real depth. Some higher-end models use the screen itself as a speaker, which helps. For projectors, built-in sound is usually an afterthought—plan for external speakers.
Why You Should Trust Me
With over a decade of experience reviewing TVs and projectors, I’ve seen plenty of impressive specs fall apart when it comes to real-world use. I test gear the way you actually use it: in real rooms, with lights on and off, checking brightness, contrast, motion, and more. My work prioritizes real performance over marketing spin.
