Our pick
Samsung S95B Series
The Samsung S95B combines OLED technology with quantum dot color to produce the brightest, most color-rich, and most room-flexible OLED TV we’ve ever tested.
The Samsung S95B uses a new type of OLED panel, called QD-OLED, that combines the perfect black levels, high contrast, and huge viewing angles of OLED technology with the vivid color saturation and high brightness of quantum dots (see TV features, defined for explanations of these tech terms). The result is the biggest leap forward in OLED TV performance we’ve seen in several years. The S95B has the best bright-room performance we’ve found from an OLED, which makes this TV viable to use in almost any viewing environment, not just a darkened room. The quantum dot color can make games and sports look deliciously vivid, while the Filmmaker Mode delivers a satisfyingly accurate, filmlike picture for movies. Both SDR video and HDR video look superb, and this 4K 120 Hz TV has full support for HDMI 2.1 features to deliver better performance with video games. We’re also big fans of the included Eco Remote Control, which eschews batteries for solar/light charging. But the S95B also has some downsides. It does not support Dolby Vision HDR, and the redesigned Tizen smart TV platform is sluggish at times, though we liked the new full-screen interface that shows more video streaming and gaming services at once. Arguably the biggest drawback is that the S95B is only available in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes, so it’s not ideal for those who want a smaller or larger screen. But if you want the best 55- or 65-inch OLED TV you can get, the S95B delivers heretofore unachievable brightness and color saturation and an overall gorgeous image—for a price that’s only modestly higher than LG’s most competitive OLED (see below) and more than $1,000 less than Sony’s rival QD-OLED model.
Runner-up
LG C2 Series
LG’s C2 Series boasts stellar performance for the price and is available in a lot of screen sizes, but it lacks the high brightness and color saturation of our top pick.
For the first time in years, LG’s C Series is not our top pick for best OLED TV, but the new C2 still delivers top-tier OLED picture quality at more reasonable prices and across a wider range of sizes than essentially any other 2022 OLED line. The C2 is available in screen sizes from 42 to 83 inches, and most of those sizes offer improved brightness over previous-generation LG OLEDs—though buyers interested in the 42- and 48-inch options will have to settle for a slightly dimmer picture. From lower-resolution SDR content through essentially all forms of HDR (including Dolby Vision), the C2 looks excellent. It also natively supports Dolby Atmos audio and, like last year’s C1, has a full suite of HDMI 2.1 inputs and advanced gaming functions. The C2’s main limitation is that it doesn’t match the high brightness and color volume of Samsung’s QD-OLED TV, and thus won’t flourish to the same degree in brighter rooms, especially with HDR video. The C2 only marginally improves upon last year’s C1: Its brightness is a little better, and LG has made small improvements in the user experience—but there aren’t pressing reasons for C1 owners to upgrade. Still, LG’s C2 Series is unquestionably one of the year’s very best TVs for the money, especially if you’re shopping below 55 or above 65 inches in screen size.