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Shopping for an OLED TV? They Are More Affordable Than You Might Think

OLED TVs have gotten a lot more affordable in recent years. In fact, depending on the model, they’re not actually that much more traditional LED TVs.

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By Tucker Bowe

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If you’re looking for the most beautiful TV you can afford, buy an OLED TV. Compared to traditional LED TVs (which are most TVs), OLED TVs are able to produce darker blacks, superior contrast and more lifelike colors — they just generally deliver a way better picture.

For years, the main strike against OLED TVs was that they were way too expensive, but that’s not really the case anymore. In 2023, for example, you can buy a 65-inch OLED TV for under $2,000. Yes, they can still be expensive — especially when you can get a similarly sized 4K LED TV for well under a grand — but they’re not unreasonable.

Products in the Guide

The next thing to know is that there are quite a few companies that sell OLED TVs, but most of them get the OLED panels for their TVs from one company: LG. That’s right, LG makes the OLED displays for Sony and Vizio, as well as LG-branded OLED TVs. So if you buy an OLED TV from Sony, for example, you’re still getting an LG OLED panel, but you’re paying for Sony’s design, picture processing and audio technologies, as well as its smart operating system.

The one outlier is Samsung, who started selling its own OLED TVs — called QD-OLED TVs — in 2022. These are unique because in addition to being OLED panels, Samsung also integrated them with its quantum dot technology, which makes the color even more vibrant and saturated. As of 2023, Sony has also announced its first OLED TVs that are integrated with Samsung’s quantum dot technology.

What to Look for

Resolution: Don’t worry too much about the resolution of an OLED TV — they all can deliver at least a 4K picture. Some can deliver a 6K or 8K picture, but you shouldn’t be swayed by this because there’s very little 6K or 8K content for any TV to take advantage of.

Size options: This is pretty self-explanatory, but not all OLED TVs are available in a wide array of sizes. In fact, it’s still pretty rare for OLED TVs to come in sizes that are smaller than 55 inches or larger than 77 inches. The other obvious thing is that the size of the OLED TV is going to have a big impact on price. Large OLED TVs are very expensive.

HDMI 2.1: You want an OLED TV with a least one — but preferably several — HDMI 2.1 ports because they support higher resolutions and higher refresh rates. This is particularly important for gamers who have next-gen consoles, like the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, as the TV will be able to match the high resolution and low lag of today’s best fast-paced action and FPS games.

HDR support: HDR, or high dynamic range, is a display technology that essentially helps get more out of your TV’s pixels; it helps create deeper blacks and more vivid colors, giving the TV a better contrast ratio and producing a more realistic picture. The catch is that there are several different HDR technologies — including Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG — and both your TV and the content (shows, movies, video games) you’re playing need to support it in order to reap its benefits. Generally, the more kinds of HDR the OLED TV supports, the better.

What year was the TV made? TV technology moves fast. Like, really fast. So much so that we really don’t recommend buying a TV — OLED or not — that’s more than two years old. The flip side of this argument is that you can often get a really good deal on a year-old OLED TV. Typically, manufacturers announce new models at the start of the year and by the end of the year all those TVs are pretty much always on sale. So for the best OLED TV and the best deal, we recommend buying at the end of the year (October to December) or at the beginning (January to March).

Why Are OLED TVs Better?

OLED (or “Organic Light Emitting Diode”) is a newer display technology that boasts numerous advantages over more traditional LED displays — most importantly, it delivers a better picture. The main reason for this is that an OLED display is able to control each individual pixel. It can turn these pixels on or off, as well as control its color. On the flip side, LED displays can only control groups of pixels (often referred to as dimming zones). This helps OLED TVs produce a more color-accurate picture as well as produce way better contrast.

There are a couple of other advantages that OLED TVs have over their LED rivals. Since they don’t have an extra panel for backlighting like LED TVs, which tends to cause lag and motion blur, OLED TVs don’t have as big of an issue with lag. This also results in faster refresh rates and wider viewing angles. The other kicker is that because there’s no extra panel, OLED TVs are generally thinner and lighter than LED TVs (although this can vary depending on the built-in speaker system).

Do OLED TVs Have Any Competition?

OLED TVs have been around for more than a decade and they’ve come a long way — they’ve gotten a lot better and significantly more affordable. That said, there are also new technologies that are giving it more competition. Some of the below technologies are able to deliver even better pictures than OLED, but they’re unreasonable for most people to buy because they aren’t widely available, too big or outrageously expensive.

Mini LED TVs: These are a new type of LED TVs (not OLED) that are built with Mini LED backlight technology. The extra backlight layer is made up of thousands of miniature LED lights (hence the name “Mini LED”), which gives the display better control of its dimming zones. The result is a brighter and more colorful picture with better contrast. The overall picture isn’t as good as OLED, but it’s more affordable and better than traditional LED TVs.

MicroLED TVs: This is one of the most buzzed-about new display technologies (and likely the furthest away from being widely available). Developed by Samsung, MicroLED displays don’t have a backlight and the brightness of each individual pixel can be controlled (similar to OLED). The difference is MicroLED TVs can actually get brighter and produce more saturated color (thanks to being made of flexible non-organic material) than OLEDs.

QD-OLED TVs: As previously mentioned, Samsung has its own OLED technology that is integrated with the company’s quantum dot technology. Essentially, they promise to combine the best of both OLED (great contrast, detail and viewing angles) and QLED (color and brightness) display technologies.

Pros

  • Best-in-class picture for an OLED
  • Multiple HDMI 2.1 ports
  • Available in a wide array of sizes

Cons

  • OLEDs are pricey
  • Price: $1,697 (for a 65″ model)
  • Sizes: 42″, 48″, 55″, 65″, 77″ and 83″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Smart TV: webOS

The LG C3 OLED is the successor to the wildly popular C2 OLED. The new model has been upgraded a “brand-new light control architecture and light-boosting algorithms,” according to the company’s press release, which enables the C3 OLED to get up to 70-percent brighter.

Pros

  • Beautiful and really bright picture
  • Really slim design
  • Multiple HDMI 2.1 ports

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Only available in a few sizes
  • Price: $3,299 (for a 65″ model)
  • Sizes: 55″, 65″ and 77″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Smart TV: Tizen OS

The Samsung S95C is the company’s second-generation OLED TV and the follow up to last year’s S95B. Like before, it’s also infused with the company’s quantum dot technology and is poised to being one of the brightest OLED TVs you can buy. The main upgrade with the S95C is that it’s even more primed for gamers thanks to its high refresh rate (up to 144Hz) and 0.1-millisecond response time. It’s also available in a 77-inch model.

Pros

  • Best-in-class picture for an OLED
  • Multiple HDMI 2.1 ports

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Only available in a few sizes
  • Price: $3,299 (for a 65″ model)
  • Sizes: 55″, 65″, 77″ and 83″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Smart TV: webOS

The LG G3 OLED is the successor to the company’s 2022-released G2. This new Gallery-Series has the exact same OLED panel as the C3, so you can expect the big upgrade to be in its overall brightness. Like before, the Gallery Series is a slightly higher-end version of the C-Series, as it has a slimmer design so that it can be wall-mounted and blend more seamlessly into your home.

Pros

  • Excellent picture by OLED standards
  • Available in a wide array of sizes
  • Multiple HDMI 2.1 ports

Cons

  • Not cheap
  • Not as bright as Samsung's QD-OLEDs
  • Price: $1,697 (for a 65″ model)
  • Sizes: 43″, 48″, 55″, 65″, 77″ and 83″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Smart TV: webOS

LG’s C-Series is the company’s most popular line of OLED TVs and, if we’re being honest, the line that most people should buy. The big upgrade (compared to 2021’s C1 and 2020’s CX lines) is that LG C2 OLEDs have been integrated with LG’s advanced “Evo” panel and higher-end processor (Alpha 9 Gen 5) so it’s able to deliver a noticeably brighter, better picture. Each TV has four HDMI 2.1 ports and is available in a wide array of size options.

Pros

  • Beautiful and really bright picture
  • Gorgeous design with slim profile
  • Multiple HDMI 2.1 ports

Cons

  • Only available in a few sizes
  • More expensive than LG's OLED options
  • Price: $1,800 (for a 65″ model)
  • Sizes: 55″, 65″ and 77″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Smart TV: Tizen OZ

Samsung finally got into the OLED game in 2022 by releasing the S95B. It’s a gorgeous QD-OLED TV that’s integrated with the company’s quantum dot technology, so it gets very bright and delivers excellent vibrant colors. It’s also powered by the same Neural Quantum Processor that’s in the company’s super expensive flagship Neo QLED 4K TVs. The only real drawback is that it’s Samsung’s first crack at OLEDs and only comes in three sizes.

Pros

  • Gorgeous and bright display
  • Surprisingly good built-in speaker system
  • Multiple HDMI 2.1 ports

Cons

  • Only available in two sizes
  • Quite expensive
  • Price: $2,998 (for a 65″ model)
  • Sizes: 55″ or 65″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Smart TV: Google TV

The Sony A95K is the company’s flagship OLED TV. It’s interesting because it’s one of the few OLED TVs (along with the Samsung S95B) that comes integrated with Samsung’s quantum dot technology, which helps it deliver an even brighter and more vibrant colors. It’s part of Sony’s Bravia line, meaning it works really well with Sony’s newest soundbars and surround sound system. It packs a number of HDMI 2.1 ports and has variable refresh rate (VRR) support, making it a good option for console games.

Pros

  • Great picture for the price
  • More affordable than the LG C2
  • Multiple HDMI 2.1 ports

Cons

  • Only available in a few sizes
  • Not quite as nice as the LG C2
  • Price: $1,297 (for a 65″ model)
  • Sizes: 55″, 65″ and 77″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Smart TV: webOS

The B-Series is essentially a more affordable alternative to LG’s C-Series of OLED TVs. The big difference is that the B2 doesn’t have the new “Evo” panel and it has an older processor (Alpha 7 Gen 5), meaning it doesn’t get quite as bright as the C2. The B2 also doesn’t have as good of a built-in speaker system, for those who don’t plan on getting a separate soundbar or larger surround sound system. It does have the same four HDMI 2.1 ports and support for Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound.

Pros

  • LG's most affordable line of OLEDs
  • Great picture for the price

Cons

  • Lacks the necessary ports and refresh rate for gamers
  • Only available in two sizes
  • Price: $1,197 (for a 65″ model)
  • Sizes: 55″ or 65″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Smart TV: webOS

The LG A-Series is the company’s most affordable line of OLED TVs. The big tradeoff with the A2 is that it’s LG’s only OLED TV that doesn’t have 120Hz refresh rate and lacks HDMI 2.1 ports, meaning you should opt for one of LG’s higher-end models if you plan on gaming with one of the next-generation consoles.

Pros

  • Best-in-class picture for an OLED
  • Gorgeous design with a slim profile
  • Multiple HDMI 2.1 ports

Cons

  • More expensive than the C2 OLED
  • Needs to be wall-mounted
  • Not available in smaller sizes
  • Price: $1,997 (for a 65″ model)
  • Sizes: 55″, 65″, 77,” 83″ and 97″
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Smart TV: webOS

The G-Series (or “Gallery” Series) is a slightly higher-end version of the C-Series, with the major difference is its design. It’s slimmer and has to be wall-mounted — it rests flush against the wall and blend more seamlessly into your home. As for the actual TV, the G2 and the C2 are basically the same. Both have been upgraded with LG’s new “Evo” panel and a high-end processor (Alpha 9 Gen 5), so the picture quality is going to be the same. Because of the design, the G2 demands a more extensive price tag. It’s also not available in as wide variety of sizes.

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