4K HDR Televisions for Every Budget, From $500 to $130K

For a few hundred dollars more, you can get a 55-inch screen in Vizio's higher-end P-series lineup. Those extra C-notes go toward a brighter backlight system and more granular local dimming than the M series. The P series also has better motion-handling, more HDMI inputs than its cheaper stablemate, and a nicer tablet for your Chromecasting needs.

A couple more Benjamins gets you a bigger screen and gorgeous industrial design, in the form of Samsung's 65-inch KU7000 TV. The clever design touches extend beyond its classy frame: You can use this set as a control center for all your smart-home devices, and its slick remote can be used to control any components plugged into the TV. It only does HDR10, though.

Another design standout, Sony's 55-inch X930 set has a super-slim bezel and a 1.4-inch-deep frame. That slim profile comes at a price: Unlike most other HDR-compatible sets, it uses an edge-lit LED backlight system instead of a full-array system. It only does HDR10 content, but it does have Android TV built into it—as well as Google Cast features similar to Vizio's sets.

Two grand gets you Vizio's 65-inch P series model, and the benefits are clear. It does both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, it has 128 zones of local dimming to complement its 600-nit full-array backlight system, and it comes with that nifty tablet that doubles as a remote control.

Here's where things go next-level. Practically everyone who has laid eyes on an OLED TV has fallen in love with it. A 4K HDR OLED? That represents the ultimate combination of resolution, contrast, and oil-slick blacks. This is LG's most "affordable" model that combines everything on that list. $2,500 may sound expensive, but consider the fact that a plain old 1080p OLED TV cost $15,000 a few years ago.

But there are a few benefits to dropping a bit more coin on an LCD set instead of an OLED—especially if HDR is your big draw. Not only do you get a bigger screen for less, but an LCD set can also get much brighter than an OLED. This curved 65-incher is among Samsung's highest-end TVs, and it's loaded with color-enhancing quantum dots. You also get the smart-home controls and universal-remote features of the lower-end models—albeit Dolby Vision support is still absent.

Here comes Vizio again. This P-series model shares the local-dimming granularity, powerful backlight system, dual HDR-encoding support, and Chromecast features of its smaller-screened stablemates. If you absolutely, positively need a 75-inch screen that has all the HDR fixins, this is just about the cheapest model out there at the moment.

For about the same price as a ceramic Panerai, you can put what may be the brightest TV ever made in front of your La-Z-Boy. The Z9D is perhaps the ultimate HDR-capable set for a couple of innovative reasons: Its 1,000-plus-nit backlight system is purportedly brighter than any TV that's ever existed, and its "Backlight Master Drive" system is the most fine-grained approach to local dimming available today. Simply put, this TV does HDR to perfection—just as long as it's HDR10 content.

This 120-inch version of Vizio's Reference Series set measures 10 feet on the diagonal. It's so big and so bright that you will save money on your winter heating bill. You will end up looking like George Hamilton if you fall asleep in front of it. If you get bored of it, you can put it outside and sell advertising on it—which may help you recoup some of its $130,000 cost.

Hey, remember that insane LG OLED from a minute ago? This is the bigger, more-expensive model. It costs $20,000. You should install this G6 in your Gulfstream G6 aeroplane, which costs $65 million. Then you should give me that flying movie palace for free.

If you think of this high-end projector as a 300-inch 4K HDR TV, the $15K asking price is pretty reasonable. Plus, nothing shuts up your neighbor bragging about his new TV quite like blasting an 1,800-lumen lightbeam of 4K HDR glory onto the side of his house. Or onto the front of his face.