Samsung S95F 54.6"

Samsung's S95F is the rare OLED that laughs at sunlight, with sound so good you might skip the soundbar. Just brace yourself for the unboxing heft and missing Dolby Vision.

The Samsung S95F OLED is the TV you buy when you're tired of closing the blinds. Its anti-glare screen is the real deal, letting inky blacks and vibrant colors shine even in sun-drenched rooms. While our lab measurements put picture quality smack in the middle of the pack, owners overwhelmingly rave about the real-world image, and the built-in audio is some of the best we've ever heard from a flat panel.

Here's the surprise: our lab scores dogged this TV for picture quality, landing it in the 36th percentile among all sets. But go read owner reviews and you'd think we tested a different device. The anti-glare coating truly delivers, colors pop, and motion is buttery smooth at 165Hz. That gap between our data and real-world delight tells us Samsung's processing and that matte screen are doing some heavy lifting. Also, the 4.2.2-channel 70W speaker system is an absolute beast, ranking in the top 2% of all TVs we've tested. You might skip the soundbar.

Pricing is all over the place, from $1288 to $1998 depending on the retailer. At the low end, this is a solid deal for a premium OLED that defies bright-room physics. At the high end, you're paying a Samsung tax. Shop around, the deal is out there, and Newegg had some of the best prices when we checked.

The LG C5 is the natural rival here. It packs Dolby Vision and slightly better movie accuracy out of the box, but its screen is a mirror in bright rooms. Samsung crushes it for daytime viewing and built-in sound. The Sony BRAVIA 5 competes on processing and upscaling, but lacks the S95F's gaming chops and that glare-free panel. If sunlight is your enemy, Samsung wins. If you watch in a cave, the LG might edge it out.

If you mostly watch movies in a pitch-black room and demand Dolby Vision, skip this. Go pick up an LG C5 and you'll get better format support and slightly more accurate out-of-the-box colors. Also, if you hate Samsung's Tizen smart platform, this ain't for you.

For a bright living room, this is the OLED to get. The anti-glare tech works, gaming is top-tier, and the audio is a legitimate bar-killer. You'll need a buddy to unbox it and you'll never have Dolby Vision, but most people won't care once they see the picture.