Right now is the worst time possible to buy a new OLED TV

• The evolution of HDR
• The RGB mini-LED and MicroLED question
• Do I really need to wait to upgrade my OLED TV?

There is, perhaps, more pressure on OLED owners to upgrade than owners of an LCD or mini-LED TV. While OLED sets can last a very long time — longer than LCDs, in some cases — they’re uniquely vulnerable to a couple of problems. Burn-in can rear its ugly head if static content is repeatedly left onscreen, and over the years, the brightness of an OLED panel is going to diminish to the point where your set can’t fully compensate with extra power. It makes sense to trade up before any issues arise.

The industry has reached a transition point, however. Unless your TV is in dire straits, it may be better to wait until later in 2026 to upgrade, if not until 2027. I’m sure you’ll agree with at least one of the reasons why, simply because of what draws people to OLED in the first place: the best possible picture quality.

The evolution of HDR

New tech from Dolby and Samsung

In the past few months, not one but two new HDR (high dynamic range) standards have been announced: Dolby Vision 2 and HDR10+ Advanced. Their naming makes them sound purely iterative, but in a few years, whether your TV supports them could have major ramifications.

With both formats, the greatest benefit is probably extended metadata. Dolby is giving studios more control than ever before, with the idea that Vision 2 can help preserve artistic intent, no matter what TV you’re watching something on. HDR10+ Advanced relies more heavily on AI-based algorithms, but still includes extended metadata meant to help creators. If you’re a cinematic purist, or just don’t like the idea of missing out on the “ideal” version of something, these standards are for you.

There’s more. Both improve tone mapping, and in the case of Vision 2, the effects of its Precision Black tech can be dramatic. In a CES 2026 demo, a night scene from one of the Paddington movies showed remarkably more detail without blowing out highlights. I haven’t seen enough of HDR10+ Advanced to make a fair comparison, but it does seem to deliver at least somewhat fuller detail than before.

If you’re a cinematic purist, or just don’t like the idea of missing out on the ideal version of something, these standards are for you.

Both standards are even attempting to salvage motion smoothing, normally the bane of reasonable TV owners. The trick is that to avoid the soap opera effect — which makes blockbusters look like they were shot on cheap camcorders — they’re enabling metadata-based control by studios, and applying effects more conservatively than you’re used to. I’m still skeptical, but I’m all for crystal-clear action scenes that maintain the right framerate.

The kicker is that while some Vision 2-ready TVs are already out, they’re still waiting for over-the-air updates, and there won’t be a substantial number of compatible sets until the end of 2026. As for HDR10+ Advanced, the roadmap is even vaguer, although it’s safe to say Samsung’s next crop of flagship TVs will lead the charge, since the company is backing the format and refuses to support any variety of Vision. If you want a TV that’s capable of getting the best out of the movies, shows, and games you like, it’s wise to wait a while until you can find a TV that supports one of the new standards with specs and pricing you can live with.

The RGB mini-LED and MicroLED question

Is OLED really the path forward anymore?

OLED TVs aren’t about to vanish anytime soon. They’re selling very well, and even if electronics makers did want to switch wholesale to a new panel technology, they couldn’t do it very quickly. That would involve converting massive amounts of manufacturing capacity and building up new supply chains — it makes far more sense to pursue a gradual transition.

That said, two recent technologies are poised to seize ground in 2026: RGB mini-LED and MicroLED. The first probably has the best shot, since it’s less radical. Whereas a conventional mini-LED relies on color filters, RGB mini-LED uses separate red, green, and blue LEDs, enabling a wider color gamut, superior brightness, and precise local dimming. In fact it should allow for near-total coverage of the BT.2020 gamut, beating OLED in that arena.

RGB mini-LED uses separate red, green, and blue LEDs, enabling a wider color gamut, superior brightness, and precise local dimming.

MicroLED is better still, since it replicates OLED’s ability to turn individual pixels on and off for perfect contrast. And since both that tech and RGB mini-LED use purely synthetic materials instead of anything organic, they’re not prone to the burn-in or decreasing brightness I mentioned in my intro.

The obstacle, as you might guess, is cost. While there should be a number of RGB mini-LED sets on the market by the end of the year, they’re liable to be pricey, being based on fresh tech with limited production lines. MicroLED sets, meanwhile, are already available, but so expensive that you could buy a luxury EV for the same price. Costs are bound to come down as production scales up and becomes more efficient — yet OLED could end up being the more affordable choice for a while.

Do I really need to wait to upgrade my OLED TV?

Dealing with the uncertainties

Like I said, if your current TV is giving you trouble, you might as well upgrade now. OLED continues to look fantastic, and will remain relevant for the foreseeable future. Indeed there’s no sign that LCDs are going away, either, and OLED is going to retain its advantage. Similarly, if you’re satisfied with Dolby Vision 1 and HDR10+, it’s not like those standards are suddenly going to become obsolete. It’s going to take years for studios to master enough Vision 2 and HDR10+ Advanced content to match the current HDR catalog.

Patience could land you a significantly better device for the same amount of money, or at least give you a chance to judge whether the new hardware is worth it.

It’s really if you’re chasing the best that you should hold off. A useful analogy here, perhaps, is shopping for a new iPhone. Apple always announces its flagship models in September. If you buy an iPhone 17 Pro in July or August 2026, you’ll probably still love it if you’re replacing an old smartphone. Patience, however, could land you a significantly better device for the same amount of money, or at least give you a chance to judge whether the new hardware is worth it. In fact, I’m not that optimistic that TV makers will be able to get RGB mini-LED prices under control that quickly, much less MicroLED.

If you want a firmer window for your next shopping opportunity, I’d suggest November 2026. By then, all the year’s biggest announcements will have been made, and products will definitely be hitting stores, since companies want those holiday sales. You might even be able to score a good deal on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, although the newest TVs are liable to get smaller discounts than old ones. If nothing else, you’ll have access to the latest refinements in the OLED world.