The 8 Best Budget OLED TVs According To Experts – BGR

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Buying a new television can be a minefield of acronyms; QLED and LCD, HDR and HDMI, the list goes on. But one thing that becomes clear quickly in the search is that, if a device has “OLED” in its name, it won’t come cheap. OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, and screens built with them boast best-in-class definition and brightness.

OLED TVs tend to be expensive because the metals used in each pixel are rarer than the materials in LEDs, and the technology behind them is still evolving. Despite the price, their popularity is only increasing: in 2024, OLED TV shipments rose by 8% over the previous year, according to LG. Furthermore, their cost means they often come with a wide variety of advanced features, such as 2.1 HDMI bandwidth, Dolby HDR support, one of the latest smart TV platforms, and cinematic sound technologies.

It would be easy to be put off by the cost attached to OLED TVs. Indeed, walk into any tech store and you will find yourself surrounded by glistening high-definition images on LCD (liquid crystal display) screens at significantly lower prices. But there is a reason that OLEDs are still flying off the shelves, and that is because the expensive technology that underpins them truly produces a great picture.

That being said, there are products on the market with a price tag around the $1,000 mark, which, given that a premium TV can cost tens of thousands of dollars, would be considered budget. BGR has rounded up the eight most cost-effective screens that don’t scrimp on quality, according to expert reviewers, to help you make your next TV purchase more wisely.

First on the list is the C5 evo TV from market leaders LG. All OLED TVs have perfect black levels, creating incredible depth of image, but the hardware experts over at RTINGS.com score this particular product highly both as a gaming device and as a home theater. It’s only about 1.8 inches thick with barely-there bezels, giving it a super sleek look fresh out the box.

The C5 evo offers up to 4K resolution at a refresh rate of 144Hz. This means that the image refreshes 144 times each second, essentially eliminating any lag during high-motion scenes. LG’s proprietary “evo” technology also pushes its brightness and color precision over that of a standard OLED for the same power usage. The only time it falters is if a light source is pointing directly at the screen, as reviewers found the C5 does not handle reflections particularly well.

While the larger screens do push into a higher price bracket, the 42-inch and 48-inch versions can be bought from Walmart for $896.99 and $997.99, respectively. You won’t find many big screens on this list as they don’t tend to be available for under $1,500.

Samsung is another big hitter in OLED TVs, competing with LG for market dominance. Its best budget offering is the S90F model which, if it has a 55, 65, or 77-inch screen, comes with the fancy-sounding “quantum dot” (QD) OLED technology. This means that the light from the OLEDs activates semiconductor particles (the quantum dots) and they produce an even brighter color as a result. The 55-inch S90F is currently available from Amazon for $1,147.99, fitting our budget definition.

Even though it’s only some of the larger-screened versions that are QD-OLED enabled, every S90F model is worthy of being this high on our list. They all boast the NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, which uses 128 neural networks to boost image quality in real-time, and a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz, like the C5. RTINGS reviewers praise the super-fast pixel transitions when gaming on the S90F, as it completely eradicates any blur that might stem from pixels slowly changing color from darker shades. It also handles reflections well when a bright light source shines directly on the screen, so users are less restricted with their light fixtures.

Another Samsung offering that hits the mark both on price and features is the S84F. Consumer Reports’ experts rated it well above average and highlighted its “unlimited viewing angle.” This means that it is great for a group watch or game session, as even those sitting on the outer corners of the couch won’t miss any of the action on-screen. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports too, which are essential for 4K 120Hz gaming.

Reviewers note its excellent HDR performance, or its “high dynamic range.” HDR is a technology that boosts a screen’s contrast levels by using image metadata that defines how bright or dark specific scenes or frames should be. Samsung says that even standard dynamic range content (that lacks HDR metadata) will appear HDR on the S84F, as it uses deep learning algorithms to optimize its quality. While it does not include the quantum dot technology of the S90F, it does come with Dolby Atmos to deliver surround sound when paired with compatible speakers.

The version of the S84F with the 65-inch screen is just $899.99 from Best Buy at the time of writing, making it affordable for those with a $1,000 budget.

LG’s B5 TV is the entry-level option in its OLED range, but it is still strong enough to make the top half of this list. A bonus is that, because it is not so flashy, the 65-inch version can be bought for just $896.99 from Amazon at the time of writing. This makes the 55-inch under our budget threshold of $1,500, too.

While the B5 does not have the evo technology of the C5, it still performs well under dark conditions with vibrant colors and a wide viewing angle. Expert reviewers at RTINGS do caveat that its brightness is not sufficient to overcome a strong glare or direct reflections. The B5 also offers a refresh rate of 120Hz for up to 4K resolution, which is not as high as the C5’s offering, but impresses the gaming community nevertheless.

Choosing even a lower-range LG model still means the TV will benefit from LG’s OLED burn-in mitigation features, such as ‘Screen Shift’ and ‘Pixel Refresher’, making it well-suited to those who like to have it on in the background all day. Burn-in is when OLED pixels retain the faint ghost of a previous image after holding it for too long, and can be overcome by shifting and clearing the pixels periodically. That said, the older B4 model has a very similar spec to the B5, so if that is available for a lower price it might prove a better choice.

Flipping back over to Samsung to start the second half of this list of budget OLEDs, the fifth-best model on the market is the S85F. Just like the S90F, this product comes with the quantum dot tech in the 55 and 65-inch versions to boost its contrast and brightness to new heights. The main difference comes down to its refresh rates, which are capped at 120Hz rather than 144Hz, as well as the fact that it offers HDR rather than the superior HDR10+.

Nevertheless, the RTINGS review highlights its proficiency in handling gaming visuals as one of its standout features. It supports the three most common forms of Variable Refresh Rates used by gaming consoles (G-SYNC, FreeSync, and HDMI Forum) and holds up well with fast motion graphics. However, like all Samsung TVs, the S85F does not support Dolby Vision HDR, which may come as a disappointment because many Xbox games are mastered to take advantage of Dolby Vision metadata. The 65-inch version is currently available on Amazon for $1,147.97.

Move over LG and Samsung, as our last three budget OLED screens come from three different brands, the first being Panasonic. Although it is currently out of stock with the manufacturer, the 65-inch Panasonic Z85 is available for $1,147.99 on Amazon.

Like many of the other mid-range TVs listed, the Z85 falls short when subjected to a bright environment or if it has to deal with reflections, according to RTINGS. But it still proves a promising option for those wanting the OLED experience of dark inky blacks for a lower price. It will especially suit those who have a penchant for Amazon products as it comes with Fire TV embedded and the remote can be controlled by the Alexa voice assistant. 

One of its main drawbacks is a noticeable stutter that arises when playing low-frame-rate content. Because the pixels of the Panasonic Z85 change so quickly, the inherent uneven motion of the slower content becomes more visible, making it appear unnatural and juddery.

If a Panasonic TV is designed for Amazon disciples, then Sony’s Bravia 8 is for those who prefer Google. It comes with the Google TV interface and a wide range of apps, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, and Prime Video. The Bravia 8 is also notably good at re-processing low-quality video playback, according to RTINGS, a real bonus for sports fans who may rely on a third-party stream.

It falls short of the others on this list when it comes to HDR visuals, as color accuracy and brightness are not as strong as in comparable models, but its SDR visuals are bright enough to withstand significant glare. Some users have also mentioned that the remote feels a little cheap, and the fact that its smallest screen size is 55 inches means potential buyers will need a significant amount of wall space. Others say it suffers from vertical banding, which happens when the display struggles to visualize differences in color in dark pictures. 

The 55-inch Bravia 8 is listed on Amazon for just $1,198 at the time of writing.

Last and, well, also least is the Philips 974 Series. While it received the lowest overall score from RTINGS of all the TVs listed, the 65-inch display will only set you back $1,199.99 if bought from Best Buy — which is a great price for an OLED screen of that size. Upon its release, the 650LED974/F7 model was exclusively available through Sam’s Club, but it appears to have been made more accessible since.

Like all our OLEDs, the blacks are crisp, the colors are vibrant, and the viewing angle is inherently wide. Unfortunately, the product’s brightness when processing both HDR and SDR content is what lets it down, with reviewers mentioning muted colors and an inability to overcome glare as a result. It also does not perform well when the input is a low-quality stream, and its Roku operating system means the home screen will always have ads. 

On the other hand, it works just as well for gamers as most others on this list with its refresh rate of 120Hz, low input lag, and nearly instant pixel transitions. Roku also has a faster setup compared to Amazon and Google TVs. Unlike the Samsung options on this list, the 974 Series supports Dolby Vision IQ, which uses the ambient light sensor on the TV to automatically adjust the picture to the optimal settings.

You should go for an OLED TV because firstly, the screens will always boast perfect black tones as individual pixels are able to turn off completely. With an LCD screen, each pixel always has a backlight shining through that the liquid crystal filter must block to turn black, so it always appears a dark gray at best. A deep black provides a great contrast to the colored pixels, meaning that they appear more vibrant on an OLED display than on an LCD.

But there is another reason; LCD pixels produce color by placing a filter over white light, meaning that any wavelength that does not produce the desired hue is blocked and dissipates as heat. OLED pixels emit light waves of the exact color directly, so there is no need to block any out, making them more efficient and accurate in producing colors.

The lack of filters also means that OLED screens are thinner, making them both sleeker looking and easier to maneuver around the living room. It allows the light source to be closer to the screen’s surface, so less energy is needed to produce the same illuminance as with an LCD. OLED pixels can also produce a wider range of colors. Because they do not shine light through a filter, the wavelengths they emit are more precise and can be controlled to produce subtler shades.

Gamers, sports fans, and others who enjoy viewing fast action scenes on their TV will feel the benefit of an OLED pixel’s ability to change color near-instantaneously; their innate responsiveness translates to smoother motion on screen. LCDs can’t possibly match this as they are limited by the time their liquid crystals take to change the filter in front of the backlight.

As mentioned, OLED pixels work in a very different way from those in an LCD screen, giving them many unbeatable features. They are formed of several layers of different materials stacked between an anode and a cathode. When a charge is applied, the positively-charged anode layer injects ‘holes’ (absences of electrons which behave as positively charged particles) into an ’emissive layer’ made of carbon-based, or organic, molecules. At the same time, electrons move from the negatively-charged cathode on the other side of the stack toward the emissive layer, where they combine with the holes. The electron loses energy during this recombination, which is emitted as a photon, or light wave. 

Each OLED pixel contains three sub-pixels, each of which has an emissive layer made from different organic molecules. One of them produces light with a wavelength that makes it appear red to the human eye when the electrons and holes recombine, another one of them green, and the other blue. Signals from the TV tell each pixel how bright to make each sub-pixel, resulting in the desired color. The intensity of the color is also dictated by how much current is allowed to flow through the pixel.

As there is no need for a rigid backlight, OLED pixels can be applied to flexible plastics or other bendable materials as the substrate, enabling bendable OLED screens and foldable phones (the latter of which was made infamous by several reports of broken screens and display issues). LG has even experimented with transparent OLED TVs that will disappear entirely when turned off.

With every OLED TV offering deep blacks and wide viewing angles, it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. For this list, BGR looked at all the OLED products currently available directly from the top smart TV brands, which included LG, Samsung, Hisense, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sony, and Philips. Any that were more expensive than $1,500 could not possibly be deemed budget, so they were disregarded.

The main criteria for ranking the TVs were their performance in bright and dark settings, including how they deal with glare, as this can vary widely. However, other factors that set the top-ranking screens apart were refresh rates, proficiency in handling HDR and SDR content, color vibrancy, screen size, and price, which should match its offering appropriately.

As BGR does not have access to each TV to perform its own assessments, results from reputable review sites like RTINGS and Consumer Reports were sought out.