Compare the Best OLED TVsApril 2019

OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes) TVs utilise a special kind of diode that generates it’s own light when a current is passed through it. Standard LED TVs require a backlight to shine light through the coloured cells to create the picture - however this bank of lights takes up a sizeable amount of space in the TV. Freed from the constraint of needing a backlight, OLED screens are significantly thinner and lighter than standard LED TVs - people have created OLED screens as thin as 5mm! 

It’s not only the thinness - OLED screens also allow for a far better picture quality and contrast. In standard LED TVs, one light of the backlight may light up lots of cells - meaning the cells are never totally black or lacking in light, because they are always being affected by residual light from their neighbours. However in an OLED TV each cell creates it’s own light - therefore there is far less bleed-though from neighbouring cells. This means that when a cell is dark, it is totally dark - no light bleeding from the backlight or neighbouring cells. This allows for a ridiculously-high contrast ratio, and a far better colour depth.

These advances don’t come for free though - OLED TVs are far more expensive than standard LED TVs, so expect to pay a premium for the better quality picture and thin design. Also, because of their extreme thinness, OLED screens frequently don’t have speakers built into the screen - there just isn’t the space. Therefore you’ll need to attach speakers or a sound bar to make best use of the TV.