3 Best TVs for Watching Ice Hockey in 2023 (With Pictures)


Wanting to upgrade your TV to watch ice hockey?

Having a great TV for hockey is a big deal if you love watching the game.

It could mean the difference between two opposite scenarios:

Losing sight of the puck due to a blurry screen.

Or, watching the moment your favorite team scores in OT during the Stanley Cup playoffs thanks to a clear, crisp picture.

In this article, we’ll cover the 3 best TVs for watching ice hockey in 2023 so you can better follow the game—including our top budget pick.

Let’s dive in.

Best Overall: Samsung 8 Series TV

If you’re wanting an incredibly crisp 4K TV to be there for those big hockey moments, then you’ll want to check out the Samsung 8 Series TV.

This  stunning QLED 4K picture includes a “Sport Mode” setting that customizes your hockey nights to give you the best experience possible.

Pros

  • Impressive QLED 4K picture
  • Deep contrast with a full-array backlight
  • Rich shade palette with Q Color technology
  • 4 HDMI ports, 2 USB ports for multi-platform usage

Cons

  • Remote control could have a few more buttons
  • Voice activation lags a bit

Overall, the Samsung 8 Series TV is our favorite choice for watching NHL hockey from home. 

The TV features Q Color technology which includes over a billion more color shades than a standard TV set.

If you’ve ever dealt with a TV that gives off a nasty reflection, you won’t have to worry with this Samsung. It’s made with an anti-reflective screen which is perfect if you have high ceiling-lit rooms or you want to watch a game during the day.

Designed with QLEDs, the picture is much sharper and brighter than other options (including OLEDs). 

The TV is also bezel-free, allowing it to blend right into its surroundings with stunning precision.

If you want to switch between television, video games, or plug in a laptop, don’t worry. The TV has 4 HDMI ports allowing you to easily and quickly transition between devices.

All in all, the Samsung 8 Series TV makes a great addition to your home—making your place the perfect set up to watch NHL hockey.

Runner Up: Sony XBR-55x900F TV

Our second best TV choice for watching ice hockey is the Sony XBR-55x900F TV.

This television features an impressive X1 Extreme Processor which allows for a super crisp and bright picture (perfect if you’ll be watching the game in a bright room).

Pros

  • X1 Extreme Processor creates an incredible color contrast
  • Google Assistant is built in with voice command control
  • Supports Hybrid Log-Gamma, HDR 10, and Dolby Vision

Cons

  • HDMI ports are located at the back of the TV
  • Ethernet port is only 100MB

The Sony XBR-55x900F TV almost took first place for watching ice hockey. It was just edged out by the Samsung 8 Series.

However, this TV takes first place if you’ll be watching hockey games in a bright room. If you have bright ceiling lights or you sometimes watch the game (or highlights) during the day, you may want to consider this Sony option.

The picture quality is very impressive. 

This 4K HDTV features an X1 Extreme Processor which gives you a rich, deep contrast. Plus, it allows for real-time image processing. This means the image automatically upscales the content to 4K HDR quality.

Plus, the TV was designed with X-Motion Clarity technology—offering you a refresh rate of 120Hz. 

This minimizes blur and maintains brightness making high-motion scenes—like defenders chasing down a forward during a breakaway much more enjoyable.

Since it’s an Android TV, it also includes Google Assistant (built-in). This lets you easily rewind the game to get a double take on an insane shootout goal.

Overall, the Sony XBR-55x900F is one of the best 4K TVs on the market. If you’ve got a bright room or you’ve got big windows that bring in a lot of light, then this might be your best bet.

Best Budget: Vizio P-Series PX65-G1 TV

If you’re not ready to drop a ton of cash on a new TV, but you still want to upgrade your game nights, then the Vizio P-Series PX65-G1 TV is a solid option.

This Vizio TV features 4K Ultra HD—which is up to 4 times the resolution of regular 1080P.

Pros

  • Crystal clear 4K Ultra HD
  • WatchFree app to watch 100+ channels for free
  • Apple Airplay and Chromecast built-in

Cons

  • Not the greatest for wide-angle viewing
  • Some people reported a blooming effect

If you’re looking for a good TV for watching ice hockey… but you don’t want to break the bank over it—then the Vizio P-Series PX65-G1 TV is a decent choice.

Even though it’s more affordable, Vizio doesn’t cheap out on the quality of this TV. It features P-Series Quantum X technology—which Vizio boasts is about 65% more color than a regular 4K TV.

The TV also includes a handy backlighting technology—Full Array Local Dimming (FALD) which helps produce enhanced brightness if you’re watching the game in a brighter room.

If you’re an iPhone user, you’ll definitely find the Apple Airplay support handy. This will let you watch your iPhone display directly through your Vizio TV for everyone to watch.

Best TV for Ice Hockey Buyer’s Guide

Wondering what you should look for when it comes to picking a TV to watch hockey?

Well, here are the two most important features you should look out for when shopping around:

Image Quality

The most important thing about your TV has to be the image quality. If you can’t see the puck because your TV is too blurry, it’s going to be hard to enjoy watching the game.

In terms of watching hockey games we recommend a minimum image quality of 4K (Ultra HD).

Both of these options offer a wide variety of color contrasts and gamut. 

If you’re used to standard 1080p HD TVs, then you’re going to be blown away when you upgrade to a newer image quality in a 4K or Ultra HD TV. 

While 1080p HD offers 1920 x 1080 pixels, 4K Ultra HD is a 3840 x 2160 pixel image. You won’t just be able to see the puck. You’ll be able to see the sweat dripping down Ovechkin’s brow after he rips a clapper from the point.

Another aspect of image quality has to do with the actual lights that are within the TV. A great TV will include a series of individual LEDs behind LCD panels.

Superior LEDs will help increase your TV’s contrast ratio and optimize high definition content to give a picture that’s more crisp.

Response Rate

Hockey is the fastest team sport on earth. When you’re watching the game at home, you need to ensure your TV can keep up with the speed of an NHL game. 

That’s exactly what response rate is: the speed of processing the images. A higher response rate in your TV makes it so you can view high-speed sports without missing a moment.

For instance, with a high response rate, you won’t see any motion blur or jerking when watching a puck get dumped into the zone or when a defensemen powers a one-timer top shelf.

You should always look for a minimum refresh rate of 120Hz. Anything lower than this will unfortunately create a noticeable lag from time to time.

Sources

https://thehdtvspot.com/products/xbr65x900f

https://www.samsung.com/sg/tvs/uhd-4k-tv/tu8000-55-inch-crystal-uhd-smart-tv-ua55tu8000kxxs/

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