4 reasons OLED TVs are worth buying

Key Takeaways

OLED TVs achieve true blacks without a backlight, making visuals clearer.
OLED screens are ideal for streaming cinematic content, showcasing details filmmakers intend.
OLED TVs are top choices for gamers, offering low response time and optimal settings.

There’s a reason why OLED TVs are so expensive: their ability to achieve deep blacks on screen and faithfully recreate content on screens are almost unparalleled. Organic LED TV screens feature individual pixels that can turn on and off. Because they are self-emitting, or emissive, there is no need for a backlight in the unit. And because they can also turn off individually, the TV can actually achieve true back. That means no more shadowing or halos or distortion or an overall lack of clarity when watching dark movie scenes, playing creepy video games, or watching just about any TV show involving dragons (although House of Dragon season 2 is supposedly slightly brighter).

5 reasons why I always choose OLED TVs over QLED TVs

In the battle of screen technologies, OLED is much better suited for my viewing experience.

This technology isn’t cheap, but there are plenty of reasons why the investment is worth it, including the fact that OLED TVs have been around for many years now, and they still haven’t quite been surpassed when it comes to contrast (prohibitively expensive microLED TVs may get there eventually). Here’s why I’m considering buying an OLED TV, and why you should too.

1 Cinematic content

Best for cinephiles and movie buffs

Original shows and movies on popular streaming services as well as those coming from premium channels like HBO almost require an OLED TV to properly enjoy. That’s because much of the content is made with cinematic techniques, including often shooting in low lighting. Content on basic cable, like sitcoms, reality shows, and procedural dramas, are designed to be consumed by the masses. They don’t typically employ any clever lighting or visual techniques; they are meant to be viewed by as many people as possible on as many TVs and devices as possible. They are simply, well, simple.

OLED screens are better able to reproduce content faithfully, just as the filmmakers intend.

Original content from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO, and other high-end platforms and services spend a lot of money on creating dynamic content, and especially when it comes to dramas, that content can contain visual elements that aren’t ideal for every TV. OLED screens are better able to reproduce content faithfully, just as the filmmakers intend. Achieving stark contrast and authentic black levels are one way OLED TVs can do this better than others.

I changed these 4 settings on my TV for instantly clearer dialogue

Crispy, audible dialogue is often a casualty of modern TV default settings. Here’s what to change so you can hear clearly.

2 Brightness is improving

And contrast is still key

The core difference between OLED TVs and QLED TVs is that the former is better at achieving contrast while sacrificing a bit of peak brightness, while quantum-dot screens are better at brightness in lieu of contrast.

Samsung QN90C review: Bright and beautiful

Is this Samsung’s value choice for near-flagship Mini LED brilliance at a much cheaper price?

Of course, manufacturers of both kinds of TVs know this, and have worked hard to introduce innovations and technologies to improve the perceived deficiencies. And while both types of screens have seen improvements, particularly those made by Sony, Samsung, and LG, it still stands true that the best OLED TVs are better at alleviating their concerns than the best QLED TVs are at theirs. Simply put, the top OLED TVs offer impressive brightness, and when viewed under the right circumstances, any deficiencies will be negligible if at all noticeable.

3 Ideal for gaming

Top specs for high-end gaming

OLED TVs have impressive refresh rates, reduced input lag, and better overall settings that serve serious and casual gamers alike, particularly those playing in vast, online worlds. That’s why OLED screens are popular not just for console gaming where you connect a TV, but also in gaming monitors for PC players.

An OLED TV offers miniscule response time, as low as 1ms, which means action takes place on screen as quickly as you can respond.

There are plenty of games where an OLED screen will be the better choice. The ability to refresh the screen quickly is a boon for gamers. Paired with a quality HDMI cable and fast internet, an OLED TV offers miniscule response time, as low as 1ms, which means action takes place on screen as quickly as you can respond.

Here’s how Game Mode on iOS could level up iPhone gaming

Apple claims the dedicated mode will allow users to harness the full potential of their devices

4 Slim design

OLED TVs look stylish

A Nintendo Switch OLED connected to a Samsung Frame TV

TVs are increasingly made with aesthetics in mind, with manufacturers transforming these pieces of electronics into home decor and artistic opportunities. While both OLED and QLED TVs are made slim and made to appear flush against a wall when mounted, OLED TVs will tend to be the slimmer of the two. This is in part due to the lack of a backlight, which inevitably adds a bit of thickness, however modest. Similarly, without a backlight, OLED TVs tend to be lighter compared to similarly sized QLED models. It makes mounting the unit just a bit easier if you’re going to try to do it yourself.