The self-lighting pixels that characterize this technology allow the greatest OLED TVs available today to produce stunning image quality. In a way that LED or mini-LED TVs just cannot equal, these pixels provide remarkably deep black tones and extremely precise contrast between light and dark areas. Learn more about why OLED technology is so popular and such a significant advancement by reading our ‘What is OLED?’ guide.
Many models from the largest TV brands, like LG and Sony, are among the greatest OLED TVs and are ranked among the best TVs in general. Even Samsung, a television manufacturer that had long disapproved of OLED, has joined the party and is now producing our top-ranked OLED! That’s quite an entrance.
We’ve been testing TVs since long before the first 4K OLEDs made it to market, watching the technology get better, more popular and more affordable over the years. This guide is based on our own testing and reviews of these products, comparing them to each other, and regular LED and the best mini-LED TVs you can find at the same prices. We’re judging them based not just on picture quality, but also the features they offer, and how that balances with the price.
1.Samsung S95C OLED
After warning consumers against purchasing OLED TVs for almost ten years, Samsung finally introduced an OLED TV in 2022. In any case, it’s a fresh take on OLED technology that uses quantum dots. Considering that they were a tech premiere, the S95B TVs were quite impressive, but the new S95Cs surpass them in practically every category.
In particular, brightness. Compared to last year’s S95B QD-OLED models, Samsung has found a nearly 40% increase in brightness. Any TV would benefit from a brightness boost this large, but when used with a self-emissive, every-pixel-makes-its-own-light technology like OLED, it’s truly revolutionary.
The additional brightness is especially useful for elevating high dynamic range movies to a new degree of drama, realism, and enjoyment. It also feeds gloriously into the S95C’s colours, unlocking levels of colour volume and purity, even in bright colour areas, we’ve never seen before on an OLED TV. This reminds us of QD OLED’s biggest selling point: the way it creates its colours using purely red, green and blue elements, without the extra white element used by traditional OLED TVs.
The S95C’s introduction of Samsung’s second generation Quantum Dot OLED panel is by far its most striking feature. Its 40% or so increase in brightness is its main feature. This is due to a mix of changes made to the organic materials it utilizes, a move to more efficient deuterium, and the addition of an OLED brightness enhancer that optimizes the brightest and darkest areas of an image down to the pixel level.
The enhancements that provide this crucial new brightness level do so without consuming a lot more power, thus the S95C is not concerned about violating the strict new power consumption rules set forth by the EU.
Samsung’s OLED technology differs from the conventional, so-called WOLED technology in that it uses the same pure red, green, and blue color scheme as the S95C. Therefore, we would want to see even more vibrant colors than the S95B did.
Each and every pixel in the S95C’s images may produce its own light and color since QD-OLED, like WOLED, is a self-emissive technology. This should lead to levels of local contrast that are just impossible to achieve on even the greatest LCD TVs. Because the panels are self-emissive, unlike the great majority of LCD TVs, you can view the S95C from a wide range of viewing angles without the picture losing contrast or color.
This year, Samsung improved its processor by utilizing the collective expertise of at least 20 distinct neural networks to provide several other advantages beyond the brightness gain described above. For example, perceptual color mapping aims to convey colors in a way that more closely reflects the kinds of tones that the human eye perceives in the real world. Additionally, there is improved object identification processing to make the image more realistic to how your eyes would see depth and focus in the actual world.
An better 4K upscaling process for HD and SD content is also expected to benefit from the new, improved AI components of the S95C’s “Neural Quantum 4K” processor.
The HDR10 and HLG compatibility of the S95C supports its 4K resolution and HDR10+ HDR formats. This is fine so far as it goes, but Samsung’s continuing refusal to also onboard the popular Dolby Vision HDR format still frustrates. Especially given how widespread content mastered in Dolby’s premium HDR format is.
Pros
Wonderfully bright, colourful pictures
Spectacular contrast
Cons
No Dolby Vision support
2.LG G3 OLED
Although it has significantly decreased in price since its March 2023 introduction, the LG G3 is still priced like a premium flagship TV. At the time of writing, the Samsung S95C is a comparably equipped TV that is available for less, however the two will undoubtedly compete in price reductions. There is a G3 for almost any home theater enthusiast, with sizes ranging from 55 to 83 inches (though the 83-inch has a less-bright panel and will perform differently). If you need something smaller, you can always check out the LG C3, which is also one of the best OLED TVs.
Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology was added to an already amazing OLED Evo panel to increase brightness, along with a new generation of image processor, the G3’s picture quality is phenomenal. Vibrant colors and crisp textures work in harmony with deep blacks and dynamic contrast, making the picture of the G3 nothing short of sensational – at the very top of what you can get from the world’s best TVs.
The LG G3 could use one of the greatest soundbars to match the superb quality of its picture, even though the built-in sound is respectable, with a surprising amount of bass in some sound modes and clear dialogue overall. TVs like the Sony A80L and even the Samsung S90C would be worth looking at if you need better built-in audio quality.
The LG G3 is an absolute gaming haven. This is as well-specced as it gets for games, with a wide range of gaming features and compatibility, such as VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision gaming at 120Hz, and 4K 120Hz support on all four 2.1 HDMI ports. Combine all of this with a very helpful Game Optimizer and an easy-to-use Game Dashboard menu.
LGs smart TV platform, webOS 23, is intuitive and more streamlined than last year’s software, webOS 22, and offers you greater customization options in terms of categorizing apps via its Quick Card option and also tailors recommendations on what you want to look for. Thankfully, webOS 23 has also toned down the amount of recommendations compared to last year as well, because they were a little overwhelming.
In terms of design, the G3 is a stunning TV, with a sleek, bezel-less build that looks elegant when mounted on a wall. Still, though, it’s extremely frustrating that for people who want to put this TV on a stand, a desktop stand is not included and will cost you extra – it only comes with a special gap-free wall-mount.
The LG G3 is unquestionably one of your best options if you’re searching for a TV that can be used for any purpose, such as gaming, watching movies for hours on end, or watching during the day, and has picture quality that rivals that of any other available model. Although there are less expensive, high-quality OLEDs available, like the LG C3 or Sony A80L, they lack the G3’s brightness and other capabilities. The G3 should undoubtedly be one of your options if you’re wanting to purchase one of the top 4K TVs on the market right now. The Samsung S95C is the main rival, and we give it a slightly higher rating because of its superior sound and fantastic external connectors box, which adds a little more value overall.
Pros
Superb picture quality
Excellent brightness levels
Cons
Sound quality doesn’t match picture
3.Sony Bravia XR A95L OLED
Sony’s flagship TV, the Bravia XR A95L, is a fully customized QD-OLED device that is the most sophisticated set the company makes and the highest-end model in its Master Series. As a result, the 65-inch model costs, which is a premium price. However, do you receive your money’s worth?
With its impressive picture and sound quality, a plethora of unique and captivating features, and a few standout extras, the A95L is deserving of a place among the most venerable of the industry’s major players—and it outperforms them in a number of categories.
If it weren’t for its color reproduction and brightness levels, which are only marginally better than those of the top sets from LG and Samsung, this would be an obvious choice for anyone wishing to purchase a high-end TV. However, not everyone will find these problems to be a deal-breaker. Nevertheless, if you have the funds, the A95L is without a doubt among the greatest OLED TVs available and among the best TVs in general.
The A95L, like the majority of contemporary OLED-based TVs, stands out for its overall dimensions of 56.9 x 32.8 x 1.4 inches as well as its slim profile, which is only around 0.25 inch at its thinnest point. Given these characteristics and the set’s 51.6-pound weight, you will require some help moving and setting it up. An even thinner black metal bezel (about one-sixteenth inch) surrounds the screen on the top, left, and right, and there’s a wider one on the bottom (just shy of two-thirds inch at its widest) to showcase Sony’s logo in the lower left and the IR emitter dead center.
For the 55- and 65-inch TVs, there are two possible installation positions: one where the bottom of the screen nearly touches the supporting surface, and another where it’s elevated about 3.2 inches to accommodate a soundbar. The 77-inch A95L adds a third stand position that lets you mount the feet centrally instead of on the corners, which due to the TV’s speaker hardware is not possible on the smaller models.
Pros
Remarkable picture quality
Unparalleled HDR color gamut coverage
Cons
Lower brightness, less accurate colors than some competing sets
4.LG C3 OLED
The most recent model in LG’s renowned C line of upper-midrange 4K TVs is the LG OLED C3. Prior TVs in the C series, such as the LG C1 OLED and LG C2 OLED, have received praise from industry experts, reviewers (including Tom’s Guide), and regular consumers for their exceptional picture quality and robust usage at a still affordable price. The C3 fits in with this tradition with ease.
Like its predecessors the C1 and the C2, the C3 has a winning appearance and all the features you would expect from a TV that serves as the focal point of your home entertainment system: rich, accurate colors at every point of the visual spectrum, exhilarating contrast, and flawless blacks.
It doesn’t change significantly from what the C2 and other TVs out there might provide an even more scintillating viewing experience depending on what you most care about from your picture, but none of that prevents the C3 from being one of the best TVs you can buy.
The C3 seems exceptionally sleek and fashionable, much like the majority of contemporary OLED TVs. The only immediately noticeable front feature is the paper-thin metal bezel that surrounds the screen on all four sides. However, you can physically turn the TV on or off, switch inputs, change channels, and adjust the volume by pressing a button located beneath the bottom-center infrared receiver.
The large central control box, which is only distinguished by the “LG OLED” logo and the 300x200mm VESA mounting holes for mounting your TV to the wall, contrasts beautifully with the thin horizontal lines that adorn the back of the C3’s screen, which is just a hair under a quarter of an inch thick.
All of the other ports face out the left edge of the box, making them more accessible, while the power cable extends from the bottom-center area. Additionally, the ports are well-chosen: Ethernet, S/PDIF digital audio output, coaxial cable, RS-232C for service, IR blaster, three USB, and four HDMI. The latter are noteworthy since they all follow the HDMI 2.1 standard, which provides you with the most bandwidth for using popular gaming features like streaming 4K video at 120Hz (for more details, see the section below). Given that some high-end TVs only have two HDMI 2.1 ports, this is unquestionably advantageous for both present and future connectivity.
Pros
Superb picture quality
Improved smart interface
Cons
Average-at-best sound
5.Sony Bravia XR A80L
The newest model in Sony’s series of upper-midrange consumer OLED TVs, the Bravia XR A80L, more than competes with Samsung and LG, two fierce rivals. Sony uses its extensive library of picture- and sound-enhancement technologies in addition to the flawless blacks and endless contrast you would anticipate from any OLED screen to provide a comprehensive entertainment experience that few other TVs in this price range can match.
The A80L’s audio and pictures are more than sufficient to make it one of the greatest TVs available, and it can be the greatest option if you’re searching for a one-stop shop for living room décor. However, it isn’t the brightest OLED available. Additionally, a bit of inertia in its specs and performance suggests Sony may not hold on to this crown forever.
As a result, the LG C3 OLED and the Samsung S95C OLED, which both provide notably higher brightness and almost equal color saturation, will be fierce rivals to the A80L this year. The Sony A80L is your best option if none of those other options are accessible in your area, but if you can locate them, you should look at each one before choosing.
The A80L is essentially a single, thin (approximately 0.25 inch) panel with almost all black components that is connected to a bigger control box in the back, just like the majority of modern OLED TVs. Less than one-eighth inch separates the top and sides of the bezel, whereas the slightly thicker bottom bezel (less than 0.5 inch) accommodates the IR.
Pros
Strong picture quality
The best sound you’ll hear from a TV
Cons
Not the brightest OLED TV
How to choose an OLED TV
How to choose the best OLED TV for you
Since OLED TVs are often high-end models, you should expect a certain degree of functionality from them. For instance, they are all 4K, typically run at 120Hz for gaming, and typically include four HDMI connections and high-end smart TV software.
However, they aren’t all the same. Some feature additional HDMI 2.1 connections for next-generation gaming, some have superior sound systems, some are significantly brighter than others (in some cases, around twice as bright), and not all of them are available in the same size.
It’s crucial to think about the ideal TV size for you, and the only way to do that is to measure the available space. Consider a television that takes up every nook and cranny of space in your living room might sound like a great idea, but you’ll need to consider viewing angles, screen brightness and whether you’ll be able to sit a decent distance from the TV to fully appreciate it. The LG C4 has the widest range of sizes of any TV we feature, so if you need something smaller, that’s a great place to start.