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One of the most significant improvements to TV picture quality has been the introduction of OLED technology. An OLED TV can create perfect black levels with infinite contrast, as well as excellent color and great motion control. It's a technology that lends itself well to sports like the Super Bowl, gaming on consoles such as the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5, as well as watching HDR TV shows and movies. I have tested the latest OLED TVs side-by-side in the CNET TV lab, including brands such as LG, Samsung and Panasonic. These are the models I recommend.
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- Best OLED TV of 2026
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- Best OLED picture quality
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- Factors to consider when choosing an OLED TV
- How CNET tests TVs
Read more: Best TVs of 2026
The best OLED TV
The best OLED TV for most users is the Samsung S90F TV as it's got both picture quality and affordability in equal measure, especially now that prices have come down. That said, the LG C5 is also an excellent TV at a similar price, and as a result you should buy whichever of the two models is cheapest at the time.
If you can spend more and want the best possible picture quality that you can get, then the Samsung S95F is a fantastic TV, especially in bright rooms.
It's a close call between the Samsung S90F and LG C5, as always at this level, but given the Samsung S90F is slightly better and around the same money it's the one to choose. The Samsung has similar picture quality to its more-expensive S95F sibling and that's the best reason to buy it. The Samsung also has most of the features you need including 4K/120Hz gaming support, HDR 10+ and onboard streaming. While the TV doesn't have Dolby Vision, the differences between HDR10+ and Dolby's HDR format are subtle at best.
LG's G series has shown appreciable improvements in picture quality every year, and the 2025 G5 is brighter than ever before. It's neck-and-neck with the S95F for picture quality in terms of contrast and color, and it's a blast to game on. I still like the S95F a little better, and that's mainly because of Samsung's reflection deterrence.
Unless you live in a hermetically-sealed container, you are likely to have a bunch of different light sources competing with your TV in your living space. Overhead lights and windows can wreak havoc on your picture, and it's not always feasible to close the curtains or turn the lights off. The Samsung S95F is the best TV I've seen to effectively ban reflections, and the fact that it gives excellent picture quality as well makes it the ultimate TV for the movies or gaming fan who likes to watch during the day.
Dec. 11, 2025: Added the Samsung S90F as the best value pick, and removed the 2024 LG C4.
Oct. 2, 2025: Updated the list with new TVs including the Samsung S95F and the LG G5, plus added more information on my testing process.
Panasonic Z95A: It boasts excellent picture quality, thanks to OLED, and it also includes a dedicated speaker system. It's being replaced by the Z95B but it's still available in some stores. Read my hands-on of the Panasonic Z95B.
LG C5: While the LG G5 is a huge leap from the model that came before it, the C5 is more incremental. That said, it is still an improvement and if it's the same price as the C4 then get this instead. See my full review of the LG C5.
Screen size: OLEDs are available in sizes from 42 inches to 97 inches, and there are probably even bigger TVs coming in the future. One of the best pieces of advice I can give is, if you can afford it, always buy a TV one size bigger than you think you need. While 65 inches is the norm right now, TVs will keep getting bigger year after year, and you might consider buying a 77-inch to prevent an upgrade in the near future. However, if you're buying for a bedroom or a game room, then you could look at TVs 55 inches or less.
Consider older models: At the affordable end of OLED, the yearly model updates aren't as dramatic when compared with the flagships. For TVs like the LG B5 or even C5, for instance, it makes sense to compare prices on last year's model and get whichever is cheapest. In the meantime, as we progress into the new year you're going to see the prices of 2025 models continue to drop.
HDR formats: While it's not completely necessary, compatibility with Dolby Vision is a plus. Of course, Samsung doesn't support the Dolby format and instead offers its own version it calls HDR10 plus, and this is gaining in popularity. In the end, though, almost every 4K TV supports HDR 10, and this will work just fine.
Gaming: If you're a gamer then having gaming-enhancing features is a bonus, and these includes a dedicated gaming mode (for turning off processing and reducing lag), 120Hz or higher support and even gaming apps such as Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna and Steam Link.
Operating system: With the introduction of the Philips Roku TV, you have a choice of all of the best smart TV interfaces on OLED televisions. Whether it's Google TV, Fire TV or one of the manufacturer-specific systems, opting for a popular smart TV interface gives you the most choice with apps and on-demand content.
In every CNET TV review, I compare three or more similar TVs side by side in a dedicated, light-controlled test lab. With each review, I employ a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process that has been honed in more than two decades of TV reviews. I test TVs with a combination of scientific measurements and real-world evaluations of TV, movies and gaming content.
To ensure I can evaluate the picture quality of every OLED TV I employ the use of an AVPro Connect 8x8 4K HDR splitter so each one receives the same signal. I test the TVs using various lighting conditions playing different media, including 4K HDR movies and console games, across a variety of test categories, from color to video processing to gaming to HDR.
To measure each TV, I use specialized equipment to grade according to light output and color. My hardware includes a Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer and a Murideo Six-G 4K HDR signal generator. I use Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software to evaluate every TV I review according to their brightness, black levels and color.
My reviews also account for such things as features, design, smart TV performance, connectivity including HDMI inputs and gaming compatibility.
Check out How CNET Tests TVs for more details.
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