Rick's Honest Install Take on Buying a TV in 2026
22 years installing residential AV. Thousands of TVs hung, calibrated, RMA'd, and replaced. Here's what I actually tell clients when nobody's writing a marketing check.
By Rick Baron · Verified 2026-05-21
For your main TV — the one in the family room, living room, or media room that everyone sees and uses the most — I don't care which brand you get as long as it's a Samsung, Sony, or LG. That's where picture quality, reliability, and smooth performance actually matter.
Here's the real talk:
Avoid the cheapest models in any brand.
Samsung's entry-level QLEDs are the ones I see fail the most. They're rushed, cheaply built, and don't deliver the picture you expect. I'd rather you buy a step-up model from Samsung than the bottom-tier model from any brand.
Skip the flagship 8K TVs.
There's still no real 8K content, and you're paying a huge premium for features almost nobody uses. The mid-tier models almost always give you better real-world value.
TCL has made massive improvements. Hisense — I'm still watching.
Their higher-end models like the QM series now spec out surprisingly well. I'm still a little hesitant on Hisense — they've come a long way but I'm watching closely on long-term reliability and customer service. If the price difference is huge and you're comfortable rolling the dice, I won't fight you on it.
Where you buy matters.
I never recommend ordering a 65-inch or larger TV from Amazon. Costco is my favorite because of their warranty and easy returns.
The bigger picture — think whole house
If you're only replacing one TV right now, think about the whole house. Having every TV on the same platform — whether it's Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV — makes life way easier. The wife, the kids, and guests all know how to use every TV. That consistency is huge for making a happy home.
If you're using external streamers on every TV, the actual TV brand becomes much less important. You can mix Samsung, LG, and Hisense all day long as long as they're all running Roku. In that case, it's all about getting the best bang for the buck.
Panasonic & Sharp — the brands I want to root for
A side note for the old-school AV folks.
I used to be a big fan of both of these brands back in the day.
Panasonic made some of the best plasmas I've ever installed — they were my favorite TV for years. I still have one running in my bedroom. They left the U.S. market for almost ten years, but they made a comeback in late 2024 with new OLEDs and Mini-LEDs. I haven't seen the new models in person yet, but I'm genuinely excited. If anyone can come back swinging with great picture quality, I think it's Panasonic.
Sharp also made some really solid TVs. Their old Aquos models were fantastic values — I still see some 12–13 year old ones out in the field that still look good with a new streamer on them. They've also returned to the U.S. market with new QLED and OLED models, but they're still pretty hard to find.
Both brands are definitely worth keeping an eye on.
What to do with this
- Picking your panel tech? OLED vs QLED vs Mini-LED breakdown
- Already know your brand? Browse all 11 brand pages
- Need a use-case pick? Six buying guides by use case
- Comparing models? 25 individual 2026 model pages