Best TVs to give for the holidays 2018

Nothing says happy holidays like a gigantic TV, and the TV that made CNET editors happiest this year -- at least in terms of picture quality for the money -- is the TCL 6 series. It belts out a seriously awesome picture for much less than you'd think, and the superb Roku TV operating system is just icing on the candy cane.

That TCL only comes in 55- and 65-inch sizes, but what if your giving budget, or the living room of your gift receiver, calls for something bigger? The M series is a terrific value in its own right and comes in a wall-busting 70-inch size.

Speaking of busting walls, Sony's X900F is available in sizes all the way up to 85 inches! It also comes in more down-to-earth sizes, and its image quality, combined with Google's Android TV operating system and Sony's nameplate, could tempt mid-range buyers away from TCL and Vizio.

The most popular TV maker in the world makes plenty of high-end models, but the Q8 is one of our favorites. It costs more than any TV on the list so far, but rewards whomever receives it with best-in-class design, superb image quality and unique features like Samsung's ambient mode, designed to put up an artsy image when you're not watching TV.

If your TV giving leans more toward image quality and away from style and features, the value of this Vizio is tough to beat. It might not be worth the extra scratch over the Vizio M or the TCL 6 series for most viewers, but it does come in a 75-inch size...

Welcome to the budget section of the list. Glad you could make it. We'll start off with an old favorite from 2017 that's still going strong. TCL's S405 has a "good enough" picture and 4K HDR makes little difference, but earns our enthusiastic recommendation thanks to its low, low price and the excellence of Roku TV.

For a bit more money the 5 series improved the picture slightly compared to the S405, but the main reason to consider spending up (slightly) is to get its superior styling.

Stop us if this sounds familiar: If you'd rather give a budget TV that puts more of an accent on picture quality, ditch those TCLs and check out the Vizio E series.

What's that? You want the absolute cheapest TV we recommend? Here you go. TCL's S305 is the sole non-4K TV on this list but its picture is perfectly fine for most people. And yes, it also has Roku TV.

What's that? You want the best TV we recommend, regardless of price? That would be OLED, specifically LG's C8 OLED TV. It has the best picture quality we've ever tested, with a price higher than any TV on this list.

The B8 has an image that's almost as good as the C8, for a bit less money. That makes it our favorite high-end TV of the year, period -- and one awesome gift.

Let's say you want to give the best image quality possible, but those OLED TVs are just too expensive. If your gift recipient wants a 65-incher, the Quantum is a great consolation prize. This TV is super bright and delivers outstanding picture quality.

Maybe your holiday awesome gift-giving plans tend toward larger screens than any we've mentioned so far. If that's the case then perhaps a projector, not a TV, makes more sense. Optoma's 4K projector might be just the (movie theater) ticket.

Another 4K projector that costs a bit less yet delivers a bit less in terms of overall image quality, this BenQ will still floor your recipient with its gigantic image. 

Want to bring home huge home HDR for the holidays? The HC4000 lacks the dynamic punch of the Optoma and isn't technically 4K, but it still spits out an impressive image, and outdoes the other two with its rendition of high dynamic range video.