The best OLED TVs in 2023 for vibrant, high-end picture quality

Pros: Uses quantum dots for expanded color range and volume, 1,050 nits peak brightness, Xbox Game Pass support, competitive price 

Cons: Doesn't support Dolby Vision, smart TV interface can lag a bit

Samsung's S95B is the best OLED TV there is for the money. It goes toe-to-toe with other top displays on the market, but costs less than OLEDs with similar performance from Sony and LG. 

Like all OLED displays, the S95B has deep black levels, wide viewing angles, and an infinite contrast ratio. But what makes this model stand out in its price range, is its exceptional brightness, color range, and color volume. Thanks to quantum dot tech, the S95B has a peak brightness of around 1,050 nits, which is a nice step up from the 800-nit max of a typical OLED. 

Even better, the TV can maintain rich, vivid colors across different brightness levels better than a standard OLED, like LG's C2. This means that high dynamic range (HDR) content really pops. HDR10 and HDR10+ videos look stunning through streaming services and 4K Blu-ray discs. On the downside, it's disappointing that Samsung still doesn't support Dolby Vision.

Dolby Vision is an advanced HDR format that tells a TV how to properly render contrast and colors. HDR10+, which the S95B does support, has similar capabilities, but it's not used on as many titles. As a result, the S95B plays most Dolby Vision content using the standard HDR10 format. Though HDR10 isn't as precise as Dolby Vision, the S95B handles the format so well that most people won't notice a difference.   

Smart TV capabilities are also solid, with a basic interface that uses a home screen. There's even a cool Gaming Hub menu that lets you use services like Xbox Game Pass to stream games without a console. Navigation can be a bit sluggish, but the TV's operating system gets the job done.

Though there are better looking 2023 TVs, including Samsung's own S95C, they cost a lot more than the S95B. When it comes to overall value, the S95B is simply unmatched. Keep in mind, however, that since this is a 2022 model, stock will dwindle as the year goes on, so interested buyers should snag the S95B while it's still available. 

Pros: Affordable price, Dolby Vision support

Cons: Dimmest of LG's OLED models, 60Hz panel and HDMI 2.0 ports don't support advanced gaming features

The LG A2 is the most affordable OLED TV model on the market right now. Though an entry-level option, it still provides all of the contrast, black level, and viewing angle benefits that OLED technology is known for.

Of course, the A2 does make some compromises in order to keep its price down. It has the dimmest image of any OLED TV in LG's lineup, with a peak of around 550 nits. Coupled with the panel's pixel-level contrast, that's still enough to see the benefits of HDR content, but highlights won't pop with the same intensity you'd see on a more expensive set. The dimmer image also makes this model less ideal for living rooms that let in a lot of light.

Unlike other OLED models from LG, Sony, and Samsung, the A2 is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate rather than 120Hz, and it only has HDMI 2.0 ports instead of 2.1. This means the TV can't support advanced gaming features like variable refresh rate (VRR) or 120 frames per second gaming. 

With that in mind, we recommend the A2 as the best budget pick for buyers who want an OLED but don't care about high-end gaming features for a PS5 or Xbox Series X. If you're willing to spend a little more, however, the LG B2 is also a good budget pick when it's on sale. The B2 costs a bit extra, but adds 120Hz and HDMI 2.1 support.   

Pros: Supports Dolby Vision, comes in many screen sizes

Cons: Brightness and color performance can't match more expensive OLED models

The LG C2 is an excellent all-around TV. It isn't the absolute best OLED on the market, but it provides impressive performance in its class. It's also available in a lot of screen sizes so buyers with different space and budget needs have plenty of options to choose from.  

Picture quality is on par with other midrange OLEDs, but at a peak of around 760 nits, the C2 lacks the extra brightness that LG's most expensive models provide. It also can't match the color volume found on OLED TVs with quantum dots, like the Samsung S95B or Sony A95K. 

But while HDR highlights might not shine quite as intensely, image performance is still exceptional. And unlike Samsung OLEDs, the C2 supports Dolby Vision to produce the most accurate high dynamic range image the TV is capable of. It also supports 120Hz gaming when paired with a PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC, which is something the cheaper LG A2 lacks. 

The C2 uses LG's webOS smart TV platform, and the interface works well. The Magic Remote lets you navigate using traditional directional buttons or by pointing the remote at the screen to move a cursor. A new 2023 version of this TV, called the C3, is also now available, but it only offers subtle improvements. At a current street price of around $1,600, the C2 is still the best midrange OLED value.

Pros: Wide color range and volume with quantum dots, best-in-class picture accuracy and upscaling, Dolby Vision capabilities

Cons: Expensive, upcoming 2023 model promises a big upgrade in brightness

Sony's OLED TVs are known for their high-end picture processing, which enable them to deliver the most accurate image on the market. The A95K is the company's current top-of-the-line model, and it's the best premium OLED you can buy for an authentic home theater experience.  

Like Samsung's OLED TVs, the A95K uses quantum dots to achieve a brighter, more colorful image than a typical OLED screen. But unlike Samsung's options, the A95K also supports Dolby Vision, so it can more precisely render HDR images on a scene-by-scene basis. On top of all that, the A95K makes use of Sony's proprietary image processing to optimize its picture and upscale lower quality content better than most competing TVs. This means you'll get a cleaner, smoother image with fewer artifacts.

Though not the brightest OLED there is, the A95K delivers the best balance between image pop and accuracy of any OLED you can buy right now. That said, buyers should keep in mind that Sony has a new version of this display, called the A95L, set for release later this year. Sony says the A95L can get up to 200% brighter than the A95K. If this holds true, the A95L could end up being both the brightest and most accurate OLED on the market. Shoppers who want the absolute best high-end TV should wait to see if the A95L lives up to its promise before committing to the A95K. 

Pros: One of the brightest OLED TVs on the market, high color volume with quantum dots, 144Hz panel for PC gaming

Cons: No Dolby Vision support, expensive compared to similar 2022 model

For years, OLED TVs have struggled to match the brightness of top QLED displays. With the release of the Samsung S95C, however, that brightness gap is now smaller than ever. 

Samsung's S95C has a peak brightness of around 1,360 nits. Though LG's brand-new G3 can technically get a bit brighter at around 1,450 nits, the G3 can't maintain color accuracy as well as the S95C can across different brightness levels. Thanks to quantum dot tech, the S95C has the best combination of peak white luminance and color volume of any OLED TV. We think this gives the S95C a slight edge when it comes to overall HDR brightness.

The S95C is also our pick for the best 4K gaming TV thanks to its 144Hz panel, which enables ultra-smooth gameplay when paired with a gaming PC powerful enough to run games at 144fps. However, the S95C's killer performance doesn't come cheap. The 65-inch model sells for around $3,300, which is significantly more than the similar S95B. 

To be clear, the S95C delivers a brighter image compared to the S95B, but the jump in price is hard to justify unless you're a buyer without any budget concerns. If you're someone willing to spend top dollar on an OLED with the absolute brightest and most colorful HDR performance, the S95C is our pick.

When we test OLED TVs we evaluate several factors, including peak brightness, overall high dynamic range (HDR) performance, smart TV features, navigation speed, and value. 

To measure a TV's brightness we use an X-Rite iDisplay Plus colorimeter with test patterns found on the Spears & UHD HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray. 

We also watch the same assortment of demo movies and shows on each display to help test each TV's overall image performance, with a specific focus on scenes that showcase shadow detail, specular highlights, color fidelity, and sharpness with native 4K, high definition (HD), and standard definition (SD) content through streaming services, cable, and Blu-ray players. 

What is an OLED TV?

OLED stands for "organic light-emitting diode." Instead of using a traditional LCD panel with a backlight, like those found on QLED and LED TVs, OLED TVs are self-illuminating. This means that each pixel on an OLED can emit its own light or turn off completely, enabling an infinite contrast ratio.  

Though there are a few different types of OLED panels, they all share the same key benefits of pixel-level contrast and wide viewing angles. Some OLED subtypes, however, have extra perks that make them even more desirable. 

QD-OLED panels, for instance, have the added benefit of quantum dot technology, which enables them to produce an even wider and brighter range of colors. Sony and Samsung both use QD-OLED panels in their top TVs, like the S95B, S95C, and A95K. 

Though LG doesn't use QD-OLED, it does use another advanced OLED panel tech called MLA OLED. MLA stands for Micro Lens Array, and OLEDs with this tech employ a layer of tiny convex lenses to boost their brightness capabilities. The LG G3 is the first consumer OLED to use MLA tech.

Should OLED TV buyers worry about burn-in?

OLED panels are technically susceptible to an issue called burn-in. If a static image is left on an OLED TV for hours on end — the CNN or ESPN logo in the corner, for example — a faint, ghostly image can get left stuck on the screen.

Though it can sound a bit alarming, burn-in is not a new phenomenon. Many past TV technologies have also been prone to this issue, including plasma and CRT displays. While OLED buyers should be mindful of this risk, OLED TVs have built-in measures to combat burn-in, including automatic pixel-shift modes and pixel-refreshers. 

Publications like Rtings have done long-term tests with many OLED TV models, and while the results do show that burn-in is possible in extreme use cases, the tests show that people with regular viewing habits don't need to worry about it. 

I've personally owned an LG CX OLED TV for nearly two years, and the screen has no signs of burn-in. In my experience, as long as you don't plan on watching CNN all day long, burn-in shouldn't be a factor when deciding whether or not to buy an OLED TV.