JUDGING PANELS

You’ve decided to splash out on a new OLED TV, but which one? Let us help...

You’d be perfectly justified in deciding that your next TV simply has to be an OLED – but which OLED should you buy? You’d be forgiven for thinking that perhaps it doesn’t matter. After all, they all use the same panel, manufactured by LG. It’s more complicated than that, though: software plays such a huge role in overall picture quality, there can be big differences in the performances of different OLEDS.

And in fact, the panel isn’t always identical. As the elder statesman of the bunch, the A1, originally launched in May last year, uses the 2017 version of LG’S OLED. That should mean it’s slightly less bright than its fresher-faced rivals here – but it was a punchy performer at the time and has had a series of price cuts that should keep it competitive.

Of the 2018 sets, LG’S own C8 will already be at the top of many people’s lists. Common sense would suggest that the progenitor of modern OLED should have an advantage, and we’ve already given the set a five-star rating in its own right. But Panasonic knows a thing or two about superb TVS, and its TX-55FZ802 is also the recent recipient of a five-star rating.

Finally, there’s the brand-spanking-new Philips 55OLED803, which is gracing these pages for the first time. We loved its predecessor, and we’re suckers for the company’s exclusive Ambilight tech. So which one will come out on top?