One of the best parts about buying a modern TV is that it’s pretty difficult to make a bad purchase. There are numerous sets available from some of the biggest names in the business, along with plenty of sizes and display technologies to choose from. As for the latter consideration, if you’re all about color accuracy and the kind of inky black levels that bring new meaning to the word “contrast,” you should definitely be looking at OLED TVs.
For a long time, the OLED marketplace was dominated by LG, and it still is to some extent. But since Samsung and Sony started getting into OLED and QD-OLED sets a couple years back, there’s now a number of other models to consider when shopping around. Not to worry though, because as vetted AV experts, we’ve already done the hard work of handpicking and testing several different OLEDs, and have compiled our findings in this best OLED TVs roundup.
LG C3 Series OLED
The best OLED overall
- Excellent colors and contrast
- Impressive brightness
- Great HDR performance
- webOS 23 isn't the easiest to navigate
Man, it was a tough call for the 2023 “Best Overall OLED” laurel, but after weighing the options and getting into the nitty-gritty of specs and cost, we believe the best OLED for most folks is undoubtedly the LG C3. Available in 42-, 48-, 55-, 65-, 77-, and 83-inch sizes, the LG C3 delivers an amazing picture that reaches some pretty impressive peak brightness levels, but more importantly, when it comes to both HDR and SDR performance, the C3’s color and contrast capabilities are simply through the roof.
As far as digital hearts and lungs go, the C3 is powered by LG’s revamped a9 AI Processor Gen6 (also found on the LG G3), which acts as the catalyst for features like AI Super Upscaling 4K and AI Picture Pro. The C3 also includes LG’s latest take on its smart TV platform, webOS 23, for all your Netflix and Disney+ streaming needs. The UI is still a bit cluttered (something we’ve found irksome for a few years now), but distracting advertisements are easy to forgive when your OLED dishes out 4K at 120Hz across all four HDMI 2.1 inputs.
What’s the difference between the LG C3 and the premium G3 model below? The latter employs Micro Lens Array technology as part of its engineering, which allows the G3 to achieve higher peak brightness levels than the C3. Oh, and the G3 is meant to be hung on a wall (it comes with an LG wall mount), so it doesn’t come with a stand, although you can purchase one separately.
Like any OLED TV, the LG C3 is going to look its best in dark rooms, but if your viewing space is troubled by ambient lighting, the C3 does an excellent job at handling reflections and looks great from a number of vantage points throughout a larger room.
LG G3 Series OLED
The runner-up
- Excellent overall brightness
- Dazzling contrast
- Clean, sharp images
- Good motion handling
- Excellent for gamers
- Disappointing sound
- Frustratingly cluttered UI
You know your premium TV means business when it’s too good to come with a stand. The terrific LG G3 OLED comes in 55-, 65-, 77-, and 83-inch sizes, and each of these large displays comes with a proprietary wall mount that gets the G3 nice and close to your living room wall. Why, you may ask? Because LG intends for this TV to be the aesthetic attention-grabber in your home (try displaying some artwork or family photos on the G3 screen), and we’re all about that.
The G3 is a next-gen reworking of the LG G2, and the latest version of the OLED is equipped with Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology, giving the G3 a significant boost in the brightness department. This year’s model also ups the processing game with the introduction of LG’s revamped a9 AI Processor Gen6, working in unison with LG’s Brightness Booster Max to deliver even sharper visuals.
OLEDs aren’t exactly known for arresting brightness, but the LG G3 is happy to challenge that preconception. That MLA backbone allows the G3 to achieve some of the best brightness levels of any TV for 2023, and that’s quite the achievement for a display that features no LEDs whatsoever.
The G3 also has four HDMI 2.1 inputs that max out at 4K at 120Hz. There’s support for pretty much all next-gen gaming must-haves, like VRR (variable refresh rate) and AMD FreeSync, and the TV handles HDR content like a champ. Plus, both the LG G3 and C3 models received DTS support this year, making both sets solid sound performers too (although you’ll always be better off with a soundbar or speaker system).
Sony 65-inch XR A95L
The best OLED for videophiles
- Outstanding color accuracy and brightness
- Excellent contrast and luminance
- Great sound
- Gorgeous game mode picture quality
- Incredibly good upscaling
- Some deep features not available at launch
We walked away from our review of the Sony XR A95L as very happy campers. In fact, we awarded the latest Sony QD-OLED flagship a perfect five out of five stars. This TV is seriously good, and because we’re dealing with a QD-OLED display, there’s plenty of brightness, colors, and contrast perks thanks to those onboard quantum dots. But we’re really just scratching the surface with those highlights; so let’s take a look under the hood.
As we’ve come to expect from most Sony sets, the formidable A95L is equipped with the company’s Cognitive Processor XR (CPXR) as the main brains behind the picture. As it handles everything from frame-to-frame improvements and 4K upscaling, we’ve always been major fans of Sony’s picture engine, but when you combine the CPXR with the A95L’s native panel tech and XR Triluminos Max, you get movies, shows, and video games that look like they could leap right off the screen.
This is also the first of Sony’s QD-OLEDs to be equipped with the Pentonic 1000 HDMI chipset, which allows for Dolby Vision gameplay at up to 120Hz. That’s on top of other gaming features like VRR support and HDMI 2.1 connectivity.
As for the latter, only two of the TV’s four ports support the latest HDMI standard, and as our own Caleb Denison points out in his review, one of these ports is also the TV’s HDMI ARC/eARC port. This may pose a little trouble for those who may want to use the eARC connection for Dolby Atmos or HDMI CEC purposes, but one can always invest in an HDMI switcher if push comes to shove.
Beyond that one minor hitch, the Sony A95L lives right on the cutting edge of TV tech, and other manufacturers should definitely be taking notes.
Samsung S95C QD-OLED
The best QD-OLED
- Incredibly bright colors
- Perfect black levels
- Pristine overall picture
- Great upscaling
- Awesome for gaming
- Mediocre sound
- No Dolby Vision support
The Samsung S95C rolls out the red carpet for another generation of Samsung’s amazing QD-OLED technology. For those unaware, this display combines the best parts of QLED lighting and quantum dots with the self-emissive pixels of an OLED panel. The end result? A vibrant picture with excellent color saturation and deep black levels — a videophile’s dream. Now as far as side-by-side comparisons go, the S95C is pretty close to the S95B, the 2022 version of the Samsung QD-OLED, but there are a few key differences.
For one, the S95C is now able to get up to 144Hz with all the appropriate PC connections. If you’re the kind of person who loves fast-action gameplay, the S95C has got you covered. Movie die-hards will still be capped at 120Hz motion, but Samsung’s Motion Xcelerator Turbo Pro returns for 2023, delivering some of the best 4K visuals for all your favorite action flicks and sporting events. That’s on top of Samsung’s Neural Quantum Processor for all your 4K upscaling needs, and the amazing Q-Symphony 3.0, which lets you pair compatible Samsung soundbars with the S95C speakers for an enhanced audio experience.
This time around, the S95C screen also delivers higher peak brightness than the S95B, and all of the TV’s inputs are housed on the Slim One Connect. You’ll also be able to stream all your favorite movies and TV shows through Samsung’s Tizen-powered Smart Hub, and access your many digitized Xbox games using Samsung Gaming Hub.
It might be a little more expensive than the competition, but the Samsung S95C is one of the best TVs you’ll have ever purchased — trust us.
Sony 65-inch XR A80L
Another great Sony OLED
- Great picture quality
- Stunning HDR performance
- Google TV runs well
- Solid price
- Lower brightness levels for SDR content
- Only two HDMI 2.1 ports
- Not a QD-OLED
If money weren't an issue, we would urge each and every OLED fan to buy a brand-new Sony A95L QD-OLED, but when forced to contend with reality (boo!), we must face the music: Not all of us can splurge on a flagship TV. But that’s why models like the Sony XR A80L are so good. Technically considered an entry-level set, this 2023 model isn’t a QD-OLED like its higher-priced sibling, the A95L. Instead, we’re dealing with a traditional WOLED panel that’s actually supplied by LG Display.
One of the most important things to think about when buying any new TV is how it’s going to look when displaying HDR-optimized content, as well as regular SDR sources. In the case of the Sony A80L, HDR content looks fantastic, with great peak and color brightness levels, as well as a wide color gamut and a near-perfect contrast ratio.
SDR performance isn’t bad either, although you’ll definitely notice a drop in the brightness department. And even though the A80L does a nice job with reflection-handling, it may not be ideal for brightly lit rooms.
Under the hood, Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR runs a good part of the show (just as it does on the flagship A95L), but without the aid of quantum dots for enhanced color saturation. Oh, and similar to the A95L, the A80L includes four HDMI ports, but only two of them are HDMI 2.1-certified, and one of these two ports is also the TV’s ARC/eARC connection. Come on, Sony!
Still, if you’re looking to dive into the world of OLED TVs, but don’t want to spend upwards of $2,000 on an ultra-premium model, the Sony A80L is a solid middle ground between lackluster entry-level sets we wouldn’t recommend to our worst enemies and flagship displays that cost as much as a mid-2000s used Corolla.
Frequently Asked Questions
OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, and its signature characteristic is that each pixel on the screen of an OLED TV emits its own light and color and can be turned completely off to deliver true black color.
Be sure to check out our QLED versus OLED explainer. In general, OLED TVs produce a higher-quality image than QLED TVs, but there are caveats. QLED TVs get brighter, and so they’re the better choice for brightly-lit rooms.
Trick question! OLED is a description of a kind of TV display, whereas 4K refers to a TV’s native resolution. Like LED and QLED TVs, you can buy 4K and even 8K OLED TVs — the choice is yours.
If you’re a gamer, make sure your OLED TV supports HDMI 2.1 at the least, and in an ideal world, it should have Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, too. If you’re a cinephile or video maven, find a model with the best picture processing.
We think OLED TVs still currently produce the best overall image quality, but upcoming new formats such as QD-OLED, microLED and mini-LED-based QLED TVs are starting to threaten OLED TV’s crown.
Yes, all OLED TVs are compatible with at least HDR10 — the most common HDR format — while most offer support for HLG and Dolby Vision, too.
For the vast majority of buyers, burn-in will not be a problem, but it can happen. When it occurs, it’s usually because someone has set their OLED TV to show a TV channel or a video game that has on-screen graphics that don’t move much or at all and left it there for many hours each day, for many days in a row.
Right now, all OLED TV panels are produced by LG Display, and we believe that LG Electronics makes the best overall OLED TV: the G2 Gallery Series. That said, Sony’s image processing is slightly better, so if image perfection is your main yardstick, a Sony OLED TV is a great way to go.
Yes. OLED TVs are definitely expensive when compared to some other options, but their black levels, contrast, and color make for an awesome viewing experience.
How we test TVs
At Digital Trends, we aim for our product reviews to provide readers with insight into both a product's technical performance and its usability. To that end, we go beyond specs and measurements by placing emphasis on the user experience. For televisions, that means taking a close look at all the little touch points that, taken together, make the difference between a TV you can live with and a TV you’ll love. Here’s how we test TVs to provide readers with valuable, real-world insight before making that important purchasing decision.
Testing environment
The bulk of our testing takes place in a completely dark room. This allows us to adjust picture settings and test a TV without concern for ambient light and the effects it has when reflected off a TV’s screen. Later, we’ll move the TV to a room made bright by lots of exposure to natural sunlight through multiple windows. This gives us the opportunity to see how well the TV will perform in a real-world scenario, as many TVs are placed in common rooms where light is not so easily controlled.
Deboxing and placement
As we pull a TV from its box, we take note of how well it is packaged for transit. This is an important consideration for those who may order their TV online and need to know that their product will arrive in tip-top shape. We also pay attention to how easy it is (or isn’t) to remove the TV from its packaging and attach it to its stand. Once the TV is in place, we take a look at the TV’s stability – nothing’s worse than a TV that wobbles every time you get up for popcorn or that’s one bump away from taking a dive to the floor.
Build quality and visual appeal
We take a look at several factors involved with the TV’s build quality and visual appeal. We check the back panel to see if it is strong or flimsy, get a feel for the material that the bezel is made of and gauge the strength of the display panel. We look at the build quality of the base and judge how well it aesthetically matches up with the TV. We then take a step back and examine how reflective the display panel is in bright conditions and consider the display’s overall visual appeal as we imagine how it will integrate with various types of home decor. If a display’s bezel is littered with marketing stickers, we expect them to be easy to remove.
Setup and first impressions
Making connections to a TV is generally a straightforward procedure. If it is not, we’ll certainly mention it. Since many of today’s TVs offer access to several online media services, we take this time to enter our account information and passwords. Those TVs that make the data entry process easier get bonus points since the status quo is for the process to be a pain in the neck. We’ll also check to make sure our LAN connection is functioning and that the TV has successfully connected to our network and the Internet.
With data entry out of the way, we begin to feed the TV with 1080p content that we are very familiar with. We generally use the same six or seven scenes that we’ve seen countless times on a myriad of televisions over the past few years. We’ll cycle through the TV’s different picture pre-sets and note our impressions of the images we see from the TV straight out of the box. This information will be compared with the results we get after we calibrate the TV.
Calibration
We primarily use the Spears and Munsil High Definition Benchmark Blu-ray disc to calibrate the TVs we test. This particular disc offers an excellent combination of test patterns for calibration and video sequences for gauging the TVs performance against benchmark standards. Occasionally, we will break out other test discs to cross-examine our settings.
To start with, we disable all image-correction processors implemented by the manufacturer in order to level the playing field. We may later fold these processors back in. If we note that any particular image processor provides significant improvement to the image, we’ll be sure to mention it in our review.
Digital Trends uses the same calibration tools and benchmarks available to consumers; you won’t find us using lab equipment to take lofty measurements such as how close a set’s color temperature gets to 6,500 Kelvin. Why? While this sort of information can be very valuable to some, we feel our readers are more interested in knowing how easily the display can be calibrated using commonly available tools and resources.
Once we have calibrated the television, we look at how much adjustment to the TV’s default settings were needed in order to reach desired standards of performance. It is based on this user-oriented standard and our experience calibrating similarly classed televisions that we score some of the more objective points of a TVs performance.
Picture quality
With the TV calibrated, we re-visit the same video clips we used prior to calibration and further scrutinize the image by making subjective observations of factors such as motion blur, motion judder, visible artifacts, uniformity of brightness, black levels and color saturation. Once the display is moved to our “bright room”, we look at how reflective the screen is and see how the TV’s black levels and contrast hold up under the more challenging light conditions. We’ll often make adjustments to the TV’s settings to reveal how well the set maintains its color when backlight, brightness and contrast levels must be adjusted. If the TV has a sensor system designed to make automatic adjustments based on ambient light levels, we’ll test it at this time and draw subjective comparisons to similar systems we’ve tested in the past.
If the TV is 3D capable, we’ll test its 3D performance and rank it according to other active or passive 3D systems we’ve tested previously. We may look at 2D to 3D conversion, but tend not to weigh it heavily in our scoring since we consider this to be a novelty feature.
Menu navigation
All the built in features and functionality in the world don’t amount to much if it is difficult to get at them. Today’s TV’s pack far more than simple picture adjustments into their user menu. As the list of functions grows, the need for a well-organized menu system with a speedy response becomes increasingly crucial. Our TV testing takes menu navigation into consideration as part of a larger ease-of-use evaluation. We expect the the menus and options to be clear, intuitive and quick to respond to user input.
Internet and network media access
Many TVs offer access to the same streaming music and video services, but the design of the apps for them makes all the difference in whether we use them or not. We test apps for services like Netflix, YouTube and Pandora and compare them to the apps installed in competing televisions, as well as those found in other Internet media sources, such as Blu-ray disc players and game consoles. We expect content to be easy to access and easily searchable.
We also test the network media interface provided in DLNA certified televisions. The promise of access to pictures, video and music on a home network is appealing, but, again, only practical if the content is easy to access and quick to load.
Remote control
The remote control is a critical component in a TV’s ease of use. We check to see if the remote sits comfortably in the hand, and whether or not it is backlit. We expect buttons to be well laid out and a big enough to press without unintentionally pressing others. We like to see that frequently used functions are represented and that “hot-keys” are made available for some of the media apps. Off-axis function is also tested, as not everyone sits directly in front of their TV.
Audio quality
While we usually recommend that a display be paired with some sort of external audio system such as a soundbar or home theater system, we understand that not everyone has plans for this and, even if they do, that the TV’s speakers will probably be used for everyday watching. This is why we provide information on at TV’s built-in audio performance. We’ve found that many manufacturers treat a TV’s built-in audio as an afterthought, and if the TV is going to sound terrible without external audio, you need to know it before you buy.
Overview
Once our testing is complete, we take into consideration a television’s overall performance, its price point, and the competition it faces with similarly priced and featured TVs. Over the past few years, we’ve seen performance increase as price decreases, thus redefining the notion of value in high-definition televisions. We also factor in the changing curve in technology as once-exclusive and expensive features like local dimming make their way down to mid-level and sometimes even entry-level models. This changing landscape puts pressure on models that demand a premium price, so scoring for premium models will tend to be tougher.
We want readers to walk away from our TV reviews with a solid idea of what it would be like to own any particular TV model, and whether the TV in question might be a good fit in their homes based on our published observations.
As always, we value reader feedback and will take comments,, requests and questions into consideration as we refine our testing processes to reflect the needs of our readers.
Glossary of terms
Here’s a rundown of some of the most common terms associated with today’s TV technology.
4K Ultra HD
This refers to a display resolution that is four times that of 1080p HD. A 4K Ultra HD TV’s pixel resolution is a 3,840 x 2,160 grid in a 16:9 aspect ratio, resulting in nearly 8.3 million pixels. This increase in density adds striking detail and realism to an image and allows larger screens to be viewed from closer distances without individual pixels becoming visible.
High dynamic range (HDR)
High dynamic range is probably most familiar to people through the HDR mode on their digital cameras. It’s designed to deliver a picture that has greater details in the shadows and highlights, plus a wider range of colors. HDR in televisions pursues the same goal. The color palette is wider, blacks are deeper, and whites are brighter.
Presently, there are two major HDR formats: HDR10 and Dolby Vision, with a third — HDR10+ — beginning to show up on new models, particularly those from Samsung. The first is the HDR standard, but Dolby Vision offers a premium experience. Consider a TV that supports both. HLG (hybrid log gamma) is another recent addition to the HDR collection, which supports over-the-air (OTA) broadcast content with HDR.
Full-array local dimming (FALD)
This refers to an LED TV’s backlighting system. A FALD display contains an array of LEDs spread out in a grid behind an LCD panel, rather than just at the edges of the TV. This LED array is broken up into zones that can be dimmed when necessary to achieve better black levels. Another benefit is more uniform brightness across the screen.
Wide color gamut (WCG)
These are the expanded color reproduction abilities of a 4K Ultra HD TV, which are closer than ever to what we see in a digital cinema. By approaching (or sometimes exceeding) the Digital Cinema Initiative’s (DCI) P3 color specification, a 4K UHD TV can produce billions of more colors than a 1080p HD TV.
Quantum dots
A layer of film loaded with tiny nanocrystal semiconductors is placed in a TV’s display panel to help produce a more accurate array of colors. Quantum dots work by producing a purer form of white light from a TV’s backlighting system, which helps the TV’s color filter perform more accurately.
Phosphor-coated LED
An alternative to Quantum Dots, phosphor-coated LEDs have a chemical coating to alter the light’s output. When used in a TV, this results in a purer backlight that’s more easily manipulated by a TV’s color filter, resulting in a wide color gamut and increased color accuracy.
HDMI 2.1
The latest version of the HDMI spec. It offers new enhancements for video games like variable refresh rate (VRR) and automatic low-latency mode (ALLM) and the ability to pass 4K signals to the TV at up to 120Hz, for ultra-smooth motion. HDMI 2.1 is a requirement for 8K video sources like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. For most non-gamers, HDMI 2.1 is a nice way to future-proof yourself but it's nowhere near a necessity yet.
HDCP 2.3
The latest version of the High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection technology, which provides copy prevention specifically of 4K Ultra HD and 8K content. Any source device that requires HDCP 2.3 will require a TV with an HDCP 2.3-compliant HDMI port for a compatible connection.
HEVC (H.265)
Stands for “High-Efficiency Video Coding.” A compression technology developed to make large 4K UHD video files smaller and, therefore, easier to stream over broadband Internet connections. HEVC is said to double the data compression ratio over H.264, the predominant encoding technology used today for 1080p videos while retaining the same video quality. A smart TV or streaming set-top box must be able to decode HEVC to playback 4K Ultra HD video from sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
VP9
An alternative to HEVC developed by Google and used predominantly for encoding 4K Ultra HD YouTube videos. For a smart TV or streaming set-top box to play 4K Ultra HD YouTube videos, it must be able to decode VP9 videos.
Editors' Recommendations
- Save $600 on this 65-inch Sony OLED TV in Best Buy’s 3-day sale
- Get it for the Super Bowl: This Samsung 77-inch OLED TV is $1,400 off
- Best Sony TV deals: Save on best-in-class 4K TVs and 8K TVs
- Get it for the Super Bowl: This 85-inch Samsung TV is $500 off
- This 65-inch TV just had its price slashed to $400 for the Super Bowl
