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This year, I traded in my 2021 era mid range OLED TV for a new 2024 mid-range model from the same manufacturer – a like-for-like exchange. I changed from a Philips OLED806 to a Philips OLED809 because I’m a sucker for Philips’ magnificent Ambilight technology. (US readers: sorry, Philips OLED TVs are not available here.)
Given the popularity of the LG C1 OLED TV in particular, which has at the top of our list of the the best OLED TVs in 2021, I expect there will be loads of people thinking about making the same kind of exchange. It’s been a few years, TV technology works especially fast – there must be some nice updates, right?
This is true, and I like my new TV – but it’s not clear enough to say that everyone else will feel the same about the upgrade. Some of the changes are subtle enough that people might not feel they’re worth the upgrade, and some things haven’t changed at all. Therefore, I will tell you six conclusions that stood out to me from comparing my old TV to my new one.
1. I had no burn-in problems
Okay, this isn’t really a TV comparison, but it’s worth mentioning anyway since a a lot of people are still under the impression that OLED TVs are developing burn quickly. My old TV from 2021 has logged 3,700 hours of use and has had zero signs of image ghosting, pixel issues, or anything else like that.
That includes playing a lot of games and watching sports; that is, things that are likely to leave logos on the screen for a long time, and provide the risk of burning-in happening.
Keep in mind that OLED technology and processing have developed another three years since the TV that has not had burn-in problems, and is even less likely to happen in new sets.
2. The brightness boost is real, but it’s also more subtle than you might expect
The Philips OLED806 was capable of about 750 nits peak HDR brightness (within a 10% window), while we measured the Philips OLED809 at between 930-1090 nits, depending on which mode you’re in.
Even at the lower end of the area of the OLED809, this is more than a 20% increase in HDR brightness, and it is extremely obvious for these bright HDR lights when the TVs are close to each other. White tones are not only much brighter, they look purer – and the extra contrast makes dark tones look even inkier.
Would you have this difference if you weren’t next to each other? Yes, I’m sure I do, but doing so is literally my job. I managed to correctly guess the brightness of the LG C4 when I saw it in a demo room at CES 2024. I’m not normal – for most people, it’s not a revealing step in brightness.
You can see this more in the image below, which is based more on fullscreen brightness, which continues to be low on OLED TVs. The skin on the OLED809 has a slightly richer gold hue from its extra brightness, but otherwise, there’s little major difference.
If you were to switch from a 2021 OLED TV to one of today’s leading OLEDs – the Samsung S95Du LG G4u Panasonic Z95Ao Philips OLED909 – then you will see a clearer jump in the brightness of each type.
3. You’ll always want real speakers if you’re a serious movie fan
More and more processing goes into the audio of mid-range TVs, especially to make sure that the clarity of the dialogue is clear and the positions of the sound match the movement of things on the screen. And these are vastly improved over the meager audio of affordable sets from just a few years ago.
In our review of the Philips OLED809, we gave a high sound score, because the TV offers a surprising weight to the bass and clarity to the overall sound mix.
But this is a high score compared to other built-in TV speakers. They don’t hold a candle to a good sized soundbar, let alone a full home theater speaker array. Compared to one of the better soundbars with a sub and rear speaker, today’s mid-range TVs will all still be thin, limited to the TV screen, and missing true depth
4. Smart TV software has done a lot
My old TV was an Android TV, and while it worked fine, it wasn’t slick. My new TV is powered by Google TV, and it’s much faster, easier to use and better at helping me find what I want.
The same is true of TVs from other manufacturers, too – the new software in the LG C4 compared to the LG C1 is a big leap in usability, and also to feel more responsive. SamsungThe Tizen platform of Tizen has also developed a lot in three years, and there is a new aspect that is developing in TVs now.
It’s not about app access – it’s essentially the same. But it feels a lot less like you’re fighting with the TV software to get to what you want.
5. Reflections are still a problem
Higher-end OLED TVs have reflection reduction technology. The Samsung S95D has an “OLED Glare Free” matte coating to dissipate reflections which is a revelation, and won us our ‘TV of the Year’ award.; the LG G4 and Philips OLED909 have a polarizer that reduces the intensity of reflected lights.
Mid-range OLED TVs have none of this. They have the same bright screens they’ve had for years, which are great for vibrant colors and super-deep black tones, but not so great for reflections. And since today’s mid-range OLEDs do not have a very high fullscreen brightness, reflections can be quite visible in any type of display, if you are in a bright room.
This shouldn’t necessarily be a dealbreaker for people — it’s not for me, and my TV is right by a huge window — but it’s definitely an ongoing flaw.
6. You probably do not need a like-for-like upgrade
So I’ve gone through the core things I’ve noticed, and my conclusion for most people who have a mid-range OLED TV in 2021 – be it a Philips OLED806 like me or an LG C1 – is that you probably have ” There’s no need to upgrade to a similar model in 2024. Yes, your TV will be better – but it won’t be better, and OLED still costs prices that will make you want to upgrade your mind.
It’s a little different if you bought the cheaper LG B1 or LG A1; Switching to today’s mid-range OLED TVs will almost double the brightness of those sets, and you’ll 100% notice that. That feels like a big change.
And if you switch from a mid-range 2021 OLED to a high-end 2024 OLED, you’ll again see a nearly 100% increase in brightness for a major visual upgrade (plus you’ll get anti-glare technology).
