With their massive size and awe-inspiring sound, 60-inch smart TVs deliver immersion, suspense and cinematic spectacle in droves. All the world's a stage, as they say - but your living room is home to stage and screen, thanks to the advent of excellent smart TVs.
Streaming content is everywhere, including the occasional recordings of live theatre shows and concerts, plus movies and, of course, television box sets. So, the decision to bring one of the best 60-inch smart TVs into your home will turn your lounge into a venue, bringing high-definition excitement, comedy, and drama with it.
The best 60-inch TVs at a glance:
• The best TV overall: Samsung 65 Inch QN90C 4K Neo QLED HDR Smart TV - View at Amazon
• The best budget smart TV: TCL 65RP630K TV - View at Currys
• The best smart TV for gaming: Hisense VIDAA Smart TV 58A6KTUK - View at Amazon
Okay, you're seriously considering promoting the role of your TV from diminutive understudy to superstar. Bravo, it's a decision well made. But, like all great casting decisions, you must choose your TV wisely and make sure it's a good fit.
As far as size goes, a 50-inch or 40-inch TV can certainly carry the performance, but what we're talking about with the best 60-inch TV is pure stage presence, between 58 and 65 inches. Size and bluster aren't everything, of course; your new television has to be able to project and bring immersion into the room, too.
The best 60-inch smart TVs:
All prices are correct at the time of writing. Prices, stock and deals are subject to change without notice.
The best TV overall
Description
Breaking all preconceptions of what a great television can be, Samsung's QN90C 4K Neo QLED combines the ultimate brightness of QLED technology in all its vividness with the depth, precision and speed of OLED panelling, culminating in one of the most stunningly powerful displays ever made.
With a design that's nothing short of pure elegance and Samsung's buttery-smooth user interface to give it that next-level polish, the Samsung QN90C 4K Neo QLED looks and feels like a television far exceeding its price tag.
And then, there's the display itself, which is unlike anything we've laid our eyes on. Silky, awe-inspiring and filled with dynamic colour - there's nothing quite like sitting comfortably in front of this mammoth display and truly experiencing your favourite films. What's more, gaming at 120Hz - combined with the immersive OTS, is sublime, with controls having an excellent snap precision that has to be experienced first-hand to appreciate.
Pros
- Stunning picture quality
- Gorgeous slim design
- Great refresh rate
- Object Tracking Sound is a nice addition
Cons
- Sound works best with a soundbar
The best budget smart TV
www.currys.co.uk
Description
It's genuinely a very tall order to find a screen this large by a solid manufacturer at this sort of price point. What you're going to get from this fantastic TV under £500 right now, courtesy of the ever-popular TCL, is a 4K smart TV with HDR10.
There's Dolby Audio (but not Dolby Atmos) for all of your cinematic scores and dialogue. Often, the more at the low end of the budget price bracket, the fewer connectivity options you'll find. But here, we have three HDMI ports and an ethernet port if you have issues using wifi.
This is a TV with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility for all of your voice-control needs. The Android operating system is nice and nippy, with the usual access to app stores and plenty of TV settings. Freeview Play for live and catchup TV, plus Dolby Vision for top-of-the-line HDR performance, are the real jewels in this TV's crown.
Pros
- Excellent Dolby Atmos
- Great range of smart TV apps, including Freeview Play
- Great Dolby Vision
- Thin bezel and low profile ideal for wall mounting
Cons
- Build quality expectedly lightweight in places
The best Fire TV
Description
The Amazon Fire TV has a great range of quality models, but our favourite has to be the Omni QLED series. You get all the great perks of a QLED screen while still keeping it affordable, plus you get the perks of it being an Amazon system. That means it pairs very well with other devices, so don't be shy to connect it to a soundbar or an Alexa speaker.
The user interface is especially great, being simple at a glance and easy to navigate. Naturally, an Amazon TV comes with Alexa as a smart assistant, so you can use voice controls to help get around as well.
Pros
- Fantastic UI that's simple to navigate
- Great picture quality
- Pairs great with other devices
Cons
- Disappointing Freeview options
The best Google TV
Description
For a fantastic all-rounder, you can't go wrong with the TCL 65C741K. An amazing 144Hz refresh rate combined with local dimming that provides a sharp image net you a stunning set of visuals, more than enough to satisfy any avid movie or TV show watcher. It's no slouch on the audio sound of things either, with the inclusion of the ever-reliable Dolby Atmos.
Even the TV design is great and practical. The HDMI ports are easy to reach, so you won't be stretching and almost falling over when adjusting them. Thanks to this being a Google TV, you can control it hands-free, so no more frenzied searches for the remote.
Pros
- Superb refresh rate
- Easy to control and navigate
- Ports are easy to reach
Cons
- Remote might not be to everyone's liking
The best smart TV for gaming
Description
Hisense is back with another amazing TV with an equally impressive bag of technical tricks. It's very much on par with the TCL above, spec-wise and as a budget option. But there are some extra goodies inside just for gamers that make this an irresistible 58-inch 4K HDR option.
Yes, it's a smart TV with all of the usual streaming apps and Alexa voice control. And yes, it has DTS Virtual X for clear sound, plus Freeview Play for your favourite broadcast channels. Plus, the addition of HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision makes this a fully loaded TV where a wider, truer colour palette is concerned.
Easily one of our favourite gaming TVs of the year, gamers will love ALLM Game Mode, which reduces input lag for more accurate and reactive game control. You'll be winning in style with this as the centrepiece of your gaming room.
Pros
- HDR10+ support is an unexpected addition at this price point
- Dolby Vision HDR
Cons
- No Dolby Atmos (but not expected at this price point)
The best smart TV for immersion
www.currys.co.uk
Description
Philips has always been at the forefront of creating novel additions to their products, and Ambilight has been one of its success stories.
On paper, this is just a few banks of multi-coloured LEDS built into the back panel of the TV that shine onto the wall behind. In practice, thanks to intelligent colour-matching to whatever is on screen, this can trick your brain into feeling more immersed as you watch.
Spec-wise, this is quite similar to our other offerings here. There's Dolby Atmos sound - a wise addition to any Ambilight TV; all three flavours of HDR (including Dolby Vision) and all behind a 4K LED panel. It's sure to enhance your viewing experience.
Pros
- Amazing Ambilight features
- HDR10+ Dolby Vision HDR
- Dolby Atmos is always a good addition
Cons
- The 60hz refresh rate can be underwhelming
The best TV for colours
Description
If you're tired of TVs with dull pictures, you should consider the Hisense ULED Smart TV. It uses quantum dot technology to enhance the colour display of the screen, making everything look bolder and more precise. This is further assisted by the AI-assisted Hi-View Engine processor, which fine-tunes each frame to deliver the best picture possible.
The 120Hz refresh rate is a great sight as well, making everything look even smoother. It actually has the ability to reach 144Hz, so gamers are bound to love this TV.
Pros
- Excellent Quantum Dot Colour feature
- Great refresh rate for gaming
- Fantastic processor
Cons
- May take a while to get settings to your liking
The best LG TV
Description
For a sleek, modern TV design that will look great in any living room, we suggest the LG UR80. It fits nicely up against a wall, so you don't need to fret over space, and the thin bezels are a nice feature for enhancing immersion. Top it all off with the 4K visuals are you have a pleasant powerhouse.
While it is just an LED screen, and thus not as stunning as OLED or QLED models, the UR80 manages to to push its screen type to great heights. The brightness is comparable to an OLED, so it's worth considering if you have a relatively dark room.
Pros
- Sleek build with thin bezels
- Gorgeous 4K display
- Nice brightness
Cons
- Not OLED or QLED
The best QLED smart TV
Description
This Hisense is an affordable QLED like no other. There's a short explanation of what QLEDs do in our guide at the end of the article, but suffice it to say: you'll be getting picture quality over and above the LED TVs on this list.
Cinephiles will love watching their favourite movies on this Hisense. Contrast levels are excellent, as are the rich, deep blacks. Coupled with the QLED screen is HDR10+ - so you'll have the makings of excellent high-end colour accuracy.
Extra bells and whistles come in the form of Alexa assistant compatibility, the usual smart TV apps, and Dolby Atmos for surround sound. Lastly, the UI is a breeze to navigate. It's our pick for the best QLED TV at this size for all of the above, but also the price - it's a steal.
Pros
- Amazing to find a QLED at this price
- Dolby Atmos is great
- Easy to navigate
Cons
- Viewing angle is a bit limited compared to some other models
The best budget 4K TV
Description
For those wanting to upgrade to a 4K display but don't want to spend too much, we suggest the Samsung CU8500. The screen quality is great for an LED, and the Crystal Processor keeps everything running smoothly. Plus, the base of the TV is really solid, so you won't be worrying about it being knocked over on accident.
The downside of this TV is that, as can be expected of this price range, it's outclassed in terms of audio quality. The Q-Symphony and OTS do help out, but you'll definitely want to pair it with a soundbar.
Pros
- Affordable price, especially for a 4K display
- Q-Symphony pairs nicely with a soundbar
- The stand is reliable and steady
Cons
- Audio quality is underwhelming
Want a higher refresh rate?
Some TVs are born great, but others are greater. The 60-inch TV size bracket is something of an oddity. It's easily bested by the convenience of 55-inch sets and the cinematic grace of a 65-inch TV - if you can fit it into your room.
So, it stands to reason that some of the more modern features sought by sports fans, movie buffs and gamers are missing on TVs of this size. We are, of course, talking about higher and variable refresh rates.
A refresh rate is the number of times, measured in Hertz per second, that the screen will refresh the image displayed. So, a 60hz screen will refresh 60 times a second and 120hz at 120 times a second.
This means that games with high frame rates suffer from much less motion blur, and the same goes for fast sporting action or 4K movies with lots of action. But the clever part here is VRR (Variable Refresh Rate).
This will intelligently monitor your content and adjust the refresh rate depending on what's on-screen - again making for much better, smoother visuals.
Buyer's guide: Choosing the best 60-inch smart TV
Too smart, or not too smart?
That is the real question. Well, all of the TVs in our selection are smart, as most are these days, so there's no need to worry about whether you choose a smart TV. Smart means that your TV can stream video content on-demand from subscription services, often including live TV channels.
You can also pause and rewind live TV in many cases. As for the rest, you can access your favourite films and shows via apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Youtube. Some of these will require you to pay a subscription fee to access the content. If you want to understand what smart TVs are and how they work in more detail, check out our smart TV guide.
If you want to be really smart, you could always grab one of the best VPNs for streaming and get access to the catalogues of other countries, like Japan, the US or Canada.
4K screen resolution - much ado about nothing?
Again, as screens get bigger, technical standards also move forward. You'll be hard-pushed to find that many TVs above 50 inches that aren't 4K. So, each of the products in our list is 4K - that means they'll display images at four times the resolution of a typical Full HD TV.
If you haven't yet witnessed this, you'll be blown away by the extra precision and the detail. No matter what you watch - dramas, soaps, films, sports, or games - they all look incredible in 4K. Most 4K TVs will also use technical wizardry to upscale any content from lower resolutions to 4K too, adding missing detail on the fly. If you're stumped by some of the jargon, we have a guide below.
Thirdly...?
So, you may ask, what else is there to choose exactly? If you've opted for one of the best 60-inch TVs, you'll really want to check the size - even if it fits into your room, you'll need to be sitting a sensible distance from it to avoid eyestrain. And then there's the decision to use one of the best TV wall mounts or to place it on a dedicated stand.
If it's wall-mounted, don't place it too high or low for a comfortable seating position. And if you're buying a stand, make sure it'll take the weight of your 65-inch star attraction.
Best 60-inch smart TVs: Jargon-buster
4K and Ultra HD (UHD)
4K and UHD are two interchangeable terms that more or less refer to the same TV resolution - 3840×2160. This pixel resolution count is four times higher than standard HD screens, with 8.3 million pixels working across the screen. This means clearer, more accurate images. We do have a full guide to resolution, but here's a run-down of the most common resolutions you'll find out in the wild:
HD: 1280×720
Full HD: 1920×1080
Ultra HD/4K: 3840×2160
What are HDR and UHD?
High Dynamic Range, or HDR, has become something of a buzzword in the world of TVs. Simply put, you will have a wider and more vivid colour range than standard content if your content has been produced in HDR. This means over a billion colours are available instead of the roughly 16 million colours that you get without HDR. HDR comes in slightly different flavours, though - with HDR (HDR10), HDR10+, and Dolby Vision being close cousins; each has a slight improvement over the other.
Ultra High Definition, or UHD, is really long-hand for 4K. A 4K picture is roughly four times the size of the last generation of 'HD' screens (commonly made up of 1920 x 1080 pixels).
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
High Dynamic Range smart TVs can reach brighter and darker colours than regular HD TVs. This means the picture on-screen appears more like a real-life image. HDR works to get as much light, crispness, and depth into your picture. Whites are brighter, and blacks are darker. It offers a huge range of over one billion colours. HDR10+ is an extension of this, but the use of extra metadata creates an even more refined picture.
Dolby Vision is Dolby's version of HDR10 and HRD10+ - once again adding a small boost to the colour range.
LED
LED stands for light-emitting diode. These LEDs react when an electrical current passes through them. LED screens use a backlight to provide the image.
OLED
With OLED, the pixels produce their own light, which gives greater accuracy to the image. Make sure you check out our best OLED TVs guide for more information on this fascinating technology.
QLED
QLED is a Samsung invention (although other companies also use QLED panels) that replaces Liquid Crystals (found in LCD) and replaces them with Quantum dots. These offer more vibrant and accurate colours thanks to higher energy output. They are backed by extra brightness levels than OLEDs can muster too. QLED technology does tend to make a TV cheaper than its OLED competitor. Make sure you take a look at our best QLED TVs roundup.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can you record directly from your TV?
The answer to this is probably yes, though it does depend on the make and model of the TV. However, the best 60-inch smart TVs will let you record live TV to a memory stick or hard drive attached via USB. These devices often let you pause and rewind live TV, too. If you're happy using Freeview Plus, these features are redundant. Record shows and movies yourself, and you dictate when things are watched or deleted - not the streaming/on-demand service.
If you want to know more about what you need for recording from a TV, read our guide to TV-ready USB sticks.
What size TV do I need?
So, you're seriously considering getting a very large TV. But, as mentioned earlier, you'll need to factor in your viewing distance before you splash any cash. Here's a ballpark guide to minimum viewing distances for HD or 4K content based on screen size:
40 inches - 80 inches (6.7 feet)
50 inches - 100 inches (8.3 feet)
70 inches- 150 inches (12.5 feet)
What can a smart TV do?
A smart TV connects to the internet via a selection of on-demand catch-up apps, such as BBC iPlayer, All 4, and ITV Hub. The selection of apps pre-loaded or available to download may differ between manufacturers and models, so it's worth double-checking the model you're considering. You can also access subscription services such as Amazon Prime Video or Netflix. Many smart TVs will also have apps for internet services, such as news, weather services, internet browsers, and social media. Music can be streamed too, such as Spotify. Some of the best 55-inch TVs also offer additional features, such as Bluetooth connectivity for wireless audio connections and smartphone and tablet connections.
Is it worth buying a smart TV?
If you're someone who loves to watch TV, then a smart TV is likely to be worth it. The internet connection offers up plentiful access to free and paid-for subscription content via apps whenever you want it.
Chris Duffill is a Tech Product Writer for What's The Best and Yours. His background includes writing, editorial, marketing, design, video production and photography.
He specialises in home entertainment and audiovisual tech, including speakers, amplifiers, turntables, streaming media players, and TVs. He is also one of our resident experts in computing (PCs, tablets, smartphones, smartwatches), DSLR photography and all kinds of digital cameras. He also writes about retro gaming, game consoles and various electronic gadgets. If it plugs in, lights up or makes a noise, he’ll write about it.
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