Do OLED Displays Have True Black?
Excellent black levels on a TV can significantly enhance the viewing experience by creating more realistic contrast and making scenes appear more lifelike, especially in dark content.
OLED displays have perfect black levels because each pixel can turn off completely.
TVs with poor black levels result in a lack of true black in outer space scenes, dark indoor shots, and end credits. Instead, the blacks appear as more of a gray color, which reduces overall picture quality and contrast.
The exceptional black levels are possible because OLED displays do not rely on a backlight like LCD or LED TVs. Each pixel generates its own light independently, allowing for infinite contrast ratios and true blacks when individual pixels are turned off.
LED
|
Limited
|
|---|---|
|
QLED
|
Limited
|
|
OLED
|
Excellent
|
| Mini-LED | Very Good |
| MicroLED | Excellent |
Room Conditions
The dark colors provided by good black levels won't be as visible if you watch your TV in daylight or bright rooms. Good black levels are much more noticeable in low-lit rooms, like a dark family room, bedroom, or theater.
If you need help finding the best TV for a room's conditions, check out my article: Choosing the Best TV for Your Room.
Learn More About OLED TVs
Learn more about OLED TVs in my article: Ultimate Guide to OLED TVs.
Find OLED TVs on Amazon
My OLED TV Recommendations
LG C5 OLED TV (Best)
- This is an exceptional TV for any use, whether for movies, games, sports, or as a PC monitor.
- Fast refresh rates reduce motion blur and make animations smoother.
- This TV has wide viewing angles, perfect for many people watching TV together (like most OLED TVs).
- It has an extreme contrast ratio capable of producing pitch-black scenes without suffering from blooming.
- This TV offers improved brightness compared to previous generations, making it suitable for most room lighting conditions.
- This has the fastest response time for smooth fast-moving content, great for games or sports.
- The LG C5 OLED TV also supports very low input lag and variable refresh rate, both of which are also needed for gaming.
- It's superb for HDR content due to its extreme contrast ratio and wide color gamut.
- Check the latest price of the LG C5 OLED TV on Amazon
Sony BRAVIA 8 II TV
- This TV has superb picture quality with an extreme contrast ratio, perfect for your home theater room.
- The Sony BRAVIA 8 II TV has excellent color out of the box, so there's no need for color calibration.
- This TV offers improved brightness performance, making it suitable for various room lighting conditions.
- This TV has Google TV built-in, allowing you to watch from most of your streaming services quickly and smoothly.
- The Sony BRAVIA 8 II TV has very low input lag and quick response time, both of which are excellent for sports and gaming.
- Check the latest price of the Sony BRAVIA 8 II TV on Amazon