Our Experts
Written by
David Katzmaier
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
Sarah Lord covers TVs and home entertainment. Prior to joining CNET, Sarah served as the tech and electronic reviews fellow at Insider, where she wrote about everything from smart watches and wearables to tablets and e-readers. She began her career by writing laptop reviews as an intern and subsequent freelancer at Tom’s Hardware. She is also a professional actor with many credits in theater, film and television.
Expertise TVs | Home Entertainment | Streaming | Computers Credentials
- Member of Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association
David Katzmaier Editorial Director — Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 25-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. He created CNET’s methodology for testing TVs, streaming services and AI tools. Prior to CNET he wrote for Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. Credentials
- Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
Most TVs are now smart TVs, which allow you to easily watch the best streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney Plus and Netflix. All offer access to the biggest streaming apps, but there are differences among them. Some offer a clean interface and easy access to what you want, while others can be cluttered and riddled with ads and promotions. At CNET, as part of our rigorous side-by-side TV testing regimen, we’ve reviewed all the major smart TV systems including Roku, Google TV and Amazon Fire TV. We prefer Roku’s system for its simplicity, effective search features and its vast catalog of supported apps and services. The TVs below all have Roku built-in.
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What’s the best Roku TV overall?
The best Roku TV tested and reviewed by CNET is the Roku Pro Series TV. It’s at the top of the company’s lineup, offers decent image quality for the money, and is particularly suited to gaming and of course that Roku TV OS.
While Roku makes TVs now, it also continues to sell sets made by partner manufacturers, like TCL, Hisense, Onn, Pioneer and Sharp. These televisions generally tend to sit at the low end of the price and picture quality spectrum. And you won’t find a Roku-branded top-of-the-line OLED TV yet, despite Roku offering manufacturers a blueprint on how to make one.
Of course, you can turn any TV into a Roku by adding a Roku streaming device, which typically costs less than $50. You’ll be sacrificing an HDMI port (and possibly a USB port, too). But in return, you can consider other TVs with higher-end options such as full-array local dimming, OLED screens, a 120Hz refresh rate, 4K UHD resolution, high dynamic range, a plethora of HDMI ports, and even gaming-centric features — including variable refresh rate — to go with a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
But if you’re convinced you want an all-in-one Roku TV, here are the best you can get.
Best Roku TVs of 2025
Our TV reviews follow a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process honed over nearly two decades of TV reviews. Our primary TV test lab has specialized equipment for measuring light and color, including a Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer, a Murideo Sig-G 4K HDR signal generator and an AVPro Connect 8×8 4K HDR distribution matrix. We use Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software to evaluate every TV we review. In every CNET TV review, three or more similar TVs are compared side-by-side in various lighting conditions playing different media, including movies, TV shows and games, across a variety of test categories, from color to video processing to gaming to HDR. Our reviews also account for design, features, smart TV performance, HDMI input and gaming compatibility, and other factors.
One important aspect of image quality we test is overall brightness. Here’s how it compares in nits across select TVs listed above.
Check out How We Test TVs for more details.
With all of the TVs available today, and all of the technical terms and jargon associated with television technology, it can be tough to figure out what’s important. Here’s a quick guide to help cut through the confusion.
Price: TVs range in price from $100 to more than $2,000. Smaller screens are cheaper, well-known brands are more expensive and spending more money can also get you better image quality. Most entry-level TVs have a good enough picture for most people, but TVs last a long time, so it might be worth spending more to get a better picture. It’s also best to shop for a TV in the fall, when prices are lower.
Screen size: Bigger is better in our book. We recommend a size of at least 43 inches for a bedroom TV and at least 55 inches for a living room or main TV — and 65 inches or larger is best. More than any other “feature,” stepping up in TV screen size is the best use of your money. One of the most common post-TV-purchase complaints we’ve heard is from people who didn’t go big enough. And we almost never hear people complain that their TV is too large.
Capability: Among entry-level TVs the most important feature is what kind of smart TV system the TV uses. Among midrange models, look for a feature including full-array local dimming, mini-LED and 120Hz refresh rate, which (unlike some other extras) do help improve the picture in our experience. And among high-end TVs, OLED technology is your best bet.
For more TV buying advice check out How to Buy a TV.
What’s the difference between a Roku TV and a Roku streaming device?
Both Roku TVs and streaming devices offer you access to the same software. The only difference is that this software comes built into a Roku TV, and you won’t need to purchase a separate device to connect to a TV. A Roku streaming device is best suited for those who do not have a Roku TV and are looking to use the Roku software.
The streaming device connects to the back of your TV through an HDMI input and can be accessed through the corresponding input button on your TV remote. Most Roku devices connected to newer TVs can be configured to automatically switch to the correct input when you press the power button on the Roku remote.
Can I use a Roku TV for gaming?
You can connect any TV to a gaming console with an HDMI cable to play games, but only the Roku Pro SeriesTV will offer gaming-specific features like 4K/120Hz and low input lag.
Casual gamers might be happy to game on a TV without gaming-specific features, but those looking to get the most out of their Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X will want to stick with a TV like the Pro Series.
How big a TV should I get?
In our opinion, bigger is better, and your money is best spent on large screen sizes rather than a slight upgrade in image quality. The answer also depends on room size and seating distance: If you have a big room and sit farther away, you’ll want a bigger TV.
