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  • The best OLED TVs of 2024

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    A Samsung S95D on a TV stand in a living room.
    Samsung, LG, and Sony make some of the best OLED TVs.

    The best OLED TVs offer the most impressive picture quality you can get. And though OLED models tend to be pricier than other displays, there's no substitute for an OLED if you want high-end image performance with true black levels, an infinite contrast ratio, and wide viewing angles.

    Based on a combination of hands-on testing and over a decade's experience covering home entertainment products, we've selected the best OLED TVs you can buy. We recommend the Samsung S90C as our best overall pick. It's the most affordable OLED with quantum dots, which enables it to deliver impressive color performance. But if you're willing to pay top dollar, the Sony A95L offers a more accurate image with a brighter picture and better upscaling. 

    Below, you can find all our picks for the best OLED TV, including models geared toward budget shoppers and buyers with lights that cause glare. All our recommendations are available in multiple screen sizes, so be sure to select the size that fits your needs from each retailer's site before making a purchase.

    Our top picks for the best OLED TVs 

    Best overall: Samsung S90C 4K TV – See at Amazon

    Best high-end: Sony A95L 4K TV – See at Amazon

    Best on a budget: LG B3 4K TV – See at Amazon

    Best midrange: LG C3 4K TV – See at Amazon

    Best anti-glare screen: Samsung S95D 4K TV – See at Amazon

    Best for your wall: LG G3 4K TV – See at Amazon


    Best overall

    Samsung's S90C is the best OLED TV there is for the money. In fact, it's our pick for the best TV overall. Thanks to its quantum dot technology, the S90C can produce a brighter image with better color performance than typical OLEDs. And it costs less than direct competitors from LG and Sony.

    Like all OLED TVs, the S90C has deep black levels, wide viewing angles, and an infinite contrast ratio. But this model stands out in its price range thanks to its exceptional brightness, color range, and color volume. The S90C has a peak brightness of around 1,000 nits, a nice step up from the 800-nit max of other similarly priced OLEDs. 

    The Samsung S90C television with an undersea shot on the screen, captured from the side.
    The Samsung S90C is the most affordable OLED you can get with quantum dot color technology.

    The TV also maintains vivid colors across high brightness levels better than LG's OLEDs. This means that high dynamic range (HDR) content really pops. HDR10 and HDR10+ videos look stunning through streaming services and 4K Blu-ray discs. On the downside, it's disappointing that Samsung still doesn't support Dolby Vision, a popular HDR format. However, we don't consider that a dealbreaker. Check out our HDR guide for details on how Dolby Vision stacks up to other HDR formats.

    Smart TV capabilities are also solid but not the smoothest we've seen. A cool Gaming Hub lets you use services like Xbox Game Pass to stream games without a console, a feature you won't find on Sony and LG TVs. And you can game at up to 144Hz when paired with a computer. These perks help cement the S90C as the best OLED TV for gaming, in addition to being our top pick overall. 

    Samsung does sell a 2024 version of this set, called the S90D, that can get a little brighter. However, the S90D is much more expensive, so we think this 2023 model is the better buy. Likewise, though there are better-looking OLED TVs on the market, they all cost considerably more than the S90C, and their upgrades in picture performance are subtle. When it comes to overall bang for your buck, the S90C is simply unmatched. 

    Read our Samsung S90C OLED 4K TV review.

    Check out our guide to the best Samsung TVs.

    Note: The 83-inch S90C does not use quantum dots, so that size can't offer the same color performance as smaller models.


    Best high-end

    Sony's OLED TVs are known for their high-end picture processing, which enables them to deliver the most accurate image on the market. The A95L is the company's latest and greatest model, and it's the best OLED TV you can buy for a premium home theater experience.  

    Like most of Samsung's competing OLED TVs, the A95L uses quantum dots to achieve a brighter, more colorful image than a typical OLED screen. And the A95L is one of the brightest OLEDs we've tested. We measured a max of about 1,500 nits. That's 500 nits higher than this model's predecessor, the A95K 4K TV, and about even with LG G series TVs. This leads to more realistic contrast and details in specular highlights when watching HDR content graded for peaks over 1,000 nits. 

    A front view of a Sony A95L 4K OLED TV on a TV stand displaying the Google TV home page with an image from "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" on the screen.
    The A95L is the absolute top premium OLED there is, but it's expensive.

    However, Samsung's brand-new S95D OLED can get even brighter, with a peak of about 1,700 nits. But unlike Samsung's OLEDs, the A95L supports Dolby Vision, so it can more precisely render HDR images on a scene-by-scene basis. On top of all that, the A95L uses Sony's proprietary image processing to better optimize its picture and upscale lower-quality content. This means you'll get a cleaner, smoother image with fewer artifacts. So, while the S95D is the new OLED champ for brightness, the A95L's overall image quality is still better. 

    The A95L also features a premium design with a slim screen and convenient stand that can be set up in one of two modes: high or low profile. High profile gives you enough space to fit a soundbar in front, while low profile allows the display to sit flush on your entertainment console. A backlit Google Assistant voice remote is also included, and the A95L even comes with a webcam for video calls and gesture controls. 

    On the downside, the TV only has two HDMI 2.1 ports, which max out at 120Hz instead of the 144Hz support you get on Samsung OLEDs. But as far as high-end TVs go, they really don't get any better than the A95L. If budget isn't a concern and you want the absolute best image quality you can get, the A95L is the best OLED TV to buy.


    Best on a budget

    The LG B3 is one of the most affordable OLED TVs there is. Though it lacks the brightness capabilities and improved processing you'd get on LG's more expensive C- and G-Series TVs, it still provides all of the contrast, black level, and viewing angle benefits that OLEDs are known for.

    At a max of about 600-700 nits, the B3 can deliver solid but not fantastic brightness. Though extreme highlights won't pop with the same intensity you'd see on pricier sets, the TV's pixel-level contrast still delivers better overall HDR performance than any QLED display. However, the B3's dimmer image does make this model less ideal for living rooms that let in a lot of light.

    Despite its lower price, the B3 still packs in HDMI 2.1 support and a 120Hz panel. This means it can support advanced gaming features like variable refresh rate (VRR) and a 120 frames-per-second mode on compatible titles. 

    LG does sell a new 2024 version of this TV, called the B4, but its launch price is much higher than the B3 sells for. We expect the B4 to come down in price as the year goes on, but for now, the B3 remains the best OLED TV to buy on a budget.


    Best midrange

    The LG C3 is an excellent all-around 4K display. It isn't the absolute best OLED TV on the market, but it provides impressive performance in its class. It's also available in more screen sizes than most OLEDs, so buyers with different space and budget needs have plenty of options.  

    Picture quality is on par with similar midrange OLEDs, but at a peak of about 800 nits, the C3 lacks the extra brightness that LG's premium G-Series TVs provide. It also can't match the color volume of OLED TVs with quantum dots, like the Samsung S90 and S95 series or the Sony A95L. 

    But while HDR highlights might not shine quite as intensely, image performance is still exceptional. And unlike Samsung OLEDs, the C3 supports the Dolby Vision format, which can provide the TV with more guidance on properly displaying high dynamic range videos.

    The C3 uses LG's webOS smart TV platform, and the interface works well. The Magic Remote lets you navigate using traditional directional buttons or by pointing the remote at the screen to move a cursor. The TV also supports 120Hz gaming with a PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC, but it doesn't support 144Hz. 

    We still recommend our top pick, the Samsung S90C, over the C3 for most people since Samsung's TV is brighter and delivers better color for about the same price. But the C3 is a fantastic midrange OLED alternative for anyone who prefers LG's smart TV platform, wants Dolby Vision support, or is shopping for a smaller size screen.

    It should also be noted that a 2024 version of this TV, called the LG C4, is now rolling out to stores. We got a hands-on look at the TV, and while it delivers a marginal bump in brightness, it currently costs a lot more than the C3. As long as the C3 remains available for less money, we consider it the better buy.


    Best anti-glare screen

    Many OLED TVs claim to have anti-reflective screen filters, but the Samsung S95D's glare-free coating is in a class of its own. The S95D is the only OLED you can buy that uses a matte screen instead of a glossy screen. This feature enables it to nearly eliminate glare and reflections, which can be problematic in rooms with many windows and indoor lights. 

    Every other OLED TV on the market can cause a mirror-like effect when hit with light from certain angles, but the S95D is free from this issue. During our testing in a bright room, we saw no troublesome reflections, making this set a game changer for buyers who want an OLED free from glare. 

    However, there is a drawback to the S95D's anti-glare screen: it hurts black-level performance in a bright room. So, while you no longer have to deal with reflections, the S95D's black levels take on a more gray and hazy look instead of the deep and inky quality you'd see on any other OLED in this guide. Thankfully, this isn't an issue when viewing the TV with the lights off, so the S95D still offers all the contrast and black-level benefits OLEDs are known for in a dark home theater setting. 

    A Samsung S95D TV in a living room with a video of rippling water on the screen.
    Samsung's S95D is the only OLED TV that uses a matte screen to virtually eliminate glare and reflections.

    In addition to its anti-glare screen, the S95D is the brightest OLED we've ever tested, with a peak of around 1,700 nits. This helps the display deliver exceptional HDR performance. That said, we think Sony's A95L still has an edge in overall image quality thanks to its superior picture processing. 

    The S95D has all the other bells and whistles you should expect from a flagship Samsung TV, including support for a 144Hz refresh rate for smooth PC gaming. And unlike the cheaper S90 series, the S95D has a uniformly thin design with a One Connect Box to house all its video ports. 

    Buyers should note that Samsung still sells the 2023 version of this TV, called the S95C, for significantly less money. That model offers a virtually identical design and similar picture quality, but it does not have the S95D's glare-free screen. So, while the S95C remains a better value for most needs, it can't minimize reflections as well as the S95D.

    Ultimately, the S95D's matte screen is a divisive feature with clear pros and cons. For most buyers, we recommend sticking with a traditional glossy TV since you get better black levels. But if you need an OLED uniquely suited for combating glare and reflections, this is the model to get. 

    Read our Samsung S95D 4K TV review.

    Best for your wall

    LG's G3 is an excellent TV for anyone who wants a high-end OLED that looks particularly great hanging on your wall. This is one of LG's flagship models, and it delivers image quality that's nearly on par with Sony's A95L, along with an elegant "Gallery" design.

    The TV's build enables it to hang on your wall with virtually no gap, and it includes a flush wall mount to handle the job. It also manages to keep all of its ports within its panel, so there's no need for a separate box as you get with Samsung's S95 sr.

    Thanks to its LG OLED Evo panel, the G3 offers high-end picture performance. It's the first OLED to use MLA (Micro Lens Array) technology to help boost its maximum brightness, and the results are impressive. During our tests, we measured a peak of about 1,470 nits using the TV's most accurate HDR mode, which puts it nearly neck-and-neck with Sony's A95L.

    An angled image of an LG G3 TV resting on an entertainment console while displaying a river on the screen.
    You can buy a stand for the G3 separately, but it causes the display to tilt back slightly.

    However, the G3 doesn't use quantum dots, so its color volume isn't as high as you'd get on the A95L or one of Samsung's OLED TVs. Its picture processing isn't quite as accurate as Sony's either, but the differences are subtle.

    Though we think the A95L edges out the G3 in overall picture performance, the G3 is a close runner-up and is often on sale for a lot less than Sony's TV. Coupled with its stylish "Gallery" design, this makes the G3 a great high-end OLED alternative, especially if you're wall-mounting your set.

    But while the G3 looks fantastic on a wall, it's less suited for placing on an entertainment console. The G3 doesn't include a traditional stand, so you must purchase one separately, which adds to the cost. The display also leans back slightly when attached to LG's official stand, which gives it a somewhat awkward look. 

    If you're willing to spend more money, there's also the new 2024 LG G4 to consider. Unlike the G3, the 65- and 55-inch G4s now come with a stand, and the display does not lean back. However, the G4 only offers a minor upgrade in color and brightness performance, so the G3 is still the better buy for wall mounting. 


    How we test OLED TVs

    A white test pattern displayed on LG's G2 and C2 OLED TVs - LG G2 and C2 4K TV first look
    Test patterns like the one pictured above help us measure a TV's peak brightness.

    To test the best OLED TVs, we evaluate several factors, including peak brightness, high dynamic range (HDR) performance, smart TV features, navigation speed, and value. 

    To measure the brightness of a TV's panel, we use an X-Rite iDisplay Plus colorimeter with the Spears & UHD HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray's test patterns. We also use this disc's patterns to evaluate other objective display qualities.

    However, test patterns can only reveal so much, so we also use real-world content to get a better sense of how an OLED actually looks when watching regular TV. We use the same assortment of demo movies and shows on each display to help test each OLED's overall image performance, with a specific focus on scenes that showcase shadow detail, specular highlights, color fidelity, and sharpness with native 4K, high-definition (HD), and standard definition (SD) content through Blu-ray players, cable TV, and all the best streaming services. We also evaluate TVs in various lighting conditions to see how an OLED performs in bright and dark rooms. 


    OLED TV FAQs

    An LG C4 OLED TV on an entertainment console.
    LG's C4 is one of its new 2024 OLED TV models.

    Should you buy a 2024 OLED TV?

    LG, Sony, and Samsung have started to release their new lineup of 2024 OLED TVs. That said, 2023 TV models will remain available throughout the year until stock runs out.

    Though some exceptions exist, performance improvements are subtle for most OLED models that received updated iterations for 2024. Likewise, 2023 models remain cheaper than their 2024 counterparts. In most cases, we think 2023 OLED TVs continue to offer the best value right now. 

    What is an OLED TV?

    OLED stands for "organic light-emitting diode." Instead of using a traditional LCD panel with a backlight, like those found on QLED and LED TVs, OLED TVs are self-illuminating. This means that each pixel on an OLED can emit its own light or turn off completely, enabling an infinite contrast ratio. Because of this high contrast performance, OLED displays are among the best 4K TVs you can buy. 

    Though there are a few different types of OLED panels, they all share the same key benefits of pixel-level contrast and wide viewing angles. Some OLED subtypes, however, have extra perks that make them even more desirable. 

    QD-OLED panels, for instance, have the added benefit of quantum dot technology, which enables them to produce an even wider and brighter range of colors. Sony and Samsung use QD-OLED panels in their top TVs, like the S90C, S95D, and A95L. 

    Though LG doesn't use QD-OLED, it does use another advanced OLED panel tech called MLA OLED. MLA stands for Micro Lens Array, and OLEDs with this feature employ a layer of tiny convex lenses to boost their brightness capabilities. The LG G3 is the first consumer OLED to use MLA tech.

    You can learn more about how OLEDs stack up against QLEDs in our full QLED vs. OLED comparison. 

    Should OLED TV buyers worry about burn-in?

    Even the best OLED TVs are technically susceptible to an issue known as burn-in. If you leave a static image on an OLED TV for an extended period — a news station's chyron bar, for example — a faint after-image can get stuck on the screen.

    Though it sounds alarming, burn-in is not a new phenomenon. Many past TV technologies, including plasma and CRT displays, have also been prone to this issue. While OLED buyers should be mindful of this risk, OLED TVs have built-in measures to combat burn-in, including automatic pixel-shift modes and pixel-refreshers. 

    Publications like Rtings have done long-term tests with many OLED TV models, and while the results do show that burn-in is possible in extreme use cases, the tests show that it shouldn't be a problem for people with regular viewing habits. 

    I've owned an LG CX OLED TV for over two years, and the screen shows no burn-in. In my experience, as long as you don't plan on watching the same cable news channel all day, burn-in shouldn't be a deciding factor when choosing whether to get an OLED TV. 

    What size OLED TVs can you buy?

    OLED TVs are sold in various screen sizes ranging from 42 to 97 inches.

    The most commonly available options are 55, 65, and 77 inches. QD-OLED and standard OLED panels are both manufactured at those sizes. 

    A few OLED models are also available in larger 83- and even 97-inch options. However, OLED panels with quantum dots are not currently manufactured at those sizes. 

    LG, Sony, and Samsung also sell 48- and 42-inch OLED TVs, but only for a limited assortment of their models, and, once again, these options do not include QD-OLED panels. 

    Some 4K OLED displays smaller than 42 inches are also available, but these sizes are limited to PC monitors, like the 32-inch Alienware AW3225QF.

    For OLED TV recommendations specific to certain screen sizes, check out our size-specific guides:

    Should you buy a soundbar to pair with an OLED TV?

    The best OLED TVs all include built-in speakers, but they typically offer mediocre sound quality and lack bass response. If you're unhappy with your TV's audio performance, we recommend buying a separate soundbar. 

    Check out our guides to the best soundbars, best budget soundbars, and best Dolby Atmos soundbars to see our top picks. Dolby Atmos is a spatial audio format that can spread sound effects around your room with simulated overhead audio, so soundbars with this feature tend to offer the most immersive performance. 

    Best overall
    The Samsung S90C television with an undersea shot on the screen, captured from the side.
    The Samsung S90C is the most affordable OLED you can get with quantum dot color technology.

    Samsung's S90C is the best OLED TV there is for the money. In fact, it's our pick for the best TV overall. Thanks to its quantum dot technology, the S90C can produce a brighter image with better color performance than typical OLEDs. And it costs less than its direct competitors from LG and Sony.

    Like all OLED TVs, the S90C has deep black levels, wide viewing angles, and an infinite contrast ratio. But this model stands out in its price range thanks to its exceptional brightness, color range, and color volume. The S90C has a peak brightness of around 1,000 nits, which is a nice step up from the 800-nit max of other similarly priced OLEDs. 

    Even better, the TV can maintain vivid colors across different brightness levels better than LG OLEDs, including the high-end G3. This means that high dynamic range (HDR) content really pops. HDR10 and HDR10+ videos look stunning through streaming services and 4K Blu-ray discs. On the downside, it's disappointing that Samsung still doesn't support Dolby Vision.

    Smart TV capabilities are also solid but not the smoothest we've seen. There's also a cool Gaming Hub that lets you use services like Xbox Game Pass to stream games without a console. And you can game at up to 144Hz when paired with a computer. 

    Though there are better-looking OLED TVs, they cost a lot more than the S90C. When it comes to overall value, the S90C is simply unmatched. 

    Read our Samsung S90C OLED 4K TV review.

    *The 83-inch S90C does not use quantum dots, so that size is not expected to offer the same color performance as smaller models.

    Best high-end
    A front view of a Sony A95L 4K OLED TV on a TV stand displaying the Google TV home page with an image from "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" on the screen.
    The A95L is the absolute top premium OLED there is, but it's expensive.

    Sony's OLED TVs are known for their high-end picture processing, which enables them to deliver the most accurate image on the market. The A95L is the company's latest and greatest model, and it's the best OLED TV you can buy for a premium home theater experience.  

    Like Samsung's OLED TVs, the A95L uses quantum dots to achieve a brighter, more colorful image than a typical OLED screen. And the A95L is the brightest OLED we've ever tested. We measured a max of about 1,500 nits with the TV in its most accurate HDR preset. That's about 500 nits higher than last year's already impressive A95K 4K TV and ever-so-slightly higher than LG's G3. This leads to more realistic contrast and details in specular highlights when watching HDR content that's graded for peaks over 1,000 nits. 

    And unlike Samsung's OLEDs, the A95L also supports Dolby Vision, so it can more precisely render HDR images on a scene-by-scene basis. On top of all that, the A95L makes use of Sony's proprietary image processing to optimize its picture and upscale lower-quality content better than most competing TVs. This means you'll get a cleaner, smoother image with fewer artifacts.

    The A95L also features a premium design with a slim screen and convenient stand that can be set up in one of two modes: high or low profile. High profile gives you enough space to fit a soundbar in front, while low profile allows the display to sit flush on your entertainment console. A backlit Google Assistant voice remote is included as well, and the A95L even comes with a webcam for video calls and gesture controls. 

    As far as high-end TVs go, they really don't get any better than the A95L. The difference in picture performance between this model and its less expensive direct competitors, like the LG G3 and Samsung S95C, isn't huge, but if budget isn't a concern and you want the absolute best image quality you can get, the A95L is the OLED TV to buy.

    Best budget
    An LG B3 OLED TV hanging on a wall above a TV stand in a living room
    LG's B3 is less expensive than most OLED TVs while still delivering great picture performance.

    The LG B3 is one of the most affordable OLED TVs you can buy. Though it lacks the brighter image and better processing you'd get on LG's more expensive C- and G-Series TVs, it still provides all of the contrast, black level, and viewing angle benefits that OLEDs are known for.

    At a max of about 600-700 nits, the B3 can deliver solid but not fantastic brightness. Though extreme highlights won't pop with the same intensity you'd see on pricier sets, the TV's pixel-level contrast still delivers better overall HDR performance than any QLED display. However, the B3's dimmer image does make this model less ideal for living rooms that let in a lot of light.

    Despite its lower price, the B3 still manages to pack in HDMI 2.1 support and a 120Hz panel. This means it can support advanced gaming features like variable refresh rate (VRR) and a 120 frames-per-second mode on compatible titles. 

    However, if you're willing to sacrifice 120Hz support and go with a smaller screen, there is one other OLED TV that you can snag for even less money. Though no longer part of the company's current lineup, you can still occasionally find LG's even cheaper A2 OLED TV in stock at Best Buy. The 48-inch model is usually $550 to $600, which is fantastic. But keep in mind the A2 has a dimmer image than the B3, and it only has a 60Hz screen.

    Best midrange
    An LG C3 OLED hanging on a wall above a soundbar and TV stand in a living room.
    The C3 is LG's midrange OLED, and it offers a great combination of features.

    The LG C3 is an excellent all-around 4K display. It isn't the absolute best OLED TV on the market, but it provides impressive performance in its class. It's also available in a lot of screen sizes, so buyers with different space and budget needs have plenty of options to choose from.  

    Picture quality is on par with most midrange OLEDs, but at a peak of about 800 nits, the C3 lacks the extra brightness that LG's premium G-Series TVs provide. It also can't match the color volume found on OLED TVs with quantum dots, like the Samsung S90C and S95C or the Sony A95L. 

    But while HDR highlights might not shine quite as intensely, image performance is still exceptional. And unlike Samsung OLEDs, the C3 supports Dolby Vision to produce the most accurate high dynamic range image the TV is capable of. 

    The C3 uses LG's webOS smart TV platform, and the interface works well enough. The Magic Remote lets you navigate using traditional directional buttons or by pointing the remote at the screen to move a cursor. The TV also supports 120Hz gaming when paired with a PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC. 

    Under most circumstances, we do recommend our top pick, the Samsung S90C, over the C3 for most people since Samsung's TV is brighter and delivers better color for about the same price. But the C3 is still a fantastic midrange OLED alternative for anyone who prefers LG's smart TV platform and wants Dolby Vision support.

    Best for your wall
    An LG G3 4K OLED TV hanging on a wall above a soundbar and TV stand across a green couch in a living room during the day.
    LG's G3 is a high-end OLED with a uniformly thin profile perfect for wall mounting.

    LG's G3 is an excellent TV for anyone who wants a high-end OLED that looks particularly great hanging on your wall. This is LG's current flagship model, and it delivers image quality that's nearly on par with Sony's A95L, along with an elegant "Gallery" design.

    The TV's build enables it to hang on your wall with virtually no gap, and it includes a flush wall mount to handle the job. It also manages to keep all of its ports within its panel, so there's no need for a separate box as you get with Samsung's S95C.

    Powered by LG's latest OLED Evo screen, the G3 offers high-end picture performance. It's the first OLED to use MLA (Micro Lens Array) technology to help boost its maximum brightness, and the results are impressive. During our tests, we measured a peak of about 1,470 nits using the TV's most accurate HDR preset, which puts it nearly neck-and-neck with Sony's A95L.

    However, the G3 doesn't use quantum dots, so its color volume isn't as high as you'd get on the A95L or one of Samsung's OLED TVs. Its picture processing isn't quite as accurate as Sony's either, but the differences are subtle.

    Though we think the A95L edges out the G3 when it comes to overall picture performance, the G3 is a close runner-up and is often on sale for a lot less than Sony's TV. Coupled with its stylish "Gallery" design, we think this makes the G3 a great high-end OLED alternative, especially if you're wall-mounting your set.

    However, though the G3 looks fantastic on a wall, it's less suited for placing on an entertainment console. The G3 doesn't include a traditional stand, so you have to purchase one separately, which adds to the cost. The display also leans back slightly when attached to LG's official stand, which gives it a somewhat awkward look. 

    Best for gaming
    A Samsung S95C 4K TV on a TV stand in a living room displaying a scene featuring a river and mountains.
    The S95C is Samsung's flagship OLED TV, with sizes ranging from 55 to 77 inches.

    The S95C is one of the best Samsung TVs you can buy, and it carries over everything we love about our top overall pick, the S90C, while pumping up the brightness and slimming down its design. To be clear, the cheaper S90C is an exceptional gaming TV in its own right, but the S95C delivers a slightly more premium experience for buyers willing to pay a bit more. 

    Like the S90C, the S95C has a QD-OLED panel that can support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), and up to a 144Hz refresh rate when paired with a compatible PC. This enables ultra-smooth gameplay if you have a computer that can run games at 144fps. The TV also supports Samsung's Gaming Hub, which includes apps for cloud services like Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now so you can play high-end games without a console or PC. 

    On top of that, the S95C delivers a higher peak brightness than the S90C. In our review, we measured around 1,360 nits versus the S90C's 1,000 nits. This results in punchier highlights while playing HDR games or movies and leads to better bright-room performance if you game in a living room that lets in a lot of ambient light. 

    The S95C also has a more elegant design with a uniformly thin screen that houses all its ports in a separate One-Connect box. This could make it easier to plug in your gaming consoles and hide cables since you can move the box out of sight.

    We still recommend the cheaper S90C for most gamers since it delivers most of the features you'd get on the S95C for less money. But the S95C earns its spot here as a premium alternative for gamers who want a high-end OLED TV that pairs perfectly with consoles, PCs, and cloud services. 

    Read our Samsung S95C 4K TV review.

    How we test OLED TVs
    A white test pattern displayed on LG's G2 and C2 OLED TVs - LG G2 and C2 4K TV first look
    Test patterns like the one pictured above help us measure a TV's peak brightness.

    When we test the best OLED TVs we evaluate several factors, including peak brightness, high dynamic range (HDR) performance, smart TV features, navigation speed, and value. 

    To measure the brightness of a TV's panel we use an X-Rite iDisplay Plus colorimeter with the Spears & UHD HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray's test patterns. We also use this disc's patterns to evaluate other objective display qualities.

    Test patterns can only reveal so much, however, so we also use real-world content to get a better sense of how an OLED actually looks when watching regular TV. We use the same assortment of demo movies and shows on each display to help test each OLED's overall image performance, with a specific focus on scenes that showcase shadow detail, specular highlights, color fidelity, and sharpness with native 4K, high-definition (HD), and standard definition (SD) content through Blu-ray players, streaming services, and cable TV. 

    OLED TV FAQs
    A mountain range displayed on the screen of a Samsung S95C TV that's on top of a media stand in a bright room.
    All OLED TVs offer exceptional viewing angles.

    When will 2024 OLED TV models be available?

    Brands like LG and Samsung revealed their new lineup of 2024 OLED TVs at the CES trade show in January. Pricing and release dates have not been confirmed yet, but we expect new models to start rolling out to stores in late March.

    That said, 2023 TV models will still be available throughout the year until stock runs out. Though there are always exceptions, year-to-year performance improvements tend to be subtle for most TVs that get updated iterations. And since 2023 models will likely be cheaper than their new 2024 counterparts, we think 2023 TVs will offer the best value while supplies last. 

    What is an OLED TV?

    OLED stands for "organic light-emitting diode." Instead of using a traditional LCD panel with a backlight, like those found on QLED and LED TVs, OLED TVs are self-illuminating. This means that each pixel on an OLED can emit its own light or turn off completely, enabling an infinite contrast ratio. Because of this incredible contrast performance, OLED displays are among the best 4K TVs you can buy.

    Though there are a few different types of OLED panels, they all share the same key benefits of pixel-level contrast and wide viewing angles. Some OLED subtypes, however, have extra perks that make them even more desirable. 

    QD-OLED panels, for instance, have the added benefit of quantum dot technology, which enables them to produce an even wider and brighter range of colors. Sony and Samsung both use QD-OLED panels in their top TVs, like the S90C, S95C, and A95L. 

    Though LG doesn't use QD-OLED, it does use another advanced OLED panel tech called MLA OLED. MLA stands for Micro Lens Array, and OLEDs with this tech employ a layer of tiny convex lenses to boost their brightness capabilities. The LG G3 is the first consumer OLED to use MLA tech.

    Should OLED TV buyers worry about burn-in?

    Even the best OLED TVs are technically susceptible to an issue known as burn-in. If you leave a static image on an OLED TV for an extended period — a news station's chyron bar, for example — a faint after-image can get stuck on the screen.

    Though it sounds alarming, burn-in is not a new phenomenon. Many past TV technologies, including plasma and CRT displays, have also been prone to this issue. While OLED buyers should be mindful of this risk, OLED TVs have built-in measures to combat burn-in, including automatic pixel-shift modes and pixel-refreshers. 

    Publications like Rtings have done long-term tests with many OLED TV models, and while the results do show that burn-in is possible in extreme use cases, the tests show that it shouldn't be a problem for people with regular viewing habits. 

    I've owned an LG CX OLED TV for over two years, and the screen shows no burn-in. In my experience, as long as you don't plan on watching the same cable news channel all day long, burn-in shouldn't be a deciding factor when choosing whether to get an OLED TV. 

    What size OLED TVs can you buy?

    OLED TVs are available in a variety of screen sizes ranging from 42 inches to 97 inches.

    The most commonly available options are 55 and 65 inches. For TV recommendations specific to that size, check out our guides to the best 65-inch TVs and the best 55-inch TVs. High-end OLED models also tend to be available in larger 77-, 83-, and even 97-inch sizes. LG and Sony also sell smaller 48- and 42-inch OLED TVs, but only for select models. 

    4K OLED displays smaller than 42 inches are also available, but these sizes are currently limited to PC monitors, like the 32-inch Alienware AW3225QF.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • ‘You hate Donald Trump!’ Stormy Daniels accused of vendetta in scorching cross-examination by Trump lawyer

    Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels
    Donald Trump was forced to sit in a courtroom as Stormy Daniels took the stand.

    • After nearly four hours of direct testimony, Stormy Daniels was cross-examined by a Trump attorney.
    • 'Am I correct that you hate Donald Trump?" lawyer Susan Necheles demanded. 
    • Other questions suggested Daniels lied about sex with Trump and tried to extort him.

    During a fiery cross-examination in the New York hush-money trial, porn star Stormy Daniels fought back against a defense lawyer's accusations that she has a vendetta against Donald Trump.

    "Am I correct that you hate President Trump?" defense lawyer Susan Necheles demanded early in Tuesday afternoon's questioning.

    Daniels looked directly at Necheles, her voice crisp as she answered.

    "Correct," she said.

    "And you want him to go to jail?" Necheles pursued.

    "If he's found guilty, yes," Daniels snapped back.

    The tense exchange came after nearly four hours of direct testimony, in which Daniels described the one-night-stand she says she had with the then-Apprentice star in 2006.

    Necheles raised her voice as she confronted Daniels with a tweet in which Daniels called Trump an "orange turd"— and about a nearly half-billion dollars in legal fees she owes after unsuccessfully suing Trump for defamation.

    "You didn't take any money out of your pocket to pay President Trump did you?" the lawyer asked, referring to more than $500,000 in legal fees Daniels owes Trump after losing the federal court case.

    "You're choosing not to pay President Trump?" the lawyer demanded. "You have said publicly you're not going to pay President Trump?"

    Daniels was asked about her tweets from 2022, in which the porn star said she'd go to jail before paying Trump. In one tweet, Daniels had vowed, "I'll never give that orange turd a dime."

    "You call him names all the time!" Necheles shouted, in what was more an accusation than a question.

    "Yes," Daniels answered quickly. "Because he made fun of me first."

    "So one of you started it, but you continue it?" Necheles asked, her voice still loud.

    "Correct," Daniels answered defiantly.

    The cross-examination is expected to continue until court breaks for the day at 4:30 p.m.

    This is a breaking story; please check back for developments.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • 6 luxury brands, from Coach to Gucci, that have gotten into the restaurant game

    Dior Cafe des Lices on Rue François Sibilli, Saint-Tropez, Cote d'Azur, French Riviera, Provence, France
    Dior's Cafe des Lices in Saint Tropez.

    • Luxury fashion brands have been opening restaurants around the world.
    • The move may help brands appeal to millennials and Gen Z, who increasingly value experiences over things.
    • Here are six brands that have opened restaurants in the US, Europe, and Asia.

    In 1999, when designer Ralph Lauren opened his first restaurant concept in Chicago, industry analysts noted it was a novel concept but wondered about the wisdom of the brand getting into the notoriously challenging restaurant business.

    Twenty-five years later, RL is still open, sitting right next door to the largest Ralph Lauren store in the world. In fact, Ralph Lauren's restaurant arm has only expanded. Meanwhile, other luxury brands have followed in his footsteps and opened their own restaurants and cafes.

    Getting into the restaurant business could be a way for fashion brands to appeal more to millennials and Gen Z, who increasingly value experiences over things.

    Osmud Rahman, an associate professor at the Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Fashion told the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail that brands could use restaurants to appeal to consumers who otherwise can't afford their physical products.

    "It's affordable luxury," Rahman said. The restaurants aren't exactly cheap, but they may still be accessible in a way that a $3,000 handbag isn't.

    Here are six luxury brands that have opened restaurants around the world.

    Ralph Lauren

    After the success of RL on Chicago's Michigan Ave., Ralph Lauren opened its first coffee shop, Ralph's Coffee, in New York City in 2014. Today, Ralph's Coffee has multiple New York locations and has expanded to Chicago, Miami, Virginia, and several European and Asian countries.

    Ralph Lauren opened what's perhaps its most well-known restaurant, The Polo Bar, in New York in 2015. Since opening near the brand's Fifth Avenue flagship, the stylish space has attracted celebrities and fashion icons. Ralph Lauren also has restaurants in Milan, Paris, and Chengdu, China.

    Jessica Chastain attends the Ralph Lauren fashion show after party at Polo Bar in Midtown on April 29, 2024 in New York City.
    Jessica Chastain attends the Ralph Lauren fashion show after party at Polo Bar in Midtown on April 29, 2024 in New York City.

    Coach

    In March, Coach opened its first-ever restaurant, called The Coach Restaurant, in Jakarta, Indonesia. The restaurant is located in Jakarta's Grand Indonesia Mall and is next door to a Coach store. The brand also opened The Coach Coffee Shop, which is also attached to the store.

    Both concepts are inspired by New York City. The restaurant is inspired by a New York steakhouse and literally has an upside yellow taxi cab coming out of the ceiling while the coffee shop serves pizza slices.

    Louis Vuitton

    In 2020, Louis Vuitton opened its first restaurant, Le Café V, inside the French fashion house's four-story location in Osaka, Japan. The brand opened a second location in Tokyo in 2021, in its seven-story flagship in Ginza.

    Louis Vuitton opened a stand-alone restaurant — not attached to one of its stores — in Saint Tropez in 2022, on the terrace at the White 1921 Hotel. In 2023, the fashion house brought on a three-Michelin-starred chef, Arnaud Donckele, and pastry chef, Maxime Frédéric, to lead the restaurant.

    The brand also opened Maxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton, a cafe and chocolate shop, in Paris in 2022 at LV Dream, an exhibit and gift store.

    In March, Louis Vuitton launched LV The Place Bangkok in Thailand, which includes an exhibition of the brand's history, a store, a cafe, and a fine-dining restaurant.

    Dior

    Dior has several Cafe Dior locations in Europe, the US and Asia, including in Seoul, Paris, and Miami, as well as one at the Kansai International Airport in Japan. Dior also has the Mediterranean restaurant Dior des Lices in Saint Tropez.

    At its Paris flagship, the French luxury fashion house has La Pâtisserie Dior and the restaurant Monsieur Dior. Dior has also announced plans to open another Monsieur Dior location in Japan in 2025, led by Anne-Sophie Pic, known for receiving the most Michelin stars of any female chef.  

    Dior Flagship Paris Avenue Montaigne - February 2022
    Monsieur Dior at the Dior flagship store in Paris.

    Gucci

    Gucci opened its first restaurant, Gucci Osteria, in Florence, Italy, in 2018 in partnership with Massimo Bottura, the Italian restaurateur and chef at Osteria Francescana, a three-Michelin-star restaurant consistently ranked among the best in the world.

    The Italian fashion house opened a US location of Gucci Osteria in Beverly Hills in 2020, and also has locations in Tokyo and Seoul.

    The Florence, Beverly Hills, and Tokyo locations have all earned a Michelin star.

    Tiffany & Co.

    Tiffany & Co. opened the Petrossian at Tiffany restaurant in partnership with the caviar brand in 2022 at South Coast Plaza, a high-end shopping mall in Costa Mesa, California. The restaurant's focus is Champagne and caviar.

    The American luxury jewelry brand also has the Blue Box Cafe by Michillen-star chef Daniel Boulud, located at Tiffany's flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York City.

    The brand also has The Tiffany Blue Box Cafe at the luxury department store Harrods in London.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Hush-money judge says Trump team should have raised more objections to Stormy Daniels testimony before denying mistrial

    A courtroom sketch of Stormy Daniels on the witness stand in former President Donald Trump's hush-money trial.
    A courtroom sketch of Stormy Daniels on the witness stand in former President Donald Trump's hush-money trial.

    • Donald Trump's attorneys moved for a mistrial Tuesday over Stormy Daniels' testimony. 
    • The judge quickly denied that motion and said the defense should have objected more. 
    • Daniels, the porn star at the center of the trial, detailed the sex encounter she says she had with Trump. 

    Donald Trump's attorneys moved for a mistrial over Stormy Daniels' graphic testimony on Tuesday, but the judge swiftly denied that motion.

    New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan said most defense objections were sustained and that he had, for the most part, granted any defense requests to suppress testimony.

    "As a threshold matter, I agree, Mr. Blanche, that there were many things that would have been better left unsaid," Merchan said. "In fairness to the people, I think this witness was a little bit difficult to control."

    Merchan told Trump's lead attorney, Todd Blanche, that he was surprised the defense did not raise more objections during Daniels' testimony.

    While on the witness stand, Daniels told jurors how she met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe in July 2006 and, later that night, wound up in the then-"Apprentice" star's penthouse hotel suite after accepting a dinner invitation.

    She said she and Trump had sex in the suite without a condom and said how they used the "missionary position," before Trump's attorneys objected. That objection was sustained by Merchan.

    Daniels also testified about a 2011 day when she was going to a "mommy-and-me" workout class in Las Vegas. She said she was approached in the parking lot by a man who "threatened" her not to tell her story.

    Blanche took issue with the testimony about that encounter.

    "There's no way to unring the bell in our view," Blanche had told the court as he called Daniels' testimony, which included details from the 2006 sexual encounter she says she had with Trump, "unduly prejudicial."

    Merchan ultimately ruled that Daniels' testimony did not rise to the level of scuttling the trial.

    "I don't believe we're at the point where a mistrial is warranted," Merchan said.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Want to fire your real estate agent? Try this.

    Lewis Buckley (right) and Allan Wood (left), the entrepreneurs behind Hiizzy.com
    Lewis Buckley (right) and Allan Wood (left), the entrepreneurs behind Hiizzy.com

    • A $418 million legal settlement in March upended the residential real estate market.
    • Self-representation is set to become more popular, with agent-free transactions.
    • Startup Hiizzy is trying to capitalize on this shift by offering an online marketplace for buyers and sellers.

    In March, a $418 million legal settlement changed the real-estate market forever. Fat agent commissions are out. Representing yourself is in.

    If you want to fire your real-estate agent, the startup world is already working to help you.

    One new offering is from Hiizzy, which is building an online marketplace where home buyers and sellers come together to complete transactions themselves.

    The startup got going earlier this year. It's the brainchild of Lewis Buckley and Allan Wood who met during a private home sale process that — you guessed it — involved no real estate agents.

    Having seen how simple the process could be, and how much cheaper, they wondered why more people don't buy and sell their homes this way. That's when they started building Hiizzy together.

    Hiizzy works like this for home sellers:

    • On Hiizzy.com, they can create a property listing with uploaded photos and a website URL for sharing. This is free for now, but the startup plans to charge a small flat fee in the future.
    • There's access to recent local property sale price data to help sellers set a realistic asking price.
    • It comes with an AI writing tool so sellers can easily generate a compelling property description.
    • The service lets sellers communicate directly and securely with buyers.
    • It offers a tool to book viewing requests and respond to offers 24/7.

    In the US, commissions on home transitions have hovered between 5% and 6% of the sale price for decades. In the UK, real estate agents charge a 1% to 3% of the property sale price, and then sellers usually have to hire someone else to handle the legal stuff.

    Hiizzy is starting in the UK, where it plans to introduce a £395 ($496) flat listing fee for home sellers in the future. At the moment, listings are free, but even with the full fee, selling a home on Hiizzy.com without an agent could be way cheaper.

    Take a £500,000 property as an example. Even with the lowest 1% commission rate of a traditional estate agent, a homeowner would save £4,605 if they paid Hiizzy's £395 flat fee. For a £750,000 home and a 3% commission, the savings would exceed £20,000.

    Traditional estate agents mostly handle these tasks: They value the property; they photograph it; then create the listing and the advertising. They also communicate with buyers and handle viewings and price negotiations.

    This can all be done online now without agents.

    Albert Fox Cahn, founder of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, recently bought a property himself, saving $50,000. He has a simple formula for those thinking of taking the jump.

    "Do you have an internet connection? Do you have at least a seventh-grade reading level? Do you like saving money? If your answer yes to all three, you're in fantastic shape to be your own agent," he wrote in a recent Business Insider essay.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • 5 key slides from a presentation on how college athletes negotiate NIL brand deals, including a formula for pricing sponsored posts

    Bronny James
    USC basketball player Bronny James.

    • Rachel Maeng Brown is a former NCAA rower who now works with student-athletes at her firm Gen Agency.
    • The agency has provided NIL education and consulting to college athletes, collectives, and schools.
    • Brown shared a presentation with five strategies to help athletes price and negotiate brand deals.

    Knowing your worth is a struggle many college athletes face now that they can make money from their name, image, and likeness, known as NIL.

    To help athletes understand their value, influencer-marketing-and-production company Gen Agency has been educating and consulting college athletes on NIL.

    "Our big focus is creating a sustainable NIL marketplace at each university," Rachel Maeng Brown, the founder and CEO of Gen agency, told Business Insider.

    Brown, a former NCAA rower, said the NIL side of Gen Agency educates universities to help them build curriculums. The agency also offers athletes on-site and virtual workshops about NIL marketing.

    In April, Gen Agency hosted its first NIL-educational summit for University of Michigan influencers in partnership with Reach, a student-driven organization helping content creators grow their platforms and connect with brands. The presentation, which was shared with BI, covered how athletes can understand their audience, price sponsored content, post properly on social media, and protect themselves with a contract.

    The summit also featured a panel of guest speakers, including former NFL player Isaiah Johnson. Johnson told BI that social-media followers and engagement are more important to brands who work with athletes than on-field performance.

    "Followers, everyone wants to know how many people are following you and then two, just how genuine you are," he said. "If you are genuinely using a product, this could be a wonderful fit."

    Johnson said athletes with the best media presence are natural and real with their followers. He said sports fans love behind-the-scenes footage they can not get from somewhere else, like athletes' day-in-the-life videos.

    Here are five key slides from Gen Agency's NIL presentation on how athletes can brand themselves and negotiate fair pay:

    Learn about your audience
    Gen Agency NIL presentation slide
    How athletes can find their audience

    Brown said knowing your target audience is key to working with brands. It helps companies understand who they can reach by recruiting you. 

    During the summit, Brown showed athletes where to find key stats on their Instagram audiences, including follower count and growth, location, age, and gender.

    A formula athletes can use to estimate the price of a brand deal
    Gen Agency presentation pricing calculator
    An easy calculator for athletes to price themselves

    The presentation offered a formula student-athletes can use to calculate how much to charge brands for a sponsored post. It's based on a $10 CPM, which refers to the cost per every 1,000 impressions, though CPMs can vary.

    To calculate what to charge per post, take the average number of views over the last 30 days and divide it by 1,000. Then take that figure and multiply it by the CPM.

    Using that math, an athlete with 600,000 average views over the last days would charge $6,000 per post, based on a $10 CPM, per the presentation's example.

    Know your copyright rules
    A cell phone with legal rules
    Social media and brands have guidelines to follow

    Athletes, like other influencers, need to comply with brand, platform, and regulatory guidelines for social-media posts and ads, such as copyright rules and what kind of content is permitted on a platform.

    Student-athletes also need to abide by NCAA rules because posting inappropriate content can result in losing scholarships, eligibility, and future career opportunities, according to the NCAA.

    Brown said college athletes should also exercise caution and not include other brands or anything illegal in a sponsored post. She advised double-checking the spelling before posting, too.

    Dos and don'ts for sponsored posts
    A man on Tik Tok
    How to post correctly on social media

    The agency also emphasized the importance of double-checking disclosures for paid ads, partnerships, and more so athletes do not have to delete or redo sponsored videos.

    "This is really important to student-athletes as well as smaller influencers because a lot of brands will try to bully them," said Brown, "to say, 'You don't need to put hashtag. You don't need to disclose that we're sponsored.' But it's actually illegal across social media."

    She said failing to disclose a sponsored post could result in an athlete's account being banned or messing up their average views and algorithm.

    Things to know about payment
    Man on Tik Tok on the phone
    Information on W9, payment submissions, and more.

    Brown also talked about contracts and W-9s, which are tax forms for independent contractors. The presentation emphasized in capital letters that athletes need a contract to make sure they get paid for their work.

    They should also be mindful of terms such as "usage" and "ownership" because it could mean their videos could be posted on any social-media channel or site.

    Brown said brands are not going to protect the athletes, so they need to look out for themselves.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • A ‘proper’ economic downturn is looming, which could trigger steep rate cuts as soon as this year, economist says

    In this photo taken while zooming with a slow shutter speed Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference about the Federal Reserve's monetary policy at the Federal Reserve, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, in Washington.
    In this photo taken while zooming with a slow shutter speed Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference about the Federal Reserve's monetary policy at the Federal Reserve, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, in Washington.

    • Economist Frances Donald told Bloomberg TV that a sharper Fed pivot is ahead.
    • With a slowdown in the US labor market, two negative quarters of growth could hit at the end of the year.
    • When that happens, the central bank will have to ease quickly and beyond what markets expect.

    Markets are right to price in a Federal Reserve policy pivot but should brace for a rate-cutting cycle that's sharper than expected, economist Frances Donald told Bloomberg TV.

    "What we haven't bought into is that this would be like a two or three and done situation, that these would be insurance cuts," she said. "We believe we are heading into a proper downturn that will require a proper easing cycle." 

    Futures markets are eyeing two 25-basis point cuts closer to the end of this year, reflecting a newfound optimism among investors after April's jobs report came in weaker than expected, undoing fears that the Fed may need to keep rates high or even raise again. 

    But to the Manulife Investment Management chief economist, such weakness should also trigger some concern, as it makes a recession look all the more probable. 

    "Just about everything in the labor market that explains where we are in the labor cycle is pointing to a deterioration," Donald said. "We're not saying it's a big crisis, we're calling for two quarters of negative GDP — Q3 and Q4, could be Q4 and Q1."

    Though she acknowledged that her team has held recessionary outlooks for a while now, incoming data continues to reconfirm that downturn odds are much higher than chances of a reacceleration, she said. 

    That includes household and temporary employment stats, consistent job loss data, dropping quit rates, and a pullback in small business hiring.

    The labor market's wear down also underpins recession calls made by the veteran forecaster Danielle DiMartino Booth, who told Bloomberg on Monday that the US is already in a downturn. That's based on an indicator that tracks unemployment across a 12-month period.

    As the US economy slows down, Donald expects current interest rate levels to be increasingly intolerable, explaining why the Fed will have to pivot quickly. 

    "The average time between the first rate hike and its impact on businesses and consumers is two years. So we're not exiting the period in which rate hikes become really impactful in the economy," she said. "We're entering that period."

    Previously, she noted that the Fed's inability to cut rates sooner than later is adding risk of something breaking in the near term.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Bob Iger reveals Disney’s new plan for Marvel: quality over quantity

    Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan walking side by side in "Deadpool 3."
    "Deadpool & Wolverine" will be the only Marvel film released this year.

    • Disney CEO Bob Iger plans to limit the number of Marvel films and TV shows released each year.
    • The decision follows underperformance and criticism of the quality of Marvel content.
    • This year, there will only be one MCU film released: "Deadpool & Wolverine."

    Disney CEO Bob Iger's turn-around tour continues, and he let us in on the plan for what is arguably the House of Mouse's most successful IP: Marvel.

    In Disney's first earnings call since successfully fending off a proxy battle from Nelson Peltz — and former Marvel Entertainment chairman Ike Perlmutter — Iger delineated the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The studio will now put out two or three films and two television series a year rather than four of each.

    "I've been working hard with the studio to reduce output and focus more on quality," Iger said on the call.

    As it undergoes a sort of reset, the only MCU movie to come out this year will be "Deadpool & Wolverine" in July. "Echo," "X-Men '97," and "Agatha" will be this year's television releases. The next Avengers film — "Avengers 5" — is scheduled for 2026.

    The CEO has not been shy about his thoughts on the diminishing quality of Marvel films and television shows — something he seems to blame mostly on his short-lived successor and predecessor, Bob Chapek, even though Iger was in charge when several of them were developed.

    "Some of what is coming up is a vestige of basically a desire in the past to increase volume," he said on the call.

    Between 2021 and 2023, Marvel released 10 feature films and 13 TV series, which appears to have left superhero fans fatigued.

    MCU movies, which were once fail-safe, have struggled. Last year's "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" grossed less than $500 million globally on a combined production and marketing budget of about $300 million — meaning it failed to break even at the box office. "The Marvels" fared even worse, grossing only $206 million worldwide on a reported $270 million budget. Both films received poor reviews.

    "I'm mindful of the fact that our performance, from a quality perspective, wasn't up to the standards we set for ourselves," Iger said on an earnings call last year.

    But investors seem less confident than Iger: Disney's stock is down about 10% today.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • What earnings beat? Disney’s streaming slowdown is all anyone on Wall Street cares about.

    Disney+ logo displayed on a phone screen and Disney+ website displayed on a laptop screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on November 27, 2022.
    Disney

    • Disney's earnings report on Tuesday shows that Wall Street cares about one thing: streaming growth.
    • The company's stock fell as much as 11% despite a report that looked mostly strong.
    • Investors elected to focus on lighter-than-expected streaming-subscriber additions.

    Disney seemed to do nearly everything right when it reported fiscal second-quarter earnings on Tuesday.

    The company announced better-than-expected profits and only a slight revenue miss, raised its full-year earnings growth guidance to 25% from 20%, and communicated to investors that its streaming division would be profitable by its fiscal fourth-quarter.

    But that wasn't enough for Wall Street, with the stock diving as much as 11% following the earnings report, its worst daily decline in 18 months. The main focus of investors ended up being Disney's light forecast for streaming growth.

    Although Disney+ added 6.3 million new subscribers in the quarter, its total number of streaming subscribers at 153.6 million was below Wall Street estimates by about 2 million. The company's CFO also said in the earnings call that the current quarter is pacing towards flat growth.

    The sharp move lower highlights the high standard Wall Street has set for Disney's streaming portfolio, which includes Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, and Hotstar in India. 

    Disney investors would like the media giant to obtain a Netflix-like valuation multiple given its growing streaming business. But in order for that to happen, Disney would have to deliver incredible Netflix-like execution that's capable of shaking off investor fears about its shrinking legacy TV business.

    So far, that doesn't appear to be happening, at least not at a quick enough pace that Wall Street demands.

    And while Disney's streaming business is moving in the right direction overall, it will still be a bumpy ride ahead for the unit to deliver consistent profits.

    "We are pleased with the progress we're making in streaming although, as we said before, the path to long-term profitability is not a linear one," Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said on the company's earnings call.

    Those comments came right before Disney disclosed that it expects further streaming losses in its fiscal third-quarter due to a seasonal slowdown in Disney+ subscriber additions and added expenses related to its cricket rights in India. 

    Despite the sour day for Disney on Tuesday, many Wall Street analysts defended the company and said the bullish thesis on the company transitioning to a streaming-focused company simply needs more time.

    "With Disney's streaming segment turning profitable for the very first time in its history, the stage is set for an earnings inflection," Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Geetha Ranaganathan and Kevin Near said in a Tuesday note. 

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • I was laid off from my job at a fancy convenience store chain when it suddenly shuttered. My final shift felt like ‘The Purge.’

    Declan Rhodes said his last day at Foxtrot felt like "The Purge."
    Declan Rhodes said his last day at Foxtrot felt like the horror movie "The Purge."

    • Foxtrot, an upscale convenience-store chain, shuttered its 33 locations on April 23.
    • Declan Rhodes, 25, was one of hundreds of employees laid off while on shift. 
    • He said the last day was like "The Purge," as workers kicked out customers and locked up for good.

    This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Declan Rhodes, a 25-year-old former employee of Foxtrot, an upscale convenience store chain that was based in Chicago. On April 23, the company announced it had laid off its entire staff and shuttered operations across its 30-plus locations in Chicago, Austin, Dallas, and Washington DC. Business Insider verified Rhodes' employment history. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

    In August 2022, I moved from Springfield, Missouri, where I got a degree in musical theater, to pursue artistic endeavors in Chicago.

    I've worked all the "survival jobs" in the customer service and food industries. Little Caesars was my first job. But I landed a job at Foxtrot in January 2023. I was like, "OK, I'll do this. This will be a nice little survival job while I'm auditioning."

    Foxtrot was a convenience store and coffee shop, similar to an upscale 7-Eleven. We sold and made different drinks as well as grab-and-go food, a lot of healthy alternatives, and gluten-free snacks.

    Foxtrot shuttered operations across all 30-plus of its locations on Tuesday.
    Foxtrot shuttered operations across all of its locations on April 23.

    I worked at the biggest location in Chicago. We had a wide range of clients — from older clientele, who I could smell old money on, to younger clientele, who either would come and study in the morning or work remotely.

    I was brought in as a shift lead, a step below the assistant manager. It was not a salaried position, but I was doing full-time hours.

    The silver lining was the queer-friendly environment and accepting atmosphere that I had with my coworkers.

    But there was a disconnect from the corporate side.

    A great example of this: We had a wonderful coworker who was in his 60s, maybe early 70s, one of the sweetest humans I've ever met. He was our main receiver. He would receive all of the products we would get. We used to have a working elevator that made it easier to load stuff onto a cart. Eventually, that elevator ended up breaking down. It was never fixed, never made a priority. We had several people young strapping people who would help him out. But eventually, this wonderful human ended up leaving.

    The next day, one of the corporate people comes in and says, "Oh, I guess we've really got to get that elevator fixed now."

    They had a facade of caring for their workers, but it felt like a lot of us were expendable.

    There were red flags before the company went bust

    Looking back, the biggest red flag was an eviction notice we'd gotten a week before the company closed.

    It was explained by my assistant manager, who was told by his district manager, that there was some turnover at the corporate level, and it would be taken care of.

    We had also gotten a message in our work group chat from my general manager the weekend before saying that we were having supply-chain issues.

    On April 23, I got up at my usual time, 4:45 a.m., to get there at 5:30 a.m. We opened the store as normal and started making lattes. At 8 a.m., my manager instructed us to stop selling gift cards. At 9 a.m., my manager attended an emergency company meeting. Every manager across every Foxtrot was on this Zoom call, I believe. They didn't know what it was about.

    Rhodes worked for Foxtrot for over a year.
    Rhodes worked for Foxtrot for over a year.

    After the fact, I was informed by my manager that the phone call quite literally lasted 10 minutes. It was just: "Kick everyone out of the store, take out the trash, lock doors, and close the store officially." There was no "good luck" or "sorry" or well wishes in the next chapter. They were just as blindsided as we were.

    At about 10:10 a.m., on a Google Hangout organized by my manager, we were instructed to close the store and leave the premises with all our personal belongings by 12 p.m. Not everyone who worked at my store was on that call. It's possible people did not realize they were losing their jobs until the companywide email was officially sent out at 11:38 a.m.

    We were not given any clear direction. I'd probably say we had 20, 30 people in the store. It was pretty busy. Two guys looked like they were having a business meeting. My manager said, "Sorry, guys, we are closing forever."

    It felt like "The Purge." My manager ended up taping two notices to our glass doors that said something along the lines of, "Thank you for letting us serve you. We are closing our doors for the final time."

    A mob of people started collecting outside. I could see them taking videos and pictures of the sign.

    Foxtrot employees are trying to hold the company to account

    If I could talk directly to the CEO, I would say, "First and foremost, thank you for instilling an environment that felt accepting and tended to be warm and welcoming to new workers. On the flip side, a caveat: Shame on you for the way that you handled this, and absolutely shame on every single person who had an inkling that this was coming and did nothing."

    The next day, my former coworkers and I went to my manager's boyfriend's restaurant. One of my other former coworkers is a teacher, but works on the weekends as a barista. He put his teacher cap on and printed out full documents with the WARN Act.

    Rhodes filed for unemployment and is pursuing his creative endeavors.
    Rhodes filed for unemployment and is pursuing his creative endeavors.

    It is Illinois state law that for mass layoffs, you are to provide 30 to 60 days' notice of termination. Clearly, they didn't do that. We are full force taking part in a class-action lawsuit. It's surreal.

    My next move after Foxtrot

    It's back to square one in terms of finding a survival job.

    I was trying to manifest — not the closure of the entire company, but a career shift in that I could be making an income doing fully creative projects. But the universe works in mysterious ways.

    I have comfortable-enough savings. I should be OK for at least a few months. I might pick up some side hustles or gigs.

    I'll donate plasma twice a week, and that's a nice little check there.

    I tend to be a pretty optimistic person. I feel I will find another job. I'm just really trying to adapt and shift direction.

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