Buying guide for best OLED TV
OLED TVs are the gold standard for 4K TVs, and we don’t expect that to change anytime soon. The best OLED TVs not only look great, but they also enhance your overall experience with vibrant colors, faster response times, excellent viewing angles and a sharp, crystal-clear picture. The top manufacturers — Sony, LG and Samsung — all make premium OLED TVs, and they’re considered the best option for anyone looking for a 4K TV.
To judge the best OLED TV, the BestReviews Testing Lab considered numerous factors including viewing-angle degradation, brightness, quality of dark scenes, user interface, gaming performance and so much more. We also tested Samsung’s top new OLED for 2024, the Samsung S95D, which you can learn more about below.
New release
Samsung has released a host of new TVs for 2024, including a new OLED option named the S95D — the next iteration of Samsung’s OLED line and the successor to the S95C.
Product specifications
Screen Size: 65” | Resolution: 4K | Panel Type: OLED | Refresh Rate: 144 Hz VRR | Voice Assistant Integration: Bixby
We were blown away by the S95D as it passed all of our tests with flying colors. This TV simply looks fantastic. It has great color balance, striking brightness, inky blacks and amazing color accuracy. The S95D’s gaming performance was also excellent, with a top-tier refresh rate and excellent motion blur, making games like Fortnite look super crisp. The S95D is the full package.
With some of the new features included on the S95D, it’s not a surprise that this TV tested so well. The S95D is the first TV to feature Samsung’s OLED glare-free technology, which allows buyers to get the best viewing experience across bright and dark rooms. The S95C also boasts OLED HDR Pro, which delivers more brightness and better contrast.
Including the ultra-slim build and the innovative OneConnect box, the Samsung S95C is the clear winner among the best OLED TVs.
How we chose the best OLED TVs
We conducted several tests on many OLED TVs, evaluating factors like brightness, color accuracy, viewing angle degradation, anti-glare features and sharpness. We also tested the picture quality with different formats, including HDR and non-HDR content.
To evaluate gaming performance, we used a PS5 to gauge the OLED TVs’ ability to handle next-gen graphics, input lag and variable refresh rate (VRR) where applicable. We extensively explored the TVs' performance across different gaming modes to assess their processing capabilities.
Why OLED TVs are special
OLED TVs are the exciting next generation of television. This is due to the marvelous technological advances that power them. There are a few key technologies that OLED is built on that make OLED TVs like nothing you have ever seen before.
Millions of subpixels
On a traditional LED panel, pixels are lit in clusters — and light bleeds, which can create inaccurate color reproduction. In contrast, on OLED TVs, each has its own individual backlight. Therefore, each has a unique color profile that doesn’t share lighting with other pixels. The result is a TV picture that reveals stunning clarity.
Inky, deep blacks
On OLED TVs, when a pixel needs to be black, the TV simply doesn’t light it up, thus creating a perfect black tone. This is a significant improvement over LED TVs, which attempt to display the color black, often resulting in washed-out grays. With an OLED TV, black levels are much deeper because of this localized dimming. The technology results in a more noticeable contrast and a realistic look.
Additional premium features
Features like high dynamic range (HDR), picture-in-picture (PiP), increased refresh rates and the latest smart television technologies are certainly not unique to OLED TVs. However, because 4K OLED TVs are priced as luxury TVs, they almost always carry a full arsenal of high-end TV features. Examples of this include HDR, Dolby Atmos and 4K upscaling.
Another way to put it: OLED panels are part of the luxury TV experience, and most OLED TVs are loaded with the most impressive TV advancements available.
OLED vs. QLED
A few manufacturers, including Samsung, LG and Sony, actively produce OLED TVs. Others compete by introducing similar technologies. For example, “QLED” technology has been introduced as a rival to OLED TVs. So how do the two stack up?
- OLED, short for “organic light-emitting diode,” is a completely unique TV technology that individually lights and colors every pixel. Instead of relying on backlighting, OLED TV panels are the light source itself — and the difference in picture quality over traditional LED-based panels is astonishing.
- QLED, short for “quantum dot light-emitting diode,” is a variation of LED technology used in existing HDTVs and computer monitors. It includes a “quantum dot film” that helps differentiate each pixel being backlit. These TVs are a significant improvement over standard LED TVs. However, they still rely on backlighting, and they struggle to compete with the color depth and clarity of OLED TVs.
The bottom line: while QLED TVs are a nice upgrade, if you have a choice, always go with OLED technology. It’s a superior technology for superior image quality.
Sound advice: OLED TV audio
While we may be used to TV screens looking brighter and more colorful with every new year, no one expects their TV’s audio quality to compete with a home theater speaker setup.
Even sound bars typically sound much better than the average set of TV speakers. However, with OLED TVs, many manufacturers are including speakers that can hold their own as home theater speakers for a premium level of sound quality.
If you are not sure which of the new options is right for you, consider the following tips.
Sound bars
To up the ante on the premium experience of OLED TVs, some manufacturers have designed OLED TVs with built-in sound bars. They also pack the TV’s internal electronics inside the sound bar, so the TV panel itself can be as thin as possible. Another popular option to enhance a TV’s sound is to buy a separate sound bar.
Audio formats
Some OLED TVs support premium audio formats. No more two-channel TV audio; features like DTS:X, Sony’s acoustic surface audio, and Dolby Atmos deliver the highest level of sound quality that can make your living room feel like a movie theater.
Surround sound
Although manufacturers have implemented some respectable upgrades to their TV audio, one thing is still true: no TV speaker can compete with a proper surround sound setup with an audio video receiver and separate speakers. If you have your heart set on a true surround-sound experience, plan on investing in additional gear.
Tips
When you’re deciding which OLED TV to buy, consider these tips.
- If you plan on using an optical cable to connect your OLED TV to a home theater speaker system, consider using an HDMI cable instead. It is worth taking the time to configure the best sound technologies your OLED TV is capable of to enjoy your Blu-Ray discs, console games, and streaming apps at their very best. We suggest using an HDMI 2.1 cable, which will send any audio signal your TV supports.
- Turn off any energy-saving features before watching any 4K HDR10 content. Most OLED TVs include features designed to limit how much power the TV consumes. Such features are often labeled as “energy saving” or “eco mode” and can make your TV less bright.
- Never run any “pixel refreshing” tasks manually unless your TV is exhibiting a problem. Most OLED TVs include pixel refreshing, a process by which pixels are reset, which runs periodically on its own.
Once you are done researching TV reviews and comparing models between VIZIO, Samsung and LG OLED TVs, keep in mind that the best ways to save big on a new OLED TV are to either wait for major TV deals around the holidays (such as Black Friday or Memorial Day) or to invest in last year’s model. You may be surprised at how waiting a little while or forgoing this year’s newest incrementally better features will give you impressive savings on normally pricy 65-inch models and larger OLED TVs.
FAQ
Q. Do OLED TVs have any “burn-in” issues?
A. It is possible but unlikely for these TVs to have burn-in issues. If you leave a single, static image on an OLED TV for an extended period of time — around 100 hours or more — that image could leave a permanent mark on the screen known as “burn-in.” However, OLED TVs aren’t as susceptible to this problem as the plasma TVs of yesteryear, and it’s really only a risk if you leave a program or channel on for hours on end.
If your TV stays tuned to one station all day long, or you play many hours of a video game that has a static map, it is possible that the station’s logo or a gaming map could become permanently emblazoned on your OLED panel. For most viewers, this is solved by varying what appears on the screen and never leaving it on a single screen for too long. However, with OLED technology improving with each year, the risk of burn-in is less and less.
Q. Should I buy a smart OLED TV?
A. If you enjoy watching TV shows and movies from your preferred streaming apps, a smart OLED TV is the best way to enjoy them without having to purchase a separate streaming device.
The most common smart television platforms right now are Android TV, WebOS, or Roku. These are compatible with all of the most popular streaming apps, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Hulu.
Some smart OLED TVs incorporate voice controls via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to help viewers find favorite TV shows and movies even more quickly.
Q. What should gamers look for when choosing an OLED TV?
A. Whether your preferred console is the Xbox Series X or Nintendo Switch, gamers should keep an eye out for models with dedicated gaming features such as a variable refresh rate, low input lag, low latency, and models that support Nvidia G-Sync.
