Best OLED TVs 2021

Pretty much all modern screens work in the same sort of way: A bright backlight is strategically blocked by coloured pixels to make a visible image on a screen. The exact way this works varies as there are a number of ways to do it, but the basic principle is the same. This leads to issues where black is really difficult to display as the pixels have to block as much of the backlight as possible, a process that is never perfect and leads to greys rather than blacks.

There is one technology that offers a solution and can display perfect blacks. OLED, or Organic Light Emitting Diode, displays work differently, instead of the pixels filtering a backlight, they emit the light themselves directly. This means that individual pixels can just be turned off and not emit any light at all, making them perfectly black. Helpfully for some devices this also reduces the power cost, extending battery life. The “Organic” part of the OLED name refers to the fact that their chemical structure consists of carbon-based compounds, making them part of the organic branch of chemistry.

OLED displays have a number of useful potential features. For example, they can be transparent, which allows for the use of under-screen fingerprint readers and cameras in modern smartphones. They can also be flexible, which can be used to make folding smartphones and roll-up TVs.

There are a number of downsides to OLED displays currently, however. For example, they are vulnerable to moisture and oxygen degradations and so need to be properly sealed, a flaw that is primarily an issue for flexible displays, as the seal is harder to maintain. Blue pixels are known to degrade and lose brightness noticeably faster than their red and green counterparts which, without adequate design compensation, can lead to a changing colour balance over time. While it will be possible for OLED displays to be cheaply mass-produced in the future, as they can theoretically be printed with inkjet printers, current construction methods are not cheap, meaning OLED displays are expensive. OLED displays also tend to not be as bright as traditional backlight displays.

Most importantly for most people, OLED displays suffer from burn-in. This is where a shadow of one or more images can be permanently burned into some or all of the screen. As such it is important to not keep displaying static images such as a computer desktop for long periods of time. Video games with static HUDs have also been known to cause issues as that portion of the image remains unchanged.

Despite all this, OLED displays are very popular because of their great contrast, deep blacks, and wide viewing angles. With careful usage, the main risk of image burn-in can also be completely avoided.

If you’re looking to get an OLED TV, we’ve drawn up our list of the best OLED TVs in 2021.

The LG C1 is LG’s flagship 4K OLED model of 2021, its’s available in 48-, 55-, 65-, and 77-inch formats and has a 4K resolution. It supports the HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision HDR standards, although support for HDR10+ content is missing.

The C1 supports both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa if you want to control other smart devices through your TV. It also supports AurPlay and Casting to enable the transmission of content from iOS and Android devices. One of the few downsides of this TV is that the all-glass screen can be quite reflective, making it difficult to see in brightly lit rooms.

The Sony A90J is a 4K HDR TV that is available in a 45-, 65-, and 83-inch format. It supports the HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision HDR standards, although HDR10+ support is notably missing. The provided stand can be configured with the feet in three different positions, allowing placement on narrower surfaces and placing of a soundbar underneath.

OLED displays typically struggle with brightness, but this one can reach a peak of over 1200 nits, although doing so can cause it to overheat and reduce the brightness again. Two HDMI 2.1 ports enable support for 4K120Hz content although VRR support is notably missing for gamers. When playing some low framerate content, you can occasionally see some stuttering.

The Sony A8, also known as the A8H and A85 is a mid-range set available in 55- and 65-inch sizes. It comes with HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision support, although HDR10+ support is missing. One of the areas in which this TV shines is the sound, the Acoustic Surface feature vibrates the TV screen in such a way as to turn it into a speaker, additionally, a pair of subwoofers are built-in.

Another area that this TV shines is in its motion smoothing and colour vividness with the Pixel Contrast Boost feature specifically making colours particularly vibrant. To keep the cost down, this TV doesn’t support 4K at 120Hz, but instead just 60Hz. The Android TV operating system can also be quite disappointing.

The LG BX Series is the budget entry OLED model that comes in 55- and 65-inch versions. The 4K 120Hz screen can be properly driven with the HDMI 2.1 ports while VRR support is great for gamers. The A7 chip is a step up from the previous model and a step down from the flagship models with the a9 processors.

Image wise, HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision are supported while HDR10+ is not. You may also notice occasional stuttering, especially in upscaled content and colour banding in darker connect where this TV struggles a little. Despite these issues, this is a great OLED TV for the price.

The LG G1 Gallery series is LG’s most expensive TV variant and is available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch formats. The main reason for the cost increase from the C1 is the new OLED evo panel which can reach higher brightness levels with what is claimed to be no increased risk of burn-in.

The super-thin design looks great but the lack of included stand means you either have to wall mount or purchase a stand separately. The sound is generally good, but the bass can leave a bit to be desired. Gamers will be happy to know that this TV supports all major VRR variants including Freesync and G-Sync.

That was our round-up of the best OLED TVs in 2021. Have you recently bought an OLED TV? What model did you go for, and how do you like it?