The best OLED TVs offer some of the best picture quality around at the moment. And while they were once the preserve of those with particularly deep pockets, prices have slowly come down and some of the cheapest OLED TVs are now among the best.
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It's basically the next step on from LCD. Because they don't require a backlight, OLED, or Organic Light-Emitting Diode, televisions can be ultra-thin, and because each pixel can be switched off individually (creating a 'true' black), they have unbelievable black levels.
OLED is also a more efficient and eco-friendly technology than LCD. They are expensive to produce, however, which is why you don't currently see OLED TVs under 55 inches.
The very best OLED televisions combine 4K and HDR technology to devastating effect. We've rounded up the cream of the crop below, including the cheapest OLED TV we've tested, to the very best OLED TVs money can buy.
We've come to expect some of the best OLED TV picture quality from LG in recent years, and the 2019 C9 series doesn't disappointed. The 55in version pictured here is a 2019 What Hi-Fi? Award-winner and delivers brilliantly balanced colours, impressive black depth and eye-catching levels of detail - everything makes for a flagship picture performance at a reasonable price.
It's a good-looking OLED TV too - the tiny bezel doesn't get in the way, and its webOS operating system is as inviting as ever. As you go deeper into the menus, things get a bit more confusing but thankfully, the TV doesn't require a lot of tinkering out of the box. Its 40W speaker system sounds good enough to keep you entertained, but as with most flatscreen TVs, investing in a good soundbar won't do any harm.
Read the full review: LG OLED55C9PLA
This Panasonic set might not be the most glamorous OLED TV, but it's one of the best value sets we've seen in 2019. Here, the picture does the talking, with its natural balance and tonal subtlety giving the image a fantastic sense of realism. Blacks are inky deep, but there's detail in those darker areas too. The above LG might offer a more polished picture, but the Panasonic more than holds its own.
One big plus is that the Panasonic supports all the major HDR formats (including Dolby Vision and HDR10+), so there's no need to worry about the type of 4K content you want to watch. Oh, and its built-in speaker system sounds impressively weighty and dynamic too.
Read the full review: Panasonic TX-55GZ950B
There aren't many TVs that can beat the LG C9 when it comes to picture quality, but we feel the GZ2000 has the edge. The 55in model is much more expensive than the LG equivalent, though, which is why it doesn't take the top spot.
But the picture served up is nothing short of sensational. There's a crispness and three-dimensionality that other sets can't touch, while black levels and detail are a cut above the competition too. The icing on the cake is the brilliant sound quality. There's a soundbar built into the front which works with upward-firing speakers on the rear of the set to produce a wide, spacious sound with a good sense of scale. If money is no object, this TV deserves to be on your list.
Read the full review: Panasonic TX-55GZ2000B
This 65in version of LG's C9 looks the part before you even turn it on, with such slim bezels you could mistake it for a floating set (especially when wall mounted). The picture doesn't disappoint - black levels are suitably inky, while the image goes brilliantly bright, creating a stunning level of contrast. And while the speakers are pretty well hidden, they create great sound. A fantastic option for any film or TV fan looking for a set bigger than 55in and another 2019 What Hi-Fi? Award-winner.
Read the full review: LG OLED65C9PLA
This affordable OLED TV features 2018 tech in a 2019 panel, but it's still one of the finest sets we've seen this year. It produces a natural, colourful picture with great contrast whether you're watching both 4K or HD content. The C9 range is still our pick if your budget can stretch, but you won't be let down by this excellent OLED TV.
Read the full review: LG OLED65B9PLA
This was only a small improvement on its predecessor when it launched last year, but then LG was already at the front of the OLED pack. So it's a bit like criticising Lewis Hamilton for "only" finishing four seconds ahead of second place. We love the pedestal stand on this LG TV - as well as looking cool, that ridged mouth funnels sound towards the viewer from the downward-firing speaker. And the picture? It's excellent, providing you select the right mode. A great TV in its own right, and a deserved winner of its 2018 What Hi-Fi? Award. And now available at a bargain price.
Read the full review: LG OLED55C8PLA
Our advice when reviewing televisions tends to be, buy a flatscreen and then add a soundbar, but this LG proves one of the exceptions to that rule. It produces just the kind of picture we'd hope for and supplements it with excellent sound quality.
This E9 has more speakers than its 2019 sibling, the also five-star C9 (4.2ch compared with 2.2ch), more amplifier power (60W against 40W) and slightly different positioning (forward-firing vs down-firing). The result is a sonic performance unmatched by any soundbar we've tested below £500, and with no extra boxes or cables!
Read the full review: LG OLED55E9PLA
Read the full review: LG OLED65E9PLA
It might lack the more modern processor of its more expensive stablemates, but this LG still delivers quality in spades, and is a darn sight cheaper because of the lack of a bleeding edge chipset. It's a natural with colour tones, and is more than adept at handling shading - its colour reproduction is as grounded as the B8’s feet are to its stand. If you want a decent OLED set but can't afford to spring for LG's latest and greatest, this 2018 LG OLED is a fantastic option.
Read the full review: LG OLED55B8PLA
A big and beautiful TV with a vibrant picture rich in detail, this is another LG OLED we’d be proud to own. You couldn’t really ask for more from the 65in LG C8. It does everything the 55in model does well, but in a larger package. That's why it is another 2018 What Hi-Fi? Award winner.
Read the full review: LG OLED65C8PLA
This TV uses the same screen and Alpha 9 processor as LG's C8, E8, G8 and W8 OLED ranges, so straightaway you know you're onto a winner. The main difference? This one has a built-in soundbar, giving you home cinema sound, which is great news if you don't want to shop around for one yourself. It's quite a looker too, thanks to the stand that makes it look like the TV is floating. The picture quality is predictably excellent, while sound goes loud without losing its balance. You can buy a better soundbar than the bundled one, but this scores extra points for convenience.
Read the full review: LG OLED55E8PLA
If you want to get the most from this Sony OLED TV, you'll have to spend some time tinkering with the settings. But it's time well spent, as the results are glorious. There's an exceptional level of detail in both the darkest and lightest parts of the picture, and it's more than adept at handling the punchy, vibrant images of a comic book adaptation. Oh, and the motion processing is the best around, making transitions run smooth as butter. Well worth a few thousand of anyone's money.
Read the full review: Sony KD-65AF9
The KD-65AG9 is an impressive OLED TV and arguably best in class in a number of ways. Picture and sound quality are both excellent, as is the TV's motion handling. It also boasts a fabulous upscaler for Full HD content. Where it falls down slightly, is with native 4K HDR pictures. In our opinion, rivals such as the LG C9 and Samsung Q90 QLED boast superior processing and HDR handling. The Sony is also significantly more expensive than its close rivals, a price which it struggles to justify.
Read the full review: Sony KD-65AG9
Read the full review: Sony KD-55AG9
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