GoKawiilThe two TV technologies that dominate our picks for the best TVs are OLED and mini-LED. There are incredible TVs using each technology. That said, each has strengths and weaknesses that might mean one suits your needs and home more than the other.
All TVs can show all kinds of content, but broadly speaking, OLED TVs have better, deeper black levels while mini-LED TVs are often brighter. Both will look better than older LED and even many modern QLED TVs. Weighing their pros and cons, and keeping price in mind, is key. This guide should help you figure out what's best for you.
Ty Pendlebury/CNET Black level Winner: OLED and QD-OLED Black level is one of the most important aspects of picture quality, as it lets the TV create a deep, natural image. OLED TVs are able to turn off individual pixels, something mini-LED TVs can't. This means OLED has per-pixel perfect black levels. Mini-LED, like all other LED LCD technologies, can only dim large "zones" of pixels. While mini-LED has far more zones than older LED LCD technologies, they don't come close to what OLED can achieve. Check out the best OLED and QD-OLED TVs.
Read more: Putting the 'Q' in QLEDs: Where Quantum Dots Are Made
Ty Pendlebury/CNET Brightness (light output) Winner: Mini-LED Both technologies are bright, but mini-LED TVs are typically brighter. Depending how you use your TV the most, this might be important. If you watch a lot of TV during the day, or in a room with big windows (and no curtains), mini-LED TVs can be easier to see. OLED TVs are by no means dim, all mid- and high-end TVs are brighter than the brightest TVs of a few years ago, but the brightest mini-LEDs are brighter. Check out the best Mini-LED TVs.
Color Tie (sort of) Accurate, vibrant colors are a crucial aspect to any TV's overall picture quality. Maintaining that accurate color through a wide range of brightness levels can be challenging for some TVs. OLED and mini-LED TVs tend to do better with different aspects of color reproduction, so it's difficult to declare a general winner. It'll come down to specific TV models. What can be said in general is that the higher-end versions of each technology, especially 4-stack and QD-OLED, can have better color than the less-expensive versions.
Value Winner: Mini-LED When it comes to price per screen inch, mini-LED wins. For the same money, you can typically get a larger mini-LED TV than OLED TV, though there's often some overlap. In the largest screen sizes the difference is huge. In smaller sizes, less so.
The winner: OLED (but it's complicated)
The LG C6 (left) and C6H. Ty Pendlebury/CNET
Most TV experts, including CNET's reviewers, agree that OLED offers the best picture quality overall. If picture quality is your number one priority, OLED is the way to go. This is especially true of Samsung's QD-OLED, which pairs the emissive technology of OLED with quantum dots, and LG's stack of 4 OLED layers. Both these techs improve brightness and color over simpler and older OLED designs.
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