Chances are good that you fall into one of two camps: Those who barely know what the World Cup is, and those who cannot wait to get their eyes on every second of it. If you’re reading this article, it’s pretty likely that you’re one of the latter.
The good news is there are plenty of fantastic TVs out there to help you make the most of every game of the Cup — even though A.I. has already picked the winner. The slightly less good (but still good) news is that there are so many excellent options, finding the right TV for you can be tough. Fortunately, we’re here to help. Below you’ll find a list of five TVs to help you catch the 2018 World Cup in all its glory, no matter your budget.
At a glance
| Product | Category |
| LG C8-Series 4K OLED TV | The Best |
| TCL 65-inch 6-series | Under $1,000 |
| Samsung 55-inch NU8000 | Under $1,000 |
| TCL 55-inch 5-Series 4K HDR TV | Under $500 |
| LG 49-inch UK6300PUE | Under $500 |
The best of the best
LG C8-Series 4K OLED TV
This is kind of a no-brainer on this list, since it also made the top of our general list of the best TVs you can buy. That doesn’t mean we just lazily slapped this TV at the number one slot, though. While fast action may dissolve into a blurry haze on older standard LCD TVs, the LG C8’s OLED display excels at displaying fast motion, meaning you won’t miss a thing. That’s to say nothing of just how good this TV’s picture looks, with support for every major high dynamic range (HDR) standard, including HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and Hybrid Log Gamma for future proofing.
The C8-series’ color accuracy and resolution are nothing sort of thrilling, while a wide viewing angle means everyone will get primo picture quality, no matter where they’re seated. The price isn’t for everyone, with the 55-inch model going for $2,500 65-inch model going for $3,500 77-inch model going for a steep $9,000
55-inch model going for $2,500
65-inch model going for $3,500
77-inch model going for a steep $9,000
Editor’s note: For even more great picks, check out our lists for the Best TVs under $1,000 and under $500 as well.
Under $1,000
TCL 65-inch 6-series
While TCL may not have been a blip on the radar a few years ago, things have changed in a hurry. Not only is this pretty much the only current 65-inch 4K UHD TV you’ll find for under $1,000, but it’s also packed with features and looks great to boot, which is why it’s our current pick for the flat-out best TV you can buy at the $1,000 price point.
This Roku-powered TV may not have the lightning-fast response times of an OLED, but TCL’s Clear Motion Index keeps fast movement nice and smooth, so you won’t struggle to see what’s happening during a major moment in a match. Just be aware that motion smoothing technologies like this can cause the Soap Opera Effect when you’re watching standard movies and TV shows, so you might want to turn this feature off when the game is over.
Samsung 55-inch NU8000
No this isn’t one of Samsung’s QLEDs, but that’s why you’re able to get it for under $1,000
You won’t find Dolby Vision here, but you will find HDR10 and HDR10+ HDR formats for streaming and Blu-ray content, which are well supported. The TV also happens to look great on the mantle, so it should do a nice job of blending in with your room. The price currently varies between $900 and $1,000, but either way, it’s a great deal.
get it for under $1,000
Under $500
TCL 55-inch 5-Series 4K HDR TV
Like the other TCL model on this list, it’s hard to believe just how much TV you’re getting for the price with this model, which is why it made the top pick on our list of the best TVs you can buy for under $500
Like the bigger TCL, this TV features Clear Motion Index for smooth action, so you won’t have a hard time keeping track of where the action is. You won’t find many sports streaming in 4K with HDR, at least not yet, but with support for both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, you’ll be somewhat future-proof, and you can also take advantage of all the 4K and HDR content available via apps on the built-in Roku platform. For $500, that’s hard to beat.
buy for under $500
LG 49-inch UK6300PUE
Like the TCL 5-Series, this model also made our best TVs under $500 list as our pick for the TV with the best viewing angle. Even though the size is a little smaller, 49 inches is still plenty of screen, and if you plan on having friends over to watch the World Cup, that wide viewing angle will mean nobody will be fighting over the sweet spot on the couch.
This TV features LG’s TruMotion 120 which, similarly to the motion smoothing used by other TVs on this list, will help the appearance of fast motion look more smooth so you can follow the action more closely. While it doesn’t feature Dolby Vision, you do get HDR10 and Hybrid Log Gamma, meaning you’ll be able to watch plenty of HDR content now and in the future. You also get Google Assistant via LG’s ThinQ A.I. and the fun Magic Motion remote. For a few bucks shy of $500
For a few bucks shy of $500
Conclusion
The TVs listed here are just a few of your options for making the 2018 World Cup a wonderful viewing experience. If you’ve looked over the list and none of these options are for you, take a look at our best of links at the top, as well as our TV buying guide to help make your shopping as simple and enjoyable as possible.
