We've tested the best OLED TVs side by side – there is one clear winner, but we'd each choose a different one to take home

We have spent most of the year with our eyes glued to the latest and greatest OLED TVs – and we're certainly not complaining about it.

And in a rare occurrence, we've managed to line up the four biggest flagship models –from LG, Sony, Samsung and Panasonic – to assess which one comes out on top. The respective models – namely the G5, Bravia 8 II, S95F, and Z95B – all feature the latest advanced panel technology, including Primary RGB Tandem OLED, which made its debut this year, and the latest generation of QD-OLED.

You have probably seen our list of the best OLED TVs, so the model that has come out on top shouldn't surprise you. Yes, it's the Sony Bravia 8 II, a stunning television that offers a bright, sharp, and three-dimensional picture packed with contrast.

The Sony really is excellent, but the competition has been incredibly tough this year, meaning that while the Bravia 8 II is the agreed-upon winner among Team AV, it's not necessarily the one that we would each take home.

Each of the models mentioned above scored five stars in our reviews, and they all have something unique to bring to the table. This means that you're bound to get a sensational TV regardless of your preferences and priorities.

After a lengthy debate between Alastair Stevenson (What Hi-Fi?'s editor in chief), Tom Parsons (our TV and AV editor), and me (Lewis Empson, senior staff writer), we've agreed to come to a conclusion that appeases everyone. While we all agree that the Sony Bravia 8 II is the best of the bunch, we'd each take a different TV home.

Now, there are three of us and four TVs, so one TV must, of course, miss out. Unfortunately, that's going to be the LG G5. It is impressive in many ways, but ultimately we felt that it pushed the brightness capabilities of this new panel tech a little too far. Sorry LG, but it had to be someone.

With that out of the way, which TV would each of us choose to take the coveted spot in our respective living rooms?

Sony Bravia 8 II

We'll start with the Sony, which has been championed by Tom Parsons. It follows up on the brilliant Sony A95L, sporting a Samsung Display-derived QD-OLED panel, which it uses to boost brightness to great effect.

Pair that with some of the best picture processing on the market right now, and an effective built-in speaker system that is almost good enough to not require an external sound system, and the Sony Bravia 8 II just about edges out the competition.

Furthermore, the Bravia 8 II undercut the competition when it came to price at launch, and it continues to be the cheapest of the bunch, making it the best OLED of this roundup when it comes to that all-important performance-to-pound ratio.

That's ticking all of the boxes we look out for, so it's no wonder it's Tom's top pick. Here's what he has to say about the Bravia 8 II:

Tom Parsons, TV and AV editor

"While I most certainly want all of the picture enhancements that next-gen panel technology offers, I only want it when it’s in the service of delivering cinematically authentic movies (and TV shows and games, for that matter).

That’s why the Bravia 8 II is the clear winner for me.

It seems fair to say at this point that QD-OLED has the edge over Primary RGB Tandem, particularly where colours are concerned, and the Sony deploys this enhanced vibrancy not to turn everything up to 11, Spinal Tap-style, but to deliver more natural and consistent colours from the brightest highlights to the darkest shadows.

Add awesome contrast and Sony’s exceptional processing, which subtly sharpens specific picture elements to create a thrilling impression of three-dimensionality, and you’ve got a performance that perfectly balances dynamism and realism."

Panasonic Z95B

Now, there's no doubting that the Sony trumps the competition, especially as it undercuts the competition where price is concerned.

But it's not the best pick for everyone. Our editor in chief, for instance, prefers the Panasonic Z95B. And we couldn't possibly blame him; it's another stellar TV that delivers “rich and vibrant” colours and an overall “strikingly three-dimensional image”, as referenced in our full review.

We also find it to sound rather good, too, with its built-in Dolby Atmos sound system being tuned by legendary audio brand Technics.

But what really strikes us with this TV is how cinematically accurate it is, which is why it's Alastair's top choice. Read what he has to say about the Panasonic Z95B here:

Alastair Stevenson, editor in chief

“I’ve always valued an authentic, as the director intended, picture over one with lots of razzmatazz.

And while that sounds simple enough, in today’s market where TV makers seem hellbent on selling a high nit count as the primary metric for decent picture quality, that’s actually a pretty hard thing to find.

Which is why, for me personally, the Panasonic Z95B is the standout star of the show right now.

Sure, it doesn’t push its brightness-boosting Primary RGB Tandem OLED screen as hard as rivals, but its consistency and focus on control won me over during our group tests, letting me focus on the movie, not what it was doing, more than any other flagship OLED this year."

Samsung S95F

Rounding out our picks is the Samsung S95F, which we called the “very best all-round TV that Samsung has ever produced, and a strong candidate for TV of the year”. We complimented its “stunningly bright, vibrant and sharp” picture, and the overcooked colours of previous Samsung TVs have been reined in for a more natural look.

The Sony takes the edge where shadow detail is concerned, but the Samsung's feature-set is what makes it my favourite of the bunch. The gaming features are second to none on this TV, and Tizen is an extremely comprehensive operating system when it comes to app support.

We feel that the Samsung offers a picture performance that is characteristically very close to the Sony, and what it lacks in the picture department is made up for in the features; which is why it's my top pick.

Here's why I would take the Samsung S95F out of this crop of excellent OLED TVs:

Lewis Empson, senior staff writer

“After spending a considerable amount of time with the Panasonic and Sony sets, I was convinced that Samsung had to pull off some sort of miracle to take my personal top spot. Which is why I am both surprised yet very impressed to be writing exactly why I love this TV so much.

The S95F ticks all of the boxes for me. Its picture performance is truly brilliant, with a crisp and dazzlingly bright presentation that drew my eye during our side-by-side testing. Samsung has clearly taken a more mature approach with this TV, as it features a surprisingly natural and engaging picture, which puts it remarkably close to the Sony in pole position.

While it doesn't quite beat, or even match the Sony (which also uses a QD-OLED panel) in the picture department, it does crush the Sony where features are concerned.

As an avid gamer with multiple consoles and a Dolby Atmos soundbar hooked up to my TV, it's safe to say that HDMI 2.1 sockets are precious commodities. The S95F has four of them, all of which support VRR and ALLM – very nice indeed.

The only drawback is the lack of Dolby Vision, which is something I'd have to adjust to; but with HDR10+ being picked up by a raft of streaming services, it's a compromise that stings slightly less nowadays.”

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best OLED TV

And find the best OLED TV deals here

As well as our overall picks for the best TVs overall