Introduction
OLED TVs are still considered the gold standard in 2025, but the story isn’t as simple as it was back in 2013 when LG dropped the first 55-inch OLED on the market. More than a decade later, we’re not just talking about one kind of OLED anymore—competition and innovation have spun off into multiple versions.
OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode, which basically means every pixel is its own light source and color engine. Each pixel can switch completely off (true black), crank fully on (pure white), or display any shade in between. The catch? The way TV makers get that done has led to a handful of different OLED technologies, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
So let’s cut through the marketing fog and break down what actually sets them apart.
What Type of OLED TV Can You Buy in 2025?
In 2025, OLED TVs come in three main variations: WOLED (also called WRGB), Primary RGB Tandem OLED, and QD-OLED. WOLED panels use white OLED subpixels combined with red, green, and blue color filters, often called a color refiner. Instead of relying on individual red, green, and blue self-emitting pixels, this approach generates white light first and then filters it into colors. That design helps address one of OLED’s longstanding weaknesses: blue pixel degradation.
Primary RGB Tandem OLED is an evolution of WOLED/WRGB, often referred to as “four-stack.” It uses two OLED layers for blue light, while the yellow OLED layer is split into separate green and red components.
The result of this design is improved color accuracy and higher brightness without relying on a Micro Lens Array (MLA), which was used in 2023 and 2024 to boost OLED output. By reducing the need for an MLA, RGB Tandem simplifies the panel structure. LG Display claims the Primary RGB Tandem panel can achieve up to 4,000 nits peak white brightness (2,100 nits color brightness), rivaling the brightest LED/LCD TVs and putting it on par with Samsung’s latest QD-OLED implementations.
QD-OLED combines Quantum Dot technology with OLED. Instead of using a traditional LCD layer, a blue OLED layer at the back emits light, which then passes through a Quantum Dot layer. The Quantum Dots convert part of the blue light into green and red, while some blue passes through directly. This approach delivers purer colors and higher efficiency without requiring an LCD panel.
Who Manufactures OLED TV Panels in 2025: Top Brands and Technology Leaders
Only two companies manufacture OLED TV panels — LG Display and Samsung Display. Although they share respective brand names, each operates as a separate company (subsidiary) under LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics, respectively.
LG Display produces all the OLED TV panels—including RGB Tandem—used across various TV brands. As a result, OLED TVs from LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Sharp, Vizio, Bang & Olufsen, Hisense, Skyworth, and others all rely on panels sourced from LG Display.
Samsung Display manufactures all QD-OLED panels used in Samsung and Sony QD-OLED TVs. To date, Sony and Samsung are the only brands offering QD-OLED TVs on the market.
2025 OLED TV Technology Comparison
| W-OLED | QD-OLED | RGB Tandem OLED | |
| Peak Brightness | 1,500 Nits | 4,000 Nits | 4,000 Nits |
| Color Gamut | 98% (DCI-P3) 72% (BT.2020) |
100% (DCI-P3) 90% (BT.2020) |
99.8% (DCI-P3) 80% (BT.2020) |
| Lifespan | 20,000 hours | 30,000 hours | 50,000 hours |
| Response Time | 0.03ms | 0.03ms | 0.03ms |
| Static content Burn-in possibility begins after | 1,200 hours | 5,000 hours | 10,000 hours |
OLED Burn-In in 2025: Is It Still a Concern for TV Buyers?
The main vulnerability of OLED TV technology remains susceptibility to screen burn-in, which occurs when the same static image is displayed for long periods—including persistent TV station, network, and cable news logos. To minimize risk, it’s important to vary your content rather than leaving the same source on all day.
However, in recent years burn-in has become less of a concern for consumers as many OLED TVs offer several methods that can limit the screen burn-in effect. These include:
- Pixel Shift / Screen Move: This setting continuously shifts the image by a few pixels to prevent static areas from remaining completely stationary.
- Logo Brightness: This reduces the brightness of static logos, lowering the chance of burn-in.
- Pixel Refresh / Screen Optimization: When the TV is in standby, this feature runs a full pixel refresh or screen optimization cycle to maintain uniformity across the display.
In 2025, OLED burn-in is less of a concern, but still possible.
OLED Picture Processing and Key Performance Factors in 2025
Even though LG Display and Samsung Display produce OLED and QD-OLED panels, respectively, each brand applies its own approach to video processing and hardware, which ultimately affects how images appear on screen.
For instance, brands like Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, and LG use proprietary video processing chips tailored to their performance goals. In recent years, many of these chips have incorporated AI-driven features for picture enhancement, including video upscaling, HDR optimization, contrast management, and dynamic brightness adjustments.
Other factors, such as cabinet design, can also impact performance. For example, Panasonic’s flagship Z95B OLED TV includes an innovative Thermal Flow cooling system designed to stabilize image quality and potentially extend panel lifespan.
OLED TV Size Limits in 2025?
OLED technology does not impose a strict size limit on panels. Currently, the largest OLED TVs reach 97 inches in diagonal, but manufacturing capacity and cost remain the primary constraints. At that size, an OLED TV can cost $25,000 or more.
Do OLED TVs Have Resolution Limitations?
There are no restrictions on the display resolution of OLED panel technology. When OLED TVs first came to market, the panels were manufactured with a 1080p (FHD) display resolution. Currently most panels sport 4K UHD resolution, and there are a limited number of panels offered with 8K native resolution. Since 4K UHD is currently the default standard for TVs in general, that is what you will most likely find when shopping for an OLED TV.
Which Models Are Available Today?
Here is a list of all 2025 OLED TV models from the major brands.
LG OLED TVs
LG makes five different series of OLED TVs in 2025. LG’s top-of-the-line G5 series TVs use both RGB Tandem OLED (55/65/77″) and W-OLED (83/97″) panels depending on the size. Also the wireless M5 series also gets a RGB Tandem OLED panel at 77-inches. Meanwhile, all other models use W-OLED.
LG G5 Series OLED TVs (Best)
LG C5 Series OLED TVs (Better)
- LG C5 (OLED42C5PUA) – 42-inches – $1,399 – Amazon
- LG C5 (OLED48C5PUA) – 48-inches – $1,599 – Amazon
- LG C5 (OLED55C5PUA) – 55-inches – $1,999 – Amazon
- LG C5 (OLED65C5PUA) – 65-inches – $2,699 – Amazon
- LG C5 (OLED77C5PUA) – 77-inches – $3,699 – Amazon
- LG C5 (OLED83C5PUA) – 83-inches – $5,399 – Amazon
LG B5 Series OLED TVs (Good)
- LG B5 (OLED48B5PUA) – 48-inches – $1,299 – Amazon
- LG B5 (OLED55B5PUA) – 55 inches – $1,299 – Amazon
- LG B5 (OLED65B5PUA) – 65-inches – $1,499 – Amazon
- LG B5 (OLED77B5PUA) – 77-inches – $2,299 – Amazon
- LG B5 (OLED83B5PUA) – 83-inches – $3,999 – Amazon
LG M5 Series (Wireless) OLED TV (OLED77M5PUA) 77-inches – $4,299 at LG
LG T Series (Transparent) OLED TV (OLED77T4PUA) 77-inches – $59,999 at LG
Panasonic OLED TVs
2025 Panasonic Z95B series TVs use RGB Tandem OLED panels in three screen sizes.
Sony OLED TVs
2025 Sony BRAVIA 8 II TVs use QD-OLED panels, but are only available in two screen sizes:
Samsung OLED TVs
Samsung uses different panel types depending on the size and region. For the North American market, the 55/65/77″ TV use QD-OLED panels, while the larger 83-inch models use WOLED panels. To identify the panel type, check the last four letters in the model code.
- FXZA = QD-OLED panel
- EXZA = WOLED panel
S95F Series (Best with Glare-free screen)
S90F Series (Best with Glossy screen)
S85F Series (Good with Glossy screen)
OLED TVs by Panel Type
Which OLED TV is the Best in 2025?
There is no one best TV for everyone. Base your choice on your specific needs and budget. No TV has all possible features and capabilities. Although picture quality is the most important thing to consider (after all you are buying a TV to watch content on its screen) you will also need to balance that out with other factors such as ease of use, smart features (all TVs in the OLED category are smart TVs), audio quality (TVs generally don’t have good built-in speaker systems so it’s wise to consider a soundbar or home theater audio system), and for gamers, built in features that provide smooth gameplay. Of course, the budget is also a factor.
When it comes to picture quality, one of the best indicators of overall performance comes from annual TV Shootouts, such as the Value Electronics TV Shootout, and in 2025, TechRadar conducted its own evaluation. Oddly the results conflicted.
Such shootouts provide the best gauge as to what the best TVs might be, away from manufacturer hype. This year the top Tandem RGB OLED TVs (LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B) squared off against the top QD-OLED TVs (Samsung S95F and Sony BRAVIA 8 II) across multiple categories. However, the differences among the highest-end TVs are often very narrow, and ratings remain subjective—what one judge sees as a strength, another might perceive differently. The results from these shootouts are also not always consistent across every category, so they should be considered as part of a broader assessment rather than definitive rankings.
The Bottom Line
Although consumers currently have three types of OLED TVs to choose from across four major brands, the best performing models are only available in 55, 65, and 77-inch screen sizes. Nevertheless the ever improving W-OLED models have gotten better year after year too. And although they’re not the bleeding edge, are still quite good, offering inky blacks, wide viewing angles and near infinite contrast OLEDs are known for. Just keep in mind choosing any OLED will hurt in the wallet. You will pay more, per screen size, over competing MiniLED and Micro RGB TV technologies.