Best OLED TV 2024: the latest and greatest models, tested by our experts

Best OLED TV: Quick Menu

Looking to get a top-of-the-line OLED TV, but not sure where to start? Then you’re in the right place.

Our team of expert testers has been reviewing OLED TVs since the technology overtook plasma and the like to become manufacturers’ panel tech of choice in the top-end TV market.

And that zeal to test every possible set we can continues today, with our experts reviewing everything from next-generation brightness boosting Micro Lens Array and QD-OLED sets to more affordable entry-level OLEDs. 

In all our tests we factor the ever-important performance-per-pound (bang for your buck) metric alongside picture and audio performance, tailoring our advice to your exact needs and budget – so you can trust our recommendations.

As ever, if there’s a set missing on this list, or if you have more questions, make sure to get in touch with our team of experts via social media or our forums and we’ll endeavour to help. 

If your budget can’t stretch to any of the sets in this list also make sure to check out our wider best TV guide, which includes some more affordable Mini LED and LCD sets.

If you’re curious about what specific checks we do before recommending an OLED you can get all the details on our TV testing process at the bottom of the page.

Written by
Tom Parsons
Written by
Tom Parsons

I’ve been testing OLED TVs most of my 16-year-plus career as a technology journalist. That means I’ve spent more hours than I care to detail sitting in our dedicated test room, in the dark, comparing each year’s sets for picture and audio quality. While some may find this a little too close to Groundhog Day for their liking, I’ve always enjoyed the experience for one key reason – the tech never stops developing and there’s always something new to check out. Most recently this has been spearheaded by the arrival of brightness-boosting technologies such as MLA and QD-OLED, which have forced us to re-evaluate our expectations at the top end of the already premium OLED market.

The quick list

You can see a quick breakdown of all the TVs in this list with a short summary of what they’re best at and why we think they’re worth your money in the table below. Or, if you want more detail you can use the skip links to go to our OLED TVs in-depth entry, where we’ll offer more detail about our experience using it.

The best OLED TVs in 2024

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best OLED TVs in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.

Best overall

The best performance-per-pound OLED TV you can currently buy

Specifications

Screen size: 55 inches (also available in 65in, 77in)
Type: OLED
Backlight: N/a
Resolution : 4K
HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, Dolby Vision
Operating system: Google TV
HDMI inputs: 4 (2 x 48Gbps HDMI 2.1)
Gaming features: 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM
ARC/eARC: eARC
Optical output? : Yes
Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 71 x 123 x 5.3cm (55-inch model)

Reasons to buy

+
Beautifully sharp, detailed and dynamic…
+
…yet also subtle and authentic
+
Impressively atmospheric sound

Reasons to avoid

-
Sound could be bassier
-
Slight lack of shadow detail in SDR
Buy it if

✅ You like the idea of sound that comes from the screen: The A80L features Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio technology, which involves actuators that vibrate the whole screen in order to make sound.
✅ You want a beautifully balanced picture: No TV we've tested balances spectacle with cinematic authenticity in the way that the A80L does. Its picture is rewarding in every way.

Don't buy it if

You’re determined to have the newest tech: The A80L features neither MLA nor QD-OLED panel technology. We'd strongly argue that doesn't matter, but those who must have the latest tech might want to look elsewhere.

Gaming is life: The Sony A80L is a very good TV for gaming, but it only has two HDMI 2.1 sockets (one of which you may want to use for a soundbar or AVR) and it doesn't support Dolby Vision gaming.

The bottom line

💻 Sony XR-55A80L is the surprise of the year so far, delivering spectacular but natural picture quality despite being a 'standard' OLED TV. ★★★★★

Why we recommend it

With the rise of newer technologies like QD-OLED and MLA, you might think standard OLED TVs are on the way out. The Sony A80L proves they're not. Its picture walks that fine line between stunning and delicate, its sound is very good (for a TV) and it has enough features to sate all but hardcore gamers with multiple games machines.

Design and features: If you think you've seen this TV before, it's for a very good reason. It looks very similar to its predecessor, the A80K, which is a shame, as a spruce-up would've been welcome. The sound system makes it thicker than some of its slim rivals, but for us, that's a compromise worth making.

Only two of its four HDMI sockets are HDMI 2.1-spec, supporting 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM (certain Samsung and LG models offer four HDMI 2.1 ports). One of these 2.1 ports doubles as the eARC socket for hooking up a soundbar or AVR, leaving you with just one HDMI 2.1 port for full-fat gaming – so you can't have more than one console or gaming PC plugged in at once (or you can, but you won't see them at their best performance). There's also no Dolby Vision gaming, though Dolby Vision is supported for TV/movie content.

Google TV comes with all the major apps and is pretty responsive. And Sony's Cognitive Processor XR upscales more intelligently by analysing the type of content it's showing – a feature called XR Clear Image.

Picture quality: What makes A80L so special is the way it combines eye-poppingly dazzling highlights with more serene fare. Fire up Blade Runner 2049 and you're met with the brilliantly bright signs and billboards as you'd expect, but in among this, the skin tones never look anything but natural, and little details like the bark of a tree are given plenty of nuance.

This delicacy never compromises the TV's dynamism. Thanks to the high contrast ratio there's a world of difference between light and dark parts of the picture, with highlights looking stark against the blackest blacks. 

It all makes for a picture with a pleasing level of solidity and plenty of depth. Add beautifully conveyed details like clothing fabric and skin blemishes, and you've got a picture performance to be reckoned with. Our one criticism? SDR content could have more dark detail. 

Sound: Even the best TVs lack finesse when it comes to sound, but the A80L stays composed throughout. The downside to this is a lack of bass, but them's the breaks.

Overall, the audio is impressive. Its actuator system makes the sound literally come from the screen, which allows it to place each effect with precision. Yet it also has a great deal of spaciousness to it.

Like all TVs, it will benefit from the addition of a soundbar. But if you can't stretch to one, you won't feel too hard done by.

Value for money: As a step-down model, the A80L was competitively priced at launch, and has come down significantly since then. It's still around £100 pricier than the equivalent-sized LG C3, but in our view, that's a bargain.

Read the full Sony XR-55A80L review

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Sony XR-55A80L scores in depth
AttributesNotesRating
PictureA brilliant performance that combines the spectacular with the natural★★★★★
SoundReally good sound for TV but deeper bass would be nice★★★★☆
FeaturesGenerally good, but only having two HDMI 2.1 ports is disappointing★★★★☆

Best cheap

The best cheap and small OLED

Specifications

Screen size: 42 inches
Type: OLED
Resolution: 4K
HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, Dolby Vision
Operating system: webOS 22
HDMI inputs: x4, all 2.1 48Gbps
Gaming features: 4K/120, VRR, ALLM, HGiG, Dolby Vision gaming
ARC/eARC: eARC
Optical output: Yes
Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 54 x 93 x 4.1cm

Reasons to buy

+
Sharp, solid and detailed without exaggeration
+
Amazing contrast
+
Exceptional gaming specs

Reasons to avoid

-
Minor upgrade on C2
-
Weak sound
-
Slight lack of shadow detail
Buy it if

✅ You’re short on space: Though there are other 42-inch OLEDs now available, the C3 offers the best overall package, featuring better connectivity and wonderfully immersive picture quality.
✅ You're a hardcore gamer: Small TVs often have at best two HDMI 2.1 ports, which can be a problem for hardcore gamers with more than one machine. The 42-inch C3 has four HDMI 2.1 inputs and support for all major gaming specs.

Don't buy it if:

You don’t plan on using a soundbar: The LG OLED42C3 is a great TV, but like all the sets this size its audio isn’t great. If you want an immersive experience gaming or watching movies you will need external speakers or a soundbar to complement it.

The bottom line

💻  The LG OLED42C3 is the best small and cheap OLED TV we've tested. If you’re short on space but want top performance and premium features then the 42-inch LG C3 is the best set you can get at the moment. ★★★★★

Why we recommend it

As the step-down model below the G-series, LG's C3 is the company's most mainstream model for 2023. The 42-incher is the smallest C-series model, and hence the most affordable. It might be less bright than its larger siblings, but it has the same suite of features and a superb picture to boot. For gamers, it's a must.

Design and features: The 42-incher has thin feet, whereas its bigger siblings feature a pedestal stand. The feet take up less space than the stand, but they do make it harder to accommodate a soundbar. 

Spec-wise, it's unrivalled at the size.It has the same Alpha 9 Gen 6 processor as the bigger models and the same connections, including four HDMI 2.1 ports with support for the gaming-friendly VRR, ALLM and 4K/120Hz features. It also supports Dolby Vision gaming up to 120Hz and HGiG for more precise HDR gaming. 

Picture quality: The 42-inch screen isn't as bright as larger OLED TVs, but it certainly does the job. And it's plenty dynamic, given its perfect blacks and superb contrast. Smaller screens also have a higher pixel density than their larger siblings, as the pixels are packed into a smaller space. The result? The 42-incher makes the 65-inch C3 look a bit fuzzy by comparison.

Pit it against rival 42-inch OLED TVs, and the C3 still triumphs. The picture is solid and dynamic, and never draws attention to what processing smarts it's deploying. It's very consistent too, and relatively easy to get it looking its best – your best bet is to use Dolby Vision Cinema Home for anything in Dolby Vision and Filmmaker Mode for everything else. Simple.

Sound: Here's the 'but'. The 65-inch C3 sounds pretty poor, so we didn't have high hopes for the 42-inch model. We were proved right.

It has less bass and volume than its bigger brother – hardly surprising, when you consider the size difference. That means it's less prone to distortion, which makes the Dolby Atmos mode more feasible. This creates a soundscape with plenty of space, especially given the TV's diminutive dimensions. It also gives voices a decent degree of projection.

But it all sounds a bit dull. This is fine for quotidian viewing, but it lacks any degree of cinematic scale.

Value for money: When the 42-inch C3 launched, it was more expensive than the same size C2. That led us to recommend the C2 over it – the C3 is only a minor upgrade, and the C2's price just kept falling. Now that the C2 is no longer around, the C3 has had its price slashed, making it much better value. It still rises and falls, but it has dipped as low as £999 – amazing, considering the 2022 Sony A90K regularly goes for £1500. And with the C4 due in the spring, the C3 will only get cheaper still...

Read the full LG OLED42C3 review

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LG OLED42C3 scores in detail
AttributesNotesRating
PictureIt's by far the best budget OLED around★★★★★
SoundYou'll want to pair it with a soundbar★★★☆☆
FeaturesFour HDMI 2.1 sockets with support for every gaming feature worth having★★★★★
A top tip when buying the C3
Alastair Stevenson What Hi-Fi profile
A top tip when buying the C3
Alastair Stevenson

At What Hi-Fi?, despite over a decade of searching, we’re yet to find an OLED TV that offers truly immersive, home cinema-level sound. This is particularly true on smaller affordable sets, such as this 42-inch C3. As a result, we always recommend factoring the price of a soundbar or speakers with your OLED TV purchase. This is particularly important if you’re on a tight budget. In this specific instance, we’d recommend an affordable soundbar such as the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), which is what we generally pair it with when writing our system recommendations.

The best premium OLED

Sony's second-generation QD-OLED is a very special TV indeed

Specifications

Screen size: 55 inches (also available in 65in, 77in)
Type: QD-OLED
Backlight: N/a
Resolution : 4K
HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, Dolby Vision
Operating system: Google TV
HDMI inputs: 4 (2 x 48Gbps HDMI 2.1)
Gaming features: 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM
ARC/eARC: eARC
Optical output? : Yes
Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 71 x 122 x 3.4cm (55-inch model)

Reasons to buy

+
Stunning brightness, contrast and colours
+
But even-handed and authentic, too
+
Crisp, direct and spacious sound

Reasons to avoid

-
Still only two HDMI 2.1 sockets
-
Some gaming features coming later
-
No UK catch-up apps
Buy it if

✅ You want the ultimate picture quality: The A95L is a second-generation QD-OLED TV with awesome brightness and colour vibrancy married to Sony's authenticity and excellent processing.
✅ You don't want a soundbar: While we would still recommend adding a separate soundbar if you can, the A95L sounds excellent by TV standards, with impressive directness and spaciousness.

Don't buy it if

You need more than two HDMI 2.1 sockets: It's got next-gen panel tech but the A95L still has just two HDMI 2.1 sockets, one of which also handles eARC duties. This will be a problem for gamers with multiple machines.
You're not prepared to add a streamer: The A95L has launched without the UK's catch-up apps, including BBC iPlayer.

The bottom line

💻 Sony A95L combines next-gen Quantum Dot tech with Sony's exceptional processing and eye for authenticity to produce a picture that's both stunning and subtle. ★★★★★

Why we recommend it

How do you follow the best TV of 2022? Price notwithstanding, Sony's A95K was that year's standout model, thanks to its QD-OLED panel offering more brightness and vibrancy than even rival QD-OLEDs like the Samsung S95B. It also sounded much better.

But that was then. Sony's A95L is its second-generation QD-OLED TV, and delivers brighter images and greater efficiency. And the bods at Sony have done it again – the A95L is the best TV currently available, though the same caveat about price applies.

Features: What's so good about the 2023 upgrade over the A95K? The new QD-OLED panel goes twice as bright as its predecessor – helped by the addition of a heatsink and custom thermal analysis via the Cognitive Processor XR.

Its gaming skills have been upgraded too, though its two HDMI 2.1 sockets still lag behind Samsung and LG's four. These 2.1-specced ports support 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, and while there's no HGiG setting, you can deactivate HDR tone-mapping for much the same effect. Dolby Vision gaming was missing at launch, but has since been added as part of a firmware update, as have the UK's terrestrial catch-up apps (BBC iPlayer, All4 etc). 

Google TV has all the streaming apps you would expect (Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video), though it does feel a bit sluggish to start. 

The A95L is unique in that the Bravia CAM camera comes with the TV (usually it's an optional extra). If you like the idea of video calls from your TV, automatic power saving and picture/sound optimisation based on where you're sitting, it might be worth a try, but we found it a bit gimmicky.

Picture quality: We were promised extra brightness, and that's exactly what the A95L delivers. Lights glow with more intensity while there's more detail to see as well, with subtle shades visible within the bright highlights. 

The picture is equally impressive at the other end of the scale, with plenty of black depth that is, again, teeming with detail. Colours are wonderfully rendered in even the gloomiest areas of the picture, so skin tones never skew pale like on lesser TVs.

More contrast also adds definition to picture elements, giving it a more solid feel and with it more depth. But it never gets too bold, with subtlety still very much the name of the game (the same can't be said of the Samsung S95C QD-OLED).

Sound: Sony's actuator-based sound systems make for some of the best-sounding TVs around. The A95L features two actuators that vibrate the whole screen – so that sound literally comes from the screen – while bass is provided by two subwoofers. 

It's certainly direct, with dialogue coming straight from characters' mouths and gunshots from the weapon's muzzle. But it also extends the soundscape beyond the confines of the TV. It's clear and detailed as well, and while it could do with extra bass depth, it's still leagues ahead of most TVs. 

Value for money: All this picture and sound technology doesn't come cheap. Even now, months after launch, the price remains stubbornly close to the £3699 / $3500 / AU$5995 Sony was asking for when it first went on sale. Still, if you can afford it, it will be worth every penny.

Read the full Sony A95L review

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Sony A95L scores in depth
AttributesNotesRating
PictureStunning brightness and vibrancy but with excellent subtlety and authenticity★★★★★
SoundCrisp, clear and direct, but with impressive spaciousness, too★★★★★
FeaturesGood overall but let down slightly by having just two HDMI 2.1 sockets and no UK catch-up apps★★★★☆

Best 8K

If you absolutely must have 8K, this is the OLED to buy

Specifications

Screen size: 77-inches
Type: OLED
Resolution: 8K
HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
Operating system: webOS 22
HDMI inputs: x4 48Gbps HDMI 2.1
Gaming features: 4K/120, VRR, ALLM
ARC/eARC: eARC
Optical output: Yes
Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 98 x 172 x 3.2cm

Reasons to buy

+
Beautiful, balanced picture quality
+
Bright by OLED TV standards
+
Strong sound

Reasons to avoid

-
Pathetic, flimsy feet
-
Essentially the same picture as the G2
-
No 8K content worth watching
Buy it if

✅ You really want 8K: If you want to use the words 8K and OLED in the same sentence and really care about having a set that supports the next-generation resolution, the Z2 is the only option.
✅ You want a big-screen TV for gaming: The Z2 has four next-generation console-ready HDMI 2.1 ports. But it also has an added allure for PC gamers with super-powerful gaming PCs thanks to its support for 8K/60Hz – which some newer graphics cards can hit. 

Don't buy it if:

You don’t care about 8K: There's essentially no 8K content worth watching at the moment, nor any even confirmed as on the way. Unless you're desperate to be ready for the 8K content that might one day materialise, you're probably better served by one of LG's 4K models.

The bottom line

💻  LG OLED77Z2 is one of only two options on the market if you want an 8K OLED TV – the other is the Z3, which is newer but also much more expensive. ★★★★☆

Why we recommend it

To be clear, broadly speaking we don't recommend that you invest in an 8K TV at the moment. There's practically no 8K content that's worth watching – and none even confirmed as being on the way. But, if you want to use 8K and OLED in the same sentence when describing your TV to friends, the LG OLED77Z2 is the set to get. Featuring a giant 77-inch OLED screen, the Z2 is the only 8K OLED TV we’ve tested – Samsung’s competing QE75QN900B uses a Mini LED panel instead.

Design and features: If you’re looking for a show-stopper TV that screams “I’m the future” and causes envious glances the moment people enter your home, the Z2 isn’t it. In fact, it looks a lot like the LG G2 featuring plastic casework over the panel’s rear and a very utilitarian front with a slightly thicker frame around its screen. The main design difference is that, unlike the G2, the Z2 features attachable feet.

Under the hood, it’s also a different beast to LG’s other models. Though its chip is based on the a9 Gen 5 AI processor seen in the G2 and C2 OLED Evo models, LG says it’s a 'modified', more powerful, 8K version. The set also comes with unique picture algorithms and custom heat dissipation technology – though LG declined our request for details about how exactly that works and is different from the ones seen in its other OLED sets.

Connectivity-wise it is fully stacked. LG’s loaded it with four HDMI 2.1 sockets that are capable of supporting 8K/60Hz signals, should 8K sources ever appear. Like LG’s other sets the inputs also support 4K/120Hz signals from the Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and high-end gaming PCs. Support for VRR and ALLM is also included. 

Picture quality: While there's no worthwhile native 8K content doing the rounds, our testers were very impressed with the Z2’s overall picture quality.

Watching The Batman 4K Blu-ray in Dolby Vision, dark scenes were full of subtle detail lost on many of the cheaper OLED sets we’ve tested. The bright video billboards of Gotham Square also retained their detail and sparkled over the otherwise dark cityscape. Overall the results delivered lovely depth and solidity to the picture.

Running the 4K Blu-ray of Drive, the Cinematic Movement motion processing option handled the film's multiple panning shots with finesse, with our testers reporting no additional artificiality to the picture.

Colours were also well-handled throughout our tests. The only minor issue our reviewers noticed throughout testing was a very gentle boost to the greens of the fields and hills of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, streamed in 4K HDR10 via the Apple TV app, which makes the picture 'just a smidge less authentic' than the results we got on the Sony A95K we ran it against. 

Sound: On paper, the Z2 has the same audio system as LG’s G2. Specifically, it comes loaded with a 60W, 4.2-channel, down-firing arrangement. But bizarrely, actually using it in our test rooms, our reviewers found the Z2 sounded miles better than the G2.

Stress testing it with the bassy opening to chapter two of Blade Runner 2049, in which K flies over LA to the police precinct, the Z2 offered much weightier audio than the G2. This was indicative generally of the extra detail, clarity and directness that made watching movies on the Z2 noticeably more engaging.

Value for money: The LG Z2 is a fantastic TV that offers wonderfully punchy, immersive picture and audio quality. It’s also the only OLED on the market that supports 8K resolutions. But if you were to ask us if it’s good value, our honest answer would be not at the moment. The premium 8K adds makes it the most expensive set on this list, and hard to recommend to anyone but early adopters, due to the shortage of content mastered at its max resolution. But, if you really want 8K and OLED, then it’s the best, and only, option at the moment.

Read the full LG OLED77Z2 review

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LG OLED77Z2 scores in depth
AttributesNotesRating
PictureIt looks great, but outside of 8K is fairly similar to the G2★★★★★
SoundOne of the best sounding sets we've tested★★★★★
FeaturesEverything any cinephile or gamer will every need★★★★★

Best 48-inch

Sound aside, there’s no better 48-inch TV

Specifications

Screen size: 48 inches (also available in 42in, 55in, 65in, 77in, 83in)
Type: OLED
Resolution: 4K
HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, Dolby Vision
Operating system: webOS 23
HDMI inputs: x4, all 2.1 48Gbps
Gaming features: 4K/120, VRR, ALLM, HGiG, Dolby Vision gaming
ARC/eARC: eARC
Optical output: Yes
Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 62 x 107 x 4.7cm

Reasons to buy

+
Crisp, contrasty yet balanced picture
+
Superb gaming specs
+
Very user-friendly

Reasons to avoid

-
Dull sound
-
Only slightly better than the C2
Buy it if

✅ You’re short on space: Though there are other 42-inch OLEDs now available, the C3 offers the best overall package, featuring better connectivity and wonderfully immersive picture quality.
✅ You're a hardcore gamer: Most TVs have just two HDMI 2.1 sockets at best but the C3 has four, as well as support for all next-gen gaming features.

Don't buy it if:

You refuse to add a soundbar: Like its siblings, the 48-inch LG C3 sounds pretty poor, producing dull audio that doesn't do justice to the excellent visuals. A separate sound system is a must.

The bottom line

💻  The LG OLED48C3 is comfortably the best 48-inch OLED TV you can buy, combining thrilling, authentic picture quality with the best gaming specs you'll find anywhere. ★★★★★

Why we recommend it

Because of its minimal upgrades and fiercer competition from its rivals, the C3 hasn't been as dominant as the C2 that preceded it. At least, that's true at larger sizes – at 48 inches and below, the C3 is the best around. There are no bells and whistles like MLA or QD-OLED panels, but performance is superb and the gaming spec peerless. The price is more compelling than ever, too.

Design and features: The 48-inch C3 has the same pedestal stand as its larger siblings. That makes it easy to situate on a TV cabinet, but you'll have to get the tape measure out before buying a soundbar.

It features the best 48-inch OLED panel currently available, alongside the best gaming spec money can buy: four HDMI 2.1 sockets that are specced for HDMI 2.1 with support for 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. It also supports Dolby Vision gaming and has a really well thought out HGiG setting that makes it a doddle to get more accurate HDR.

Picture quality: The C3 reads the scene very well indeed. It delivers bright highlights and punchy colours when required, but is just at home conveying images in a more subtle fashion. Put simply, it does whatever is asked of it.

The image feels solid with plenty of depth, and because of the smaller screen size, and increased pixel density that entails, it looks even sharper than its bigger siblings. And while it can't match those sizes for brightness, its brilliant contrast gives it plenty of punch.

Sound: LG's 2023 TVs have not fared well in this department. The 48-inch C3 is actually a bit more upfront and engaging than the other sizes of C3 we've reviewed, with a greater sense of attack and broader dynamic range. But it's plagued by distortion issues at the low end, and the presentation is too muddied. But that's easily fixed: just add a soundbar.

Value for money: The C3's price rose across the sizes, leaving it looking like bad value next to the C2. But now the C2 has been discontinued, and the C3's price has dropped, the outlay is much easier to stomach. The C4 is on its way, which is sure to put more pressure on the C3's price – it's expected to stick around for a while yet, so bide your time, and you could bag a bargain.

Read the full LG OLED48C3 review

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LG OLED48C3 scores in detail
AttributesNotesRating
PictureExcellent balance of dynamism and subtlety★★★★★
SoundFine for everyday TV but sadly lacking for movies★★★☆☆
FeaturesFour HDMI 2.1 sockets with every significant spec flawlessly implemented★★★★★

Best 77-inch

The best extra-large OLED TV you can buy

Specifications

Screen size: 77-inch
Type: OLED
Resolution: 4K
HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision (inc. Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail)
Operating system: webOS 22
HDMI inputs : x4, all 2.1 48Gbps
Gaming features: 4K/120, VRR, ALLM, HGiG, Dolby Vision game mode
Input lag : 9ms
ARC/eARC: eARC
Optical output: Yes
Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 98 x 171 x 4.7cm

Reasons to buy

+
Awesome contrast
+
Bright and vibrant yet natural
+
Flawless feature set for gaming

Reasons to avoid

-
Not as bright as a G2 or G3
-
Occasionally fuzzy bass
Buy it if

You want a great value, big screen OLED: The 77-inch LG C2 isn’t cheap but you’ll struggle to find a better option at this price, with the set offering features and picture quality that equal and at times beat many of the more expensive 77-inch sets we've tested.
You want a top-end gaming TV: The LG OLED77C2 offers the same advanced gaming feature set as the smaller versions also featured in this guide. This makes it the perfect option for any PS5 or Xbox Series X owner with cash to burn and space for a 77-inch set.

Don't buy it if

You want the best audio experience: The 77-inch LG C2’s audio isn’t the best you’ll find on a set this size and price. We recommend investing in a soundbar or full home cinema system to accompany it.

The bottom line

💻 The LG OLED77C2 is the best 77-inch TV we've tested, offering the same natural picture quality and next-gen gaming-ready feature set as its 65-inch sibling.

Why we recommend it

If you have the space for a 77-inch TV and want a wonderfully immersive OLED that doesn’t require you to remortgage your house, the LG OLED77C2 is the one to get.

Based on our testing it boasts all of the stellar features of the 65-inch model C2 and newer C3, but it comes with a larger 77-inch screen. In fact, the only reason we don’t list it as the best overall is that, based on our experience, 77 inches is a little too large for most living rooms and it’s notably more expensive than its 65-inch siblings.

Highlights include the amazing picture quality that’s full of contrast and natural colours, plus the best gaming feature set you’ll find on any 77-inch TV, regardless of price.

Design and features: The LG OLED77C2 shares the same design as the 65-inch model, which is no bad thing. The set has a wonderfully slim profile and is surprisingly lightweight, to the point it can easily be set up without breaking your back, based on our experience. 

Under the hood, it’s powered by webOS 22, which means you’ll have access to pretty much every mainstream streaming app under the sun. The only ones we noticed that were missing were fairly specialist ones such as the horror-focussed Shudder and anime-focussed Crunchyroll. 

It’s powered by the same Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor as the other C2 models, which keeps the UI running smoothly and offers a wealth of features including AI upscaling and support for Dolby Vision IQ.

Connectivity is also equally impressive, with it featuring four HDMI 2.1 sockets with support for 4K/120Hz gaming, VRR and ALLM. Once again, this makes the TV one of the best options for next-generation gamers, with many competing sets even this size being limited to two inputs – one of which is used for eARC, meaning you can only have one console attached to it at any one time without sacrificing performance.

Picture quality: The 77-inch LG C2 offers fantastic picture quality for the money, based on our testing. Colours held a wonderful naturalness with skin tones in The Mandalorian in Dolby Vision looking wonderfully detailed.

This continued with every check we did, with every movie and show we played featuring incredibly deep blacks and wonderfully immersive colours that retained a lovely naturalness that was completely devoid of the exaggeration we see on many cheaper sets.

The only slight downside is that it doesn’t quite match the maximum brightness levels of the G2 when we ran the two head-to-head in our test rooms. This is because the G2 features an additional heatsink that allows its panel to be pushed harder and therefore brighter.

Sound: LG’s C2 line of TVs is excellent when it comes to features and picture quality and for the money, we’ve struggled to find a better overall option that fits most people’s needs. But based on our experience they’re no pack leader in one key area – sound quality.

This remains the case with the LG OLED77C2, which suffers from similar low-end issues to the 65-inch model. During our checks, the drivers began to suffer from an audible buzz when playing particularly bassy soundtrack elements, such as those at the start of chapter two of the Blade Runner 2049 4K Blu-ray or on The Batman. You will want to invest in a soundbar or speaker system if you want the best big-screen movie experience possible.

Value for money: The 77-inch C2 has always been very good value for a TV of its size and ability, but that's even more the case now that it's a year old and has been significantly discounted. There is a replacement model, the 77-inch C3, but you would have to pay a lot more for that and the upgrades are slight, although with the C4 launching soon, we expect the 77-inch C3 might well take the place of the C2. If you're in the market for a 77-inch OLED TV, we recommend going for a C2 while it's still available and discounted. 

Read our LG OLED77C2 review

Swipe to scroll horizontally
LG OLED77C2 scores in depth
AttributesNotesRating
PictureFor the money the LG OLED77C2 is the best 77-inch TV on the market★★★★★
SoundIts sound struggles a bit with bassy scenes★★★★☆
FeaturesWebOS is one of the most feature packed TV operating systems available★★★★★

Also consider

Philips OLED908: The OLED908 isn’t available in the US, but if you’re in the UK or mainland Europe and are after an alternative to the G3, it’s a great option. Though it hasn’t got the gaming spec of the LG (primarily because it has just tow HDMI 2.1 sockets), it sounds significantly better and offers competitive picture quality, based on our testing.

Panasonic MZ15000: If you care about an authentic home cinema experience but don’t fancy the Sony A80L, the MZ1500 is a valid alternative that offers wonderfully controlled, subtle picture quality and reliable performance. 

Samsung S95C: If you’re looking for a “blow your socks off” OLED TV experience then the S95C is worth considering. Featuring great gaming features and a “turn everything up to 11” approach it’s certain to delight many movie fans and gamers.

LG Z3: We don’t currently recommend investing in 8K due to a lack of content mastered at the resolution. But if you really want to jump on 8K now and insist on OLED, the LG Z3 is the only option currently available that we’ve tested. 

What we look for in an OLED TV

Value for money: Even though OLED TVs are by nature a luxury item, whenever we review any product we put performance-per-pound (or Dollar if you’re in the US) first. This is a key metric we use to determine if something is good value for money – which is why if an OLED costs thousands more than a direct rival we expect it to perform significantly better.

That said, we still base our recommendations on performance and expect every set to achieve a baseline. To decide what this is we always see how they perform directly against rivals and step up or down models in our dedicated viewing rooms in London.

Picture quality: This is a primary point we look at when reviewing any OLED set. Key factors include: are the colours accurate? How good is the motion handling (which is a fancy way of saying do movements look natural and free of the dreaded Soap Opera Effect)? Is the picture vibrant and enticing? Is the HDR performance up to scratch in all the common standards, such as HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG? Are blacks deep enough and is there plenty of shadow detail?

Audio: On top of that, we gauge any OLED’s audio performance. There are plenty of OLED TVs doing the rounds with attached speaker bars purporting to “remove the need for a soundbar or speaker package”. We’re yet to find one that delivers on this promise so we still check key things such as how they handle bass-heavy scenes, dialogue, and (where applicable) surround sound formats and/or Dolby Atmos.

Gaming: Given that many people now regularly play games on their TV, when reviewing an OLED we always make sure it features the connectivity required to run a current generation console or PC at full speed. Key things include the ability to run games in 4K at 120Hz, whether or not it suffers from input lag and support for gaming-specific HDR standards, such as Dolby Vision Gaming. Of course, we also go beyond the specs and test whether games look and feel good when played through the TV on test.

How we tested OLED TVs

How we test OLED TVs

What Hi-Fi? tests OLEDs using the same approach it does with any category of products. 

As a starting point, we always test OLEDs in controlled conditions, which is usually our London viewing room, and directly against the other TVs that we think buyers looking at this specific set should also consider or be upgrading from. This is to ensure our experiences are uniform among all the TVs we test. We never review a product in isolation or gauge performance based on memory. Every review will feature conclusions we’ve made directly comparing the TVs we mention.

As part of this, we use a reference system for the TVs. This includes a Panasonic DP-UB820EB Blu-ray player, which we use to run our test discs and a Sony TA-AN1000, which we use to split the same source material simultaneously across the OLED TVs we’re comparing. For gaming features, we connect current generation Xbox Series X and PS5 game consoles. If there are any changes to the reference setup we will flag them in the review.

For picture quality, we always use an ever-changing portfolio of test discs to gauge specific aspects of the TV’s performance. For example, we may use a 4K Blu-ray of an incredibly brightly mastered movie, such as Pan, to gauge peak brightness. Meanwhile, we will watch scenes from an incredibly darkly mastered movie, such as The Batman or Oppenheimer to check shadow detail. 

We do not professionally calibrate TVs during testing as this is beyond what most normal buyers would do and requires specialist equipment and knowledge, even on expensive OLEDs. However, we do not just use the out-of-the-box settings. As a rule, when testing an OLED TV we will experiment with all the settings, using a mixture of test patterns and ‘real’ content, until we feel we have got the absolute best picture possible out of it.

Recent Updates

  • Updated: 06/03/24 to add new tips, author bios, also considered entries, intro, FAQ answers, how we test and how we choose sections. 

OLED TV FAQ

How is OLED different?

OLED TVs work differently from LCD TVs. You can get a full breakdown of the differences in our OLED vs LCD guide page, but the biggest difference is that they charge individual pixels rather than an entire backlight. This lets them generate perfect blacks and better contrast. This is particularly noticeable when you watch an OLED side by side with an LCD in a dark room, as we have done many times. Here, in most instances, the LCD will have a greyer tone than its OLED rival. The trade-off is that top LCDs can have higher maximum brightness levels.  

Is OLED better?

OLED has become synonymous with being the “best” panel tech for picture quality and if you check our best TV guide, you’ll see plenty of OLED sets are featured. However, having run more TVs side by side than we care to count we can confirm the answer to this question is “it depends on the TV”. Despite their price, OLEDs aren’t all perfect and there are massive differences in performance between the various sets. These can range from how they handle motion, to their ability to accurately display colours as the director intended. We’ve seen some top-end Mini LED TVs beat OLEDs in certain areas, such as audio quality, maximum brightness and gaming performance, especially in recent years. It’s just black level we’re yet to see OLED be beaten in all instances.

Is QD-OLED and MLA the same as OLED?

QD-OLED and MLA are competing OLED TV technologies designed to overcome OLED’s biggest perceived weakness – the fact it can’t go as bright as backlit TV technologies. QD-OLED does this by adding Samsung’s Quantum Dot TV tech to OLED. MLA, which is built by LG Display, adds a layer of microscopic lenses behind the OLED panels to boost brightness. We’ve tested sets from both technologies and can confirm they do raise OLED’s max brightness, but given the limited number of sets running either, with MLA only having launched last year, we’re not yet ready to offer our definitive verdict which is better.

Are there any cheap OLEDs?

OLED technology still carries a premium price tag, and we’re seemingly still a long way off from seeing an OLED TV hit the £500 / $500 mark. OLED has recently come down in price somewhat, though. The LG C2, which launched in 2022, was the first OLED we considered to really nail our hallowed performance-per-dollar/pound metric. We’re hoping to see OLED TVs drop further in cost this year.

Should I worry about OLED burn-in?

OLED burn-in (also sometimes referred to as ‘image retention’) refers to when a shadow image is essentially burned into the TV’s panel. While it is absolutely possible for an OLED TV to suffer burn-in, thanks to its use of organic materials, it is far from a common issue. None of the OLED TVs we have tested has ever suffered from burn-in, and the same is true of the many OLEDs that staff members own and have owned. Anti-burn-in technologies have become better each year, too, so the latest OLED TVs are even less susceptible to burn-in than their predecessors. As long as you make use of these anti-burn-in features (which are usually switched on by default), turn the TV off using the remote rather than the wall socket (this allows it to run a quick panel refresh) and avoid leaving a static image on the screen for days at a time, it’s highly unlikely that you should be concerned.

Alastair Stevenson
Editor in Chief

Alastair is What Hi-Fi?’s editor in chief. He has well over a decade’s experience as a journalist working in both B2C and B2B press. During this time he’s covered everything from the launch of the first Amazon Echo to government cyber security policy. Prior to joining What Hi-Fi? he served as Trusted Reviews’ editor-in-chief. Outside of tech, he has a Masters from King’s College London in Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion, is an enthusiastic, but untalented, guitar player and runs a webcomic in his spare time. 

  • yholmes
    Hi, I’ve read several of your reviews (extremely helpful thank you) and I’m looking for some expert advice. Out of these three options which would you choose: Panasonic TX-55HZ1000 (£1899), Panasonic TX-55GZ2000B (£1499 clearance price), LG OLED55CX (£1599). The TX-55GZ2000B I found in a local shop seems to be a bargain price but I’m wondering if I should go for a 2020 model. Thank you.
    Reply
  • yholmes said:
    Hi, I’ve read several of your reviews (extremely helpful thank you) and I’m looking for some expert advice. Out of these three options which would you choose: Panasonic TX-55HZ1000 (£1899), Panasonic TX-55GZ2000B (£1499 clearance price), LG OLED55CX (£1599). The TX-55GZ2000B I found in a local shop seems to be a bargain price but I’m wondering if I should go for a 2020 model. Thank you.
    I would go for the GZ2000 if you can get it at that price brand new. It won’t have HDMI 2.1 though if you are a gamer I would go for the LG OLED.
    Reply
  • yholmes
    Thank you so much for your quick reply! I’m not a gamer but my partner likes to play every now and then so I will look into the LG OLED a bit more. I’ll make sure check whether the Panasonic is brand new at the shop as well. Thanks again!
    Reply
  • Mr. C Nation
    It should be by default an impossibility for any TV to get 5 stars if it does not include all major content provision, such as catch-up.

    TVs are simply devices to watch content. They have no other purpose and they have no intrinsic merit in themselves.

    You wouldn't award a can 5 stars just because it was made of gold with a platinum ring-pull if it did not contain any beans!
    Reply