The Digit Zero1 Awards recognizes and awards the best performing products of the year.
Products are evaluated on basis of objective and scientific test processes.
These are the winners for the Best 4K HDR TV for 2021.
A few years ago, if you were in the market to pick up a QLED TV, your choices were limited to brands you could count on your fingers. In 2021 we’ve seen the launch of QLED TVs from a large number of brands like Samsung, TCL, Xiaomi, Hisense and many more launching a number of TVs under their QLED umbrella. Samsung has launched its New QLED TVs that have mini LED backlighting in addition to the Quantum dot layer. Another brand that launched its mini LED-backlit QLED TV was TCL. We saw the launch of an affordable QLED TV with local dimming from Hisense and Xiaomi went with a ‘size is better’ option, offering consumers local dimming on a 75-inch QLED TV. Needless to say, consumers are spoiled for choice when it comes to picking an LED TV. One of the biggest advantages of a QLED TV over an OLED TV is that QLED TVs can get a lot brighter than OLED TVs, making them a good option for content consumption in a well-lit room. In addition to this, QLED TVs with local dimming support can achieve very good black levels, giving OLED TVs a run for their money. The cherry on the cake is that QLED TVs don't have the threat of permanent burn-in, something that still plagues OLED TVs.
If you are in the market to pick up a QLED TV then you need not look beyond what we have here today.
2020 Zero1 Award Winner
Samsung QN90A (BUY HERE)
The Samsung QN90A is one of the brightness QLED TVs we’ve tested; achieving peak brightness slightly below 2000 nits. Content consumption on this TV is sublime in both a well-lit room and a dark environment for a cinematic experience. The peak brightness of this TV not only makes HDR content stand out but also makes SDR content enjoyable. Under the hood, the TV has Samsung’s Neo Quantum Processor 4K. It also has an Intelligent Mode that changes the picture preset to best suit the content being played. Those looking for colour accurate content also have access to a Filmmaker Mode on the TV. The TV supports HDR 10 and 10+ but does not support Dolby Vision. The lack of Dolby Vision support is in no way a deterrent to the overall performance of the TV. The TV also supports HDMI 2.1, bringing with it support for 4K at 120Hz. It also has a UI enhanced for gamers when connecting a console to the TV. For audio, the TV has a 4.2.2 channel setup with 60W of sound output. The TV can produce clear, loud room-filling sound. It runs on the company’s own Tizen UI, which is easy to navigate and comes with support for smart assistants including Alexa, Bixby and Google Assistant. The Samsung SmartThings app makes controlling the TV a breeze with your smartphone.
Runner up
TCL C825 (BUY HERE)
The TCL C825 is a fantastic TV for content consumption. It can get very bright, delivering a very good HDR experience while retaining good details in dark areas. We measured a peak brightness slightly above 1000 nits making the TCL C825 a great option for content consumption in a well-lit room. It has very good colour reproduction for SDR content as well. While the colours aren’t as accurate as of the Samsung QN90A, they do a very good job when it comes to real-world content consumption. The TV has a very good sound output. The speakers are mastered by Onkyo. The speakers are front-facing, giving good sound output and the TV also has a subwoofer at the back. It also comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports with support for 4K at 120Hz, VRR and ALLM, making it a great TV for those looking to play games on a PS5 or Xbox Series X on this TV. The only place where the TV falters is with inconsistencies and bugs in the UI. But if you invest in a device like a Fire TV Cube or Apple TV, then you can expect an immersive experience when consuming content on this TV.
Best Buy
Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 75 (BUY HERE)
The Mi QLED TV 75 offers users a large screen QLED panel with local dimming for the same price, and in some cases, cheaper than popular 65-inch LED and OLED TVs. It has a good panel for watching movies and TV shows, great Dolby Vision and SDR performance. It also has a simple and easy to use UI. Xiaomi’s PatchWall UI puts content before the streaming service giving you a fluid and easy to use experience. The TV also comes with far-field mics for hands-free controls. While the speakers are loud and clear, for such a large screen TV, they lack channel separation. The TV is great for 4K 60Hz gaming but does not have native 4K 120Hz support nor VRR, which is disappointing. It however does support ALLM for console gamers to take advantage of. Overall, if it's a large screen experience you want, you should definitely consider this TV.
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Sameer Mitha
Sameer Mitha lives for gaming and technology is his muse. When he isn’t busy playing with gadgets or video games he delves into the world of fantasy novels. View Full Profile
