Our TV reviews follow a rigorous, unbiased rating process honed over nearly 20 years of TV reviews. Our main 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 rate every TV we review. Every CNET TV review compares three or more similar TVs side-by-side under various lighting conditions playing a variety of media, including movies, TV shows, and games, across a variety of test categories ranging from color, video processing, gaming, and HDR. Our reviews take into account design, features, smart TV performance, HDMI input, and gaming compatibility, as well as other factors.
Measuring input lag (in milliseconds) is a critical component of the gaming TV testing process.
Measure input lag on TV
tv model | On (4K HDR) | Off (4K HDR) | On (1080p) | Off (1080p) |
---|---|---|---|---|
LG OLED65C2 | 9.87 | 81.10 | 9.93 | 72.80 |
Amazon Fire TV 4 Series | 10.03 | 119.23 | 34.80 | 102.20 |
Samsung QN55Q60B | 10.10 | 68.63 | 10.00 | 87.80 |
TCL 50S455 | 10.13 | 49.90 | 10.23 | 33.27 |
Samsung QN65QN90B | 10:50 | 74.30 | 10.73 | 95.00 |
Vizio V550M | 10.43 | 67.70 | 10.63 | 51.57 |
Hisense 50A6H | 10.53 | 119.27 | 10.80 | 43.23 |
TCL 65R655 | 10.90 | 11.40 | 11.27 | 11.37 |
Sony KD55X80K | 11.67 | 132.63 | 11.93 | 132.77 |
Vizio M65QXM-K03 | 15.10 | 127.37 | 15.33 | 60.10 |
Hisense 65U8H | 15.43 | 108.73 | 15.33 | 108.73 |
Sony KD-65X95K | 18.13 | 144.53 | 18.03 | 161.20 |
For more information, check out our page on how to test your TV.
Input lag is often lower in gaming mode than in other modes on your TV. Here are some gaming-related aspects we looked at for each TV.
How to turn on gaming mode. In most cases, viewing in gaming mode is not automatic, so you have to turn it on manually, and sometimes the gaming monitor settings can be difficult to find. Many use a picture mode called “Gaming,” while some, like Samsung and Vizio, allow you to apply gaming mode to any setting.
Game mode makes a difference, except where it doesn't. As you can see in the table above, many TVs see a significant reduction in lag when you turn on Game Mode, but many don't. In general, more expensive TVs with sophisticated video processing benefit more when using Game Mode.
Most TV game modes are sufficient for most gamers. No matter how absurd it may be, it will happen. It's hard to tell the difference. Input lag of 13 to 30 milliseconds. Many gamers can't even tell the difference between turning a game mode on and off. It all depends on your game and its sensitivity to lag.
Turning on gaming mode may result in a slight decrease in image quality. TV manufacturers' menus often mention poor picture quality. Decreased picture quality usually occurs when you turn off that video processing. However, in my experience the difference in image quality is very subtle in console gaming and is a trade-off worth making if you want to minimize lag for a great gaming experience.
4K HDR gaming lag is different than 1080p. The display resolution you play at will have an impact, as the new consoles offer some standout features. 4K HDR We started testing 4K HDR lag in 2018 for gaming output. In general, the numbers are similar to the lag at standard 1080p resolution, but there are exceptions, as you can see in the chart above.
Testing is an inexact science. I use the Leo Bodnar latency tester. Here's how it works and how to use it:. You can see a variety of lag test results from various review outlets that may use Bodnar or other methods.
Take a look at this: Here's what to look for when buying a gaming TV: