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The Best TVs and Home Theater Tech of 2023

We round up our favorite TVs, soundbars and home theater accessories of 2023.

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By Tucker Bowe

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This story is part of the 2023 Gear Patrol Tech Awards. To see the full list of winners, click here.

Each year, every television manufacturer pumps out their latest and greatest lines of TVs. The same is true for soundbars, surround sound systems and streaming gadgets. But that doesn’t mean you have to buy them. These things are expensive, after-all, and you should only upgrade if they’re really worth it.

That said, TVs and sound systems have improved a staggering amount in the last couple years. So if your system is a little dated and you’re thinking about what’s next, this is where you want to look.

We’ve reviewed a lot of TVs, soundbars and various home theater components over the years. Below you’ll find our favorites you can buy in 2023.

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

LG has been the go-to manufacturer of OLED TVs for the last few years, and the C3 Evo is its new flagship. It delivers an exceptional picture that’s a great combination of color, brightness and contrast, plus its low input lag makes it one of the best OLED TVs for gaming. It’s available in a bunch of sizes and, while it is a touch expensive, it’s not unreasonably priced compared to other OLED TVs on the market.

RELATED: The Best OLED TVs

TCL’s QM8 series are excellent all-around 4K TVs; though the name is different, the QM8s are the natural successors to TCL’s extremely popular 6-Series. They deliver an excellent and bright picture — thanks to now being integrated mini-LED backlight technology — and have special features for gaming.

Related: The Best Affordable 4K TVs

The Samsung HW-Q990C is one of the best soundbar-based surround sound systems you can buy. It’s a 11.1.4-channel system consisting of a soundbar, subwoofer and two satellite speakers that’s able to deliver an incredibly immersive Dolby Atmos experience (in large thanks to the soundbar and the two rear speakers having up- and side-firing drivers). And the system is significantly more affordable than if you were to build a comparable system from Sonos or Bose.

RELATED: The Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars

The Arc has been around for a few years, but it’s still our pick for the best standalone Dolby Atmos soundbar. It’s a plug-and-play 5.0.2-channel sound system — with dedicated up-firing drivers (which you really need for Atmos) — that’s great for both movies and music. And if you want, you can easily build out your system over time by adding rear speakers and up to two subwoofers.

RELATED: The Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars

The Roku Streambar is a super-compact soundbar, measuring just 14 inches across and weighing 2.4 pounds — and an optimal partner for TVs 50 inches or smaller. Its standout feature is that it’s integrated with a 4K streaming player, so it can turn any “dumb” older TV into a “smart” TV that’s capable of streaming apps like Netflix, Max and Peacock.

RELATED: Best Budget Soundbars

The Onkyo TX-NR6100 is a do-it-all AV receiver that’s a great choice for anybody building a more traditional surround sound system. It’s a 7.2-channel receiver that supports Dolby Atmos and is THX Certified (meaning it meets the quality standard for visuals and sound). It works especially well with the latest TVs and gaming consoles. And it supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming, making it a great central music hub.

RELATED: The Best Stereo Receivers

The Apple TV has been our favorite streaming player for years. It has a super fast and intuitive interface. And it works really seamlessly with Apple’s other devices; you can quickly AirPlay something from your Mac or iPhone, and listen quietly to the TV on your AirPods. And, as of last year, Apple dropped the price of its flagship streamer by $30.

RELATED: Read Our Review

The Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 is a standout when it comes to home theater projectors that can deliver a true 4K picture. It delivers a phenomenal picture that’s bright (up to 2,700 lumens) with excellent color and contrast. And, of course being a projector, it can deliver a superbly large picture — up to 240 inches.

RELATED: Best Affordable 4K Projectors

The Anker Nebula Mars II Pro is still our favorite portable projector because it has everything you need. It has a built-in interface so you can stream movies or shows directly from the projector without needing a separate device — you can even download content so you can watch without a Wi-Fi connection. (You can of course connect a streaming device, gaming console or laptop, too.) It has a pretty powerful built-in speaker. And its 3.5-hour battery life is longer-lasting than most other similarly-sized alternatives.

RELATED: Best Affordable 4K Projectors