Category: Business

• It's a real mess at OpenAI, as more concerns over its commitment to safety come to light.
• The ChatGPT-maker has faced backlash over transparency issues, NDA use, and a tussle with Scarlett Johansson. 
• Its CEO Sam Altman isn't looking too good, either, as he takes on a new job: damage control.

OpenAI's rough week has turned into a rough month — and it's not looking like a problem that the company's golden boy CEO, Sam Altman, can easily solve.

In the latest development of the OpenAI-is-a-disaster saga, a group of current and former OpenAI employees has gone public with concerns over the company's financial motivations and commitment to responsible AI. In a New York Times report published Tuesday, they described a culture of false promises around safety.

"The world isn't ready, and we aren't ready," Daniel Kokotajlo, a former OpenAI researcher, wrote in an email announcing his resignation, according to the Times report. "I'm concerned we are rushing forward regardless and rationalizing our actions."

Also on Tuesday, the whistleblowers, along with other AI insiders, published an open letter demanding change in the industry. The group calls for AI companies to commit to a culture of open criticism and to promise not to retaliate against those who come forward with concerns.

While the letter isn't specifically addressed to OpenAI, it's a pretty clear subtweet and another damaging development for a company that has taken more than enough hits in the last couple of weeks.

In a statement to Business Insider, an OpenAI spokesperson reiterated the company's commitment to safety, highlighting an "anonymous integrity hotline" for employees to voice their concerns and the company's safety and security committee.

"We're proud of our track record providing the most capable and safest AI systems and believe in our scientific approach to addressing risk," they said over email. "We agree that rigorous debate is crucial given the significance of this technology and we'll continue to engage with governments, civil society and other communities around the world."

Safety second (or third)

A common theme of the complaints is that, at OpenAI, safety isn't first — growth and profits are.

In 2019, the company went from a nonprofit dedicated to safe technology to a "capped profit" organization worth $86 billion. And now Altman is considering making it a regular old for-profit vehicle of capitalism.

This put safety lower on the priority list, according to former board members and employees.

"Based on our experience, we believe that self-governance cannot reliably withstand the pressure of profit incentives," former board members Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley wrote in an Economist op-ed last month that called for external oversight of AI companies. Toner and McCauley voted for Altman's ouster last year. (In a responding op-ed, current OpenAI board members Bret Taylor and Larry Summers defended Altman and the company's safety standards.)

Those profit incentives have put growth front and center, some insiders say, with OpenAI racing against other artificial intelligence companies to build more advanced forms of the technology — and releasing those products before some people think they are ready for the spotlight.

According to an interview Toner gave last week, Altman routinely lied and withheld information from the board, including that about safety proccesses. The board wasn't even aware of ChatGPT's release in November 2023 — and found out it went live on Twitter, she said. (The company did not explicitly deny this but, in a statement, said it was "disappointed that Ms. Toner continues to revisit these issues.")

The former researcher Kokotajlo told the Times that Microsoft began testing Bing with an unreleased version of GPT, a move that OpenAI's safety board had not approved. (Microsoft denied this happened, according to The New York Times.)

The concerns mirror those of the recently departed Jan Leike, who led the company's superalignment team with chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, another recent defector. The team, dedicated to studying the risks that AI superintelligence poses to humanity, saw a number of departures over recent months. It disbanded when its leaders left, though the company has since formed a new safety committee.

"Over the past years, safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products," Leike wrote in a series of social media posts around his departure. "I have been disagreeing with OpenAI leadership about the company's core priorities for quite some time, until we finally reached a breaking point."

These concerns are heightened as the company approaches artificial general intelligence — or technology capable of all human behavior. Many experts say AGI increases the likelihood of p(doom), a nerdy and depressing term for the probability of AI destroying humanity.

To put it bluntly, as leading AI researcher Stuart Russell said to BI last month: "Even people who are developing the technology say there's a chance of human extinction. What gave them the right to play Russian roulette with everyone's children?"

An A-list actor and NDAs

You probably didn't have it on your 2024 bingo card that Black Widow would take on a Silicon Valley giant, but here we are.

Over the past few weeks, the company has met some unlikely foes with concerns that go beyond safety, including Scarlett Johansson.

Last month, the actor lawyered up and wrote a scathing statement about OpenAI after it launched a new AI model with a voice eerily similar to hers. While the company insists it did not seek to impersonate Johansson, the similarities were undeniable — particularly given the fact that Altman tweeted out "Her" around the time of the product announcement, seemingly a reference to Johansson's 2013 movie in which she plays an AI virtual assistant. (Spoiler alert: The movie isn't exactly a good look for the technology.)

"I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar," Johansson said of the model, adding that she had turned down multiple offers from Altman to provide a voice for OpenAI.

The company's defense was, more or less, that its leadership didn't communicate properly and handled the matter clumsily — which isn't all that comforting considering the company is dealing with some of the world's most powerful technology.

Things worsened when a damaging report was published about the company's culture of stifling criticism with its restrictive and unusual NDAs. Former employees who left the company without signing an NDA could lose out on vested equity — worth millions for some. Such agreement was basically unheard of in the world of tech.

"This is on me and one of the few times I've been genuinely embarrassed running openai; I did not know this was happening, and I should have," Altman responded to the claims in a tweet.

But days later he was caught with egg on his face when a report came out that seemed to indicate Altman knew about the NDAs all along.

As Altman learned, when it rains, it pours.

No more white knight

But the May rain did not bring June flowers.

Like many tech rocketships before it, OpenAI is synonymous with its cofounder and CEO Sam Altman — who, until recently, was seen as a benevolent brainiac with a vision for a better world.

But as the company's perception continues to sour, so does that of its leader.

Earlier this year, the venture capital elite started to turn on Altman, and now the public may be following suit.

The Scarlet Johansson incident left him looking incompetent, the NDA fumble left him looking a bit like a snake, and the safety concerns left him looking like an evil genius.

Most recently, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday some questionable business dealings by Altman.

While he isn't profiting directly from OpenAI — he owns no stake in the company, and his reported $65,000 salary is a drop in the bucket compared to his billion-dollar net worth — conflicts of interest abound. He has personal investments in several companies with which OpenAI does business, the Journal reported.

He owns stock in Reddit, for example, which recently signed a deal with OpenAI. The first customer of nuclear-energy startup Helion, in which Altman is a major investor, was Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest partner. (Altman and OpenAI said he recused himself from these deals.)

Faced with the deluge of detrimental media coverage, the company and its leader have tried to do some damage control: Altman announced he was signing the Giving Pledge, a promise to donate most of his wealth, and the company has reportedly sealed a major deal with Apple.

But a few positive news hits won't be enough to clean up the mess Altman is facing. It's time for him to pick up a bucket and a mop and get to work

Finding quality talent can be difficult. A staggering 99% of 300 US hiring managers say sourcing qualified talent is a challenge, according to a recent Indeed-commissioned survey with Harris Poll.¹ Over half of those surveyed have seen reductions in their recruiting personnel, while they say only 36% of passive candidates are responsive, wasting the time and effort of an already-limited team. 

Now, imagine using a sourcing tool that automatically delivers a list of quality candidates matching the requirements of a job description you wrote — that's the experience with Indeed's new AI-powered Smart Sourcing.

Building on the Indeed Resume product, which allows recruiters to search the 295 million resumes on Indeed, Smart Sourcing adds the efficiency of AI to your talent sourcing. Rather than manually filtering through talent, Smart Sourcing's algorithms match active candidates to your open roles. Custom-generated messaging and collaboration tools can further streamline your workflow while maintaining an individualized approach to candidate communication. 

In fact, 92% of users agree that Smart Sourcing is the preferred product for sourcing quality talent.²

"AI has been at the heart of Indeed's products for years," said Donal McMahon, vice president of engineering and data science at Indeed. "The growth of generative AI brings with it the potential for a greater understanding of job seeker and employer needs so that we can create better, quicker matches than ever before." 

Here's how the tool can address your talent-sourcing pain points.

Get quality and engaged matched candidates, fast

While Indeed Resume's search is effective, providing 69,000 successful connections between employers and job seekers each day, the Indeed-commissioned Harris Poll survey found that 74% of hiring managers would prefer to match with qualified talent based on skills and relevant experiences instead of manually searching for them. Smart Sourcing's matched candidates do exactly that — simply toggle between your jobs on Indeed via a drop-down menu to instantly view recommended candidates, then invite them to apply.

As you accept or reject candidates, the Smart Sourcing AI will learn what you prefer over time. This lets you curate your matched candidates' results like a Spotify playlist, tailored to your unique preferences. 

You can still manually search and filter resumes or use automated recommendations to expedite the process. Matches are based on the keyword relevancy of your job post and job seeker resumes, job seekers' search activity on Indeed, and how recently job seekers have been on the site. This helps Indeed's matching algorithms present you with the most relevant candidates who are demonstrating interest in new opportunities.

Universal Health Services (UHS), a leading hospital and healthcare provider with 400 facilities across the US, Puerto Rico, and the UK, has reported its candidate-response rate improving 30% since using Smart Sourcing. 

"Smart Sourcing serves up appropriate candidates that tend to be more eager to respond and are active on Indeed. So we get both quality candidates that are a fit and a higher response rate than with another similar tool," said one director of recruiting at UHS.

In the survey, 70% of 1,107 US workers agree that companies who have contacted them in the past could have done a better job of reviewing their skills and experience beforehand. This lack of preparation, personalization, and attention to detail in recruiting can reflect poorly on your company. 

That's why matched candidates include candidate highlights, a generative AI capability that analyzes and summarizes each resume to suggest why the candidate could be a great fit for your role or to point out potential gaps in their experience. This accelerated evaluation enables you to make better-informed hiring decisions to preserve both your employer brand and the candidate experience.

Matched candidates you invite to apply are 23 times more likely to apply to your job than job seekers who only see it when searching on Indeed, and employers who use this feature when sponsoring their jobs hire 20% faster.^3,4

Connect to talent with AI-powered messaging

Employers contacting candidates through Indeed's resume search receive a positive response from a job seeker in just 10 hours on average,⁵ but 95% of hiring managers believe that their productivity would be even better if administrative tasks like candidate outreach could be assisted by AI. Indeed's customizable AI-powered messages reduce the time and effort it takes to manually write, personalize, and proofread candidate communications.

This allows you to generate a customized message based on the content of the candidate's resume and your job posting. You can generate message variations by the desired tone and refine the information before sending it.

"The AI-powered messages are very effective because they're personalized for each individual candidate. It's amazing how the AI pulls in the right pieces of a job description to describe the highlights of the job and uses information from a candidate's resume to say why it's a great fit," the UHS recruiting director said.

With a professional subscription, you can also automate post-outreach follow-up with custom reminder messages. Message analytics track how your templates perform and provide actionable insights on candidate engagement, helping you maximize ROI.

Optimize recruiting workflows and team productivity

Recruiting and hiring can be complex, with work distributed across multiple people and platforms. Smart Sourcing Professional Subscriptions simplify the process, allowing you to invite collaborators to sourcing projects and accelerate the candidate feedback process with collaborative task-management tools. 

For example, say you've used Smart Sourcing to curate a short list of suitable, responsive candidates. You can easily invite the hiring manager to provide feedback, even if they don't have a subscription. Once they've chosen which candidates will move on to the following hiring stages and left notes about their decisions, you can then bulk-send invitations about the next steps with AI-customized messages.

You can also take your sourcing with you on the go with the Indeed Connect for Employers app. Once you've reached out to potential candidates, notifications alert you when they respond to an application invite or a message, allowing you to reply in real-time and keep the hiring process moving forward.

Getting started with Smart Sourcing

Smart Sourcing subscriptions are available starting today, and existing Indeed Resume subscriptions have transitioned to Smart Sourcing. Available in both Standard and Professional options, subscriptions include access to candidate search and filters, matching quality candidates to your job, and offering faster candidate connections.

"AI is a powerful efficiency tool, but it still needs human decision-making — especially when it comes to someone's livelihood," McMahon said. "As an HR professional, let the machine do the busywork so you can invest more into the unique, human value you bring to your role." 

Find your ideal candidates and easily collaborate with your team to make better hiring decisions with Smart Sourcing.

This post was created by Indeed with Insider Studios.

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Survey methodology: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Indeed from February 12–20, 2024, among 1,107 employed adults, ages 18 and older, and 300 hiring managers (those with sole or primary decision making in the recruiting and hiring process) with 2,000+ employees. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the employee sample data is accurate to within +/– 2.6 percentage points and the hiring manager sample data is accurate to within +/— 5.6% using a 95% confidence level.

Sources

¹Harris Poll survey of US hiring managers with 2,000+ employees (n=300) and employed adults, ages 18 and older (n=1107), conducted on behalf of Indeed, February 2024

²Indeed Survey, CA (n=151), Jan-Feb 2024

³Indeed data (CA), August 2023

⁴Indeed data (US), Q1 2023

⁵Indeed data (worldwide), 2023

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Size is one of the most important factors when deciding on a new TV. Many brands use 65 inches as the flagship size to showcase their top models, and this option is perfect for buyers who want a big screen that still fits in most living rooms. The best 65-inch TV for your needs will vary depending on your budget and viewing habits, but there are several great options. 

Through hands-on testing informed by more than a decade covering the home entertainment industry, we selected the best 65-inch TVs you can buy. Our top recommendation is the Samsung S90C 4K TV. Thanks to its OLED panel and quantum dot technology, it delivers stunning contrast and color. But if that's too expensive, the Hisense U6K is the best 65-inch TV you can snag on a budget. Despite its low price, it boasts advanced image quality features like a Mini LED backlight.    

Below are all seven of our picks for the best 65-inch TVs. Our recommendations cover every display type and budget, so you're sure to find something here to suit your needs.

Our top picks for the best 65-inch TVs

Best overall: Samsung S90C – See at Amazon 

Best on a budget: Hisense U6K – See at Walmart 

Best OLED for wall mounting: LG G3 – See at Amazon

Best for home theaters: Sony A95L – See at Amazon

Best smart TV interface: Roku Pro Series – See at Amazon

Best with high brightness: TCL QM8 – See at Walmart

Best designer display: Samsung Frame – See at Amazon

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Best overall

When it comes to balancing price and performance, Samsung's S90C is the best 65-inch TV — and our pick for the best TV period — that you can buy. For the money, there simply isn't a better display out there.

Unlike OLED TVs from LG, the S90C uses quantum dots to enable brighter colors. Coupled with the TV's infinite contrast ratio, the S90C's quantum dot filter leads to gorgeous high dynamic range (HDR) images with an impressive peak brightness of around 1,000 nits. You'd have to pay at least $600 more to get a 65-inch OLED that delivers better picture performance than this.

And though it's disappointing that Samsung doesn't support Dolby Vision, which can provide a more finely-tuned HDR image, the S90C's HDR10 and HDR10+ capabilities are so strong that we don't think most people will notice a difference. You can learn more about how different HDR formats compare in our HDR TV guide. The S90C also upscales lower-resolution content well, though it can't match the picture processing on a high-end Sony display. 

Whether you're watching 4K movies at night or just flipping through cable channels in an average living room during the day, the S90C looks fantastic. The smart TV interface is also solid, though we prefer other platforms like Roku OS. On the plus side, Samsung's operating system is the only smart TV platform supporting Xbox Game Pass, which lets members stream high-end games without a console. The TV even supports a high 144Hz refresh rate when paired with a gaming PC.

Samsung does sell an updated version of this TV for 2024, called the S90D. But while the new model is a bit brighter, it's also much more expensive. When looking at the overall value for your dollar, we think the S90C remains the best 65-inch TV you can buy. 

Read our Samsung S90C OLED 4K TV review.

Check out our full guide to the best Samsung TVs.

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Best on a budget

Hisense's U6K proves you can still snag a great 65-inch TV on a budget. Despite some performance tradeoffs compared to our more expensive picks, the U6K delivers incredible value at this size.

This budget-friendly TV uses a QLED display with local dimming and quantum dots. And while you might find some similarly priced options from competitors with those features, the U6K is the only TV in its price range that also uses Mini LED technology. Mini LEDs enable more precise control of a TV's dimming zones to produce better contrast and less blooming (halos around bright objects). 

The U6K's dimming performance is great for its class, but its black levels aren't as deep as you'd see on more expensive QLED sets. The U6K also has limited brightness compared to high-end QLEDs, so it's not as good for rooms that let in a lot of light. 

But at a peak of around 600 nits, the TV can still deliver highlights with just enough pop to show off the benefits of high dynamic range content. And thanks to its quantum dot filter, it offers an expanded range of colors when watching HDR programs. You'll just want to watch those programs from a centered view since colors and contrast dramatically fade when sitting off to the side.

However, this level of off-axis performance is the norm for TVs in this price range. And like most sets in this class, the U6K is limited to a 60Hz panel rather than 120Hz, so you can't enable high frame rate support on a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. But for a typical sale price of around $500-$550, there simply isn't another budget-friendly 65-inch TV that balances cost and performance like the U6K. 

Hisense does have a 2024 version of this display, called the U6N, but it's more expensive without offering a major upgrade. For now, the U6K is still the best 65-inch TV you can get for such a low price.

Read our Hisense U6K 4K TV review. 

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Best OLED for wall mounting

Those who want a design-focused 65-inch TV that doesn't skimp on top-notch home theater performance should check out the LG G3. 

Like Samsung's popular Frame TV, the G3 has a thin profile and a flush wall mount that lets you hang it on your wall with virtually no gap. But unlike the Frame, the G3 uses an OLED panel for superior picture quality with much better contrast, black levels, and viewing angles. You miss out on the Frame's matte screen, separate connection box, and interchangeable bezels, but the jump in image performance is substantial.

And despite not using quantum dots like high-end OLEDs from Sony and Samsung, the G3 is one of the brightest OLEDs on the market. This high brightness also distinguishes the G3 from its otherwise similar predecessor, the G2 OLED TV. During our tests, we measured a peak of around 1,470 nits on the G3, while the G2 topped out at around 1,000.

But while the G3 looks gorgeous on a wall, it's not a top pick if you plan to put it on an entertainment console. It doesn't even come with a stand, so you'd have to buy one separately, which adds to the cost, and we don't like how the panel tilts back slightly when it's attached to its stand.

That said, LG does sell a new 2024 edition of this display, called the G4, which now includes a stand if you buy the 65-inch size. And the new stand no longer tilts the panel. However, based on our hands-on testing with the G4, it only offers minor improvements in image quality, so we think the cheaper G3 is still the better buy for wall mounting.  

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Best for home theaters

Sony's A95L OLED is built for home theater enthusiasts. It's expensive, but the display edges out the picture performance of every other 4K TV on the market.

Compared to its already impressive predecessor, the A95K, the A95L offers a big upgrade in one key area: peak brightness. We measured a peak of around 1,500 nits with the TV set in its most accurate picture mode. That's a 50% increase over the previous model and one of the highest brightness levels we've ever seen on an OLED. This lets the TV display specular highlights with more realistic intensity when watching HDR content graded beyond 1,000 nits. 

But while the A95L was the OLED brightness champ last year, Samsung's brand-new S95D has now surpassed it with a peak of 1,700 nits. However, the A95L still distinguishes itself from competitors thanks to Sony's proprietary picture processing powered by its "Cognitive Processor XR." Though that sounds like marketing jargon, this tech makes a difference when optimizing the TV's images. Its HDR tone mapping is also more accurate than Samsung's, and it supports Dolby Vision, so you'll get slightly better high-dynamic-range performance when watching Dolby Vision content.  

The display complements its high-end picture with a premium design and a unique stand that can be attached in a low- or high-profile configuration. Low allows the TV to sit flush with your entertainment console, while high gives you enough room to put a soundbar in front. 

The A95L also boasts reliable Google TV streaming and comes with a webcam that can be used for video calls and gesture controls, which is a cool extra perk. From image quality to design, the A95L fully earns its premium status. We wish it had more HDMI 2.1 ports and a 144Hz mode for PC gaming, but those omissions are minor compared to everything the A95L does right. Though most people will be satisfied with a less expensive TV, the A95L is ideal for videophiles willing to pay a premium to get the best movie-watching experience.

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Best smart TV interface

There are many different smart TV interfaces out there, but Roku's OS (operating system) is our favorite for its ease of use. The brand's OS is available on some entry-level TVs from TCL and Hisense, but none of those options perform as well as the company's own Roku Pro Series TV. 

The Roku Pro Series features a QLED panel with a Mini LED backlight and local dimming. This gives it great control over its light output, with better black level and contrast performance than cheaper QLED TVs, like the Hisense U6K. It can also get much brighter than that model with over 1,000 nits of peak luminance. 

That said, the Pro Series can't quite match the brightness levels or video processing quality of other QLEDs in this class, like the TCL QM8 or Hisense U8 series. It also suffers from poor viewing angles and reflections in bright rooms, but those are common drawbacks for most QLED TVs.

Thankfully, the Roku Pro Series makes up for these cons with snappy smart TV navigation and key design perks. The Roku homepage is simple to use and puts all your favorite apps upfront as large tiles that you can organize as you wish. We prefer this over the more content-heavy focus of other platforms, like the Fire TV OS, which can come across as a bit cluttered and overwhelming. Moving through services is speedy and we didn't encounter any major hiccups in our tests. 

We also love the TV's compact remote, which charges via USB, so you don't need batteries. It has backlit keys, too, for easy use in a dark room. You can access voice search by speaking a wake word or by pressing a button on the remote. And if you ever lose the remote, it has a built-in speaker that will chime when you press a button on the TV.

This focus on user-friendly conveniences extends to the TV's stand as well. The left and right feet don't require tools to attach and instead use a knob system that you can turn with your hands. The stand can also be positioned in a high or low setting to make room for a soundbar.

There are other QLEDs with better image quality in this price range, but the Roku Pro Series is the best 65-inch TV for buyers who want an upper midrange display that emphasizes general ease of use.

Read our Roku Pro Series 4K TV review. 

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Best for high brightness

If you want a bright display, the TCL QM8 is easily one of the best 65-inch TVs you can buy. The QM8's QLED panel can deliver a peak of around 2,000 nits, which makes it one of the brightest TVs on the market. This impressive brightness makes HDR images pop while enabling better SDR performance in rooms with a lot of ambient light. 

Of course, it's not enough for a TV to just get bright. A display must also have excellent control over its light output to maintain great image quality. And thankfully, the QM8 does just that. With its Mini LED backlight and local dimming capabilities, the TV can precisely adjust its contrast to produce deep black levels and vibrant specular highlights, and we didn't encounter any notable blooming around bright objects during our review. You also get extensive gaming features, with 144Hz support when paired with a PC.

On the downside, like most QLED TVs, the QM8's viewing angles are mediocre, which causes colors to fade and contrast to distort if you sit to the side of the display. And though the TV looks fantastic in bright rooms thanks to its high light output, we noticed that its anti-reflective coating can cause a rainbow-streak effect when it reflects certain overhead lights. If you want a similarly bright 65-inch QLED without these issues, we recommend the Samsung QN90C, but you'll have to pay at least $600 more. 

The QM8 uses the Google TV operating system with access to all of the best streaming services, and it includes a Google Assistant voice remote. Navigation is snappy, and performance is a bit smoother than what we encountered on the Hisense U8K, which is the QM8's direct competitor. However, we did run into an odd WiFi issue with our internet setup that caused false "WiFi Not Connected" messages to pop up. This appears to be an isolated problem, though, and not one that other customers have experienced. 

Despite minor quirks, the TCL QM8 is a true standout for the money, with a bright QLED panel that offers high-end image quality for a midrange price. A more expensive 2024 version of this display is now available with an even brighter image. We think the cheaper 2023 QM8 remains a better value for now, but that could change once the 2024 model comes down in price. 

Read our TCL QM8 4K TV review. 

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Best designer display

The Samsung Frame TV is perfect for buyers who want a 65-inch display that can blend seamlessly into their living room decor. Built with an emphasis on design, the TV features interchangeable bezels and a matte screen that can make it look like a piece of art hanging on your wall.

The bezels come in different styles that magnetically attach to the TV. The Frame also has a Slim-Fit Wall Mount that lets you hang it flush against your wall. And unlike most TVs, the Frame uses a separate One Connect Box to house all its ports, so you just need one cable running from the display. If you need to connect an AV receiver, streaming device, or gaming console, you simply hook those up to the TV's external box, which removes all those unsightly wires on your wall.  

The screen features a matte finish rather than the glossy look of most modern TVs. This helps reduce reflections and gives the Frame a canvas-like appearance. The Frame also has an "Art Mode," which lets it display paintings, photos, or other images when not used as a TV. Built-in motion sensors can be activated so the Art Mode turns on when the TV senses someone in the room. You can use your own images or have the Frame cycle through art from Samsung's Art Store (subscription required).

But while the Frame has a high-end design, its picture quality is a mixed bag. The QLED panel offers wide color support, but brightness is limited compared to Samsung's top QLEDs. It also lacks local dimming, which results in the worst contrast and black-level performance of any 65-inch TV in this guide. 

The Frame isn't geared toward wowing you with high dynamic range imagery. Instead, it's meant to appeal to buyers who want a 65-inch display that can serve as both a design piece for the living room and a capable smart TV for casual viewing. And in that sense, it excels.

The new 2024 Frame TV offers some color improvements over the older model but otherwise delivers similar performance. However, the 2024 model often sells for the same price as its predecessor. Unless you find the older model on sale for less, you should snag the 2024 edition. 

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How we test 65-inch TVs

To pick the best 65-inch TVs for our guide, we used a combination of hands-on testing and research bolstered by more than a decade's worth of expertise covering the home entertainment product industry. When we test displays, we evaluate them for general picture clarity, contrast performance, HDR peak brightness, color, off-axis viewing, smart TV interface, and value for the money. 

Brightness is measured using an X-Rite iDisplay Plus colorimeter. Other objective display capabilities are evaluated using test patterns found on the Spears & UHD HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray disc. 

To get a sense of real-world performance, we also watch scenes from movies and TV shows with clips specifically selected to emphasize a display's black levels, highlights, color capabilities, and upscaling. Our demo material includes a mix of 4K, 1080p high definition (HD), and standard definition (SD) content from streaming devices, cable TV, and Blu-ray discs. We also watch content in different lighting conditions to evaluate bright-room and dark-room performance. 

The best 65-inch TVs will also have excellent smart TV features, so we test overall navigation speed and app stability, voice search, digital assistant integration, and extra perks like game streaming support. 

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65-inch TV FAQs

Is it worth buying a 65-inch TV?

If you have the space for it, we think 65 inches is the ideal size to consider when shopping for a new TV, especially a 4K model. Many brands use 65 inches as their flagship size to show off their best 4K TVs, and this size is great for delivering big-screen immersion without taking up too much room.

However, you can still find excellent TV models in smaller sizes if you need something more compact. Likewise, top displays are available in larger sizes if you want an even more immersive screen.

Check out our other size-specific guides for more display recommendations:

• Best 50-inch TVs
• Best 55-inch TVs
• Best 75-inch TVs
• Best 85-inch TVs 

How much should you spend on a 65-inch TV?

Exactly how much you should spend on a 65-inch TV depends on your viewing needs. The best 65-inch TVs range in price from around $500 to over $3,000. You can also find cheaper entry-level 65-inch TVs for under $400, but we generally recommend paying more for one of our abovementioned picks.

Buyers shopping for a midrange 65-inch TV should expect to spend $500-$1,000. You can find 65-inch QLED TVs in this price range that offer advanced picture quality features, like local dimming, and good brightness performance that can reach 600-1,000 nits.

Buyers who want an upper-midrange or high-end 65-inch TV should be looking to spend $1,000-$3,000. You can find advanced 65-inch QLED TVs that deliver up to 2,000 nits of brightness in the $1,000-$2,000 range, while the best OLED TVs with infinite contrast ratios tend to sell for $1,600-$3,000.  

How far should you sit from a 65-inch 4K TV?

The benefits of a 4K screen become most noticeable when you sit at a distance of around one to 1.5 times the size of your TV. At that distance, you'll be able to see the extra detail that 4K resolution offers compared to a 1080p high-definition screen. The ideal viewing distance for a 65-inch 4K TV should be between 5.4 and 8.1 feet from your TV.    

You can sit farther away and still enjoy a 65-inch 4K TV, but that range will yield the best visible detail. Otherwise, you'll want a bigger screen to get the full benefits of 4K.  

Should you purchase a 65-inch 8K TV?

Though some brands do sell 65-inch 8K TVs, we don't recommend buying one in this screen size. When viewing it at a reasonable distance, 65 inches just isn't big enough to show off the benefits of an 8K resolution screen. 

A 75-inch or larger 8K TV is better suited for highlighting the additional detail you get with 8K resolution, but even then, the benefits are subtle. We recommend saving money and going with a 4K model if you want a 65-inch TV.

Do 65-inch TVs have good sound quality?

Though some 65-inch TV models have better built-in speaker systems than smaller displays, performance is still limited compared to a separate soundbar or surround sound setup. Speakers integrated into most TVs use small audio drivers that can lead to weak bass and muddy dialogue. 

To get better audio performance, we recommend buying a soundbar. For the most immersive experience, you should look for models that support Dolby Atmos, a spatial audio format that can spread sound effects around your room.

Check out our guides to the best soundbars, best budget soundbars, and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars for our top picks.  

Do TVs include free access to local networks?

The best 65-inch TVs all feature integrated digital tuners that allow you to hook up an antenna (sold separately) to receive free over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts. So long as you have good reception in your area, you can watch local channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox without a cable subscription. 

Check out our guide to the best indoor TV antennas to see our top recommendations. 

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It's hard to go wrong with most phones available in the US these days, and it's almost impossible to find a bad premium phone in 2024. Considering that, the "best phone" depends on your budget and priorities. Still, we can make a general assessment of the best phone overall.

Among the best phones available, Apple's iPhone 15 is our top option for most people due to its balance of performance, camera quality, camera reliability, battery life, and ecosystem for the price. Samsung's Galaxy S24 is the ideal pick for Android users for the same reasons as the iPhone 15. 

On the more affordable end of the spectrum, Apple's iPhone 13 and Google's Pixel 8a are superb devices that offer incredible value. These aren't exactly "cheap," but we think they're well worth the price considering their long-lasting performance, camera quality, and other premium features. 

Our top picks for the best phones

Best overall: iPhone 15 – See at Best Buy

Best phone for Android users: Samsung Galaxy S24 – See at Amazon

Best budget iPhone: iPhone 13 – See at Best Buy

Best budget phone for Android users: Google Pixel 8a – See at Amazon

Best camera phone: Google Pixel 8 Pro – See at Amazon

Best battery life: iPhone 15 Plus – See at Best Buy

Best foldable phone: OnePlus Open – See at Amazon

Best overall

These days, most smartphone users fall into either Team iPhone or Team Android. If you're platform agnostic and want a phone that requires the fewest compromises, we recommend the iPhone 15. (For those who prefer Apple, our best iPhone guide shows what else we recommend.)

While Android phones seem to go through identity changes more often than Ethan Hunt, iPhones have stayed relatively consistent year over year. Apple is largely sticking to a successful playbook for the iPhone 15: A phone that delivers a great user experience that revolves around a stable operating system, best-in-class camera system, popular apps, and the latest tech.

The iPhone 15 isn't a big departure from the iPhone 14, but there are noteworthy upgrades. It runs on the A16 processor and incorporates the Dynamic Island notification display, both introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro. Performance has increased over the iPhone 14 and 13, which used the A15. The 6.1-inch display is also much brighter, with a slightly higher resolution.

The big new feature is the iPhone's switch to USB-C from Lightning, which, depending on the user, could be a celebration or an annoyance. There is satisfaction in using the same cable to charge all your devices. But it's inconvenient if you own just Lightning cables and accessories, which would require purchasing new chargers and adapters. 

Most people, however, probably already have USB-C accessories, particularly those who own the newest MacBooks, iPads, PCs, and even Android phones, which have been using USB-C for some time now. Our disappointment with the iPhone 15's USB-C implementation is that it doesn't offer an improvement over Lightning regarding fast charging and data transfer.

The iPhone 15's main camera sensor has been bumped up to 48 megapixels from 12, and the optical zoom is now 2x instead of 1x. While iPhone cameras have always been solid, the iPhone 15 delivers improved low-light performance and picture quality, particularly when cropping into a photo.

While the newest Android phones aren't anything to sneeze at, we still recommend the iPhone for most people due to the polished hardware and software, ease of use, and Apple's lauded support.

For older iPhone owners who held back due to the lack of upgrades in the iPhone 14, the iPhone 15 is a more attractive recommendation. However, those who could use Apple's latest high-end features should consider the iPhone 15 Pro models, as they exclusively offer faster USB 3 charging, a customizable Action button, and dedicated zoom lenses. 

Read our full iPhone 15 review and see our guide to the best iPhone 15 cases to protect the phone. 

Best phone for Android users

With its triple-lens camera, class-leading performance, AI features, and excellent battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S24 is the complete package. No other phone offers as much as the Galaxy S24 for an $800 base price, even among iPhones.

Indeed, the Galaxy S24's three cameras set it apart from other Android phones in its 6.1-inch size range and $800 price range. By including a 3x zoom lens, the Galaxy S24 offers a more versatile camera experience, allowing you to take better-quality photos of subjects further away.

Ironically, the Galaxy S24's cameras are among our few complaints. To be sure, they're very good cameras, but they're generally less consistent than premium phones from Google and Apple, as irregular lighting can produce flat, shallow photos with reduced character.

That said, overall, the Galaxy S24 is our top pick among the best Android phones, as it's likely to satisfy most people with its stellar performance and high-end features at a reasonable price point. 

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S24 review and see our guide to the best Samsung Galaxy S24 cases to protect the phone. 

Best budget iPhone

If you're looking for the best iPhone experience for the lowest price, go for the iPhone 13 rather than the iPhone SE (2022). Yes, the iPhone 13 has a $599 starting price compared to the iPhone SE's $429, which stretches the definition of "budget." However, we feel the iPhone 13's extras are well worth it. 

The iPhone 13 runs on Apple's A15 Bionic processor (the same as the iPhone SE, coincidentally). Although two generations old, it can easily handle any app or game in the App Store. 

The iPhone 13 also features Apple's modern design rather than the iPhone SE's antiquated look with its top and bottom bezels. It also includes Face ID, a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, a dual-lens camera, and support for Apple's MagSafe wireless charging and accessories. To top it all off, the iPhone 13 has significantly better battery life than the iPhone SE. 

With all this in mind, we think you'll better enjoy the experience with the iPhone 13 for the years you'll use it. Based on Apple's support cycle, we'd estimate Apple will support the iPhone 13 for another three years. 

However, if budget matters more than features and design, you'll still be happy with the iPhone SE (2022), as it remains another top option among the best cheap phones available. But be aware that the iPhone SE uses an outdated design with a small screen and Touch ID.

Best budget phone for Android users

Starting at $499, Google's Pixel 8a pushes the boundaries of "budget." However, it easily offers the best bang for your buck for Android users. And while discounts are rare at the time of writing, soon after its release, the Pixel 8a will surely become available for periodical deals eventually, just like the Pixel 7a over the course of its first year.

No doubt, you can easily find Android phones with price tags as low as $200, but if you're at all discerning with the budget to spend up to $500, you won't regret going for the Pixel 8a.  

Most importantly, you won't feel the need to buy another phone for a long time thanks to the Pixel 8a's fast and smooth performance, coupled with its seven-year support window for Android upgrades and security updates. The Pixel 8a runs on the Google Tensor G3 processor, which means performance is on par with the premium flagship Pixel 8 models that run the same processor. 

Combine the Pixel 8a's performance with its smooth 120Hz display and 1080p resolution, and the experience is nothing short of premium. It's an OLED panel with superior colors, brightness, and contrast than any LCD display, and it includes a high-end always-on display feature. 

The Pixel 8a's cameras also compete with phones that cost twice as much. To be sure, even sub-par cameras on less expensive Android phones serve their purpose of capturing memories, but the Pixel 8a's premium-quality cameras simply do it better. This is especially true for reliability and versatility, where the Pixel 8a doesn't need ideal conditions and perfectly steady hands to take good, clear, focused photos.

For $500, the Pixel 8a is also just a good-looking phone with its frosted matte-texture plastic back and eye-catching color options. 

Our only complaint with the Pixel 8a is its relatively slow 18W charging, but it does feature 7.5W wireless charging. That's also slow, but it's still a nice option for all-day desk charging, and it's not one you'll usually find on budget-friendly Android phones. We would also have liked to see an option with a larger display, but that would surely mean a higher price. 

As excellent as the Pixel 8a is, your carrier might have deals for free premium phones, like the Pixel 8 or Galaxy S24 (or an iPhone). You'd need to be comfortable with the carrier deal's condition, which usually entails sticking with the carrier for two years and signing up for a specific type of plan. If that's the case, you might as well go for the premium phone from your carrier. If not, you can't go wrong with the Pixel 8a, the best budget Android phone on the market. 

Read our full Google Pixel 8a review and see our guide to the best Google Pixel 8a cases to protect the phone. 

Best camera phone

The Google Pixel 8 Pro has three cameras: a 48MP ultrawide camera, a 50MP main camera, and a 48MP 5x zoom camera. It takes excellent photos and imparted the most confidence during our testing, over both Samsung and Apple phones, that it would reliably do so repeatedly. 

The Pixel's signature photo look is gleefully present, with rich and natural colors, and lighting is properly balanced without trying to enhance darker and brighter details with extra brightness. Pixel photos have plenty of contrast, too, which gives them gorgeous depth.

Our top camera pick among the best Google Pixel phones, the Pixel 8 Pro's three lenses offer plenty of versatility, and we love its 5x zoom compared to the 3x zoom cameras that are more common.

If you want to stick to Apple's ecosystem, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers the best camera system among iPhones, and it's the only option that matches the Pixel 8 Pro's 5x zoom lens. 

Read our full Google Pixel 8 Pro review and see our guide to the best Google Pixel 8 Pro cases to protect the phone. 

Best battery life

The iPhone 15 Plus is our recommendation if you're looking for a phone that can last over a day on a single charge. Every user's mileage will vary, but we achieved, on average, 66% of battery life remaining after rounds of testing. A close runner-up is the Samsung S24 Ultra, which yielded similar test results but is a more expensive phone.

In terms of performance and features, the iPhone 15 Plus shares the same pros and cons as the iPhone 15. But the iPhone 15 Plus is a larger device that can accommodate a bigger battery. It also has a 6.7-inch display versus 6.1, which gives you more viewable real estate. The problem is that you can't get longer battery life without getting a large phone, so it's something to consider and worth trying at a store. That said, we haven't experienced issues when holding it in our hand or stashing it in a pocket.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, with its 6.8-inch display, is a good example of how larger phones tend to offer longer battery life. However, it scored notably higher than other phones with large screens, like the Galaxy S24 Plus and Google Pixel 8 Pro.

That's all to say that the Galaxy S24 Ultra, specs-wise the best Samsung phone, offers the best battery life for Android users, but they have to pay a higher price than iPhone users.

See our guide to the best iPhone 15 Plus cases to protect the phone. 

Best foldable phone

We prefer book-style foldable phones that unfold into compact tablets for their superior functionality and performance relative to clamshell foldables, which fold into compact squares. 

Among the three phone-tablet hybrid foldables available in the US, the OnePlus Open is our favorite option, topping the Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

All phone-tablet hybrid foldables essentially offer the same level of performance, top-of-the-line displays with premium specs, like 120HZ refresh rates and OLED panels, excellent camera quality, and superlative battery life. 

What sets the OnePlus Open apart is its superior, rock-solid build quality, its cover display that's sized and shaped like a traditional phone, and its slightly larger cover and tablet displays compared to other available foldables. 

The only gripe we have with the OnePlus Open is the omission of wireless charging, which should be expected on a phone with a $1,700 price tag. It does support super-fast 67W charging speeds, but only with the included proprietary OnePlus charger.

Read our OnePlus Open hands-on assessment and see our guide to the best foldable phones for other top picks. 

Which is the best phone to buy right now?

Overall, Apple's iPhone 15 is the phone we'd recommend to most people, at least those who live in the US. Android phones these days are fantastic, but they still lack certain key features, like advanced biometric authentication that's on par with Apple's Face ID. Even minor features, like Apple's Dynamic Island, make us lean toward the iPhone 15.

Specs	iPhone 15	Samsung Galaxy S24	iPhone 13	Google Pixel 8a	Google Pixel 8 Pro	iPhone 15 Plus	OnePlus Open
Starting price	$799	$799.99	$599	$499	$999	$899	$1,699.99
Processor	A16 Bionic	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Optimized for Galaxy	A15 Bionic	Google Tensor G3	Google Tensor G3	A16 Bionic	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Release date	September 2023	January 2024	September 2021	May 2024	October 2023	September 2023	October 2023
Screen size	6.1 inches	6.2 inches	6.1 inches	6.1 inches	6.7 inches	6.7 inches	7.82-inch interior; 6.31-inch interior
Rear cameras	12MP main, 12MP ultrawide	50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x zoom	12MP main, 12MP ultrawide	64MP main, 13MP ultrawide	50MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP 5x zoom	48MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 2x zoom (uses main camera sensor)	48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 64MP 3x zoom
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	512GB

How we test phones

We test iPhones and Android phones as if they were our daily drivers for at least a week, often longer, to get a feel for their performance, battery life, cameras, and new features. We have extensive experience testing various phone models from different companies at various price points, which lets us quickly identify any issues.

In addition to real-world usage, we conduct standardized tests on all phones reviewed and included in our guides.

For performance, we put phones through a series of benchmarking apps to check for discrepancies between devices. We use Geekbench 6 for general performance and the 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test to gauge extended heavy gaming performance. These tests help us estimate how long a phone could maintain its performance relative to comparable phones.

For camera testing, we photograph a consistent set of scenes with every phone and compare the results with their direct competitors. We take photos and videos with each lens on each phone and evaluate the differences. We even compare budget camera phones to premium options to assess the image and video quality discrepancies.

For battery life, we run phones through a stress test that simulates a range of typical daily workloads, like streaming video and music, and high-intensity activities, like playing demanding games. This test includes five runs of the Geekbench 6 app, two runs of the 3DMark Wildlife Stress Test, two hours of video streaming at a set average brightness, and one hour of music streaming with a Bluetooth speaker connected. At the end of the test, we note the phone's remaining battery percentage.

FAQs

How much storage should a phone have?

These days, 128GB is the standard minimum storage option on most phones. Anything lower than that, like 64GB, can be quite limiting in terms of how many apps you can install, and you can basically forget about storing a significant number of photos, videos, and music.  

128GB of storage can be enough, especially if you use cloud storage for photos and often stream. Depending on how many apps you use, you can also get by downloading videos for flights.

You should opt for more than 128GB of storage if you tend to download your music rather than stream it or store lots of photos and videos on your phone. More storage can be helpful if you have many apps and games.

How long should a phone's battery life last?

A phone's battery should last you through a typical day, even for heavy users with extensive screen time. Thankfully, most phones tend to have good enough battery life to do so.

Larger phones tend to have longer battery lives than smaller ones, so users with lots of screen-on time would benefit from a larger phone if not for the larger display.

Your best options for a phone that can last longer than a day routinely are Apple's iPhone 15 Plus and Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra. These large-screen devices scored the highest among all phones in our intensive battery test. 

What is a good camera for a phone?

More than anything, a good phone camera should give you confidence that you'll get a high-quality photo or video without making you feel like you need to check and retake your content.

In this regard, we tend to trust Google's Pixel phones and Apple's iPhones the most. Correspondingly, our top overall picks for phone camera systems are Google's Pixel 8 Pro and Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max, which both offer a dedicated 5x zoom lens. 

• Whether you're a long-time car owner, or a first-time driver, there is plenty you need to know. 
• Many drivers have misconceptions about maintenance for their car, or other aspects of ownership.
• Here are 9 things you're probably wrong about when it comes to your car.

Whether you're a long-time car owner or first-time driver, there is plenty you need to know about your vehicle. 

There is a complex buying or leasing process, chock-full of complicated financing talk, interest rates, and other terms to navigate. There are a lot of brands, models, types of vehicles, moving parts, and changing technologies to stay on top of. There are maintenance and service needs that are important to know. 

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While big-screen TVs get a lot of attention, some spaces aren't large enough to fit a massive display. If you have a smaller living room or are shopping for a TV to put in a bedroom, a 50-inch set is a great option. Though there are fewer midrange and high-end models at this size, the best 50-inch TVs still offer a reliable viewing experience, and they're often a lot more affordable than their larger counterparts. 

Our top pick is the LG C3, one of the few OLED TVs you can buy in under 55 inches. When it comes to premium performance on smaller screens, this model is an outlier since it delivers top-notch contrast and perfect black levels in a compact form factor. But if you want a budget-friendly set, we recommend the Hisense U6HF, which has features like quantum dots and local dimming that are missing on most competing 50-inch displays in this price range. 

Below, you can find all our picks for the best 50-inch TVs, including an entry-level LED display for casual viewing and a QLED designed with gaming in mind. 

Note: LCD-based TVs (including LED and QLED models) are usually sold in a 50-inch screen size, while OLED TVs are sold in a slightly smaller 48-inch size. For that reason, we've included a 48-inch OLED in this guide. 

Our top picks for the best 50-inch TVs

Best overall: LG C3 – See at Amazon

Best budget: Hisense U6HF – See at Amazon

Best entry-level: TCL S4 – See at Amazon

Best midrange for gaming: Vizio MQX – See at Amazon

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Best overall

The 48-inch LG C3 is the ideal TV for people who want a smaller display without sacrificing picture quality. It uses an OLED panel, which is rare for TVs smaller than 55 inches. This type of screen gives it key benefits over the cheaper LED and QLED sets that round out the rest of our guide.  

The C3 offers all the perks that OLED screens are known for, including pixel-level contrast control and wide viewing angles. On LED and QLED displays, black levels can look elevated when you watch TV with the lights off, and colors and contrast can distort if you sit to the side of the panel. But on the C3, black levels disappear into a dark room without any blooming around bright objects, and picture quality remains consistent even if you're off-center from the display. 

The 48-inch C3's peak brightness of around 600 to 700 nits is very respectable, especially compared to other displays in the 48-to-50-inch class. Though Sony and Samsung sell brighter OLED TVs that use quantum dot filters, that feature is only available in larger sizes. Simply put, there are few TVs this small that look this good. 

Outside picture performance, the C3 offers solid smart TV streaming via LG's webOS platform. The interface isn't our favorite, but it still provides reliable access to all of the best streaming services, along with built-in support for Alexa voice control. The C3 is equipped well for the latest consoles, too, with a 120Hz refresh rate that can support smooth gaming on a PS5 and Xbox Series X. However, unlike Samsung's OLED TVs, the C3 does not support a 144Hz refresh rate when paired with a PC.

At a typical sale price of just under $1,000, the C3 is pricey for a 48-inch TV, but the jump in picture quality you get over our other picks is substantial. Buyers should note that LG does sell a 2024 edition of this display, called the C4. The new model can get brighter, but it costs more. For now, we think the C3 remains the better value for most people. 

Best budget

Hisense's U6HF is an older version of its U6K QLED. The newer U6K is the top budget pick in most of our best TV guides, but it's unavailable in sizes under 55 inches. However, the U6HF is still sold in 50 inches, and it remains a great option for the money. 

Like the U6K, the U6HF uses a QLED panel with quantum dots to produce a wide color gamut and a solid peak brightness of about 600 nits. It also has local dimming to help control the TV's contrast, enabling it to brighten and darken across specific areas. But unlike newer U6 TVs, this model uses regular-sized LEDs instead of Mini LEDs in its backlight. This means it has fewer zones to work with, which makes it a bit more prone to halos around bright objects on dark backgrounds.

Still, few 50-inch TVs can achieve this level of image quality for the money. Most competing models at this price lack local dimming entirely, and many lack quantum dots as well, so they're limited to a more narrow range of colors. 

However, the U6HF can't avoid other common pitfalls of TVs in this class. Most notably, it has subpar viewing angles, so contrast and colors fade if you sit off-center from the display. It's also limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, so you can't get high frame rate support when paired with a console or PC. 

The U6HF uses the Fire TV interface and features Alexa voice control. Hisense used to sell another version of this set, simply called the U6H, that used the Google TV instead, but that edition is discontinued. Though we prefer the Google TV model since it has more picture calibration options, there's no denying how much value this set offers. For a typical sale price of under $400, the U6HF is the best 50-inch TV you can snag on a budget. 

Best entry-level

The TCL S4 is the best 50-inch TV for buyers who want an affordable display for casual viewing. This entry-level model lacks advanced picture quality features, but it's an inexpensive option for basic smart TV needs.

The S4 uses a regular LED panel without quantum dots or local dimming. This means it can't produce a wide color gamut, and it can't control its light output across different segments of its screen. As a result, black levels will veer toward gray or slightly blue when watching movies in a dark room, and HDR movies and shows won't play with the same peak brightness and color accuracy as they would on a QLED or OLED TV. And like most TVs in this class, viewing angles are poor, so colors will look faded if you sit to the side of the screen.

All those cons might make it sound like the S4 is a bad TV, but that's not really the case. It's just that this isn't a model geared toward videophiles, home theater buyers, or serious games. It cuts costs to offer the bare necessities for a decent image at an affordable price, and in that sense, it's a worthwhile set. This is a display meant for people who want a cheap but reliable 50-inch TV that gets the job done but nothing more. 

The S4 is available in Roku TV, Fire TV, or Google TV variants, so you can choose which smart TV interface you like best. We like Roku for its simple navigation, but the Fire and Google options have the benefits of built-in support for Alexa or Google Assistant, respectively.

Best midrange for gaming

Vizio's MQX is designed with gaming in mind. This midrange TV is one of the few 50-inch QLED models available that supports a 120Hz refresh rate in 4K, and it can even support up to 240Hz if you game in 1080p on a computer. 

This enables a smooth experience when you play games with frame rates higher than 60 frames per second on a PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC. The TV also uses a QLED panel with wide color support and local dimming to help control contrast and black levels. However, the display only uses 16 dimming zones, which is low and can cause more noticeable blooming (halos around bright objects) than you'd see on QLEDs with more zones or on OLED TVs with pixel-level contrast. 

At a peak of around 400 to 500 nits, the MQX's brightness is decent for a TV in this class but a bit under the minimum of 600 nits that we recommend for entry-level high dynamic range performance. If you're buying a 50-inch TV with HDR movie-watching in mind, we think you're better off with the Hisense U6HF since it can get a little brighter and has double the number of dimming zones. However, the U6HF only has a 60Hz refresh rate, so the MQX has a clear edge when it comes to gaming. Both TVs have subpar viewing angles, so neither has an advantage there.

How we pick 50-inch TVs

To choose the best 50-inch TVs, we use a combination of testing and research bolstered by more than a decade's worth of expertise covering the home entertainment product industry.  

When we test TVs, we usually evaluate 65-inch models since brands consider that the flagship size. However, if a specific TV model is offered in multiple sizes, that model's overall performance usually remains similar across different sizes. For example, a 48-inch LG C3 OLED and a 65-inch C3 OLED have the same basic specs and features. The only major differences are the sizes of their screens and their peak brightness. 

However, it's important to note that the best 50-inch TVs with local dimming, like the Hisense U6HF and Vizio QMX, use fewer dimming zones in smaller sizes versus larger options. This can result in differences in contrast performance when comparing a 50-inch model to another size. Sometimes, there are bigger variations in features and design across sizes, so we note those instances when they pop up.  

When evaluating TVs, we consider factors like clarity/sharpness, contrast, peak HDR brightness, color gamut, off-angle viewing, refresh rate, smart TV interface, and general value for the money. We use an X-Rite iDisplay Plus colorimeter to assess brightness when we review a TV and use test patterns on the Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray disc to check other objective image elements. 

We also watch plenty of real-world content on every TV we test to get a feel for what it's like to use a TV daily. We play key scenes from movies and TV shows to examine local dimming, HDR performance, upscaling, and more. Sources include Blu-ray discs, streaming services, and live TV in various levels of quality, from standard definition to 4K. Testing is conducted in bright and dark rooms to see how TVs perform in different conditions. 

50-inch TV FAQs

Is 50 inches a good size for a TV?

The best 50-inch TVs are a good option for buyers who need a compact display for a smaller room, but the selection of midrange and high-end TVs offered in this size is limited compared to what you'd find when shopping for a larger display.

For instance, many of the best OLED TVs are only available in 55, 65, and 77 inches. Likewise, several of our favorite QLED TVs from brands like Hisense and TCL, like the U7K and QM8, are not sold in 50 inches. 

However, there are a few high-end exceptions, like our top pick in this guide, the LG C3, one of the few OLED TVs made in smaller sizes. But generally speaking, most 50-inch TVs are built with entry-level and lower-midrange performance in mind. 

If you want a larger selection of mid-tier and premium display models to choose from, check out our guides focusing on larger TVs:

• The best 55-inch TVs
• The best 65-inch TVs
• The best 75-inch TVs
• The best 85-inch TVs

How much should a 50-inch TV cost?

Depending on the type of display you buy, the best 50-inch TVs will cost between $200 and $1,000. 

Entry-level LED models from value-friendly brands like TCL, Hisense, and Vizio cost around $200 to $250. These options are good for casual viewing but often lack advanced features like quantum dots and local dimming. Lower-midrange QLED sets range from $300 to $550, and these options will deliver better color, higher contrast, and brighter panels. However, many of our favorite upper-midrange QLED models are unavailable in 50 inches.    

Likewise, high-end 50-inch TVs are hard to come by, but you can find a couple of OLED models, like the LG C3, and top-tier QLED models, like the Samsung QN90C, in this size for around $1,000 to $1,200.

Is 4K worth it on a 50-inch TV?

Though the benefits of 4K resolution are best appreciated on larger TV sets, 50 inches is still big enough to make 4K worthwhile, especially if you plan to sit close to your display. 

However, the debate about whether 4K is worth it on a TV this size has become a moot point since major brands no longer sell 50-inch HDTVs. Most HDTV models are now restricted to 43 inches and under. If you're buying a 50-inch or larger TV in 2024, 4K is the standard.

For more 4K display recommendations in multiple sizes, check out our guide to the best 4K TVs.

Should you get a soundbar for a 50-inch TV?

Many TVs, especially those in smaller sizes like 50 inches, offer mediocre sound quality. To keep costs down and fit speakers inside compact displays, manufacturers use small drivers that limit the range, depth, and clarity of a TV's built-in audio. To get the best sound quality, we recommend buying a separate soundbar to pair with a 50-inch TV.

Check out our soundbar guides to see our top recommendations:

• The best soundbars
• The best budget soundbars
• The best Dolby Atmos soundbars
• The best soundbars with subwoofers

• Student-loan company Navient has a process for defrauded private student-loan borrowers to get relief.
• However, borrowers might not know that they have to request the application.
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren has called on Navient to make the process easier for borrowers to get relief.

There's a process for some private student-loan borrowers to get debt relief — but many of them might not know about it.

In April, Business Insider first reported that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, along with eight of her Democratic colleagues, were calling on Navient — a major private student-loan company — to cancel "decades-old predatory private student loans" under consumer protection law.

The issue came down to some borrowers not qualifying for relief under the borrower defense to repayment, which is a federal program that forgives student debt for borrowers who prove they were defrauded by the schools they attended. Those with private loans are not eligible for federal relief but under a provision known as the Holder Rule, private lenders can forgive student loans if students enrolled in a fraudulent school that had a relationship with the lender.

However, while Navient has a process for defrauded borrowers to get relief, many of them might not know about it because they have to request an application. The Project on Predatory Student Lending, which advocates for defrauded borrowers, published updated information on the steps borrowers need to take to apply for the relief — including an example of what the actual application looks like.

"We're spreading the word to ensure that impacted borrowers—not just those that Navient hand picks—know that there is a path to relief," Eileen Connor, president of the group, said in a statement. "We're also calling on Navient and all lenders to do the right thing and cancel all student loans outright where there is evidence of fraud." 

According to the Project on Predatory Student Lending, borrowers with private loans who believe they were defrauded and want relief need to ask Navient for a School Misconduct Discharge Application by contacting Navient's Office of the Customer Advocate or emailing advocate@navient.com.

Once completed, applications can be submitted to the same email address. The group wrote in its guidance that if Navient refuses to provide the application or does not respond to the application within 30 days, borrowers should submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

While some borrowers have started to receive the application from Navient, Warren and her colleagues still urged the company to automate the process and give private borrowers the same relief federal borrowers may have already received.

"Navient should stop making borrowers apply for relief and instead automatically cancel student debt using information the company already has about whether borrowers attended schools that would entitle them to relief," they wrote in their letter.

According to Navient's response to the senators reviewed by The New York Times, the company is "committed to canceling all loans that meet the Holder Rule criteria."

Still, Warren wrote on X that the process should not be "wildly confusing" — and all private borrowers who qualify for debt relief if they were defrauded should have no problem getting it.

Have you received an application for private student-debt relief from Navient, or are you still struggling to get relief? Share your story with this reporter at asheffey@businessinsider.com.

• Zoom CEO Eric Yuan wants to leverage AI for "digital twins" that can attend meetings.
• Yuan said AI avatars can eventually handle everyday tasks, shortening workweeks to three or four days.
• The CEO predicted the tech will cut down on 90% of work, but won't replace in-person interactions.

Zoom's CEO Eric Yuan is ready for a world where your AI clone handles your busy work — and he painted a picture of a life that sounds pretty relaxing.

Yuan, in an interview with The Verge released Monday, said he hates his calendar, reading emails every morning, and finds a five-day workweek filled with meetings "boring."

That's why he wants people to have their own personal AI "digital twin" to attend meetings and write emails for them so that they can "go to the beach" instead, he said. AI clones could help shorten the workweek to three or four days, Yuan added.

"You do not have to have five or six Zoom calls every day," Yuan said. "You can leverage the AI to do that."

In Yuan's vision, your AI twin could also do other everyday tasks across Zoom Workplace, like messaging, phone calls, emails, coding, creative tasks, manager tasks, and project management, Yuan said in the interview.

Delegating this work to your AI clone would allow people to have more time for in-person interactions — in and outside of work, he said.

"Why not spend more time with your family," Yuan said. "Why not focus on some more creative things, giving you back your time, giving back to the community and society to help others, right?"

While Yuan couched this vision as still being a ways away, he said Zoom started investing in generative AI before ChatGPT came out and sped up its advancement in the space after seeing it take off. Zoom has already introduced some AI features for its workplace platform Zoom Workplace, like AI Companion, which provides meeting summaries.

The CEO said Zoom's digital twin technology would likely first start as a voice assistant, but could eventually become more immersive, making a virtual version of yourself available in virtual environments like those found in the Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3.

Eventually, the goal would be a 3D version of yourself that can mimic you to the point where "you can't know if it's a real person or just a 3D version."

Yuan also described how you theoretically have multiple versions of your digital twin based on different needs. For example, one version may be a sales expert and another may be an engineer.

Yuan said the technology isn't there yet for two main reasons. First, the underlying AI models, or LLMs, that such a product would rely upon aren't advanced enough. Second, he said that such a customized AI clone would require a customized LLM that's based on all the data and context around each individual person. But Yuan said he expects AI technology to be capable of this in the next few years.

So if workers' AI twins are handling a lot of the grunt work and enjoying the beach, what work does that leave them to do? Zoom's CEO said that AI could help for 90% of work, but said it wouldn't replace in-person interactions.

"We still need to have in-person interaction. That is very important," Yuan said. "Say you and I are sitting together in a local Starbucks, and we are having a very intimate conversation — AI cannot do that, either."

But it seems that the avatars would make room for more in-person interactions outside of work, rather than at the workplace.

In terms of in-person work, Yuan said new employees may want to start in the office for some real-life interactions, but overall he doesn't see people wanting to get together more often in real life once those connections are made. He said getting together once or twice a year is "good enough."

Read the full interview here.