- LG Display introduced “OLED SE” displays – cheaper but brighter for budget TVs
- 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness
- Coming in 2026 to “major customers”
When it comes to the best TVs, you know the drill: OLEDs are revered for their superior picture quality, while mini-LEDs are brighter and less expensive. But LG Display could disrupt that with a new type of OLED panel called “OLED SE.”
OLED SE is designed for entry-level TVs, and while its specs aren’t even in the same zip code as the LG G5’s primary tandem OLEDs, it could be a game-changer for affordable OLEDs such as the LG B5.
Like the B5’s panel, OLED SE has a 120Hz refresh rate. But it offers 1,000 nits of brightness, which is much more than the 668 nits we measured on the B5.
However, I should mention here that LG Display has claimed that the primary Tandem RGB panel used in the LG G5 can reach 4,000 nits, but we measured the LG G5 at a maximum of 2,268 nits, so we’ll have to see if 1,000 nits is real or not.
Still, this could make OLED more competitive for budget-conscious TV buyers who might otherwise opt for mini-LED due to its excellent value for money.
How does OLED SE reduce the cost of an OLED TV?
As LG Display explained during a Q&A session at CES 2026: “SE retains pixel-level dimming and key benefits of OLED, including superior HDR picture quality, perfect black levels and exceptional response times, enabling significantly higher picture quality than LCD TVs in a similar price range.” »
So why is it cheaper? According to our colleagues at What Hi-Fi?, one of the ways in which LG Display managed to reduce the price of OLED SE panels is to do without the polarizer.
Polarizers reduce reflection and glare, but also reduce the amount of light emitted by a panel. So by bundling it together you get more brightness and less cost. The downside, of course, is that you also end up with a more reflective TV.
TV makers could solve this problem by adding their own anti-glare layer, and this could take the form of their own polarizer, or a matte layer like that used in the Samsung S95F (which we’re told can be inexpensive to apply). These can affect
LG Display doesn’t just supply LG: it makes panels for all kinds of manufacturers, including Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Hisense and Philips. It announced that it would supply OLED SE to “major customers” in 2026.
LG Display told FlatPanelsHD that it will initially manufacture SE OLED panels in five sizes: 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch and 83-inch.
These sizes correspond to the five sizes of the LG B5 and, of course, these are generally the most popular sizes of mid-range or high-end TVs. So it’s a safe bet that we’ll see OLED SE in the LG B6 – but LG told us we won’t really hear more about that TV until spring.
The best TVs for every budget
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