Don't buy a TV in 2026 without these features — you'll regret it within a year

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If you're buying a new TV in 2026, there are a few specific features you should make sure it has beyond the most obvious ones.

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By  Christine Persaud Published Apr 6, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT Christine has been covering the consumer tech space for the last 20+ years - yes, before the iPhone was even invented! She has reviewed dozens of headphones and wireless earbuds, portable Bluetooth speakers, wearables, and more.

For the last 12+ years, she has also covered entertainment, writing in-depth TV show reviews and features for sites like WiFi HiFi, Movieweb, Collider, and CBR. If you're looking for a TV show recommendation, she'll be happy to oblige!

She earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honors degree with a Double Major in Communications and Psychology from York University in her hometown of Toronto, Ontario Canada. Christine started her career working a tech business magazine, working her way up to editor. She switched to freelance in 2014.

When she's not working (which is rare!), Christine loves to spend time with her family and friends, and relax in front of the TV with a glass of wine and a hot new show, which is kind of still work! Follow her on Instagram and X at @christineTechCA. Sign in to your MakeUseOf account

The latest TVs have features beyond the usual high-res 4K picture quality, AI picture enhancement, smart TV platforms, and improved built-in speakers. They boast upgrades to afford seamless navigation, help extend the life of the TV, and make them look (and sound) better.

If you're buying a new TV in 2026 from one of the best TV brands, there are some features that are nice-to-haves, like 144Hz variable refresh rate for gamers, smart home integration for those who need it, and AI features for both improving the picture and sound and affording a convenient chatbot right from your TV. Then there are must-haves to ensure you get the best possible viewing experience.

For those upgrading this year, it makes sense to find a TV that possesses these features. No matter which brand or TV type you're choosing, there are a few specific features you should seek out. They might call them different names, and each brand has its own approach.

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Pixel or panel shifting or refresh

Keep images from burning in

Burn-in is when a static image, like a logo at the corner of the screen, "burns into" the display and remains faintly visible permanently. Think of a news network's logo or gaming badge. Burn-in has long been an issue with OLED TVs. But if you're buying a newer model OLED TV today, there are many ways modern OLED TVs prevent burn-in. Pixel or panel refreshing lets you reset pixels if necessary. It's not advised to use this feature more than once per year, but it's a preventative measure for those who often have the TV on for long periods of time.

Another technology that happens in the background, and you should check for in a TV's specs, shifts the screen so slightly that it's unnoticeable, but it's designed to prevent burn-in. It runs at regular intervals, ensuring that a static image never remains on the same part of the screen for too long. LG calls this Screen Shift, and Sony and Samsung call it Pixel Shift. It goes without saying that the TV should have a built-in screensaver mode as well, which most, if not all, do. Like with your laptop, this forces the screen out of a static image into a moving screensaver if the same image remains on screen for longer than about two minutes.

Mini LED or RGB backlighting

Latest and greatest

If you're not going with an OLED that uses self-emissive pixels, consider a new Mini-LED TV. Mini-LED TVs have ultra-small backlight LEDs, which afford more precise dimming, better contrast, and improved brightness. There are Micro LED TVs that work much the same way, except the pixels are even tinier, ensuring an even better picture. But these aren't available in the mass market yet, beyond massive screens that cost in the five-to-six figures. There are, however, RGB LED TVs coming to market. These replace the white backlight with red, green, and blue ones. Removing the filter layer behind the TV results in more precise, vibrant, faithful color reproduction.

All the major manufacturers showed micro RGB TVs coming in 2026 at CES earlier this year, and you may find that they're worth the wait; some are already here, and others are coming later in 2026. While OLED remains the top TV type when it comes to deep black levels, contrast, and off-angle viewing, it's also an expensive technology. If you want something as close as possible to OLED without paying OLED pricing, micro RGB TVs are a solid consideration.

Glare-free screens

Watch in bright rooms

Credit: Samsung

An often overlooked feature of TVs is not just brightness but also glare. Some of the latest TVs from brands like Samsung boast glare-free screens, which ensure that you can watch TV in brighter rooms with windows without worrying about reflections on the screen. This also helps eliminate glare when looking off-angle.

Samsung's S95D OLED TV, for example, was the first to feature the company's own matte, glare-free finish. That company's The Frame and The Frame Pro TVs both feature a glare-free design as well, which works not only while actively watching TV but also when they are in art mode, so they truly look like paintings on the wall. The way these glare-free TVs work is through a specialized coating that helps diffuse ambient light. This feature isn’t an absolute necessity if you are setting the TV up in a dark room for cinematic viewing, like in a basement theater with no windows. But for everyday viewing in both light and dark scenarios, it's a feature that will pay off in the long run.

HDMI eARC/ARC ports

Connecting a sound source

Along with the TV supporting immersive sound formats like Dolby Atmos and/or DTS:X, make sure it has an HDMI eARC port. This stands for Enhanced Audio Return Channel, and it allows for transmitting uncompressed audio to your sound source, like a soundbar, without the need for a separate audio cable. This helps not only improve the audio output but also simplifies setup, making for a cleaner overall look with fewer cables.

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With this port and a compatible cable, you don't need to use an optical cable to connect your TV to a separate sound source, which you'll want to enjoy enhanced audio with action movies and gaming. The latest TVs typically have multiple HDMI ports for connecting various sources, like a set-top box, media player, gaming console, and more at the same time. But at least one of those ports should be labeled ARC or eARC, the latter of which bumps bandwidth and speed for even higher quality audio and ensures a smoother connection with a compatible source device. It's a small detail that can make a world of difference.

An intuitive smart TV OS

It's your portal to content

Unless you're connecting a streaming stick, Apple TV, or other media device to your TV, you want an intuitive smart TV OS. Every smart TV OS has its pluses and minuses, and each operates slightly differently from one another. LG's webOS and Google TV are generally considered the best smart TV interfaces. Not everyone is a fan of Samsung's Tizen, though its TVs work seamlessly within the Samsung smart ecosystem through SmartThings. So, if you own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, smartwatch, or other device, you might prefer it.

There's always a way around a lackluster smart TV interface by connecting an affordable Amazon Fire TV Stick or Roku Streaming Stick, for example. But invest in a TV you're comfortable using on its own without one. This is your portal to all your streaming content, potentially even other apps and games. So, you want it to be one that you find easy to use and comfortable with.

Samsung The Frame Pro

$1599.99 $2199.99 Save $600 Display Size 85", 75", 65", 55"

Samsung's The Frame Pro is an art TV that comes in various sizes and boasts features like Mini LED backlighting, Glare Free technology, and enhanced audio. It also has an HDMI eARC port to support high-res audio pass-through to soundbars, and works with the Wireless One Connect Box for an even cleaner setup.

$1599.99 at Samsung $1797.99 at Amazon (US) $1599.99 at Best Buy Expand Collapse