In today’s TV market, the finest OLED TVs are titans. Why wouldn’t you want the best OLED TV with vibrant, true-to-life colors, outstanding contrast and control of brightness, and deep blacks to die for?
The best OLED TVs LG, Sony, and Panasonic deliver beautifully cinematic picture quality thanks to the underlying OLED (organic LED) panel technology, even if you pay considerably more for the privilege than with LED or QLED sets.
These days, OLED is all the rage, with the likes of Xiaomi, Vizio, and Sharp tossing their hats into the circle, even as Hisense is ditching the technology. A new 48-inch OLED option for 2020 is also expected to make OLED more available, compact, and affordable than ever before, even if the new LG CX OLED and 2019 Sony A9G are currently limited to only two sets.
We have attempted to choose a range of the Best OLED TVs spanning various price points and specifications, with sizes ranging from 55-inch, 65-inch, and beyond. And we explained why we selected it with each chosen model and any drawbacks it may have.
Compared to the previous year, with Panasonic’s flagship HZ2000 and Sony’s latest A8H OLED both making an appearance, you can see where they rank with the other best OLED TVs below. There are several new additions.
If you’re after an enigmatic contrast ratio panel, here’s our list of the best OLED TVs that you can buy right now. We have a fast run-down of OLED technology and what to expect.
Best OLED TV Ranking: 2020
1. Overall Best OLED TV: LG CX Series OLED TV
- 48-inch: LG OLED48CX
- 55-inch: LG OLED55CX
- 65-inch: LG OLED65CX
- 77-inch: LG OLED77CX
Last year’s LG C9 Sequence, an outstanding television with drop-dead black depths, incredible image quality, and LG’s as-usual stellar style, had previously topped this OLED TV guide.
Not much is impressive for the LG CX, but inside you’ll find a new a9 Gen 3 processor to put the image processing to scratch even further with continuing support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
At only a few millimeters deep, the display is also remarkably slim, yet also managing to squeeze in four HDMI 2.1 ports (with eARC as well and brilliantly low input latency, ensuring this is one package capable of handling the next-gen consoles arriving later this year.
This is undoubtedly one of the best 4K TVs ever created by integrating a beautiful display with an overwhelming range of features and formats with LG’s fantastic webOS smart platform.
Although the model came in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch models last year, with a 48-inch model, the CX is also growing into smaller sizes, costing only £ 1,499 / $ 1,499 at launch (and will undoubtedly get even cheaper in the coming months). Depending on your wallet and your home requirements, that makes the CX a truly flexible proposition.
Sadly, you can not get HDR10+ here, and UK fans will have to go without all their favorite catch-up apps but make no mistake. LG CX was the best OLED TV for you in 2020.
- Stellar picture quality
- Gorgeous super-slim design
- Heavy bass can distort
- No HDR10+ support
2. Panasonic HZ2000 (UK) – Runner up Best OLED TV
- 55-inch: Panasonic TX-55HZ2000
- 65-inch: Panasonic TX-65HZ2000
It was challenging to put this package at number two since the Panasonic HZ2000 is undoubtedly running for the best OLED TV introduced this year. But unfortunately, you can’t find it in the US, while UK readers will be pleased to know that they can bring the HZ2000 home.
This year, Panasonic has launched a range of new OLEDs, including the HZ1000, HZ1500, and an entry-level HZ980 model, but it is the HZ2000 that best demonstrates the TV brand. It has a custom OLED panel that lifts the already-incredible image to new heights, making creative use of Panasonic’s expertise in the world of master monitors.
The HZ2000 pictures are never less than cinematic. Peak HDR highlights are given with brilliant restraint, adding depth and nuance to shadows and night scenes and gifting vibrancy to daylight and elaborate lighting.
The brand’s HCX Pro Smart processor, first seen on the GZ2000 flagship last year, does the most heavy lifting. Even in brightly lit scenes, it can offer vivid, saturated colors and immense contrast.
Through 140W Dolby Atmos speakers and upward-firing drivers tuned by Technics, the sound won’t put you down, either, getting you the nearest you could get to the cinema in your sitting room.
For the 55-inch edition, prices start at £ 2,299 and go up to £ 3,299 for the 65-inch, but you won’t be disappointed if you can afford it.
- Sensational OLED picture
- Dolby Atmos sound system
- No HDMI 2.1
- Not available in the US
3. Sony A8/A8H OLED
- 55-inch: Sony XBR-55A8H
- 65-inch: Sony XBR-65A8H
The Sony A9G OLED finally got pushed off its perch. The new-2020 A8/A8H OLED TV from Sony brings all we love about Sony’s luxury TVs and repackages them at a more affordable price point.
Sony’s top-line X1 Ultimate processor, Sony’s Pixel Contrast Booster (for more extreme image highlights), and a new OLED version of the X-Motion Clarity feature Sony initially created for its FALD LCD TVs, you get premium OLED image output.
The excellent sound system, too, blends a two-subwoofer bass system with Acoustic Surface Audio tech screen-shaking, making watching movies and TV shows a real treat like a TV. You will get to see some of the most refined visuals of any OLED TV to date if you can live with the slightly low brightness.
The 55-inch model comes in at $1,899 / £1,799 in price terms, while the bigger 65-inch comes in at $2,799 / £2,799.
- Good sound quality
- Ultra-wide viewing angles
- No HDR10+ support
- Android TV can frustrate
4. Philips OLED 805 (UK)
- 55-inch: Philips 55OLED805
- 65-inch: Philips 65OLED805
The Philips OLED 805 is an excellent combination of superb picture quality, efficient processing, and beautiful build quality, but the show’s real star here is the Ambilight feature.
Ambilight projects a cornucopia of colors across the edges of the television. This 805 version can do so from three sides, not quite the four-sided OLED+935 flagship Ambilight, but still enough to produce an interactive light display.
But the 805 OLED is not just for show: it can offer real strength to OLED images, with increased contrast and spectacular colors, thanks to Philips’ beefy P5 Picture processor, even when upgraded from HD/SDR. With Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, Philips is improving last year’s 804 models, ensuring you won’t have to choose from a dynamic HDR format.
However, there is no support for the Apple TV app, and the Android smart TV platform can still feel unwieldy. For UK audiences, without catch-up provision for ITV and BBC, the absence of Freeview Play, too, can be frustrating. Overall, however, paying for what’s on offer is a small expense.
- Lovely design
- Immersive Ambilight
- No Freeview Play
- Android TV issues
5. LG Gallery Series OLED TV
- 55-inch: LG OLED55GX
- 65-inch: LG OLED65GX
- 77-inch: LG OLED77GX
After a beautiful OLED TV that looks picture-perfect on the wall of your living room? It would be best to have the OLED (or LG GX) LG Gallery Series figured out.
A few main features are different though you get the same panel and processor as the LG CX OLED, not least its intended use as a wall-mounted package that needs skilled installation to look its best, with cables concealed out of sight.
Remember that the Samsung Frame TV has a similar design mindset, but it is simpler to set up on a counter or a table or keep its cables covered without digging into a wall (thank you, OneConnect box). However, the image you get on the Frame does not equate to the OLED masterclass on display with the Gallery Series.
The GX OLED features a built-in Dolby Atmos speaker system and eARC assistance, all encased within a slim 5mm profile, unlike the LG WX TV-soundbar combo. Audio can sometimes feel slightly imbalanced, but this is perhaps the OLED TV for you if you’re searching for something stylish that doesn’t waste money on the picture.
- Stunning design
- Awesome upscaling
- Imbalanced audio
- Professional installation
6. Philips OLED 754 (UK)
- 55-inch: 55OLED754
- 65-inch: 65OLED754
We are beginning to reach an era of affordable OLEDs, which is nowhere better than with the 754 Philips OLED. Accessible in the UK for just £ 999 now, down from its original £ 1,300 RRP, it is an excellent example of the sort of quality already available to mid-budget TV buyers (along with the LG B9).
You’re not going to get any of the bells and whistles in this list from other more high-end OLED TVs, but you’re getting universal HDR support, something that even the LG CX OLED is missing.
The use of three-sided Ambilight, too, is always a thrill, providing an ambient (ambient-light, get it?) light show behind the TV and feeling superior in its offering.
Some work may be used for the Saphi smart TV platform, but this is really a knockout OLED TV, and on an OLED monitor, the second-gen P5 processor still works wonders.
- Great visuals
- Ambilight is still cool
- Saphi interface can be a chore
- Motion settings need fine-tuning
