The World Cup is here, with the tournament kicking off on June 11, and if you're thinking of getting a last-minute TV upgrade but don't want to break the bank, I've found three models I think will fit the bill.

While there aren't a ton of deals out there right now, with Prime Day only a matter of weeks away (running from June 23-26), there are still some discounts to be had. In the US, today's best deal is the TCL QM6K 65-inch for $599 at Amazon. This isn't the cheapest it's been, but for a 65-inch mini-LED, it's a great price.

In the UK, the highlight deal is actually for one of 2025's best OLED TVs: the LG B5. The 55-inch B5 is available for £663.20 at Currys: 20% off its full price of £829! While we do tend to recommend mini-LED over OLED, this deal is too good to miss.

TCL QM6K/C6K

Today's best US deal

Todays best UK deal

A good mini-LED doesn't have to be expensive, as proven by the TCL QM6K (known as the TCL C6K in the UK). It has a great set of gaming features, solid brightness, and effective local dimming: all for a nice, affordable price.

The QM6K/C6K's strengths lie in its picture quality. It can deliver bold colors, which will be perfect for rendering players' uniforms and the field during the World Cup. It also has great detail, making on-screen images look crisp.

It's also got great full-screen brightness for a TV in this price range, with the QM6K hitting 595 nits and the C6K hitting 706 nits. Fullscreen brightness is important for showing daytime sports in bright rooms, which is when a lot of World Cup games will be taking place. For a TV at this price, these are great numbers.

It also has responsive motion handling, meaning fast-paced sports will be well handled. I found during my testing of the C6K that setting judder reduction to 3-4 resulted in smooth motion that also looked accurate.

LG B5

Today's best US deal

Today's best UK deal

The LG B5 is an excellent value OLED TV, and while mini-LED is the primary choice for sports due to its higher brightness, the B5 will more than deliver on other picture elements, such as color and detail, and deliver smooth motion as well.

The B5 may be an entry-level OLED, but it delivers superb picture quality. I was impressed by its vibrant, accurate colors throughout my testing, which will be ideal for delivering the colorful players' uniforms and green fields.

Its motion handling is also excellent. Even with no motion settings activated, the B5's performance is razor-sharp, expertly handling fast-paced sequences in both sports and movies.

One elephant in the room: the B5 is not very bright. It can struggle in brighter rooms, so if your World Cup space is bright, you might want to look elsewhere. If you've got ways of managing any light, however, the B5 will make for a great World Cup companion.

Hisense U8Q

Today's best US deal

Today's best UK deal

The Hisense U8Q is a flagship-level mini-LED TV that costs less than rivals. It delivers some serious brightness, as well as brilliant picture quality and, with some tweaking, smooth motion handling.

Where the U8Q shines (literally) is in its staggering brightness. It clocked in at 2,888 nits peak HDR and 744 nits full-screen HDR brightness in Standard mode (our recommended mode for sports viewing). It also clocked in at 600 nits SDR fullscreen brightness: a huge number for SDR. Pairing this with its anti-reflection layer gives you a solid TV for daytime viewing, which will be especially useful in bright rooms when watching earlier games during the World Cup.

Elsewhere, the U8Q impressed us with its colors, which, during our testing, worked great when watching an NBA game. The colors of the U8Q player's uniforms are just, so you can expect the same during the World Cup.

Motion handling is just average out-of-the-box, but an easy adjustment, setting blur and judder reduction to 3-4, smooths out motion without creating an artificial 'soap opera effect'.

Looking for some other options? Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.

We are less than one week away from the start of the World Cup, with the first game kicking off on June 11, and if you're still deciding on a new TV, I'm here to help.

As TechRadar's TV tester, I've reviewed tons of the best TVs over the past few years and I always include sports viewing in my testing routine and I pretty much always use Soccer as my sport of choice.

For a TV to be good for sports, some of which feature in our 5 essential features to look for in a World Cup TV, it needs to have excellent motion handling, high brightness and ideally good reflection handling. Good color reproduction and screen uniformity (the ability to display a large area of the same color effectively) is key too.

Below, I've picked three TVs that I think fit the bill, all of which I've personally tested.

Samsung QN90F

Reasons to buy

• Superb motion handling
• Anti-reflection matte screen
• Excellent price for a flagship TV

The Samsung QN90F was the brand's 2025 flagship 4K Neo QLED model and earned the full five stars in our review. It was our pick as the best TV for sports last year on several of our best-of lists: here's why.

The QN90F has excellent motion handling, perfect for accurately delivering all the fast-paced action of the World Cup. Whether it's a trailing ball or a winger charging down the field, the will look smooth on the QN90F.

Equipped with the Glare Free anti-reflection matte screen first introduced in the Samsung S95D OLED, the QN90F is perfect for viewing in bright rooms. It expertly handles mirror-like reflections that can plague other TVs. This will be perfect for the earlier, daytime games of the World Cup.

The QN90F also has solid fullscreen HDR brightness (661 nits in Standard mode) and effective local dimming, meaning it has very good screen uniformity which is necessary to display the green field. Both of these will make the picture even better.

Right now, a 65-inch QN90F costs $1,399 / £1,399 (stock seems low in Australia) which is a great price for this TV. But, stock looks like it's running very low across big retailers (it's gone from Amazon US).

TCL QM7K/C7K

Reasons to buy

• Very affordable for what it offers
• Bright, vibrant picture quality
• Solid motion handling

TCL delivered a strong lineup of mini-LED TVs last year, but the best in terms of value was the TCL QM7K, knows as the TCL C7K/Q7C (depending on retailer) in the UK.

The QM7K/C7K first and foremost delivers excellent brightness levels for an affordable mini-LED TV. Clocking in at over 600+ nits fullscreen brightness in both HDR and SDR, it's a seriously bright TV for the money which is important for daytime sports viewing and accurately rendering the field during World Cup games. We noted in our QM7K review that it did have a reflective screen, but if you can control this, the QM7K/C7K is worth the investment.

With the right settings, the QM7K/C7K also solid motion handling. When I tested the C7K, setting judder reduction to between 3 and 5 produced a smooth image that didn't look artificial as I watched footage of soccer games on it.

The QM7K/C7K also has new Halo Control technology for more effective local dimming and blooming reduction and it works. Expect uniform picture when watching the World Cup.

The QM7K/C7K's real highlight is the price. A 65-inch will cost $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, which is a superb price for this TV. Stock seems stable in most places, but these will fly out the door: especially when Prime Day hits June 23-26. You can even pick up a 98-inch version of the QM7K for $2,199 right now!

LG C5

Reasons to buy

• Razor-sharp performance
• Rich picture quality
• At a great price right now

So, while we do generally recommend mini-LED over OLED for sports, I'd be remiss not to include the LG C5: one of the best OLED TVs I tested last year. It doesn't have the brightness of a mini-LED so it isn't as good for daytime viewing, but here's why you should consider it.

The C5's motion handling is brilliant. By simply switching to the Natural present in the TruMotion settings, I found the C5 was excellent for sports viewing, expertly handling the sharp twists and turns of the camera during an intense soccer match. The image looked natural and smooth throughout, regardless of what happened on screen. If you're a purist who hates motion smoothing, it doesn't do a bad job then either.

Putting the C5 in Standard mode, it delivers bold, rich colors that are sure to make player's uniforms stand out on screen. It also delivers crisp textures and detail that OLED are renowned for that will make World Cup games look very good. The C5 is also excellent at upscaling, which will be great for any games shown in HD/SDR.

The C5 does have a reflective screen so if you've got a seriously bright room with no means of controlling it, then one of the mini-LEDs above will be better. But while the C5 in a 65-inch is available for $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,599, it's hard not to recommend it. Stock looks good now, but with Prime Day happening soon and the excellent LG C6 now on the scene, the C5 may not have long left.

All of LG’s 2026 OLED TVs have finally launched, and I’ve had the chance to test all three of its major models. The flagship LG G6 earned five stars, as did the mid-range LG C6. I’ve also tested the LG B6 and it’s a very good TV, although not without its setbacks as I noted in my LG B6 and LG B5 comparison.

LG’s three major 2026 OLEDs are likely to feature as three of the best TVs for this year, but they've all had interesting changes to their picture profile. I had the G6 and B6 in at the same time, and notably the G6 had become less green-tinted than its predecessor, while the B6 has before more green-tinted — so I thought I should see how they compare to each other.

Bright scenes and bright room viewing

The G6’s measured peak HDR brightness clocked in at 2,475 nits: the brightest OLED I’ve measured to date. The B6’s measured peak HDR brightness was 835 nits. Both these results were taken in each TV’s out-of-the-box Filmmaker Mode. This means the G6 is nearly three times brighter than B6 for peak brightness.

It’s a similar story for fullscreen brightness. The G6’s measured fullscreen HDR brightness was 456 nits, while the B6 registered 150 nits. Again, this was in the default Filmmaker Mode. That again means the G6 is three times brighter.

Numbers are all well and good, but how did this translate for real-world viewing? In shots from the Spears & Munsil HDR footage, the G6’s whites looked a lot more vibrant compared to the B6.

A shot of a group of wind turbines during the day really popped on the G6, with the blue of the sky and the white of each turbine benefitting from the G6’s bolder brightness. The B6 still looked good despite its much lower brightness, but lacked the full punch in comparison.

This trend continued with movie scenes as well. At the end of the ‘Wizard & I’ scene from Wicked, as Elphaba runs through a wheat field to the edge of a white-stone cliff, the G6 showed much punchier brightness, particularly in highlight areas such as the cliff. The yellow wheat looked more accurate too, as it shone in the bright sun.

In some bright scenes however, the B6 did show that it could hang with the G6. In one shot of a city skyline at dusk, which had a large blue sky with pink and orange highlights, the B6 had perceived brightness that was much closer to the G6, especially with said highlights.

The B6 also showed good brightness when watching a desert scene from Lawrence of Arabia. The white sands actually appeared brighter than the G6 in some places, but it did show signs of clipping, where it struggled to handle the detail in the brightness, whereas the G6’s image was more natural.

There was one area however where the G6’s superiority was absolute: reflections. OLED TVs are typically very reflective due to their glossy screens and only Samsung’s top OLEDs, such as the Samsung S95F, were adept at handling reflections… until the LG G6 came along.

The G6 uses an anti-reflective layer that’s so effective that when I compared the G6 to the S95F, I ended up preferring the G6 for bright room viewing. (We'll test the new Samsung flagship soon to see if it gets back on top.)

The B6 is a reflective screen even by OLED standards, and it’s one of my main gripes with it. Putting these two side-by-side, the G6 has a major advantage to match its higher price.

The G6 even does an excellent job with pictures with large, dark areas, showing only minimal reflections. The B6 can’t really handle these scenes well in brighter viewing conditions.

Darker scenes and contrast

I next switched to darker scenes and darker viewing conditions. Both TVs demonstrated strong contrast, but again the G6’s higher peak brightness helped create a more powerful perceived contrast.

Watching The Batman, in Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode, as Bruce works in the Batcave and talks with Alfred, the overhead lights and electronic devices on Bruce’s desk were punchier on the G6 compared to the B6.

While at times the B6 could look brighter, it did sometimes show the same signs of clipping as it did in Lawrence of Arabia. The G6 also demonstrated deeper, richer dark tones in the Batcave’s shadowed areas. This meant the G6 had a stronger perceived contrast, and more nuance across all the tones in the scene, making for a more satisfying watch.

Both TVs had good shadow detail, with most objects within dark areas still legible. There were hints of black crush on the G6 compared to the B6 at times, but the B6’s dark tones also appeared raised on occasion. Overall, the G6 felt more film-accurate.

Unfortunately, as I’d found in my LG B6 vs B5 comparison, various scenes in The Batman really showed off the B6’s green tint next to the G6. In the post-fight subway scene at the start of the movie, the dark walls behind Batman took on a green color, whereas the G6’s took on a cooler blue-grey.

The G6 was more in-line with what I’d seen on other TVs and looked more accurate to the movie.

Switching to Alien: Romulus, a ‘brighter’ (but still high-contrast) movie compared to The Batman, both TVs showed refined contrast delivering a good balance between the dark tones of space and the vibrant white stars. Again, the G6 had the edge thanks to that higher peak brightness, but the B6 still looked good as well.

Colors

Color reproduction once again varied from movie to movie. At times, the G6 delivered much bolder, richer colors than the B6 — and at other times, it was a much closer call.

In Ben-Hur, the roman soldiers' extremely vibrant red capes dazzled on both TVs and while the G6 had slightly more color depth, the B6 did an excellent job in its own right. The same was true of the soldiers’ gold chestplates, which again had a nice punch on both TVs.

Switching to The Mask, both TVs did a great job accurately reproducing the gaudy yellow of The Mask’s suit. While it was slightly punchier on the G6, the B6 still looked plenty vibrant. There were some other details throughout the movie, such as the red pillows in Stanley’s room, which did pop more on the G6, but it wasn’t completely obvious.

There were some scenes where the G6’s colors really stood out, however. In the ‘Wizard & I’ scene from Wicked, the yellow stone of the walls of the school had more vibrancy on the G6, while still looking accurate. On the B6, they took on a dimmer, softer hue.

The pink flowers above Elphaba’s head as stands under a tree were much more vivid on the G6 as well and while the B6 could be argued as having a more natural tone, the G6’s reproduction suited the movie more.

Finally, I conducted a quick color banding test, using a scene from The Green Knight where a large patch of red appears on screen as Gawain swims through a dark lake.

In Dolby Vision, I’d found the G6’s banding was worse than the LG G5 and here, the G6 again seemed to have more banding than the B6, shown by the rings within the red areas on screen. The red itself, however, was much richer on the G6.

The best value

Putting the G6 and the B6 side-by-side, the G6 clearly delivers better picture quality. It has stronger contrast, punchier brightness, bolder, more refined colors and is way better in bright rooms. That’s not to say the B6 is bad, as it too delivers great overall picture quality. But, when considering which model is the best value, it becomes a lot tougher.

For a 65-inch G6, it costs $3,299 / £3,099 / AU$4,995 , whereas a 65-inch B6 will cost you $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$2,495. That’s a huge price difference that becomes even bigger if the B6E (a cheaper model that LG told me only lacks a couple of niche processing features) is available in your region, with a 65-inch model costing £1,699 in the UK!

While the G6 has the superior picture quality and faster processor, both TVs boast a suite of features you’d find on the best gaming TVs, both use the excellent webOS 26 smart TV platform and honestly, both could benefit from one of the best soundbars for an audio boost.

Between these two TVs, the G6 is my pick, but this comparison just drilled home for me that the title for best-value LG OLED goes to the LG C6.

Sitting in between these two TVs, a 65-inch costs $2,699 / £2,699 / AU$3,995, hitting a nice middle ground in price, while also delivering in performance.

It’s got higher brightness than its predecessor, looks more accurate and now has the same processor as the G6, so enjoys the same level of upscaling and motion handling. If you’re toying with which LG OLED to get, the C6 is my pick — the visuals are close enough the G6 that it's worth saving the money, unless you really need the anti-reflection coating. But honestly, none of these TVs will let you down.

LG B6 OLED TV: Two minute review

The LG B6 is the entry-level OLED TV in LG’s 2026 TV lineup. While it provides a brightness boost over its predecessor, the LG B5, which I rated as one of 2025’s best TVs, the LG B6 doesn’t deliver the full and clear upgrade I was hoping for.

The LG B6 has a full suite of features and still delivers great performance, but as long as the LG B5 remains in stock and is less expensive, the new model is held back from being an unqualified pick by a few issues.

The biggest change over the B5 is the B6’s higher brightness. Bright scenes have more impact, highlights are mostly punchier and colors benefit, looking that little more vibrant. Contrast is powerful and appears stronger thanks to the brightness increase, while textures are crisp, as you’d expect from the best OLED TVs.

However, the LG B6 had more of a green tint than its predecessor when compared side-by-side. This meant that despite its improvements, the B6’s picture wasn’t the full step-up over the B5 that I was looking for — it giveth on one hand, and taketh on the other. Viewed in isolation, the B6 is still a great looking TV, though — the thing about slightly color tints is that your eye gets used to them quickly and then you can just focus on the image.

Much like previous years, the B6’s 2.0 channel speaker system is solid for day to day viewing with clear speech and it is accurate with some solid detail for movies. Bass however is limited and the soundstage is narrow. If you’re after the cinematic experience and want the sound to match the picture, I’d add one of the best soundbars.

The B6 is easily one of 2026’s best gaming TVs. It has a full array of features on all four HDMI ports — 4K 120Hz, full variable refresh rate options, HGiG, auto low latency mode, Dolby Vision Gaming — and has four HDMI 2.1 ports. An 8.9ms measured input lag means performance is smooth with razor-sharp response time, and the picture looks superb while gaming. If you’re looking for a gaming OLED, this is an excellent choice.

The webOS 26 smart TV software doesn’t reinvent the wheel compared to webOS 25, but it didn’t need to. What webOS 26 does is make navigation easier with a new menu layout, more Quick Cards and more customization. While the banner ad on the home screen is annoying, it’s the only wrinkle in webOS 26, which I rate as one of the best smart TV platforms on offer.

But as I alluded to above, while I think the B6 is a great TV overall, the B5 is definitely the better option while it’s available. The 65-inch B6 I tested costs $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$3,295 (with a cheaper B6E option available for £1,799 in the UK).

While this is a decent price and similar to the B5’s launch prices, the B6 doesn’t change enough to recommend it over the B5 if you're buying around its launch time. If it's a great-value entry-level OLED you want, I'd spend less on the LG B5.

If you have the budget right now, I’d definitely opt for the LG C6 (65-inch model priced at $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995) as my preferred choice. It's the best upgrade to LG’s OLED lineup in 2026, and provides even better brightness and picture than the B6, but with impeccable colors.

LG B6 review: Prices & release date

• Release date: May 2026
• 48-inch: $TBA / £1,299 / AU$1,995
• 55-inch: $TBA / £1,599 / AU$2,495
• 65-inch: $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$3,295
• 77-inch: $,2799 / £TBA / AU$TBA
• 83-inch: $4,499 / £TBA / AU$TBA

The LG B6 is the entry level OLED in LG’s 2026 OLED TV lineup, sitting below the mid-range LG C6 and flagship LG G6 and LG W6 (also known as the Wallpaper). The 65-inch model I tested costs $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$3,295 officially, which is the same launch prices as last year’s LG B5.

It’s worth noting that in some regions there are two LG B6 models: the B65 and the B6E. I asked LG what the differences between the two are, and it said the B6E does not have the following features: Precision Picture Master Pro, Precision Sound Master Pro, and it does not have the marble effect design on the back.

Other than this they should be the same, making the B6E by far the better deal, because I don't particular rate these features, LG's suggestion is that they have the same panel and Dolby Vision support otherwise. A 65-inch LG B6E model costs £1,999 in the UK, a full £400 cheaper.

LG B5 review: Specs

LG B6 review: Benchmark results

LG B6 review: Features

• Alpha 8 AI Gen 3 processor is a good mid-range processor
• 4K 120Hz, FreeSync and G-Sync across all four HDMI 2.1 ports
• Higher brightness than the LG B5

The B6 uses a W-OLED panel, much like its predecessor. However, there has been a brightness boost (I’ll get into that below in the Picture Quality section) that would suggest it’s using the new OLED SE panel: a cheaper, brighter WOLED panel that we saw in action in the Panasonic Z86C, which is that company's new entry-level OLED for 2026.

The B6 comes with the Alpha 8 AI Gen 3 processor, which introduces a couple of new picture and sound tools such as the Precision Picture Master Pro and Precision Sound Pro, which both aim to upscale picture and audio respectively. It’s worth noting the B6E, a cheaper B6 model available in some regions including the UK, does not support these features.

The B6 supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos for enhanced audio, but it does not support HDR10+ or DTS, the same as 2025. LG says it currently has no plans to support Dolby Vision 2. The B6 also supports Chromecast and AirPlay 2.

For audio, the B6 has a built-in 2.0 channel, 20W speaker system: the same as the B5 from last year. This year, much like the LG G6 and C6, the number of sound presets has been reduced to four, including AI Sound Pro, and Clear Voice for dialogue enhancement.

The B6 uses webOS 26, which introduces some refined AI features, such as AI concierge which now uses AI companions such as Gemini for lifestyle uses such as planning trips. The menu layout has also been re-ordered in order to prioritize major settings such as Energy Saving and Network.

For gaming, the B6 carries over the same features from the B5: 4K 120Hz, full VRR support including both FreeSync and G-Sync, auto low latency mode and Dolby Vision Gaming, all featured on four HDMI 2.1 ports. Game Optimizer returns with additional settings for gaming, including the Prevent Input Delay option.

• Features score: 5 / 5

LG B6 review: Picture quality

• Brighter than its predecessor
• Crisp detail and strong contrast
• Green tint visible in some scenes

Starting with measurements, the biggest difference between the B6 and last year’s B5 is the boost in HDR peak brightness. The B6 measured 835 nits in Filmmaker Mode, 895 nits in Cinema mode and 740 nits in Standard mode. These are big jumps over the B5’s 668 nits in Cinema mode and 637 nits in Standard mode.

For fullscreen HDR brightness, the jump hasn’t been quite as significant, with the B6 measuring 154 nits in Cinema Home, compared to 131 nits of the B5 in the same mode. In fact, there was even a drop in Standard mode, with the B6 measuring 150 nits compared to the B5’s 172 nits.

Moving to real-world testing, I found myself switching between Filmmaker Mode and Cinema Home depending on the content. Both picture modes looked good, but Filmmaker Mode suited darker, more contrast-y scenes, while Cinema Home looked great with colors and animation.

The B6 did a good job with SDR content. Watching an HD stream of Fight Club on Disney Plus, it upscaled textures to give them a crisper look and added some brightness that delivered stronger perceived contrast compared to some cheaper TVs I’d done this test on.

With lower-resolution content, such as YouTube videos, the B6 did a decent job upscaling textures and boosting colors to give them a better look, but ultimately the image didn’t hit 4K levels. There is a Precision HDR Master Pro setting in the main B6 model (not the B6E) which did sharpen textures when activated, but it was too artificial for my liking.

Watching a desert scene from Lawrence of Arabia, the white sands of the desert did indeed look brighter on the B6 compared to the B5 when I compared the two side by side, showing the brightness boost was real.

In Dark City, as John is in the automat, the highlights from the overhead lights and the yellow walls also looked brighter on the B6.

However, during my B6 and B5 comparison, the scene from Dark City was the first to tip me off on a potential issue with the B6: green tint. The yellow walls of the automat seemed to have a green hue on them on both the B6 and B5, but it was more noticeable on the new model.

The B6 demonstrated strong contrast with deep dark tones in high contrast scenes. It also had a higher perceived contrast over the B5 thanks to the brightness boost. In The Batman, as Batman wanders the crime scene in Mayor Mitchell’s house, the balance between the light tones from the lamps on the wall and the dark tones of the dark-panel wood walls was excellent.

Unfortunately, The Batman also exemplified the green tint issue on the B6 compared to the B5. In the subway scene, the rear walls looked more green on the B6, looking like the gray I expected on the B5. Maybe I got unlucky with my review unit, but it was definitely worth noting as green tint has been a criticism of LG’s OLED TVs before.

The B6 delivers bold, rich colors that benefitted from the new brightness boost. A Dolby Vision stream of Elemental on Disney Plus really showcased them, with the blues of Wade and his family, and the oranges and reds of Ember dazzling on screen. As Ember mends a vase, the purples and oranges of the new vase glistened, showing strong highlights.

In the ‘Wizard and I’ scene, as Elphaba stands under a tree with pink flowers, said flowers popped on screen, but still had great color depth.

The B6 delivered a measured HDR color gamut coverage of 97.4% of the DCI-P3 and 72.5% of the BT.2020 color spaces. While these aren’t bad results (we have a 95% threshold for DCI-P3, and are generally happy with a score above this), these numbers were oddly lower than the B5’s. The B5 had measured results of 99.5% and 74.85% in the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces respectively.

Viewed in isolation, the B6’s colors and contrast were actually very good but it just seemed a shame that I knew how good the B5 looked in comparison in some scenes. With the added brightness, I was hoping for a bigger picture upgrade.

Outside of this, the B6 showcased excellent textures, striking a nice balance between crisp and natural. Throughout my testing, people’s skin looked realistic while finer details such as hair appeared refined.

Much like the G6 and the C6, the B6 benefitted from using the TruMotion feature. For movies, Cinematic Movement was more than enough, reducing judder in a panning shot of a cliffside cemetery in No Time To Die. With sports, the Natural motion setting worked better, doing more smoothing and judder reduction which worked better.

The B6’s screen is however prone to mirror-like reflections, especially with darker scenes. Even some brighter, more colorful scenes struggled under our testing lab’s overhead lights in Filmmaker Mode. It would be nice to see some more effective anti-reflection measures brought to the B6, as I know it's possible from my review of the LG G6.

• Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5

LG B6 review: Sound quality

• 2.0 channel, 20W speakers
• Decent sound overall but definitely benefits from a soundbar
• Fewer sound modes than last year

The B6 comes with a 2.0 channel, 20W speaker system and supports Dolby Atmos (but not DTS). LG has reduced the number of sound presets from previous years, dropping the number from eight to four.

These four presets are Standard, AI Sound Pro, Clear Voice Pro and Sound Wizard. As my go-to Cinema preset had been removed, I opted for my backup: AI Sound Pro.

Watching the Batmobile chase scene from The Batman, the B6 showcased accurate image mapping, accurately following the direction of swerving traffic and the bullet sprays from the Penguin’s gun.

The same was true playing Battlefield V, as the B6’s speakers did a good job picking out subtle effects such as the crunching leaves underfoot in a forest mission.

Speech was clear enough throughout my testing as well, with most dialogue easily audible over the rest of the soundtrack.

Due to its limited 2.0 channel speaker system however, the sound doesn’t match the picture in quality. Bass felt very contained and while there was some rumble as the Batmobile ignited its engine, it felt thin in places.

The soundstage also felt narrow, never truly extending beyond the confines of the screen. Atmos effects, such as the rain in The Batman, felt limited too. I’d recommend a soundbar if you want sound impact to match the quality of the visuals.

• Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

LG B5 review: Design

• Mostly premium build
• Feet are plastic this year instead of metal
• UK Magic Remote could do with an update

The 65-inch B6 I tested had a mostly premium build and design. It has a trim frame and near bezel-less screen allowing the picture to be the focal point. While it’s a small touch, the marble effect on the rear panel made it feel a little more premium, although it’s again worth noting this is only on the main B6 model and not the cheaper B6E.

One thing I was disappointed to find was that the B6 unit I was testing had plastic feet, compared to the B5’s metal feet. While the plastic feet were more than sturdy enough, it did detract from the B6’s overall premium design.

LG’s Magic Remote hasn’t had many updates in recent years in the UK other than the re-arranging and addition and removal of certain buttons, with the AI button taking center stage this year, and it could do with a refresh.

The US has the sleeker AI Smart Remote, but again when brands like Sony, Philips and Hisense offer more heavy duty, metal remotes, LG’s offering could be a bit more premium.

• Design score: 4 / 5

LG B6 review: Smart TV & menus

• Uses LG's webOS 26 smart TV platform
• Streamlined menus and more Quick Cards for easy navigation to key options
• Ads are annoying, but equivalent to other platforms

The B6 uses LG’s own webOS 26 as its smart TV platform. While webOS 25 was about the introduction of AI features — such as AI Concierge, for content recommendation and information, and AI Search, for advanced content searching — webOS 26 looks at refining menus for easier navigation while adding some new features.

Quick Cards, a place where relevant apps are organized by categories such as Sports, Game and Office, are back and some new ones have been added including Learning.

The Quick Menu, where picture and sound modes can be altered super-quickly without getting deep into menus, continues to be one of the webOS’ standout features.

webOS 26 is also very easy to navigate, with an intuitive menu layout that’s been re-organized for this year to make access to settings such as Energy Saving and Network easier, and these small changes have made navigation even smoother.

Unfortunately, the home page still features a large banner ad space at the very top of the screen which does push down the apps a bit. This is fairly common among modern smart TV platforms however and this is my only real complaint with webOS 26. It’s still one of the best OS on the market.

• Smart TV & menus score: 5 / 5

LG B6 review: Gaming

• 4K 120Hz and full variable refresh rate support
• 8.9ms input lag at 60Hz, 4.9ms at 120Hz
• Excellent features and performance

The B6 comes with a full suite of gaming features including 4K 120Hz, variable refresh rate including both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG HDR, auto low latency mode, and Dolby Vision Gaming, with all features supported across four HDMI 2.1 ports.

The B6 had a measured input lag time of 8.9ms at 4K 60Hz (in Boost mode), which is a superb result and up there with the very best gaming TVs. It registered a 4.9ms input lag at 1080p 120Hz.

Gaming performance on the B6 is excellent. Playing a mission in Battlefield V, the B6 handled the chaotic gunfights which involved a lot of quick movement and targeting with ease, with inputs feeling very smooth. As I flew around the desert in a plane, the sudden changes in flight path felt effortless and intuitive.

Battlefield V also looked great on the B6, delivering some nice brightness during the desert mission, with the sun on the horizon showing the B6’s strong HDR highlights. Textures were crisp with some nice detail in the weapons and environments as well.

• Gaming score: 5 / 5

LG B6 review: Value

• Great features and good performance
• Not the clear upgrade I wanted
• B5 is the better option while available, C6 is better when prices are close

The B6 is an interesting TV when it comes to value. The 65-inch model I tested costs $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$3,295, while the 65-inch LG C6 step-up TV currently costs $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995, meaning the B6 has a good price gap in US and Australia, but it’s close in the UK — too close, frankly.

There's a good reason to choose the B6 instead of the C6 in the UK and Aus when you're saving that much, but in the UK I'd absolutely choose the C6 given the close prices. That's complicated by the existence of the cheaper B6E, which a 65-inch costs £1,799: excellent value for a brand new OLED that size.

That being said, the B6 isn’t the full upgrade I wanted over the B5, unlike the C6 which is a superb upgrade over its predecessor, the C5. While the B6 delivers higher brightness and still excellent picture quality, it has some picture inconsistencies (particularly the green tint) so you're trading improvements in one area to steps back in another.

As a result, while the B5 is still available, I’d recommend it over the B6. A 65-inch B5 currently costs $999 / £1,199 / AU$2,199, which is a steal for that TV. Stock does seem to be dwindling in some regions already however, and when it disappears, the B6 is worthy of taking its place once it drops in price to the same kind of level.

Ultimately if you want a real upgrade, the C6 is the top dog but if it’s not in your budget, the B6 is still a very good TV.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the LG B6 OLED TV?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

LG B6 review: Also Consider

How I tested the LG B6 OLED TV

• Tested in different lighting conditions over a couple of weeks
• Tested using both HDR and SDR sources
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

The first steps for my testing was to do some casual viewing to establish which picture modes were the best for the LG B6. I found that both Filmmaker Mode and Cinema Home worked for movies, depending on the type of movie, whereas Standard worked best for sports.

Once this was done, I started my critical viewing using some reference scenes I use for testing, including HDR (4K Blu-ray and streaming) and SDR (DVD, YouTube, broadcast TV) sources. I also used Prime Video and HBO Max to test sports on the B6.

I used these scenes to analyze the B6's picture, focusing on color, accuracy, contrast, detail, motion, upscaling and more. I also used other scenes to test the B6's built-in speakers.

For 4K Blu-ray, I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player and for gaming I used and Xbox Series X.

Moving on to objective testing I used specizlied equipment to take measurements of the B6. This included a Klein K-10A colorimeter, a Murideo Six G 8K Metal test pattern generator and Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record measurements.

Brightness measurements were taken using both HDR and SDR white window patterns ranging in size from 1-100%, with a focus on 10% and 100% windows, for peak and fullscreen brightness, respectively. I also tested the B6's grayscale and color accuracy, taking an average of the Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what's shown on screen), looking for a result below 3.

I also tested the B5's coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces. Finally, I used a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input lag Tester to test the B5's input lag in milliseconds.

I also recorded the B6's HDR EOTF results with 1,000, 4,000 and 10,000 nits targets. I also used a Jeti Spectral 15a to take the B6's Spectral Power Distribution.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link.

• First reviewed: May, 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

• A report claimed LG was in talks with Hisense executives to explore a possible sale of LG's TV business
• The original report has been taken offline to be "reviewed by an administrator"
• LG tells TechRadar that "These reports are groundless"

Today has been a rollercoaster for fans of the best OLED TVs — a major report from Korean business news outlet EBN claimed that LG was exploring spinning-off and/or selling its TV business to Hisense.

However, the original report has now been removed from the EBN website, replaced with just a pop-up message that says the report is down while it's "reviewed by an administrator".

An LG spokesperson told TechRadar "These reports are groundless." LG provided a slightly longer statement to Android Authority that's more forceful: "LG Electronics would like to state that this news regarding the potential sale of its TV business is completely baseless and therefore entirely speculative and misleading."

The original report claimed that LG executives travelled to Beijing to meet executives from Hisense, including discussions of the future of LG TVs and possibly a sale of the entire LG TV business to Hisense.

Maybe this happened, maybe it didn't, maybe it was misreported — LG's denial is firm, but companies often firmly deny things they then go on to do. But if the same were to happen, it would follow a growing trend, making it not necessarily that surprising.

From Philips to Sony to Panasonic… maybe LG?

If LG were considering a full sale or a partnership with Hisense, it wouldn't be the first big TV brand to do so: Sony's partnership with TCL is likely to give Sony's mid-market and budget models a boost, with Sony providing the brand cachet and proprietary technology and TCL bringing its high volume manufacturing efficiencies.

Panasonic has reached a similar arrangement with Skyworth to make its US TVs, and many Japanese TV brands are made under license too, including Toshiba and Sharp.

Philips' TVs have been made under licence for years, with TP Vision making them in Europe and Skyworth making them for the US.

The reason for all this is simple: making TVs is a tough business with fairly low profit margins, so you need to sell tons of TVs to make money. LG's OLEDs do good business, but its LED TVs have struggled to impress, and are nowhere near as dominant as its OLED sets.

TCL and Hisense are grabbing market share across the board thanks to being able to produce really solid mid-range sets that are pretty damn cheap — so much so that Hisense eclipsed LG sales in the premium TV market last year.

This kind of deal could likely boost LG's entry level and mid-range offerings, but there would probably be a lot of resistance to it online from OLED fans, because Hisense doesn't have much love for that tech. (A similar worry is facing Sony fans from the TCL partnership.)

Still, LG says you have nothing to worry about — reports of its TV business' death have been greatly exaggerated, apparently.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

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The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11, so that still gives you plenty of time to upgrade your TV if you’re looking for a bigger and better view of the tournament.

Over the last few years, bigger screens — 75 inches and over — have become a lot more popular, and they certainly will be for the World Cup. The big question is what kind of TV to get at these size, because the prices can get really expensive.

When it comes to big-screen sports, there’s one type of TV we recommend above the others: mini-LED.

Why would I recommend mini-LED over OLED? There are several key reasons, and they're mostly practical concerns about getting the best value, but I’ll get into them properly below. As TechRadar’s TV tester, I always include sports as part of my testing, so I'm speaking from experience of actually watching sports on every kind of TV.

Brightness

OLED TVs are getting brighter, but mini-LED will always have the advantage in the brightness department. But, where mini-LED has a big advantage is in fullscreen brightness. The same G6 OLED I mentioned earlier hit 387 HDR fullscreen brightness in Standard mode. The same Hisense U75Q mini-LED I mentioned above? 887 nits: bordering on three times the brightness.

Fullscreen brightness is important for sport, as it not only means it can give a large area on the screen more impact, say the field during a soccer game, but it’s crucial for helping with viewing in bright rooms.

The brightest OLED I’ve measured to date is this year’s LG G6, which clocked in at 2,524 nits peak HDR brightness in Standard mode (the picture mode I often recommend for sports viewing). While this is a great result, even mid-range mini-LEDs will dwarf this number. Last year’s Hisense U75QG (the US mid-range mini-LED in Hisense’s lineup) hit 3,372 nits in the same Standard mode.

This peak brightness will make a huge difference when it comes to highlights on screen, such as the sun on the horizon, giving them more impact. This will likely have an effect on the color brightness of a team’s kits during the World Cup, giving them more punch.

While peak brightness is important, fullscreen brightness is a game changer when it comes to bright rooms, often limiting mirror-like reflections compared to OLED — and let's talk about those now.

Reflections

As games during this year’s World Cup are being played at all sorts of times, including during the day, this brightness can make or break your viewing, because you don't want reflections in a bright room to obscure your enjoyment.

While OLEDs like the Samsung S95F, with its OLED Glare Free matte screen, and the LG G6, which has effective anti-reflection layer, are getting better at limiting reflections, most OLEDs still struggle. Their glossy screens are often magnets for reflections.

Even budget mini-LED TVs do a pretty good job of limiting reflections, purely thanks to their high fullscreen brightness — reflections being visible is a simple question of whether the light shining through the screen is brighter than what's being reflected, so a super-bright screen is a major advantage.

While they can still be subject to some screen glare, during my testing of TCL’s models last year (called the C-series here in the UK and headlined by the TCL C8K) I found that they more than held up to the scrutiny of the overhead lights in our testing labs. The same couldn’t be said for LG’s mid-range and budget OLEDs.

Samsung introduced the Glare Free matte screen to its Neo QLED (mini-LED) last year in the flagship Samsung QN90F, which was our pick as the best TV for sport and bright rooms in a lot of our best-of lists. Coupled with its high brightness and excellent motion handling, it made for a superb sport for TV, though it's a pricier model, and obviously value is important if you're buying a really big screen — so let's dig into that side of things.

Value for money

OLED TVs come at a premium. A mid-range model, such as last year’s LG C5, will set you back $1,399 for a 65-inch model at the time of writing. A 65-inch Hisense U75Q will cost you roughly $699, again at the time of writing. That’s 50% cheaper. As great as the C5 is, double the price is a tough ask.

In the UK, the numbers get a bit tighter, but it’s still a similar story. A 65-inch C5 costs around £1,299 right now, whereas a 65-inch TCL C7K (also called the TCL Q7C at some retailers) will cost £849. It's another big price gap that’s tough to justify if you’re on a budget, especially when the C7K boasts a lot of similar features, such as a 144Hz refresh rate for gaming.

The gap gets bigger as the screen sizes get bigger. A 75-inch Hisense U8Q costs $1,599, whereas a 77-inch LG C5 costs $2,199. And the gap gets even bigger when stepping up a size as an 85-inch U8Q costs $1,799, while an 83-inch LG C5 will set you back $3,299: almost double the price. The same is true on budget and premium models for each as well. If you're looking for the best value screen, it's mini-LED.

Stadium-sized screen? No-brainer

If you’re looking for a big screen for the World Cup, a mini-LED is your best bet. As more people look for cinema-sized screens at home, mini-LED has proved itself to be the better value option.

The largest OLED TV you can currently get is 97-inch, and these models are at the very premium end of the market. A 97-inch LG G5 will set you back $24,999 / £24,999. You can now get a 100-inch mini-LED screen for $2,999 / £2,999: just under 10% of the price of a big-screen OLED.

While you may think these 100-inch mini-LEDs will be super-cheap and dodgy models, you’d be wrong. The Hisense U8Q and TCL QM8K (TCL C8K in the UK) are just two of the models available in this 100-inch size, and these are two of the best mini-LED TVs available.

If you're in the UK, you can even pick up a 115-inch Samsung QN90F, our pick for the best TV for sport that I mentioned above, for £7,999, still a fraction of a 97-inch OLED. It’s available in the US too, but at a much higher $24,999 price. So, if you’re after the largest, readily available screens for the best price, mini-LED is your best bet.

The arrival of RGB

RGB TVs made a big splash when they were announced at CES 2025, with the Hisense UX serving as the first model. Since then, brands including Samsung, TCL, Sony and LG have followed suit, announcing their own RGB TVs.

These TVs use RGB LEDs to boast incredible colors with the contrast of premium mini-LEDs. While we worried that it would take years for these screens to become more affordable, smaller screens, it only took a year.

The Hisense UR9, TCL RM9L and Samsung R95H are the headliners for 2026. We’ve tested the UR9, and as well as a staggering 93% BT.2020 HDR color gamut coverage, it has incredible brightness. While the HDR numbers are high, it’s the SDR number that impressed us.

In Standard mode, we measured the UR9’s peak brightness at 2,486 nits, which is the kind of level that elite OLEDs reach in HDR — it's way beyond what they can do in SDR. Considering some sports are broadcast in SDR, this number means watching in daytime sports should be a breeze for RGB TVs, especially because the Hisense UR9 and Samsung R95H both have a matter anti-reflective coating.

You’d think this new tech will cost seriously premium money, but again you might be pleasantly surprised. The UR9 75-inch is available for roughly $3,000 / £3,500: again, that's cheaper than rival OLEDs. We’re waiting on prices for other brands, but we’d expect them to be in a similar region.

We’re still early doors in our testing of RGB TVs, but it’s an exciting tech for sure, and for it to be priced at this level this early is only good news. If these TVs prove to be the real deal, they could become the number one choice for sports.

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If you're thinking about upgrading your TV in time for the World Cup, you may already be discovering that the world of TVs is incredibly confusing these days. With different screen-tech options, a wide range of sizes, and prices ranging from a few hundred dollars or pounds to several thousand, making a decision isn't straightforward.

Don't worry, because we're here to help. Our team of reviewers has tested the best TVs on the market, paying particular attention to sports viewing, since live sports demands smooth handling of fast-moving action. And in this guide, I'll explain the features that matter most when buying a TV for sports, and why they're important.

Note that not everything you should consider will be listed on the box. I've highlighted the key things to look out for, but much of this information is more likely to be found in reviews and online store descriptions, rather than on the packaging itself.

Good upscaling and motion handling

Technically two features, but upscaling and motion handling go hand in hand to deliver clarity when watching sport — and if only one of the two is good, you’ll end up disappointed.

Upscaling is the process by which a 4K TV takes lower-resolution video and turns it into higher-resolution video to fill all of its pixels. Most people won’t be able to watch the World Cup in 4K natively, so upscaling will be necessary. There are many ways that TVs can do this, and many models these days will advertise themselves as using AI-assisted upscaling.

Motion handling is a similar process but for the movement of objects on the screen. A TV will tweak the image to improve the appearance of objects in motion, because in digital video, fast movement of something like a ball being kicked is difficult for video encoders to keep up with. This means it can lose a lot of detail in motion, causing fast-moving objects — such as a football — to appear blurred or smeared, or even leaving ghostly trails behind them.

Motion handling is designed to track fast-moving elements such as the ball and players, then process them to reduce blur and other motion issues to action is clear and easier for the viewer to follow. Some TVs can even generate new frames, creating the impression of a higher frame rate and smoother-looking motion.

The downside of poorly implemented motion handling – in some cheaper models, for example – is that such changes can look odd and unnatural. The ball might have an odd halo around it, players will appear strangely hard-edged, and the overall look will be very artificial, instead of naturally more detailed.

And this is the reason motion handling and upscaling tech need to work together to deliver the best results. For example, an upscale might be adding plenty of detail, but if motion processing is poor, that detail can become blurred in fast-action shots and difficult to see . Equally, if motion processing is great but the upscaler is adding weird edges to the ball, that again will undo the hard work.

LG’s OLED TVs, such as the LG C5 or LG G6, are excellent at upscaling and motion, as are Samsung’s higher-end TVs, including the Samsung QN90F and Samsung S95F. Sony’s TVs had a great reputation for this for years, but most recently we’ve found LG and Samsung to be superior. TCL and Hisense TVs generally handle these elements well in the more mid-range models, with the Hisense U8QG and TCL QM7K (both are US models) being especially impressive for their respective prices. Amazon’s Ember QLED TV is also decent out of the box compared to most budget-friendly TVs, as is the Roku Plus Series in the US.

Good screen uniformity

You might have heard this talked about as the "dirty screen effect". Basically, screen uniformity is a TV's ability to display an evenly lit image across the entire screen, without patches that appear darker. It's an issue that mainly afflicts LCD-based TV, including LED, QLED, mini-LED and RGB models.

LCD TVs work by shining a backlight made of LEDs through a grid of pixels, and the design of this backlight plays a major role in screen uniformity. If LEDs are unevenly arranged or lit, some areas of the screen can appear slightly darker or brighter than others. This is especially noticeable in scenes where there are large areas of solid colour – the grass on a football field, for example.

If your TV's screen uniformity is poor, you'll see odd dark patches rippling across the field as the camera follows the ball. Some people might mistake it for dust, hence the informal name.

The larger a TV, the more susceptible it can be to the dirty screen effect, simply because there’s a bigger area that needs to be lit evenly. This is why opting for a super-large budget model can sometime work against you, since they're less likely to come with the higher-quality backlighting required to maintain consistent screen uniformity.

While you can’t know for sure how a particular TV will perform, you can get a clue by considering the number of "dimming zones" listed in a TV's specs. In general, more dimming zones means more control over the backlight, which often goes hand in hand with a higher number of LEDs in the panel and better screen uniformity.It's also worth checking out reviews where people discuss screen uniformity.

I’ve talked about LED TVs a lot here — but what about OLED? In theory, OLED TVs display issues with screen uniformity, because every single pixel is its own LED. OLEDs can have problems with the evenness of the image, but it’s more likely to be the result of an actual fault rather than just a poor-value TV.

A reflection-beating screen

Watching sports generally means a lot of daytime viewing, and that tends to mean a lot of light. Even if you’re watching in the evening, you might still have lots of lights on in your room. The glossy screens of most TVs means they reflect like a mirror, making it difficult to see what’s on-screen.

Mirror-like reflections are particularly distracting, not only because they pull your attention away from the game, but also because your eyes will naturally try to focus on the reflection, rather than the image on the TV. Since the reflection appears to sit at a different distance to the TV image, constantly refocusing between the two can cause eyestrain.

TVs use a several methods to reduce reflections, and almost all TVs have a polarizer built in to help control how light travels through the panel. However, in budget TVs this can be very basic, and so won’t appear to make a huge difference in bright rooms.

So, in a more affordable TV, higher brightness can often present the best method of counteracting any reflections. Mini-LED TVs excel here because they use a huge number of tiny LEDs, allowing them to produce much higher brightness across the whole screen over what OLED TVs can achieve.

Some TVs also have specific anti-reflection layers. Samsung’s higher-end mini-LED and OLED TVs come with a “Glare Free" coating, which is basically a matte layer that scatters light rather than reflecting it. Any reflections instead appear as a dim haze rather than an object of focus, making it more easily handled by the TV's own brightness to overcome and therefore less distracting for the viewer. Hisense has also added a less-aggressive matte layer to its high-end and mid-range mini-LED TVs. The LG G6 OLED TV includes a very impressive layer that massively reduces the brightness of mirror-like reflections.

Basically, if you’ll be watching your TV in a bright room, then the higher the level of brightness in your TV the better — and a premium TV with an extra anti-reflection layer will help even further.

Sound that extends beyond the screen

When you're watching the World Cup, you want to feel immersed in the atmosphere of the event, and the sound is a major part of that. If the crowd noise seems confined to the TV itself, it’s hard to forget that you’re simply watching a screen. But when the sound feels like it's coming from beyond the box, you'll feel more like you’re part of the action.

Similarly, audio with deeper bass and clearer highs will deliver a more immersive feeling, because drums, stamping feet, voices and the roaring of a whole crowd will sound more full and realistic.

Once again, while there’s no way to know for sure from the specs alone if a TV will deliver a decent, you can make an educated guess.

Budget TVs are likely to have a very basic speaker system, usually comprising just two small speakers that point downwards. As such, their ability to engulf you in audio will be limited. If a TV has just a 2.0-channel speaker system, odds are that will be small-sounding.

A TV with forward-firing or side-firing speakers is far more likely to deliver expansive audio. Look for models whose specs feature a bass system (either a subwoofer or just passive bass radiators), which achieve a much fuller sound.

The good news is that mid-range TVs and upwards are increasingly capable of delivering full, well-handled sound straight out of the box. Models such as the TCL QM7K and Hisense U7 perform well in this area, but step up to the TCL QM8K, Hisense U8 or especially the Samsung QN90F, and you'll experience a much bigger and more spacious feel.

Of course, another way to ensure superb sound quality is with a soundbar or speaker system. Around this time of year, you'll find plenty of TV deals with soundbars thrown in, or offered at a low price, so keep a lookout. It’s possible that a mid-price TV with an affordable soundbar turns out to be the best-value combination overall for mixing a big screen with big sound.

A big screen size balanced with price

A lot of people looking to buy a TV for World Cup viewing will be tempted to go for the biggest screen possible, and there many huge sizes available for not much more than the cost of an 65-inch model, which will tempt people even more so to go big.

But big isn't necessarily best, because of all the factors I’ve mentioned above. All the potential dangers I’ve mentioned. Poor motion handling, weak detail, uneven screen uniformity, distracting reflections and limited sound are all more noticeable on a larger screen, where flaws have nowhere to hide.

If you have a budget of $1,000 to spend, you could buy a basic 85-inch TV, or a good 75-inch model, or a higher-quality 65-inch set. How you balance size, quality and budget is ultimately a personal choice, but it's important to note that unless your budget increases alongside the screen size, you’ll usually be trading performance for acreage.

If you're wondering what the "right" screen size is for your particular setup, check out this calculator, which will help you figure it out:

The LG B5 was one of my favorite OLED TVs in 2025. It delivered detailed, contrast-rich picture quality and came with a full suite of gaming features that made it one of the best gaming TVs on the market. Its launch prices may have been too close to its more premium sibling the LG C5, but as 2025 went on, the B5’s prices dropped and it became an excellent value option and arguably the star of Black Friday.

Naturally then, its successor, the LG B6, has some big shoes to fill. In the lead up to the B6’s release, it’s been shrouded in mystery. We were given tons of details about the LG G6 and LG C6, both of which earned five stars in my respective reviews of them, and are on course to be two of 2026’s best OLED TVs — but we heard next to nothing about the LG B6.

We speculated that it might be using the new OLED SE panel, a cheaper, but brighter OLED panel from LG Displays that the brand said could hit up to 1,000 nits. We saw the new OLED SE panel in action with Panasonic’s new OLED, the Z86C, and the brightness was definitely there.

Now, the B6 has actually arrived in our testing lab and I had to put it alongside its predecessor to see how they compared… and it turned out far weirder and more complicated than I ever expected.

A boost in brightness… sort of

The LG B-series has been producing the same level of brightness measurements for years, despite LG's step-up C-series and G-series counterparts hitting new heights.

That seems to have changed for the B6, in one area at least. The B6 had a measured peak HDR brightness of 895 nits in Cinema Home and 835 nits in Filmmaker Mode. This is a very healthy jump over the B5’s 668 nits peak HDR brightness (measured in Cinema mode).

There were shifts in fullscreen brightness too, in both SDR and HDR. The B6 was roughly 20 nits brighter in Cinema Home compared to the B5 in both SDR and HDR — it's not a lot, but anything is welcome.

How did this translate into real-world viewing? In some scenes, peak areas were visibly brighter on the B6. When John speaks to the hotel desk clerk in Dark City, the desk lamp demonstrated the brighter highlights of the B6, as it looked more impactful and created stronger perceived contrast.

The B5 still delivered strong contrast with arguably deeper black tones, but the B6 had the brightness advantage to more impactful contrast overall.

I then switched over to the desert scenes from Lawrence of Arabia. As Lawrence and his guide fetch some water from a well, the white sands surrounding them had more impact on the B6. While they still had solid brightness on the B5, the B6’s boosted peak brightness levels were on show.

However, as the scene went on, I noted that the white sands within the scene had a greener tint to them in some shots. In other shots, the green tint would appear in the B5, but overall it was more obvious on the B6.

Green tint is sometimes an issue with WOLED panels, and has been discussed at length online — especially with LG’s OLEDs. I wrote about it during my LG C6 and LG C5 comparison, where I was happy to see that the C6 had eliminated this, making the C5 look more green. I decided to see if it was obvious on other content.

Green tint

I switched the type of scene completely and opted for The Batman, in order to see if the green tint was obvious in darker scenes: boy, was it.

In the subway fight scene, as Batman stands over his defeated foes, the green tint was very obvious on the B6. The light reflected from the left side of the screen (from the subway exit) took on a green tone, whereas on the B5 it was much closer to the accurate tones I'd expect.

The same was true in later scenes, as the green tint was noticeable against brown tones of brick walls of an aerial shot of Gotham and as Batman walks down a dimly-lit corridor.

I decided to try out some scenes with lots of pure white, namely scenes of snow from the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark Blu-ray, viewed in HDR10 and mastered at 1,000 nits.

I was surprised to see that the B5’s white tones were more vibrant and punchy throughout, delivering higher perceived brightness over the newer B6, despite what the measurements above said. While I can't confirm the physics of it, I suspect that the green tint on the B6 was having an effect on the perceived 'pop' of the white tones.

Colors

It was time to try out some colorful scenes. In some shots from the Spears & Munsil footage, such as an orange butterfly, the B6 demonstrated richer, deeper colors compared to the B5. Another shot of a cliffside with the sun rising over it showed the B6 had a more accurate color profile and that nice extra hit of brightness.

Putting on the Wizard and I scene from Wicked, both TVs delivered strong vibrant colors that looked accurate. The pink flowers over Elphaba’s head popped on both screens nicely, while the green of Elphaba’s skin also looked accurate on both TVs.

The yellow stone of the walls and pillars appeared brighter on the B6 and took on a darker tone on the B5. Looking closer, the B5 actually bordered on having that green tint, but it wasn’t as obvious.

This was true of other scenes throughout Wicked, with both the B6 and B5 doing a great job with Glinda’s pink room and dresses throughout, as well as faithfully reproducing the rich emerald green and gold of the train as it arrives into Emerald City. At times, the B5 would show flashes of a green tint; at other times, the B6 would.

One additional wrinkle I found is that the B6's measured HDR color gamut coverage in both BT.2020 and DCI-P3 color spaces has dropped compared to the B5. It registered 72.5% of BT.2020 and 97.4% of DCI-P3, where the B5 measured 74.85% and 99.5% respectively.

While the latter DCI-P3 result of the B6 is still above the 95% threshold we really want to see, it was still odd to see it drop and may be related to the colors seeming inconsistent at times.

Check out the full measurements for the B6, B5 and C6 below. A quick note: I used Movie mode for the B5's HDR brightness when I tested it last year, but I stick with Filmmaker Mode for the B6 and C6.

A new appreciation

Overall, I find this comparison frustrating, but enlightening. Viewed in isolation, these are two very good TVs, but it’s hard to ignore any issues I’ve spotted once I’ve seen the two side-by-side.

The green tint on the B6 unit I have was worrying, and while it's possible that I was unlucky and got a panel especially prone to it, that would have implications for the uniformity of quality in the panels, so that would be its own issue to discuss. I contacted LG about what I was seeing, and the company declined to comment without a representative being able to see the screens in person.

While it's not confirmed if the B6 uses the newer OLED SE panel, the brightness increase makes me think it's likely. Maybe it's teething problems with a new panel, but I can't be sure.

If I had to recommend a TV between the two, I’d opt for the B5. Not only was it the more consistent of the two overall, but it’s also a heck of a lot cheaper. A 65-inch B5 costs $999 / £1,199 / AU$2,199, whereas the recently launched 65-inch B6 costs $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$2,495.

It’s worth noting there is a better value B6E model available in the UK that costs £1,799, and LG told me that the only real difference is aesthetic and a lack of HDR Precision Master Pro and Precision Sound Pro features, neither of which I like to use anyway based on my testing so far.

But really, my main takeaway is a renewed appreciation for just how good the LG C6 is. Not only does it have a new processor, which seems to have fixed the green tint issue, but it’s a lot brighter with better detail and contrast, earning every one of its five stars.

While it is pricier, with a 65-inch model costing $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995, it’s worth the investment in my opinion, thanks to its upgrades — especially in the UK, where the difference is so minimal.

As stock of last year’s LG OLEDs seems to be dwindling quickly in several retailers, I suspect the C6 will become the big-ticket LG OLED of 2026, and right now I think I'll be strongly recommending that OLED buyers spend the extra to upgrade to it.

I’ve now fully tested the LG C6, the brand’s mid-range OLED for 2026, and can say it deserves every bit of its five-star rating. It delivers superb picture quality, with authentic contrast and punchy, natural colors, delivering a gaming experience that's up there with the best gaming TVs.

While I expect the C6 will be high of many people's list of the best OLED TVs to watch on Black Friday, when there should be plenty of deals, launch time is always an interesting time of year. This is because last year’s models are often available for significantly less, so despite the C6 being a major upgrade over its predecessor — and one of 2025’s best TVs, the LG C5 — it can be tempting to opt for last year’s equivalent instead.

We’re in an interesting situation, however, where the LG G5 — last year’s flagship LG OLED — is available for the same price as the LG C6. Naturally, you'd assume that it’s a no-brainer: buy the G5. But since I had both TVs available for testing, I decided to run them side-by-side using reference scenes to see which actually offers better value for money. All of these tests were conducted in Filmmaker Mode with default settings.

Brightness

The LG G5 uses a Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel, while the 65-inch C6 I used for testing uses a standard WOLED panel. This means the G5 has a significant advantage in measured brightness over the C6. We measured the G5’s peak HDR brightness at 2,268 nits in Filmmaker Mode, compared to the C6's 1,438 nits, also in Filmmaker Mode. For full-screen HDR brightness, the G5 measured 331 nits, whereas the C6 measured 245 nits.

These are big differences in favor of the G5, but how does it translate in real-world viewing? Watching the desert scenes in Lawrence of Arabia, the G5’s higher brightness showed up as brighter white sands with more pop compared to the C6. The whites on the soldier and Prince Faisal’s uniform deliver more punch on the G5, too. The C6 still displays very good brightness throughout the movie, but the G5 has the edge.

Looking at some scenes showing snow from the Spears & Munsil demo footage, again, saw brightness on the G5 look punchier, with whites more vibrant in any scene with lots of bright tones.

Colors

Both TVs also delivered exceptional colors, with plenty of vibrancy and realism. In Lawrence of Arabia, the striking reds of the soldier’s sashes and flags looked more dynamic on the G5, boasting higher color brightness. While the same colors still looked punchy on the C6 with decent brightness, the G5 had that little bit more. The same was true of the blue sky in the early desert scenes: the G5 had that extra pop, but the C6 did an excellent job, too.

One color that had a more obvious impact on the G5 was the sandy browns of the desert dunes and rocks. The browns seemed to really jump off the screen in comparison to the C6, although it could be argued that the latter delivered these with a more natural look.

I switched to Wicked next, known for its vivid colors. Once again, both TVs did a fantastic job capturing colors throughout the movie, delivering them with plenty of pop and dazzle. But once again, the G5 had the edge: the pink flowers in a tree that Elphaba stands beneath looked more vibrant compared to the C6. The glittering green and gold of the train to Emerald City again looked punchier on the G5, aided by its higher brightness.

However, there were some scenes where the C6 looked better, in particular when it came to delivering natural colors. The green of Elphaba’s skin, more toned down than the Emerald City, looked more realistic on the C6. The sandstone-colored walls of Shiz also appeared more authentic on the C6, where they took on a more golden tone on the G5.

Contrast

Right off the bat (pun intended), both TVs showed superb contrast. As Batman stalks around the crime scene in Mayor Mitchell’s home, both TVs demonstrated an excellent balance between the light tones of lamps, torches and flashbulbs with the dark tones of Batman’s costume, the police uniforms, and the dark-wood room.

Looking closer, the G5 had the advantage when it came to highlights from the aforementioned torches, creating a stronger perceived contrast. However, viewing in dimmed conditions, I found myself drawn to the C6. While highlights weren't as vibrant, its contrast felt more authentic and natural, better suiting the tone of the movie.

In pitch-black conditions, during the subway fight scene, both TVs showed great shadow detail with the panelling of the walls in the background. While these details were clearer on the G5, it also demonstrated raised dark tones, with blacks took on a slightly gray hue. They again appeared more natural-looking on the C6, I thought.

Using a brighter but still high-contrast movie, Alien: Romulus, I was surprised by how close the two TVs looked in Dolby Vision. The G5 had slightly more brightness in the stars against the black of space or the various colored lights in the blacked-out hallways, but the C6’s contrast looked just as good. Switching to HDR, the G5 gained more brightness — but, again, the C6’s natural contrast stood out.

Price is important

So, which TV should you go for? My personal favorite is the G5 with its more colorful and brighter scenes overall, particularly those in Lawrence of Arabia. But I did still find myself drawn to the C6 for darker, more high-contrast scenes in movies such as The Batman as it looked more authentic.

Elsewhere, there really isn't much – if anything – to differentiate between the two TVs. Both boast a full suite of gaming features, including 4K 165Hz; both use LG’s webOS smart TV platform; and both deliver solid overall sound — although they could do with a soundbar. The C6 even has the Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor, the successor to the Gen 2 in the G5.

Really, it comes down to price — and at the time of writing (weeks before the C6’s launch), the G5 is better value. The 65-inch model will cost you about $2,499 / £2,299 (availability seems scarce in Australia), whereas the C6 65-inch costs $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995. That means you can get a flagship OLED for cheaper than a mid-range model. As we near Black Friday later this year, the C6 could see some big discounts, at which point it becomes the better option.

On the surface, the G5 is the more striking TV and it really is fantastic. The C6 is also fantastic. You’re honestly spoilt for choice between these two and it really does come down to price and personal preference.

This week, Apple announced it's set to pay out millions to iPhone users over its Siri AI promises, and Google unveiled a different kind of Fitbit.

To catch up on all that and more, scroll down to read our recap of the week's seven biggest tech news stories.

Before you catch up with this week’s tech news, why not test yourself on last week’s eight biggest stories to see how well you were paying attention? Take the quiz below.

7. Google’s $3 ChromeOS USB sold out

Last month, Google and Back Market announced a USB stick that could convert many old laptops into a basic Chromebook in a matter of minutes.

This week, the drive sold out, though a fresh batch of ChromeOS converters should be available soon.

The reason you might want to switch is ChromeOS is much less demanding than Windows and macOS. Sure, it has some limitations when it comes to app selection, but if it means you can use your aged laptop instead of needing to buy a new one, that’s a major win.

So if you’re looking to revamp your old machine, take a look at ChromeOS Flex.

• Read the full story: Google's $3 USB stick for revamping old laptops with ChromeOS Flex has sold out

6. Third time's the charm for Star Fox?

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo shocked us all with the sudden reveal of a new Star Fox for Switch 2... kind of. Simply titled Star Fox, the upcoming game is actually a remake of Star Fox 64, which originally released for Nintendo 64 back in 1997.

That game was already remade for both Nintendo 3DS (as Star Fox 64 3D) and Wii U (with Star Fox Zero), and many fans were expecting a wholly new entry to come next.

Still, it looks impressive with cutting-edge graphics, new character designs, and an exclusive competitive online battle mode. That's on top of support for a wealth of Switch 2 features like GameShare and GameChat, not to mention Joy-Con 2 mouse controls.

• Read the full story: Star Fox 64 is getting yet another remake

5. Google I/O-themed Android Show announced

Ahead of Google I/O — the company’s annual developer conference — we’ll be getting The Android Show: I/O Edition, which should give us a good look at what’s in store for Android 17.

Last year, for reference, the Android Show included a look at Google’s Material 3 Expressive interface redesign, along with Gemini Live, Gemini across new devices like watches and TVs, and new safety and security tools.

This year, we’re expecting The Android Show to showcase features such as a new Liquid Glass-like look, App Lock, and a motion assist feature to help cut down your motion sickness.

• Read the full story: 5 Android 17 features that could be announced at Google's pre-I/O Android reveal

4. Vine came back?!

Vine spearheaded short-form video content in the 2010s, and it’s coming back as a new platform called Divine, which is being funded by the co-founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey — the same guy who killed it in 2017.

As well as hosting a nostalgic catalog of over 500,000 of some of its most famous six-second videos, Divine won’t rely on a singular algorithm and will allow you to select how content reaches you through four options: Home feed, Discovery, Trending, and Hashtag feed.

But nostalgia is just one of the platform’s aims, and it’s also taking a stance against AI-generated content by implementing a series of measures, including a user reporting system, machine-learning detection, and human-in-the-loop (HITL) techniques to ensure that you only view content created by humans.

Divine is invite-only for now, but the platform has plans for a wider expansion in the coming months.

• Read the full story: Vine is coming back, and it’s being relaunched by the guy who killed it

3. We reviewed the LG C6 OLED TV

We released our LG C6 review, and the TV earned the full five stars. Not only does it carry across everything we loved about its predecessor, the LG C5, but it delivers some great upgrades. The C6 comes with a new, faster processor, the Alpha 11 AI Gen 3, which is also used in the flagship LG G6 OLED. The C6 also delivers better color accuracy and has received a nice brightness boost compared to the C5.

Its overall picture quality is excellent, it's a phenomenal gaming TV, and its webOS smart TV is one of the best around. The C6 has easily set the benchmark for OLED TVs in 2026. Our review was for the 65-inch model, which uses the standard WOLED panel. We’re hoping to review one of the Primary RGB Tandem OLED models (the 48, 77, and 83-inch models) later this year.

• Read the full story: I tested the LG C6 over two weeks

2. Google Fitbit Air flew in

We've got a new Fitbit! The much-teased Google Fitbit Air has broken cover, and it's a cheap screenless Fitbit to challenge the likes of Whoop in the "focus wearable" space. It's pretty simple, as trackers go — a straightforward data collection PPG sensor with a gyroscope, temperature sensor, and so on, with a choice of bands and all the information available in-app.

But it's the app that makes this interesting: Fitbit is rebranding as Google Health, and the Fitbit Premium subscription has morphed into a comprehensive AI fitness coach. This is a mandatory change, even for existing Premium users, with the update rolling out over the next few weeks.

• Read the full story: The Google Fitbit Air finally breaks cover

1. Apple paid for its AI troubles

Apple’s delayed Siri features have caused plenty of headaches for iPhone owners, and now Apple is set to pay for its AI issues, literally. That’s because this week we heard details of a class action lawsuit it had settled in December, in which it has agreed to pay customers a portion of $250 million — and you could be owed up to $95 per device.

The case claimed that Apple had promoted “AI capabilities that did not exist at the time, do not exist now, and will not exist for two or more years.” It also alleged that Apple’s Siri advertisements “saturated the internet, television, and other airwaves to cultivate a clear and reasonable consumer expectation that these transformative features would be available upon the iPhone's release.”

To make a claim, you’ll need to be able to prove you bought a qualifying device once Apple starts inviting claims (which should happen within 45 days of May 5).

• Read the full story: Delayed Siri features have cost Apple a massive $250 million

LG C6 OLED TV: Two-minute review

The LG C6 has a tough act to follow, because the LG C5 was one of the best TVs I tested in 2025. So I'm happy to report that not only does the LG C6 do everything the C5 can do, but its Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 image processor — the same one you’ll find in the flagship LG G6 TV — delivers a significant brightness boost and more refined picture quality overall, making the C6 a solid upgrade over its predecessor.

The 65-inch LG C6 I tested is priced at $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995 at launch, which is the same launch price as the C5 in the US and Australia, but is cheaper in the UK, despite the upgrades.

It’s worth noting that the larger 77-inch and 83-inch models now fall under a new designation as the LG C6H, and use the upgraded Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel found in the flagship LG G6 and LG W6 models. As a result, they’ll likely perform somewhat differently to the model I tested, and we’re not including them as part of this review — we plan to review the C6H separately.

The C6’s picture quality is fantastic. Colors are punchy, vibrant and natural all at the same time, looking more accurate than the picture on last year’s C5 in my side-by-side testing. Its contrast is superb, with deep blacks, punchy highlights and refined shadow detail.

Textures are crisp, motion is smooth and natural, and it upscales non-4K HDR sources well. It does suffer from reflections in bright rooms, and I did notice some banding in gray areas, but this isn’t enough to detract from its overall quality, which is up there with that of the best OLED TVs.

Its built-in sound is solid overall. The AI Sound Pro mode delivers refined bass, great accuracy and clear dialogue. Dolby Atmos effects aren’t as pronounced as I’d like, and the soundstage can feel narrow at times, so while its sound is decent, I’d still connect one of the best soundbars to the LG C6 for a more cinematic experience.

The C6 is a phenomenal gaming TV. It delivers a full list of gaming features, including 4K 165Hz in the C-series for the first time, and its razor-sharp performance will make gamers very happy. Pair this with its awesome picture quality, and the C6 sets the bar as a best-in-class gaming display.

LG’s webOS continues to be one of the top smart TV platforms around, and while there are no big upgrades this year other than more generative AI options, the settings menus have been streamline to make navigation easier, and thanks to its new processor, performance is smoother than ever.

Ads at the top of the home page and on the screensaver are still an issue, but it’s nothing you won’t find on other smart TVs. Ultimately, webOS 26 is still great.

The C6 is a nice step up over the LG C5, and is very good value for what it delivers. However, the C5 is significantly cheaper, and still available at the start of 2026, so if you don’t want to wait for C6 prices to drop, the C5 is a much cheaper option right now.

For UK users looking for a 65-inch TV, I would also recommend the Philips OLED910 — it’s effectively a flagship OLED at a mid-range price. As the C6’s prices drop later in the year, though, it’ll become better value.

LG C6 review: Prices & release date

• Released in May 2026
• 42-inch: $1,399 / £1,299 / AU$1,995
• 48-inch: $1,599 / £1,399 / AU$2,395
• 55-inch: $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,995
• 65-inch: $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995

The LG C6 is available in 42-65-inch models, with the 77-inch and 83-inch models now listed as a new model called the LG C6H, which uses the upgraded Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel, as seen in the LG G6. I haven’t included the C6H’s pricing here, as we plan to review it later.

The 65-inch C6 I tested is launching at $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995, which is the same price the C5 launched at in the US and Australia in 2025, but is cheaper than the C5’s launch price in the UK.

LG C6 review: Specs

LG C6 review: Benchmark results

LG C6 review: Features

• Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 processor is flagship-class with better color handling
• Gaming features are as good as it gets right now
• Dolby Vision and Atmos, but not HDR10+, DTS or Dolby Vision 2

The LG C6 is the mid-range OLED in LG’s 2026 TV lineup, sitting above the entry-level LG B6, and below the flagship LG G6 and the revived super-thin LG Wallpaper TV, known as the W6.

As mentioned, there are two LG C6 models this year: the standard C6 and the C6H. The former is available in sizes 42-65-inch, and uses what LG Display officially calls a "Tandem WOLED" panel, while the latter is available in 77-inch and 83-inch sizes only, and uses the "Primary RGB Tandem 2.0" OLED panel that’s also used in the flagship LG G6.

The C6 does, however, come equipped with a new processor across all its sizes: the Alpha 11 AI Gen 3, which is the same processor that's used in the step-up G6 and W6 OLEDs. This supports an upgraded Brightness Booster, more refined upscaling, and picture enhancements such as 13-bit image processing (12-bit color plus one bit of brightness). It also supports 11.1.2-channel audio upmixing with its AI Sound Pro mode.

Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos are supported, but once again there’s no support for HDR10+ or DTS, and LG has no plans to support Dolby Vision 2 on this TV in the future.

For sound, the C6 comes with LG's usual 2.2-channel speaker system included. In terms of sound profiles, LG has trimmed back the options from eight to four, opting for AI sound modes over traditional sound modes such as Cinema or Sports.

The C6 is fully equipped for gaming, with four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 165Hz (a step up from the 4K 144Hz supported in the C5), full variable refresh rate compatibility including AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG HDR, Dolby Vision Gaming, and auto low latency mode.

It comes with LG’s Game Optimizer dashboard, where gaming settings can be instantly accessed and adjusted for optimum performance.

The C6 uses webOS 26 as its smart TV platform, the latest version of LG’s own smart TV software. While there aren’t as many new, headline-grabbing features this time around, AI features such as AI Search and AI Concierge have been refined, menus have been streamlined, with the removal of some picture and sound modes, and some new Quick Card categories have been added.

The C6 also supports all major streaming apps including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV and Prime Video.

• Features score: 5 / 5

LG C6 review: Picture quality

• More accurate colors and refined contrast
• Excellent detail and boosted brightness
• Reflective screen can be an issue in bright conditions

Starting with brightness measurements, the C6 hit 1,438 nits peak HDR brightness (measured on a 10% white window pattern) in Filmmaker Mode. This is a sizable boost over last year’s C5, which clocked in at 1,180 nits in the same test. Standard mode receives a smaller boost, hitting 1,291 nits peak HDR in a 10% window, compared to the C5’s 1,191 nits.

Fullscreen HDR brightness has also received a healthy boost, with the C6 hitting 245 nits in Filmmaker Mode, up 25% from the C5, which registered 195 nits in the same test. In Standard mode, the C6 measured 232 nits compared to the C5’s 200 nits, so again a smaller change, but still positive.

In practice, this not only adds more brightness to SDR sources, but creates stronger contrast between dark and light tones in high-contrast scenes. Whites in particular, such as scenes of snow or white clouds, and any scenes with high peak brightness with the sun as a central feature, get a solid boost to make its picture more impactful over last year’s C5.

The C6 also does a good job with lower-resolution and SDR sources. An HD stream of Fight Club on Disney+ benefitted from upscaled textures and refined contrast, with darker scenes in particular looking great.

A DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man doesn’t quite look like it’s had the full 4K treatment, but textures are very neatly cleaned up, and there’s an injection of brightness to make it much more appealing overall.

I tried out Precision Master HDR Pro, a setting aimed to upscale SDR to HDR quality. While it did add more brightness and sharpened up textures, I found it to be too aggressive, as it created harsh edges around people and objects in The Amazing Spider-Man so I preferred to leave it turned off.

Color reproduction is superb on the LG C6, especially with Dolby Vision sources. In Elemental, streamed on Disney+, the oranges, pinks and purples of the vase as Ember fixes it are vibrant and punchy, with the C6’s new extra brightness adding even more shine to the picture.

In Wicked, as Elphaba stands under a tree in the Wizard & I scene, the pink flowers really pop on screen, but also appear more natural when compared to viewing the same scene on last year’s C5. The green of Elphaba’s skin also looks natural (allowing for the fact that it's green), with colors looking less saturated than on the C5, and for the better here.

It’s no wonder the C6’s colors pop, because it measured 99.7% and 75.8% coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces respectively. These are excellent results for a WOLED screen, and the C6 basically matches flagship OLEDs in DCI-P3, which is the most important space for HDR viewing.

It also registered a color accuracy score of Delta-E 1.2, which is fantastic for out-of-the-box settings, and means it’s essentially impossible to tell it apart from ‘perfect’ colors. All these measurements were taken in Filmmaker Mode.

Contrast is excellent on the C6. Watching The Batman, as Batman walks down a hallway, the balance between the dark tones of the wood-paneled walls and the light tones from the lamps are well separated, with each having their own nuances, creating strong contrast.

The same is true in Dark City — as John speaks to the desk clerk, black tones are rich, and contrast nicely with the bright and punchy desk lamp.

The C6 also displays superb shadow detail. Throughout The Batman, objects in dark backgrounds are still visible, such as the back wall of the subway platform or the portraits in Mitchell’s office. Comparing it to the C5, shadowed areas look more accurate, and true to how you’d expect the eye to see them.

Watching dark scenes in a pitch-black room, I did notice that black tones were raised in places. But by changing a few settings, dark areas on screen improved to the point where I was happy with them, without any in-depth calibration needed if you want to follow suit.

I dropped the ‘Near Black Detail’ option to -1 (it's 0 by default), dropped ‘Adjust Contrast’ from 100 to 95, and finally dropped ‘Black Level’ by 1, from the default 50 to 49. This didn’t dim the picture much at all, but improved black levels and contrast overall.

While watching a dimly-lit scene from The Green Knight, I did notice some vertical banding in a gray area of the scene. This was the first and only time I noted it in my test — I tested similarly difficult scenes in other movies — so it’s not enough to affect my score, but it’s something to note, as vertical banding has been a criticism of LG’s OLEDs in the past.

I compared the LG C6 to the LG C5, and the C6 demonstrates a more accurate color temperature, which is clearest when watching black-and-white movies. In Sunset Boulevard, the C6 delivers deep blacks, bright whites and a range of accurate gray tones.

Playing the same scenes on the C5, there's a green tint that affects the accuracy of the picture, and the C6 doesn’t have this issue. The green tint on the C5 isn’t noticeable in scenes full of color (and the TV scored excellent in color accuracy tests), but the starkness of monochrome really highlights it.

The C6 also delivered refined detail across content, with crisp textures that looked 3D-like but also natural and true-to-life. A close-up shot of Batman shows every bit of his stubble and other facial marks with real accuracy.

The C6 has excellent motion handling. I found Standard mode with the Natural motion setting to be perfect for sports (I tested soccer and baseball) and I used the Cinematic Movement motion setting for movies, which has been my go-to for LG for the last couple of years.

Without any processing on, there can be some judder in slow-moving movie shots, but Cinematic Motion worked well for delivering a panning shot of a cliffside cemetery from No Time To Die with natural-looking motion and much-reduced judder.

It’s not all plain sailing for the C6. I found that its reflection handling was merely average, noting some strong mirror-like reflections when watching darker scenes in brightly lit rooms.

While this was expected, I was impressed by the step-up LG G6’s anti-glare coating when I tested it, so I know that LG’s glossy OLEDs can crush reflections when given the tools; it's a shame the C6 didn’t receive the same treatment.

• Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5

LG C6 review: Sound quality

• 2.2-channel speaker system
• Good overall sound quality
• Some sound modes removed

The C6 has a built-in, 2.2-channel speaker array that supports Dolby Atmos, but like last year, there’s no support for DTS. LG has removed some of the traditional sound modes, such as Cinema and Sports, in favor of AI sound modes such as the returning AI Sound Pro and the new Precision Sound Master Pro.

Using the AI Sound Pro mode in my go-to Dolby Atmos scene — the Batmobile chase from The Batman — the C6 delivered great accuracy and detail, with a strong link between the action on screen and the sound. Mapping was very good, as the screech of swerving car tyres and blaring horns passing by off-screen sounded authentic.

The AI Sound Pro profile focuses more on the mid-range this year, which I personally prefer. The changes also meant the bass felt more solid than it did on the LG C5, and while it doesn’t beat the likes of Sony and Panasonic TVs, it was still meaty in places.

Trying out the Precision Sound Master Pro setting, the soundstage did feel wider, and there was more overall volume, but it was personally too bright for my tastes.

I always used the Cinema sound setting for my testing in previous models, so I’m disappointed that this is no longer an option, but AI Sound Pro is a solid alternative.

Still, despite the C6’s solid sound, I’d hook up a soundbar if you want the sound quality to match the picture, as Dolby Atmos effects can get lost and the soundstage can at times feel narrow.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

LG C6 review: Design

• Premium design with bezel-less screen looks great
• Metal stand and trim feel high-quality
• UK remote still feels cheap

The C6’s design carries over from last year’s C5. It feels premium but more lightweight than the hefty G6. Its silver metal trim and base makes the TV feel premium. The screen has a near bezel-less design with no real border, giving the picture the full real estate.

The rear panel has a marbled design that adds a nice touch, and the ports of the TV are easily accessible on the rear-side panel, with all four HDMI ports in plain view.

LG’s Magic Remote in the UK does, however, continue to feel cheap compared to other OLED remotes. While it has a useful pointer, its overall build still feels plasticky and light, a far cry from the black, metal rechargeable remote that Philips supplies with its OLEDs. Fingers crossed this changes next year.

• Design score: 4 / 5

LG C6 review: Smart TV & menus

• AI features are becoming smarter
• Streamlined settings menus is very welcome
• Snappy navigation is also an improvement

The LG C6 uses webOS 26 as its smart TV platform, and it’s again one of the best on the market. Quick Cards are a useful tool where relevant apps can be organized by category, such as Music and Game, and new options have been introduced, such as Office and Learning.

The Quick Menu continues to be one of the most useful tools for adjusting popular settings such as picture mode with no fuss — just hit a button and it pops up at the side of the screen, with instant access to common settings, without totally interrupting what you’re watching.

LG has streamlined some settings menus, moving options such as Network and Energy Saving higher up in their category for easier access. Couple this with the new faster Alpha 11 processor and navigation feels easier overall, with better visibility and nice, snappy performance.

AI features such as AI Concierge are more refined, with better recommendations, and new features such as Generative AI can be used to plan activities or create images.

webOS 26 does still have large banner ads at the top of the screen that take up just over a third of the home page, and I did note that whenever the C6 went into screensaver mode it wouldn’t take long before sponsored ads appeared.

Still, these are the only negatives I had with what has consistently been a brilliant smart TV platform, and ads are becoming increasingly common on all platforms.

• Smart TV & menus score: 5 / 5

LG C6 review: Gaming

• 4K 165Hz and full VRR support on all four HDMI ports
• 9.2ms 60Hz / 4.2ms 120Hz input lag time is as good as usual
• Superb performance and picture in gaming modes

The C6 maintains the LG C-series OLED’s reputation for best-in-class gaming performance and features. It supports 4K at 165Hz, variable refresh rate (HDMI spec, FreeSync, and G-Sync), auto low-latency mode, and Dolby Vision Gaming across all four HDMI 2.1 ports.

Activating its Boost mode in the Game Optimizer menu yields a measured 9.2ms (4K 60Hz) and 4.6ms (1080p 120Hz) input delay, a phenomenal result that gamers will be delighted with.

Playing Battlefield V, performance not only felt incredibly smooth as I targeted enemies while running, but looked excellent as well. The desert mission I played was bright and vibrant, and environments were incredibly detailed, with intricate textures in rocks and buildings.

Not much more needs to be said: the C6 is a gaming powerhouse.

• Gaming score: 5 / 5

LG C6 review: Value

• Cheaper launch prices than the LG C5 in the UK
• Excellent picture and features for the price
• But the C5 is a lot cheaper in 2026, and may offer better bang-for-buck

The LG C6 is great value for the performance and features it delivers. It carries across all the elements that made the C5 one of last year’s best TVs, but offers higher brightness, more refined contrast and color, and has an upgraded processor for faster performance.

The 65-inch model I tested costs $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995, which means it’s launching for the same price in the US and Australia as the C5, which is impressive enough, but it’s actually £100 cheaper than the C5’s launch price in the UK, even with all the upgrades.

If you’re looking to buy at the time of writing, however — May 2026 — the C5 remains the best option, with the same 65-inch costing $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,599 on average.

If you’re based in the UK and looking for a 65-inch, I’d also strongly recommend the Philips OLED910, which costs £2,199 at 65-inch (£500 cheaper than the C6) and boasts flagship-level brightness and colors, plus a superb built-in Bowers & Wilkins sound system. In smaller 42-55-inch sizes, though, the C5 is still the best option.

The C6 is still a premium TV in the grand scheme of the TV market, but those launch prices are likely to drop quickly. If you want to buy right now, the C5 is still your best value option overall, but as C6 prices drop it will become even better value.

As far as new 2026-released TVs go, I don’t expect many to match it on the combination of features and image quality for the price.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the LG C6 OLED TV?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also Consider

How I tested the LG C6 OLED TV

• Tested over two weeks using HDR and SDR sources
• Tested in variable lighting conditions
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

My first steps in testing the LG C6 involved establishing its most accurate picture modes through casual viewing. I landed on Filmmaker Mode for most movies, as well as Cinema Home, and finally Standard for sports and broadcast TV.

I then moved on to critical viewing, using both HDR (4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming) as well as SDR (DVD, Blu-ray and broadcast TV) sources to test the C6's picture. I used these sources to analyze upscaling (of SDR), color, brightness, contrast, textures, detail and motion.

I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player when playing discs including 4K Blu-ray. I also used an Xbox Series X to test the TV's gaming features and performance.

Aside from subjective testing, I also took measurements on the C6 using a Klein K-10A colorimeter (profiled with a Jeti Spectral 15VA Spectroradiometer) and a Murideo Six G 8K Metal test pattern generator, and used Portrait Displays' Calman color-calibration software to record measurements.

To measure the C6's brightness, I used both HDR and SDR white window patterns ranging in size from 1-100%, taking readings in both Filmmaker Mode and Standard picture modes.

I also tested the C6's grayscale and color accuracy, taking an average of the Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what's shown on screen), looking for a result below 3. Anything below this is considered indistinguishable to the human eye.

I measured the coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces, hoping for a result of over 95% for the former.

I also tested the C6's HDR EOTF in 1,000, 4,000 and 10,000 nits. This test shows the C6's accuracy at both light and dark levels. I also measured the C6's Spectral Power Distribution, which demonstrates its color performance, using the Jeti spectroradiometer.

Finally, I used a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input lag Tester to test the C6's input lag in milliseconds.

Read our in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

LG Sound Suite H7 review

The LG Sound Suite H7 is the first soundbar in the market to feature Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capabilities — instantly providing a unique option in what is a highly competitive category.

FlexConnect enables the LG Sound Suite H7 to act as something of a hub — you can pair a compatible sub and various surround speakers to the soundbar, and no matter where you place them in the room, you can expect well-optimized sound and Atmos effects.

As I discovered when reviewing the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro and testing out the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7 — two systems that place the H7 soundbar front and center — FlexConnect works brilliantly. When using a wide variety of configurations, these systems provided impactful and clear sound. It’s a very handy feature, and one that could be useful for those with awkwardly shaped or laid-out living spaces.

Here, though, I wanted to look at the LG Sound Suite H7 soundbar on its own, and assess its quality without the assistance of any W7 subs or M7 surround speakers. Sure, this is a model that’s at its best when paired with other components — as is the case with rivals like the Sonos Arc Ultra. But can it hold its own as a standalone device? Can it compete with the very best Dolby Atmos soundbars?

Let’s begin by taking a look at features on the H7 soundbar. Of course, FlexConnect is great, but there’s a lot more to discover — especially if you download the LG ThinQ app.

One interesting addition is Sound Follow. This optimizes sound not only for your living space, but for your position within it. It works surprisingly well, and although it's not essential, it’s certainly a unique option in LG’s arsenal. On top of this, you can alter the EQ, adjust channel levels, and even cycle between different sound modes.

There’s a decent array of these sound modes, with a bass-boosted option, a vocal-oriented alternative, and an AI Sound configuration. Personally, I found the AI-enabled mode to sound worse than the standard tuning — movie soundtracks lacked balance, and often sounded too bass-heavy. Other than this, you’ll also find an AI upmixing setting, which enables you to convert a stereo signal into a more expansive 9.1.4-channel format.

As well as its various sound modes, the H7 offers a decent amount of connectivity options. Of course, you’ve got the standard HDMI eARC, but you can also make use of a USB connection, or play music and podcasts via a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection.

On the topic of connectivity, though, I do have one key complaint: the LG H7 doesn’t have HDMI passthrough. In 2026, this feels like a huge miss. A lot of even high-end TVs owned by people today are restricted to just two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which will be the HDMI eARC port. Given that the H7 will take one of those up, you may well be left with just one. That could prove to be a point of contention for owners of multiple modern video game consoles, for instance.

Another feature that some may miss is DTS support. DTS has been missing from a lot of LG’s tech as of late, with the company opting to drop the format from its TVs in 2025. If your TV or video player decodes DTS, it's not really a problem — but it's annoying if you buy all LG. Still the best 4K Blu-ray players, where DTS is most important, can generally decode it.

But you may be wondering by now, just how good does the LG Sound Suite H7 sound? Well, in my view, it’s a very strong performer indeed.

Unsurprisingly, the real highlight here is Dolby Atmos performance. In Top Gun: Maverick, when Tom Cruise flies up and over the head of Ed Harris, the verticality of this move was replicated brilliantly. This is something that a lot of rivals struggle with — especially without overhead speakers for ‘true’ Atmos, but the height channels consistently conjured up excellent effects in my testing.

The H7 also outputs expansive sound with tremendous width, something I found when watching a 4K Blu-ray of The Mask. As the titular character spun around an outdoor area, his movement was tracked well, and it sounded as if he was tornadoing into the corners of our TV testing space. Sure, a full setup with the M7 speakers added more depth and pin-point precision, but the soundbar certainly offered a broad sense of sound on its own.

It was a similar story with music — with Hans Zimmer’s Dream of Arrakis, vocals oozed into the sides of the room, while ambient sound effects felt as if they were crawling along the walls. The bottom line, then, is if you’re looking for excellent Atmos performance, the H7 is a top choice.

Outside of Atmos performance, the H7 is pretty strong too. It gets a lot of the fundamentals right — clear dialogue, impactful bass, and expressive treble all feature. When watching The Boy and the Heron, I was impressed with the snappy and sharp sound of a wooden sword snapping, and even when harsh wind noises entered the fray, the Heron’s monologue was articulated clearly in the mix.

In one scene, a horde of frogs exclaim “JOIN US,” and powerful deep bass seeps in. The room-swallowing low-end was replicated quite well, even at higher volumes, but it wasn’t quite as full-sounding and thunderous as I’ve experienced — largely due to the lack of a sub. Adding the W7 subwoofer will fix this, of course, but that comes at quite the price.

Movies do generally sound great, however. Whether it was The Mask smashing through a glass door with giga impact or dialogue coming through with a true-to-life echo in Maverick, I was satisfied with the H7’s quality.

Is the H7 the most musically adept soundbar I’ve heard? Not quite. With stereo music, you do get distinct channel separation, and commendable attention to detail. However, I sometimes felt as if low-end sounds were a little overstated, leaving vocals or instruments in the mid-range sounding less prominent than I’d like.

With Atmos music, it was similar. Sure, the spatial effects are translated fantastically, and the dynamism of sudden drum hits or pounding bass was striking. But I sometimes felt that vocals in the center could be a touch understated. Some EQ tweaking can help with this, but I prefer models like the Marshall Heston 120 for music.

So, overall, the LG Sound Suite H7 is a very admirable performer, but I want to take a moment to talk about design.

Look, I don’t think this is the prettiest soundbar ever. It’s built to a high standard, but the H7 doesn’t have the flashy modern look of the Sonos Arc Ultra or the striking retro style of the Marshall Heston 60.

It ends up looking a bit generic, which isn’t a major problem — however, the more style-focused might wish for something with more flair. On the positive side, I did really like the soundbar’s display, which is handy for checking volume, source, sound mode, and more.

Another design positive relates to button and port placement. Everything is simple and well-sized, making for a relatively straightforward setup. Speaking of setting up, you can simply plug the HDMI cable and power source in, and you’re ready to go.

I did experience a few difficulties pairing the soundbar using the app, which was a little frustrating, but I had things working after a couple of resets. From there on out, the simple app made my user experience fairly trouble-free.

Let’s finish up by talking about value for money. The LG Sound Suite H7 has a list price of $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400), which, let’s face it, is pretty pricey. You can easily grab a great option that comes with a sub for less than this — the Samsung HW-Q800F, for instance, is regularly cheaper than the H7, and boasts DTS support alongside HDMI passthrough. However, the Sonos Arc Ultra — arguably the H7’s main competition — is in the same ballpark, retailing for $999 / £999 / AU$1,799.

Is the H7 worth it, though? Well, if you want Dolby Atmos FlexConnect and you’re planning to build out a full system, then it could be. Individual components, like the M7 speakers and W7 sub are expensive, and there’s no discount on a full system as of yet. But if you’re looking for a massively expansive overall package, then it remains a great option.

All in all, though, the LG Sound Suite H7 is an astute soundbar that packs in highly convenient FlexConnect technology, awesome Dolby Atmos effects, and impressive overall audio. It’s disappointing to see HDMI passthrough and DTS support off the menu, alongside a more enticing look.

And yes, it’s pricey, although it's competitively priced against Sonos, and can act as a highly capable hub if you’re looking to build out a full FlexConnect system.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: price & release date

• List price of $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400)
• Released in early 2026

The LG Sound Suite H7 soundbar released early into 2026, with the W7 subwoofer and M7 wireless speakers joining it. At $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400), the H7 is by no means cheap, though it is priced pretty competitively against options like the Sonos Arc Ultra and Klipsch Flexus Core 300.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: specs

Should I buy the LG Sound Suite H7?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

LG Sound Suite H7 review: Also consider

How I tested the LG Sound Suite H7

• Tested across multiple weeks
• Used at our TV testing space at Future Labs
• Played 4K Blu-Ray, streamed movies and streamed music over Wi-Fi

I tested the LG Sound Suite H7 across the course of multiple weeks. For this review, I used the soundbar on its own, although I made use of its Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capabilities in my review of the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro and the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7.

During my time with the LG Sound Suite H7, I watched a variety of movies — using the Panasonic DP-UB820 with 4K Blu-rays, and Netflix with Dolby Atmos content. I also connected my phone up to the soundbar for listening to music, and played a wide variety of tracks using Tidal Connect.

More generally, I’ve tested a whole lot of soundbars here at TechRadar, including everything from budget-friendly options — like the Sony HT-SF150 — through to premium alternatives such as the JBL Bar 1300MK2.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: April 2026

• Samsung Display applied for screen certifications that seem to include the first 83-inch QD-OLED panel
• New 24-inch monitor-size panel is also references
• No official word on a launch or plans for when they'll appear

There's big news in the world of QD-OLED TV: the first 83-inch QD-OLED panel has appeared in certification listings, which suggests that a launch is on the cards.

As FlatpanelsHD reports, the UL Solutions certification database details multiple Samsung Display QD-OLED panels that have been submitted for the organization's QuantumView verification. And one of those panels is labelled QDOLED83.x, where the number refers to the panel size in inches.

The full list starts at 24 inches and runs through 27 inches, 31 inches, 34 inches, 49 inches, 55 inches, 65 inches, 77 inches and 83 inches. Until now, QD-OLED panels have topped out at 77 inches.

The sizes under 55 inches are for monitors rather than TVs, and offer a much-anticipated secret of their own: they appear to confirm rumors of a 24-inch version coming.

When is the 83-inch QD-OLED TV launching?

The short answer: we don't know. The slightly longer answer: Samsung hasn't announced its existence, let alone product plans, pricing or launch dates… but we can make a very well-educated guess

We've had rumors of this 83-inch panel before, and they've proved to be unfounded: the discovery of what was thought to be an 83-inch QD-OLED in Samsung's parts database in late 2024 turned out to be the Samsung S95F, which came in an 83-inch size, but uses a WOLED panel from LG Display for that size, and stuck with QD-OLED for the smaller sizes.

This leak looks much stronger, because it comes from Samsung Display (the part of the company that makes the panels, not the part that makes TVs) directly.

The company uses UL Solutions' QuantumView certification as a marketing angle – so for example last week Samsung's press office was delighted to tell us that Samsung Display's entire QD-OLED line-up has achieved that certification. That press release didn't detail the screen sizes, however.

So far Samsung hasn't listed an 83-inch QD-OLED in its 2026 line-up, and neither has Sony, which also uses Samsung Display panels. But it would be rather strange to get certification for a screen size you don't intend to sell.

So while an announcement doesn't appear to be imminent, I'd expect to see this large model become an option in 2027's TVs. It will probably go through mass manufacturing later in 2026, ready to be assembled in TVs at the end of the year and the start of next year — perfect for the usual TV cycle of announcements at CES and launches during the following April or May.

In meantime, we expect that the 2026-release Samsung S95H/S99H will use Tandem WOLED for its 83-inch model again — though that's no bad thing, given the performance of the LG G6 OLED TV in our review, which uses the same panel.

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LG’s C-series OLEDs are arguably among the most popular TVs released every year, thanks to their versatility, performance, and value for money. While still a premium TV for many, it's often one of the most competitively priced for what it delivers.

Last year’s LG C5 was one of the best TVs I’d tested, and while it didn’t bring tons of changes from the LG C4 – other than a moderate brightness boost and an updated processor with more AI features – it was still a superb TV that brought across everything great about the C4 and built on it further.

The C5’s successor, the LG C6, has landed in our testing labs, and I’ve been putting it through its paces, including placing it side-by-side against the C5. Based on my testing, it’s a solid upgrade, bringing more improvements than the C5 delivered over the C4.

It’s worth noting that the C6 model I’m testing, the 65-inch, uses the same kind of WOLED EX panels that the C-series has used for a while, while the 77 and 83-inch models now use the Primary Tandem RGB 2.0 OLED panel that's also used in the LG G6. These two models now go under a different name as a result: the LG C6H.

The C6 has impressed me in the time I’ve been testing it. Here are my top three things I like about it, and one area where it could be better.

A solid brightness boost

I measured the LG C5 last year at 1,180 nits peak HDR brightness (measured on a 10% window in Filmmaker Mode), and I was pleased with the moderate boost in brightness over the C4 (which clocked in at 1,065 nits with the same tests). It gave highlights and peak brightness areas on screen that little extra pop.

This year, the C6 has provided an even bigger brightness boost, clocking in at 1,438 nits peak HDR brightness (10% window) in Filmmaker Mode. This makes a huge difference in high contrast scenes. In movies like The Batman and Dark City, you can see what the extra brightness has done with lamps in dark-lit hallways, making them bolder and, in turn, delivering stronger perceived contrast.

The C6 has also had a nice fullscreen brightness boost. I measured it at 245 nits full-screen HDR in Filmmaker mode, an increase of 50 nits over the C5’s 195 nits. 50 nits may not seem like much, but in fullscreen for a WOLED TV, it’s a healthy step-up — it's around a 25% improvement, after all.

It helps brighter scenes with even light levels (including sports), and in theory, it should help in brighter rooms to beat reflections (spoiler alert: I’ll be discussing that below).

Goodbye, green tint

Over the past couple of years, some of LG’s OLEDs have had a slight green tint to them. This isn't always noticeable, but it does become more obvious when compared to other brands’ OLEDs.

Despite this, LG’s OLEDs always tend to score well in our color accuracy measurements, often clocking under 1.5. For context, we get these results by averaging the Delta-E values (the margin for error between the signal from the test pattern source and what’s shown on screen), and anything below 3 is considered a great result, since it's indistinguishable from 'perfect' to the human eye.

When viewed in isolation, LG’s OLEDs still look excellent. They always score highly in the picture quality section of our reviews. But, putting the C6 side by side with the C5, it’s clear that the new model looks more accurate.

This difference was most obvious when viewing black and white movies. Watching Sunset Boulevard, the picture looked more accurate in the grayscale tones on the C6, and the green tint became noticeable on the C5. It made the C6’s whites and grays look cooler in temperature, taking on a more blue/white look, which suited the film better.

While it was less obvious on other content such as full-color movies or animation, the C5's green tint was still faintly there, and I found myself drawn to the C6’s picture.

Faster processor, more features, cheaper price

While the 65-inch C6 I’ve been testing may miss out on the Primary Tandem RGB 2.0 panel the 77 and 83-inch C6H is getting, it has received one notable hardware upgrade: the new Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 processor, which is the same used in the flagship G6.

Not only does this mean response times and performance when navigating menus are faster, but it’s getting all the Alpha 11’s picture upgrades, such as 13-bit color processing (12-bit with 1 bit of brightness) and Brightness Booster, which could explain the C6’s big brightness upgrade I discussed above.

The C6 already came with all the C5’s gaming features that made the latter one of the best gaming TVs on the market, but PC gamers are getting more support this year. The C6 supports up to 4K 165Hz, an upgrade over the C5’s 4K 144Hz.

The other great news is that we’re getting these upgrades and cheaper launch prices for the C6 (in the UK at least). I recently reported the C6’s launch prices, and it’s launching cheaper than the C5 did in every size. The 65-inch I tested will hit shelves at £2,499 compared to the C5’s £2,699. Elsewhere, it’s actually launching for the same as the C5, despite the fact that we usually expect an increase in the current climate.

Room for improvement: reflections

Reflections and bright-room viewing have been the bane of glossy OLEDs for years. It’s why Samsung introduced its excellent Glare Free matte screen in 2024 and refined it in 2025 with the five-star Samsung S95F. And in 2026, it’s bringing said anti-reflection screen to the mid-range Samsung S90H, the LG C6’s mid-range OLED rival.

I’ve admittedly been spoiled this year by seeing what the LG G6 can do in a bright room next to the Samsung S95F, battling reflections while providing more accurate blacks. Yes, the S95F is still the best at outright eliminating reflections, but the G6’s new anti-glare coating really does make a difference, so much so that it would be my pick for OLED bright room viewing.

That still doesn’t stop me from feeling disappointed that the C6 still suffers from the same distracting reflections that its predecessor did. Not even a brightness boost could help it, as mirror-like reflections plague the C6’s screen, made even worse when watching darker movies.

It’s one of my few gripes with the C6, but seeing how the G6 is capable of massively reducing reflections (even though it has a glossy screen) and that the rival Samsung S90H is bringing anti-glare to the mid-range OLED market, does make me wonder why LG couldn’t try and reduce the C6’s reflections further.

LG C6: it’s looking good

Other than the reflections and a few other nitpicks I have with the C6, it looks like a truly brilliant TV from the time I’ve tested it so far. The three things above are just my top three stand-out changes, but it really does deliver improvements to the picture quality, gaming performance, and features we’ve come to know with LG’s C-series models.

While I would still say the LG C5 is the best option if you’re looking to buy right now, as its prices continue to drop over a year into its life, the C6 is a worthy upgrade and would be my choice if you’re holding off. I’ll have my full review live soon, but right now, things are looking very good for the C6.

The LG C5 was easily one of the best TVs released in 2025, as it continued the C-series OLED lineup's long legacy of delivering excellent picture quality and a full range of features at a mid-range OLED price.

When I tested the C5 last year, I awarded it the full five stars in my LG C5 review – thanks to its vibrant yet accurate picture, and its top-tier gaming performance – so its successor, the LG C6, has some big shoes to fill.

On paper, the C6 is very similar to the C5… in its 42- to 65-inch sizes at least. In its larger 77- and 83-inch models, the C6 becomes the C6H and uses a Primary Tandem RGB 2.0 OLED panel, the same in the flagship LG G6, rather than WOLED EX panel used in the smaller sizes, which is similar to the panels from the last few versions.

Still, all models of the C6 does come with a new processor: the Alpha 11 AI Gen 3, which is the same used in the flagship LG G6. This means it should get a nice brightness boost and improved color output, like the G6 does.

The 65-inch C6 recently arrived in our testing labs so I decided to put it against our C5 model we use for reference testing to see what changes, and hopefully improvements, had been made on the C6.

How has the LG C6's brightness improved?

We weren't sure if we'd get much of a brightness boost in the C6, rather than the C6H, but I've been very pleasantly surprised. As soon as I loaded up some snow scenes from the Spears & Munsil demo footage I always use for reference material, the C6’s higher brightness was obvious. Whites had a much bolder, vibrant look that made the snow really pop on screen. Crucially, it never overexerted the brightness either, keeping it well controlled in peak areas.

Other scenes where the sun sits on the horizon or in the sky showed the benefits of the peak brightness boost. As it sat on horizons or in the sky in movies such as Top Gun: Maverick or Wicked, these peak areas on screen looked more impactful and noticeably brighter, even compared to the already solid LG C5.

But here's the interesting twist: I measured the C6’s peak HDR brightness (in a 10% window) at 1,438 nits and its fullscreen HDR brightness at 245 nits, both in Filmmaker mode. This is a big jump from the C5’s 1,180 nits peak HDR and 195 fullscreen HDR brightness in the same Filmmaker Mode. That all makes sense, given that I could see a clear brightness increase.

However, the C6 actually measured lower in brightness on 25%, 50% and 75% brightness windows. It measured 694 nits at 25% (C5: 775 nits), 389 nits at 50% (C5: 443 nits), and 287 nits at 75% (C5: 317 nits).

Despite this, in real-world use, all scenes looked brighter, even if they seemed like they would fall into these categories. We've reached out to LG to discuss this result, in case it could be a quirk of the measurement process.

One area where the C6 hasn’t made a big change, however, is in its reflection handling. The C5 struggled with reflections and the C6 is no different. Despite a brightness increase, dark scenes can still be a struggle in brighter rooms on the C6, as it didn’t receive the anti-glare upgrade that G6 did, which I found very effective when comparing it to the Samsung S95F.

Have the colors improved on the LG C6?

To compare the C6 and C5’s color reproduction, I decided to return to an old favorite reference testing disc in Wicked. With both TVs set to Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode, it was clear that the C6’s colors were indeed an upgrade over the C5’s. For one, color accuracy seemed to be improved, because by comparison the C5 had a slightly green tinge, but the C6 looks just how I'd expect.

In the ‘Wizard & I’ scene, while both TVs delivered strong, vibrant colors, the C6’s demonstrated greater accuracy. The C6’s color saturation appears to be dialled back compared to the C5, which is something I also found when testing the step-up G6 and G5 side-by-side. This decision was by design, and I feel it’s benefitted the C6.

But colors on the C6 still had a lovely punch, with the pink flowers in the tree looking vibrant and the green of Elphaba’s skin and the blue details on the wall and other student’s uniforms striking a nice balance between authentic and bold.

The C6’s added brightness also helped with other scenes. As the train arrived into Emerald City, the dazzling greens of the train really popped on screen and the gold details of the train's mechanisms dazzled more on the C6 than the C5.

Skin tones also appeared more accurate on the C6, looking more true-to-life across each person on screen. The C5’s didn’t look bad by any means, but the C6’s authenticity really gave it the edge.

One element I'm going to dig deeper into before completing my full LG C6 review is how it handles color banding — the LG G6 is much improved in this area in HDR10 in my experience, and it's thanks to the processor, so I'm hoping for the same here. Watch this space for the full review.

Has the LG C6's contrast improved over the C5?

To do an initial comparison of the C6 and C5’s contrast, I used my go-to disc: The Batman. Throughout the movie, there are plenty of high-contrast scenes which are perfect for showing off what an OLED is capable of.

The C5 did a superb job with The Batman when I first tested it and while it still looked great here, as you’d expect from one of the best OLED TVs, the C6 again looked better.

While both TVs delivered strong contrast with a good balance between dark and light tones, the C6’s higher peak brightness gave stronger perceived contrast. As Batman walks down a hallway of a crime scene in Mayor Mitchell’s House, the wall lamps had more shine on the C6.

Where the C6 really succeeded was in the finer details. Black tones were a little bit richer and shadow detail was better. As Batman and Catwoman first meet in the darkened office, portraits on walls were more visible on the C6. The same was true of the opening subway scene, as more of Batman’s armor and the platform’s surroundings were visible on the C6.

Crucially, the C6 didn’t raise black tones to do so. In fact, in some scenes, the C5’s blacks appeared crushed at times, with some detail loss in the aforementioned armor.

Another contrast test was to see how these TVs displayed black and white movies. I opted for Sunset Boulevard. As you’d expect from two OLED TVs, screen uniformity was excellent and both demonstrated deep blacks, punchy whites and a full range of gray tones to deliver a more complete picture.

Whether it was the daytime scenes as Joe walks to the gates of Paramount Pictures studio or in Norma’s gloomy drawing room as she’s clad in black, both TVs did a good job with the contrast of the movie.

Once again though, with both TVs side-by-side, the C6’s more accurate color temperature came across. The C5 again had the slight green hue across the screen, while the C6 had the cooler, blue look I would expect, which meant it looked more accurate with a black-and-white movie.

In isolation, the C5 was still great for black-and-white pictures — you don't really notice the green hue unless you have something to compare it to — but the C6 showed how much of an improvement it was.

The C5’s secret weapon

Having put these two TVs side-by-side, I would say the C6 is a nice upgrade over the C5. Not only do colors look more natural, but it demonstrates slightly better and more balanced contrast, a nice brightness boost and a more accurate color tone across the whole screen. The C5 is still a brilliant TV that deserved every bit of its five-star rating, but the C6’s adjustments give it a more complete picture.

However, if you’re looking to buy right now, in early 2026, the C5 is clearly the better option. For a 65-inch C5 you’ll be paying $1,299 / £1,399 / AU$2,599 on average. As the C6 has only just launched, the 65-inch model will cost around $2,699 / £2,499 / AU$3.995. That’s a huge difference.

While the C6’s price won’t stay that high for long — the C-series is often the first model in LG’s TV lineup to get a discount — the C5 is a much better value option as it stands.

If you’re not in a rush to buy, the C6 delivers better picture quality based on this test, so it would be my pick once price drops are happening. But, the C5 is still a superb TV that won’t really let you down so if you’re looking to buy a C-series model soon, the C5 is the better choice.

The LG G6 OLED TV has arrived and it’s one of the best TVs I’ve tested in the past few years, with improved picture quality and processing power over its predecessor the LG G5 (which was already one of 2025’s best OLED TVs).

Among the improvements I found the G6 has made over the G5 when I put them-side-by-side, in terms of picture quality, are improved reflection handling, a big fullscreen brightness boost, and more refined color reproduction. But the G6 also fixes one of the G-series’ longest running issues: color banding.

What is color banding? Have you ever looked at a picture on screen and when there’s a large gradient of one color, say a sky at sunset, some clear 'steps' between different shades of the color appear, making it look 'blocky' rather than a smooth, natural gradient? That’s color banding, and it occurs when not enough different colors can be shown to make the gradient look totally natural.

While the LG G5 is a fantastic TV, color banding has been known to occur. In fact, color banding has been an issue for many OLEDs for some time (though it's not always caused by the panel, it can be caused by the image source)!

When I was shown the LG G5 side-by-side with the G6 for the first time at an event, a scene from The Green Knight showed off just how reduced the G6’s color banding was compared to the G5.

I’ve had the G6 in for testing for the past few weeks, so I decided to explore this color banding with some other scenes that would highlight the issue.

I've taken photos of the results, but bear in mind that because these have been run through image compression to reach the screen you're viewing them on, that process may have also added in color banding of its own. But, if you can see banding one TV and not the other, that's a good sign that one TV has struggled and the other is better, still.

Sunset skies

The reason I mentioned skies at sunset above is because they are excellent for showing color banding because of the way a complex gradient of colors is formed. Blues blending with oranges, pinks and purples will really highlight color banding.

I first decided to use a couple of scenes from La La Land, where sunset skies have this exact color profile and lo and behold, the color banding was worse on the G5 than the G6. As Sebastian walks on a pier with the sunset in view, the G6 reproduced the gradient of the sky with greater accuracy, retaining colors while the G5 had the rings you’d expect when banding occurs.

The same was true in the ‘A Lovely Night’ scene; as Sebastian and Mia dance together, the sky, again at sunset, showed more signs of banding on the G5 compared to the G6. This was more subtle however as the sky was less of a focal point compared to the aforementioned pier scene.

It’s a similar story with brighter scenes using the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K Blu-ray, where blue skies that blend with the horizon show a cleaner, more uniform gradient on the G6 compared to the G5.

While it doesn’t have the same blend of colors to really show off the gradient you’d find in a sunset image, it’s still interesting to note that this banding can occur in a brighter image.

But the above scenes were all tested in HDR10, so I decided to try Dolby Vision HDR in the same scene from The Green Knight that I’d been shown in a demo by LG itself – and this threw in an interesting wrinkle.

The Green Knight

First, I started off viewing The Green Knight in HDR10 once again, in Filmmaker Mode. The scene in question involves Gawain diving into a lake to retrieve a skull. During this scene, a large area of red light, which stands out against the deep blacks in the foreground and left side of the screen, really shows the G5’s color banding, with rings towards the middle and outer sections of the red light. On the G6, the gradient of red color is more uniform as expected, showing the G6’s better color reproduction.

However, switching to Dolby Vision HDR in the same scene, the G5 actually seemed to have less color banding than the G6: the opposite situation to the HDR picture.

While color banding wasn’t as obvious in Dolby Vision on either TV as it had been when using HDR10, there was no denying that the G6 had more visible rings in the red area compared to the G5. It also had a faint gray light on the edge of the red gradient, fading into the black.

I’d been very impressed by the LG G6’s dark scene handling and black level performance, so this was a surprise. The red color itself still looked punchy and vibrant with good accuracy, but with Dolby Vision, the G5 showed less color banding in this scene.

I also tried out Lawrence of Arabia on 4K Blu-ray in Dolby Vision, which has plenty of scenes of the desert sky at various times of day and brightness. In all of these scenes, both TVs showed good uniformity with minor signs of banding: it wasn’t as obvious as it had been with The Green Knight, so this scene appears to be very much a stress test.

A big win overall, but not a total shutout

I've rated the LG G6 as a five-star TV in my review, and I stand by that despite the surprising Dolby Vision result here, because I really didn't see that kind of result in most things. I've used the set with far more movies than the ones I've mentioned here in Dolby Vision, and loved it without noticing obvious color banding.

There's a lot more content out there being watched in SDR or HDR10 than Dolby Vision, and the LG G6 handles the first two of those better than the G5, no question.

But there are still improvements LG could make in Dolby Vision, that's obvious. Maybe it will come in an update – after all, it's had one already, and it's only just coming out, so there may be more in the future.

There are a lot of tech stories that get published every day on TechRadar, and we'll forgive you for not getting around to reading all of them — though we're very grateful if you do (and our daily newsletter might be perfect for you as well).

If you're in need of a catch up on what's been happening since this time last week, then our ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) round-up is here to help. It features the biggest stories from the week, summarized in an easy-to-digest format.

With new LG TVs, cameras from DJI and GoPro, Fire TV sticks, and more to discuss, it's once again been quite a week in technology — here's what went down.

7. We got our first taste of Spider-Man: Brand New Day

We've already seen a trailer, but the first extended clip of Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been shared at CinemaCon 2026 in Las Vegas, and there's lots to dig into. Besides what it tells us about the upcoming Spidey flick (arriving in theaters on Friday, July 31), it also hints at some retconning that could have an impact on the next two Avengers movies.

This is mostly just speculation until we get to see the movie for ourselves, but everything is now perfectly set up for the return of Tom Holland as the superhero web slinger. At the same CinemaCon 2026 event, we've also been treated to two excellent new posters for the movie — check both of them out via the link below and tell us which one you prefer.

• Read the full story: Spider-Man: Brand New Day's first big clip has been revealed at CinemaCon 2026 — and I think it's teasing us over how it'll set up Marvel's next two Avengers movies

6. There was a new twist in the US foreign router ban

The US administration recently banned the launch of any new routers manufactured in foreign countries — ostensibly over national security concerns. One of the companies expected to be affected by the ban was Netgear, but this week we got news that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be giving Netgear routers a pass.

Netgear has told us that it did submit an application for an exemption based on the FCC guidelines, which take into account the future plans of a company as well as current manufacturing processes, and that may be what made the difference here. Whatever the details in the small print, this remains a somewhat confusing ruling by the FCC.

• Read the full story: Netgear routers seemingly won’t be banned in the US after all — and this just proves the ban was never about security

5. Amazon gave us a slimmer Fire TV Stick

There was a lot of Amazon Fire TV news this week: not only did we get a slimmer version of the dependable Fire TV Stick HD streaming device, there's an interface revamp coming for all Fire TV devices. The updated layout is apparently going to help users to find content faster, with improved category selections one of the incoming software improvements.

Alongside the interface refresh, Amazon is also pushing out Fire TV channels, which will be free and ad-supported. These channels are going to be rolling out internationally at the end of the month, and cover genres such as news, comedy, cooking, and travel. These updates are substantial enough for rivals such as Roku and Google to take note.

• Read the full story: Own a Fire TV device? You're getting a free update soon, with refreshed layout and new streaming channels — and Amazon's also launching a slimmer Fire TV Stick

4. We tried 'the most beautiful phone of 2026'

Oppo has something to say to those who think smartphone design has peaked, and it's saying it in the form of the Find X9 Ultra. We've spent some time with the handset, which is inspired by the fantastic Hasselblad X2D camera in terms of its aesthetics, and this could genuinely end up being the most beautiful phone of 2026 (and quite a few other years as well).

There's going to be a full reveal of the phone next week, but for now we can confirm that the Oppo Find X9 Ultra comes with twin 200MP cameras and 10x optical zoom, and we're confident that the inside of the phone will be just as good as the outside. Stay tuned to TechRadar for more details over the next few days, including pricing and availability.

• Read the full story: The Oppo Find X9 Ultra is inspired by my favorite Hasselblad camera — and I think it's the most beautiful phone of 2026 so far

3. The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 finally landed

After months of rumors and speculation, the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 has finally landed, and this looks to be a serious upgrade over the Pocket 3 that preceded it. We've listed seven key upgrades that make the latest model worth a look, whether you're looking to upgrade from an existing device or wanting to get started with a vlogging camera for the first time.

The upgrades here include a new 4K sensor for better photos and video, improved color handling, a new slo-mo mode (up to 8x in full 4K), and subject tracking. We've got some welcome design tweaks to talk about too, while there's a higher capacity battery compared to the Pocket 3 that should ensure more recording time between charges.

• Read the full story: DJI Pocket 4 vs DJI Pocket 3 — 7 upgrades for the next best-selling vlogging camera

2. GoPro launched its epic Mission action cams

GoPro has been rather quiet of late, but that changed this week, when we got three new models from the camera company. These models are firmly aimed at serious videographers and photographers, too — the Mission 1 Pro ILS supports a Micro Four Thirds lens mount, which means it's compatible with hundreds of existing lenses.

That model is joined by the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro models. All three cameras feature a new 1-inch 50MP sensor and are capable of recording 8K video, and while we're still waiting for details on pricing, we do know pre-orders are opening up on May 21. Check out the three new models for yourself and let us know your thoughts — is GoPro back?

• Read the full story: GoPros get their biggest upgrade for 20 years with trio of 'professional' Mission 1 8K action cams — and one even supports hundreds of pro camera lenses

1. We tested LG's new flagship OLED TV

For many years LG has topped our list of the best OLED TVs on the market – or been very close to the top – and so expectations were high for the LG G6 that's leading the charge for the electronics maker in 2026. Having spent three weeks in the company of the television, we can confirm that it sets a new high bar when it comes to viewing experiences.

The LG G5 remains an excellent TV, but the LG G6 has somehow managed to improve on its predecessor in terms of picture quality, reflection reduction, gaming performance, color reproduction, and performance in brightly lit rooms. Have a read through our review and see if this could be the significant television upgrade you've been waiting for.

• Read the full story: I reviewed the LG G6 for 3 weeks, and it's a fantastic OLED TV that's the new best option for brighter rooms

• Another LG OLED user reports power cycling issue caused by bright flashes
• Reddit user u/RandomGamer414 reported the issue with their LG G5 in the r/LGOLED subreddit
• Other users report similar issues with different LG OLED TVs, caused by other games and streaming

More LG OLED users are experiencing power cycling issues caused by bright flashes on screen, and the models and causes are varied.

Last week, we reported on on unfortunate Resident Evil Requiem player's LG OLED turning off when they fired the titular weapon, with the bright flash from the gun seemingly causing a power cycling issue on their LG C1. Reddit user u/yorgo332 reported this issue in the r/LGOLED subreddit.

Well, now another Reddit user is experiencing a similar issue, only this time it's with an LG G5, the brand's flagship and one of the best OLED TVs from last year. Check out user u/RandomGamer414's post below:

LG G5 OLED power cycling , turning off/on with rapid change in brightness. Please lmk below if you have a similar issue and describe it from r/LGOLED

Once again, it's a bright muzzle flash from a weapon (this time in the game Cronos: The New Dawn) that's causing this user's LG G5 to turn off and turn back on again.

Further exploring the Reddit thread, it seems like it's not only a wide variety of games causing an issue, with Halo 4, Rocket League, The Division 2 and Borderlands 3 all named, but some users experienced it watching content through streaming sites such as Netflix and Hulu. The majority of reported issues do stem from video games with big flashes from explosions, however.

Users are also reporting the issue on a number of different models too, going as far back as the LG C9 (first released in 2019) and as recently as the LG G5 (which is the model u/RandomGamer414 is using in the post above). The CX (2020) and B4 (2024) are among some of the other models named.

It's worth noting that there are plenty of other LG OLED users, including G5 owners, who are saying they've never experienced this issue before. We here at TechRadar regularly use the G5 as our reference TV for testing, comparisons and our Blu-ray Bounty feature and have also never experienced this issue. We also have an LG C5 and LG B5 at our testing lab and again have not experienced this issue before with either of them.

Again, it's not entirely clear what is causing the issue, whether it is a power unit failure or a problem with the panels themselves.

Some users are suggesting that a new HDMI cable could fix the issue or adjusting the TV's brightness to dim the flash to prevent the power cycle from happening, but there seems to be no obvious fix as of yet.

We have reached out to LG for comment and will be sure to update this article if we hear back.

LG G6 OLED TV: Two minute review

The LG G6 OLED TV is the successor to the excellent LG G5 elite OLED, and it's a worthy follow-up. It uses a new-gen Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel with a new Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 processor to help it deliver better picture quality and performance. Feature packed and able to handle anything thrown at it, the G6 sets the standard for OLED in 2026, in more ways than one.

Picture quality on the G6 is excellent. It delivers punchy, vibrant colors that appear more natural and accurate than its predecessor, while also delivering powerful contrast with rich blacks and refined brightness.

The real game changer is its reflection handling, which does a fantastic job of limiting mirror-like reflections while maintaining better black levels than the Samsung S95F, which we rated as the best OLED TV for bright-room viewing… until now.

Detail is exceptional, with crisp textures, while motion handling is smooth and natural. The G6 is a truly impressive TV to look at.

The G6’s built-in sound has had some big changes, with a drop in the number of sound modes available for the 4.2-channel speaker system. I preferred using the AI Sound Pro mode, which has had its sound profile altered compared to the G5’s version of this mode.

It’s more direct, punchier and more accurate now. But ultimately, while the G6’s sound is solid, I’d still add one of the best soundbars for the full cinematic experience.

LG’s OLEDs are always among the best gaming TVs on the market and the G6 is no different. With four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting a full suite of features — 4K 165Hz, FreeSync and G-Sync variable refresh rate certification, HGiG HDR, Dolby Vision gaming — plus a new ultra-low measured input lag of 8.9ms, the G6 is a fantastic gaming set.

LG's webOS continues to be one of the better smart TV platforms available, and webOS 26, the latest iteration, is another great instalment. There's a rich suite of picture settings, the navigation and layout is intuitive, and actually useful AI tools for content recommendations and user quality-of-life. It’s not perfect, with bulky ad space on the home screen, but there’s little else to complain about here.

At $3,399 / £2,999 / AU$4,999 for the 65-inch model I tested, the G6 is a premium-priced TV. Its US launch pricing is consistent with the G5’s launch pricing last year in the US, and is a little cheaper in the UK — and I don’t expect it will stay at these prices for long, because TVs always start dropping soon after launch. It delivers good overall value thanks to the performance you’re getting for the price, but it remains at the top end of the TV market.

If your priority is having the deep cinematic dark tones that OLED is known for, but viewable in as many lighting conditions as possible, the LG G6 is elite.

LG G6 review: Prices & release date

• Release date: March 2026 (US/Aus) / May 2026 (UK)
• 48-inch price: $N/A / £TBC / AU$N/A
• 55-inch price: $2,499.99 / £2,199 / AU$3,999
• 65-inch price: $3,399.99 / £2,999 / AU$4,999
• 77-inch price: $4,499.99 / £3,999 / AU$7,499
• 83-inch price: $6,499.99 / £TBC / AU$9,999
• 97-inch price : $24,999.99 / £TBC / AU$29,999

The LG G6 is one of LG’s flagship OLED TVs for 2026, alongside the ‘Wallpaper’ LG W6. It sits above the mid-range LG C6 (and new LG C6H, which is the version of the C6 at larger sizes) and entry-level LG B6. It is widely available in 55, 65, 77 and 83-inch sizes.

There is also a smaller 48-inch model in the UK, and a larger 97-inch model in the US and Australia (though you should expect different performance results from these panels — especially the 97-inch model, which uses a much older OLED panel rather than the Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 panel in the other sizes).

Prices have remained consistent with the G6’s predecessor, the G5, in the US and Australia, but in a surprising turn of events, the G6's launch prices in the UK are cheaper than the G5's were in three key models: 55, 65 and 77-inches, with all three coming in £200-500 cheaper than their predecessors.

LG G6 review: Specs

LG G6 review: Benchmark results

LG G6 review: Features

• Primary Tandem RGB OLED 2.0 panel and Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI Processor
• 4K 165Hz for PC gaming with full VRR support
• New LG webOS adds more AI features and tweaks some settings

The LG G6 is equipped with the Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel, the second generation of the redesigned OLED panel first introduced in the G6’s predecessor, the G5. It delivers higher brightness, and LG has added better reflection handling on top of that.

The G6 also features the new Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI Processor, which features Brightness Booster Ultimate, a ton of AI features including AI Search and AI Chatbot, and faster processing speeds.

New features also include 12-bit color processing and 13-bit output (the final 1-bit is a brightness boost), Dual AI Super Resolution, Dynamic Tone Mapping Ultra and enhanced AI Sound features including Object Enhancement.

The G6 supports Dolby Vision HDR, but as usual does not support HDR10+. It also supports Dolby Atmos sound, but again there is no DTS support. It also supports Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2. LG says there are currently no plans for Dolby Vision 2 support.

Gaming is well supported on the G6, with 4K 165Hz, full variable refresh rate options including AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG HDR, auto low latency mode, and Dolby Vision Gaming all supported across four HDMI 2.1 ports. Game Optimizer mode features as usual with plenty of settings available to tailor the gaming experience.

For audio, the biggest change is the reduction of available sound modes — from eight to four — with more of a focus on AI sound modes. The TV comes with the same 4.2 channel speaker system as last year’s G5 and again supports the AI Sound Wizard first debuted in last year’s Alpha 11 Gen 2 processor.

As before, there's no support for DTS decoding in the TV, so it's best if your source device or soundbar can handle this.

As for the latest iteration of LG’s own smart TV platform, webOS 26, there have been alterations to the AI features from last year, such as a more refined AI Concierge which can use Generative AI as well as a new layout for major settings in menus that prioritize users more.

The Quick Menu can also be customized to add more personal features such as Game Optimizer. Quick Cards return, and more have been added such as Home Office and Music.

• Features score: 5 / 5

LG G6 review: Picture quality

• Rich and especially natural color reproduction
• Excellent contrast and shadow detail, even by OLED's standards
• Surprisingly effective reflection handling that's a big step up

Beginning with some brightness measurements, the LG G6 hit 2,471 nits HDR peak brightness in Filmmaker Mode and 2,454 nits in Standard mode. While the Filmmaker Mode number is roughly a 200-nit increase from the G5, the Standard mode figure is a massive 604 nits increase (the G5 measured 1,850 nits), which is far higher than the 20% increase LG had promised.

Fullscreen HDR brightness has received the most meaningful boost, with the G6 hitting a measured 455 nits in Filmmaker Mode compared to the G5’s 331 nits. In Standard mode, it measured in at 373 nits, again a nice jump from the G5’s 297 nits in the same mode, meaning pictures should appear far brighter overall.

Color reproduction is arguably the G6’s greatest strength, though. Although colors don’t appear as 'bright' on the G6 compared to its predecessor, the LG G5, LG told me this was "by design" and I think the tweak has paid off: colors are simply stunning on the G6 while looking totally natural.

Watching the market scene from The Sound of Music, where orange, yellow and fruits sit front and center on screen, all these colors looked rich, refined and still packed plenty of punch, while also appearing true-to-life. Other scenes which feature green hills and blue skies, such as the ‘Do Re Mi’ scene, also demonstrate the G6’s excellent color accuracy.

Switching to an animated movie, The Wild Robot, the G6 again delivers gorgeous hues. A scene where Roz is surrounded by multi-colored butterflies shows excellent color balance between neutral and bolder colors, but crucially still delivers the richness you’d want from an animated movie.

Measuring the G6’s HDR color gamut coverage, it hit 99.3% of the DCI-P3 color space and 82.7% of the BT.2020 color space. These are both superb results and help explain why the G6’s color reproduction stands out — it's capable of showing pretty much everything that HDR video has to offer. It also registered a 1.4 delta-E SDR color accuracy in Filmmaker Mode: another brilliant result, meaning its colors are indistinguishable from 'perfect' to the human eye out of the box.

The G6’s contrast is another high point. Watching various high-contrast scenes from The Batman, such as the investigation in Mayor Mitchell’s house and the subway fight scene, the G6 delivers powerful contrast with deep, rich dark tones of the dark wood surroundings balancing with punchy highlights from light sources.

This is also true in Alien: Romulus, where shots of space show ‘perfect’ blacks mixed with refined highlights of stars and suns. Next to the G5, these shots are not only more balanced but more controlled, demonstrating minimal clipping in the lights.

Shadow detail is also excellent on the G6. In The Batman’s many dark scenes, details such as Batman’s armor, the panelling of a column on the subway platform, and even the portraits on the walls of Mitchell’s house are all visible without the need for raised brightness.

One area where the G6 really impressed was its reflection handling. Playing dark movies such as The Batman, Nosferatu and Alien: Romulus with overhead lights in our testing lab turned on, I was surprised by how much of the picture was visible and even how few mirror-like reflections there were. Not even the ‘torture test’ of The Batman was muddied on the G6.

It’s the black retention that also impresses, as I found when testing the G6 next to the Samsung S95F, with its anti-glare matte screen. While the S95F can cut out mirror-like reflections totally, its black tones can end up looking gray compared to the G6 in some lighting conditions, while the G6 manages to balance both reflections and black accuracy.

The G6’s motion handling is fantastic. Testing various sports including basketball, tennis and football, pictures are smooth and responsive throughout with no signs of motion artefacts such as ghosting. Either the Cinematic Movement or Natural motion settings, located in the TruMotion menu, worked well during my testing, though I did find motion settings necessary as some mild judder would occur with these settings turned off.

Motion handling for movies was also great. I personally found that my preferred setting was the Cinematic Movement setting, which did a good job reproducing a panning scene of a rocky hillside from No Time To Die with only minimal judder (which is expected). Throughout the succeeding chase scene, fast motion camera shots appeared smooth.

A DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man shows just how impressive the G6’s upscaling is. The picture on the 65-inch model was bright, clean and had crisp textures compared to some cheaper TVs I’d seen. I already knew how impressive LG’s OLEDs were at upscaling based on the G5’s performance in this area in last year’s four-way OLED showdown I did, but the G6 took it a step further, adding even more detail.

• Picture quality score: 5 / 5

LG G6 review: Sound quality

• 4.2 channel speaker array with four sound more options
• Great accuracy, good detail and solid power
• Soundstage isn't that wide compared to a soundbar

Testing the G5 last year I found myself drawn to the AI Sound Pro mode as well as the Cinema setting. With the removal of the latter in the G6 this year, I settled on AI Sound Pro as my favorite after testing the G6’s built-in 4.2 channel speaker system. AI Sound Pro upmixes sound to an 11.1.2-channel configuration with the aid of the Alpha 11 Gen 3 Processor. Dolby Atmos is supported, but there’s no DTS support of any kind.

LG has altered the AI Sound Pro profile for the G6 and it results in a more direct, bassier sound than last year’s G5. The sound profile itself also focuses on more mid-range tones, which I found more appealing than last year’s brighter G5.

Using the Batmobile scene from The Batman, the G6’s speakers deliver punchy bass, capturing the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine during ignition accurately. Mapping between sound and the action on screen is precise, with the swerving tyres and car horns of passing cars sounding authentic. This is also true during The Mask. As The Mask himself tornadoes around, the G6 does a good job with the directionality of the sound.

While the G6 also delivers a respectable soundstage, with sound sometimes extending beyond the screen, it all still feels quite contained. The speakers don’t have the punch of a soundbar or of TVs with larger speaker systems such as the Sony Bravia 8 II or Panasonic Z95B. The G6 is good for general movie and TV viewing, but its sound doesn’t match the sheer brilliance of its picture.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

LG G6 review: Design

• Wall-mount and stand options for some sizes
• Premium, sturdy build on the whole TV set
• Remote still feels cheap in comparison

The LG G6 carries a lot of the same design over from the G5. It still has a metal frame that looks premium and feels reassuringly sturdy, along with a heavy, gray and metal pedestal stand that can be placed at two heights to make room for a soundbar. There’s a cable-tidy option at the back of the TV as well.

The G6 also comes with a slim-fit wall-mount in the box in some sizes (depending on region) for those that want to wall-mount their TV. The G6’s screen itself has a near-bezelless design, meaning the picture takes up basically all of the front — something that's not so true with Samsung's new 2026 flagship OLED TV.

LG’s Magic Remote returns here, and while the US remote benefits from a somewhat slimmer build with a more streamlined button layout, the UK is stuck with the old-style magic remote with a wheel.

The latter still feels light and cheap: not something you want for a TV at this price. LG could take some lessons from brands such as Philips and Hisense, whose remotes feel far more premium.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

LG G6 review: Smart TV & menus

• Uses LG's webOS 26 smart TV platform
• Expanded Quick Cards and customizable Quick Menu are useful
• More and enhanced AI features are actually welcome

The G6 comes with webOS 26 as its smart TV platform, which is the latest iteration of LG’s own smart TV. Some of the returning highlights features include the Quick Menu, which is a handy tool for easily changing picture and sound presets, and the Quick Cards feature, where apps can be organized into a relevant category 'card' on the home screen. For 2026, these cards have been expanded to include even more options.

The system also has an excellent array of accessibility options, which are also in their own quick card.

The AI Concierge, which previously helped you find tailored content recommendations based on searches and watch history, can now use Generative AI for other tasks, such as making travel plans.

Other AI tools introduced last year, such as Voice ID (which can activate a person’s profile with their customized settings simply by recognizing a voice), AI Search (for AI-assisted content search) and AI Chatbot (for troubleshooting) all return. There’s also an AI Art feature, where artworks can be generated, though you'll have a limited number of credits.

As for menus, webOS 26 is easy to navigate, clearly laid out and has enough options to customize picture and sound settings without being overwhelming. One downside is that the webOS 26 homepage has over a third of its top space taken up by banner ads, which can be an eyesore, but it's far from alone in this. It still remains one of the best smart TV platforms on the market.

• Smart TV & menus score: 5 / 5

LG G6 review: Gaming

• 4K 165Hz, AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync all supported
• Ultra-low 8.9ms input lag time measured using a Leo Bodnar 4K meter
• Four HDMI 2.1 ports with full support for all gaming features

Following in the footsteps of LG’s previous OLEDs, the G6 is a phenomenal gaming TV. It comes with four HDMI 2.1 ports that have all the features gamers will be looking for: 4K 165Hz, VRR with both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync supported, HGiG, Dolby Vision Gaming and auto low latency mode.

It also features the Game Optimizer menu where settings can be tweaked, including an 'Input delay' option. Activating Boost mode (for lower input lag), the G6 registered an 8.9ms measured input lag, beating the years of 9.2ms in its predecessors.

Playing Battlefield V, gaming performance on the G6 is razor-sharp and responsive. Whether it was a fast-paced mission driving a tank around war-torn Berlin or running from enemies in France, movement felt smooth and targeting was snappy and easy. There was never any stutter or delay during the most chaotic moments.

Gaming also looks gorgeous on the G6, with the rich contrast, bold colors and crisp detail it delivered for movies translated over to gaming. Once again, the G6 has set the bar for a gaming TV in 2026.

• Gaming score: 5 / 5

LG G6 review: Value

• Good overall value compared to other flagship OLED TVs
• Consistent pricing with predecessor in the US, and cheaper in the UK
• Still very much a premium TV

The LG G6 is a premium-priced OLED TV, with the 65-inch version I tested costing $3,399 / £2,999 / AU$4,999 at launch. It delivers the premium experience OLED fans will want, with excellent picture quality and superb gaming performance, but it is undoubtedly a top-end TV.

While it also is an improvement over the G5 in terms of picture quality, the G5 is better value at the time of writing, as it nears the end of its first year of life. You can pick up a 65-inch G5 for $2,199 / £2,249 / AU$3,199, so if you’re desperate for a new G-series, the G5 is your best bet in terms of value for money. If you can wait, the G6 is the better TV to go for once prices drop.

Still, the G6 is a fantastic TV, really showing what flagship OLED can do. If you have the budget, the G6 is worth the investment.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the LG G6 OLED TV?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if…

LG G6 review: Also consider...

How I tested the LG G6 OLED TV

• I tested the LG G6 over three weeks, watching streaming, 4K Blu-ray, regular Blu-ray, and DVD
• Tested in various lighting conditions in our TV testing labs
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays Calman color calibration software

I first tested the LG G6 OLED TV with some casual viewing to establish its best picture modes, settling on Filmmaker Mode for SDR, HDR and Dolby Vision sources.

I then conducted real-world viewing tests using both SDR (DVD and broadcast TV) and HDR (4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming) where I analyzed the G6's picture quality. I focused on color, contrast, shadow detail, motion and upscaling (for lower resolution sources such as DVD).

I also tested the G6's built-in sound by using reference scenes to test its sound performance, such as The Batman and The Mask, on top of other viewing.

Once these subjective tests were completed, I did some objective testing by taking measurements suing specialized equipment. I used the Klein K-10A colorimeter (after meter profiling with the Jeti 15VA spectroradiometer), Murideo Six G 8K Metal test pattern generator and recorded results using Portrait Displays Calman color calibration software.

I measured the G6's brightness in both Filmmaker Mode (its most accurate mode) and Standard picture modes, in both SDR and HDR. I used white window test patterns ranging 1-100%, focusing on 10% (peak brightness) and 100% (fullscreen brightness).

I also measured its HDR color gamut coverage, using both BT.2020 and UHDA-P3 color spaces, hoping for a result of over 95%. I also measured its SDR color and grayscale accuracy by taking the average of the Delta-E results (the margin for error between the test pattern signal and what's shown on screen), hoping for results below 3 (anything below can't be distinguished by the human eye).

I then measured the G6's EOTF in 1,000, 4,000 and 10,000 nits brightness, which shows the accuracy at which the G6 displays in both dark and light areas.

I also measured the G6's Spectral Power Distribution using the Jeti spectroradiometer, which shows the G6's color performance.

Finally, I measured the G6's input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester, measuring this is milliseconds (ms).

• First reviewed: April 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Samsung has decided to use LG-made WOLED panels in every size of its new 2026 mid-range Samsung S90H OLED TV model, as opposed to mixing and matching QD-OLED and WOLED as it has done in the past — and it’s upset some fans.

WOLED, the more traditional or ‘standard’ OLED panel, has historically been dimmer than QD-OLED, which has also been known for more vibrant colors and higher HDR color gamut coverage (based on our previous tests) thanks to its use of quantum dots.

First introduced by Samsung in 2022, in its flagship Samsung S95B OLED, QD-OLED really took off when the Samsung S90C mid-range OLED was first introduced in 2023. At the time, we praised the company for making its QD-OLED tech more affordable. So much so, it sat at the top of our best TVs list for a while and won our TV of the Year award in 2023.

The next two models however, 2024’s S90D and last year’s S90F, were subject to a ‘panel lottery’. This meant that in some sizes in some regions, users couldn't know whether they would get a QD-OLED or WOLED panel, and Samsung regularly declined to confirm anything when asked. And there would have been a clear performance difference between different panels.

(This was more of an issue with the S90D, but QD-OLED was still limited in the S90F, and only really guaranteed to be QD-OLED worldwide in a 65-inch size.)

This year, Samsung seems to have decided to cut the confusion altogether by using WOLED panels across all sizes, as reported by multiple sources including DisplaySpecifications. Unfortunately, it’s not gone down well with some fans. In a post in r/OLEDgaming, user u/TheGabrielSevero says: “Samsung S90H is a WOLED? If it is, it’s a HARD pass.”

Some users also aren’t happy with the introduction of the OLED Glare Free matte screen to the S90H lineup either, making its debut in this model after being first introduced in 2024 with the flagship Samsung S95D and then making its way to more mini-LED and QLED models last year.

I’ve always been impressed by the matte screen for its reflection-beating abilities that make bright room viewing easier, but some users criticize it for raising black tones to a gray, which is a compromise for beating the reflections. I tested the Samsung S95F next to the LG G6 recently and the LG manages to balance both blacks and reflections with a more pleasing result, but the Samsung S95F is still an excellent choice for bright rooms, a title it holds on our best OLED TV list.

So the S90H is coming under fire for two big reasons, and while I can't help anyone who doesn't like the matte screen with that element, I have arguably some good news for those worried about the use of WOLED panels — or, at the very least, an explanation on why Samsung would switch.

LG C6’s brightness: a new hope?

When we measured the 65-inch Samsung S90F (which uses a QD-OLED panel last year) its peak HDR brightness (10% window pattern) it clocked in at 1,400 nits, with its peak fullscreen HDR brightness hitting 270 nits. These were much higher results than the rival LG C5 (which uses a WOLED panel), which we measured at 1,180 nits peak and 195 nits fullscreen.

While these were both five-star TVs overall, having the option to get a QD-OLED TV for the same price as a WOLED TV was better value for money in several ways, because you were getting a more advanced, much brighter panel.

However, our lab recently measured the LG C6’s brightness and there’s some promising news. The C6’s peak HDR brightness hit 1,355 nits and its fullscreen HDR brightness measured 237 nits. This is a nice boost over the C5, and much closer to the S90F’s results, especially in peak brightness.

The reason the C6 results are relevant is because it uses LG Display's mid-range WOLED panel, which is the one almost certainly used in the S90H – and so the Samsung should achieve very similar numbers.

So when it comes to pure brightness, you can see why Samsung would choose to make the switch — it takes the confusion out of the S90H line-up, while hitting very similar brightness figures to the S90F QD-OLED models.

And the double-whammy is that WOLED panels are reportedly much cheaper to produce than QD-OLED (one report says QD-OLED is up to 65% more expensive to produce even today), so if you can get that level of performance while paying less, wouldn't you go for it?

Having said that, the S90H's performance is likely to take a hit in one area, however: BT.2020 HDR color gamut coverage. The C6 measured 75.4% coverage in our lab’s recent tests, but the S90F clocked in at a staggering 90.1%. This is where QD-OLED really shines. Happily, in the more commonly used DCI-P3 color space — the one actually used by HDR video — both TVs achieved nearly 100%.

It's worth noting that the above C6 measurements were taken before a recent firmware update. Although we're not expecting big changes in the areas measured above (peak and fullscreen brightness and HDR color gamut), we'll be doing a full re-test before our full LG C6 review goes live.

We haven't measured the S90H yet, but when we do it’ll be interesting to see how similar it is to the C6, and what performance differences there are in real-world viewing. While it’s great to know that panels will be consistent across the range, will there be a compromise in Samsung’s often bolder color reproduction? And how will the matte display affect things? I’m eager to get the S90H in to find out.

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• Muzzle flash from Requiem gun seemingly causes LG OLED TV to turn off
• Reddit user r/yorgo332 posted the video to the r/LGOLED Reddit forum
• There's no obvious cause for the issue

One Resident Evil 9: Requiem player is experiencing a bizarre issue when playing the game: every time they fire the Requiem gun, their LG C1 OLED TV restarts.

Reddit user u/yorgo332 posted the curious occurrence to the r/LGOLED Reddit page, which you can check out below:

Here's one for you guys, my C1 restarts whenever i shoot the requiem, what the actual F from r/LGOLED

Now, that is what we call immersion.... but seriously, this shouldn't be happening. The LG C1 is the 2021 model in LG's long-running C-series OLED range, which have been some of the best TVs for years now. This is not an issue you'd expect to come across.

The Requiem weapon in Resident Evil 9 is a big, powerful revolver, and when it's fired it emits a bright muzzle flash and a big punchy sound — but that shouldn't cause the TV to restart.

It's not entirely obvious what's causing this issue. Perhaps the set is unable to handle the power needed to handle the sudden bright flash, or maybe there’s some other bug in the processing that's triggered by the gun.

Other users in the thread speculate a power supply issue, while some even suspect an audio issue caused by the loud sound of the gun firing. Other users have suggested adjusting brightness as a way to try and resolve the issue. Either way, there's no clear sign of what's leading to this odd event.

There seems to be no resolution to the story yet, but we'll be keeping an eye on it to see what happens!

We rated Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth mainline entry in the long-running horror franchise, four stars out of five in our review calling it "a blast" (which now sounds like an unintended pun), praising its visuals and action-packed gameplay, but feeling a little disappointed by the latter half of the game's story after an excellent start.

As for LG's latest OLEDs, our LG G6 review will be live soon, and we're hoping to get the LG C6, the 2026 successor to the aforementioned LG C1, in for testing soon.

We've reached out to LG for comment on this and if we hear back, we'll be sure to update this article.

Ever since I saw my first RGB-backlit TV at CES 2025, from Samsung (immediately followed by Hisense and TCL later in the show), I've been really bullish on the technology's potential — even going so far as to call it "a huge danger to OLED TVs".

2026 is really the year of the RGB TV, with major launches coming from nearly every huge TV maker, and I've been really excited by the models I've seen in previews, ranging from Samsung's first-of-its-kind 130-inch RGB TV to Panasonic's tease of a future RGB model it may launch, to Hisense's UR9 RGB TV that's unique by offering a DisplayPort connection, to Sony's demonstration of the tech it plans to launch in 2026.

So, having finally seen so much of these TVs in action, my anticipation of them actually arriving must be only growing, right?

My friends, they haven't even launched yet, and I'm already exhausted by the whole RGB rollout.

They're not even here and they're too confusing

A major part of the problem is that there are already just too many variations — or possible variations — and considerations to track.

You can read our full explanation of RGB-backlit TVs here. Still, the gist is that because it uses a colorful backlight, that means it can deliver a wider range of colors than regular mini-LED and can have less light bloom from bright areas to dark area potentially, because colors don't always leak as obviously (as my colleague Jake Krol noted on his more recent trip to see Sony show off its RGB tech again).

So, this is a new technology that's better than regular mini-LED, right? It's the most premium tech, ready to take on the best OLED TVs?

Well, not according to TCL, which is including two RGB TVs in its new TV range, and neither of them is its flagship TV. The flagship is the TCL X11L, which uses a new-and-improved version of regular mini-LED tech to deliver some impressive results compared to other mini-LED models in our testing.

Here's what's most confusing: one of the RGB TVs that TCL is launching is its second-fanciest model, sitting just below the X11L, but the other is one of its least-premium models, sitting below its mid-range 7-series mini-LED TVs, due to its limited number of dimming zones and middling brightness.

LG is also launching RGB TVs, which might come as a surprise given that it's the standard-bearer for OLED. Well, guess what? It's positioning its RGB TVs below the LG G6 and LG C6 OLED TVs in the range, and it really just seems to be offering them so it can provide an affordable, larger-screen option than its OLEDs can deliver.

Philips is similarly launching an RGB TV model that seems to replace the mini-LED models it's always had that sit below the OLEDs in its product range, so it's the same deal there.

So all three of these companies think that RGB TVs are not going to be the flagship. But Hisense disagrees! Its flagship TV this year is an RGB TV, and the TV just below that will also use RGB tech, and then it switches to regular mini-LED tech once you get to the mid-range U7-series (which looks great this year thanks to a new anti-reflective layer).

Samsung is also making RGB TVs the flagship of its LED range, with mini-LED models only coming in lower down the range with the QN80H and below (including some models that are mini-LED without QLED, which genuinely shocked me).

Except Samsung has a kind of split flagship TV personality these days: is the flagship the Samsung R95H RGB TV, or is it the Samsung S95H/S99H elite OLED TV (which has impressed us in our early testing at home)? It's basically both!

Sony will launch its 'True RGB' TV sometime this year, but we have no idea what the price will be, or how it will compare to the Sony Bravia 8 II OLED TV in the line-up — but I expect it to sit above it, based on Sony's pursuit of 4,000 nits reference-quality TVs to match its studio monitors.

So to recap, is RGB tech the new premium OLED-killer tech? Well, LG and Philips seem to think it's not, and OLED is still the top dog. Samsung hasn't chosen a side. TCL doesn't like OLED anyway, and yet still says RGB tech doesn't even beat its own mini-LED tech.

Only Hisense is fully committed, and is even removing its sole OLED TV from sale in 2026.

So what's the average TV buyer supposed to think? Obviously, the TechRadar TV team is going to be testing them to work out which are indeed very premium and which should be genuine alternatives to OLED as the premium TV pick… but for someone who's just trying to understand the options available to them and level of quality you get from a particular type of technology, the RGB launch looks like a total fumble.

And that's before you get to trying to reckon with what's in the panels themselves.

Not all RGB tech is created equal, probably

Since mini-LED launched around 2021, the technology has become… complicated. There's no rule on what can be called "mini-LED," so some of the TVs marketed that way today are just TVs we would have known as direct-LED TVs in the past. Samsung even released edge-lit TVs that it markets as mini-LED, which I think is pushing the definition too far.

But also, do you get better results from something with very small LEDs packed in, but terrible control of light bleeding from one area to another, or from something with bigger LEDs in fewer zones, but with better shaping of the light as it passes through the panel?

At first, the technology was very samey, but it's developed into something complex over time with a million ways to approach its simple concept.

RGB TVs are launching with a ton of confusion around the specific implementation already built in, even though they offer such a clear original concept (of having a colorful backlight instead of a single color).

For example, did you know that some RGB TVs might not actually use red, green, and blue LEDs in each backlight element, as is the whole promise of the technology? There are versions of the tech that use two LEDs (blue and green) with a phosphor color filter to create the full range of hues. This would be cheaper to make, but it will surely perform less well.

Sony has been making a big fuss about how its upcoming TV will have individual red, green, and blue LEDs for each backlight element, because it's a premium piece of tech. Sony seems to be briefing against other brands that might be cutting corners, to make clear that its (probably high-priced) TV is worth the cash.

Who would be launching a cheaper TV that cuts corners this way? Most people would probably guess the Chinese brands that have been undercutting the likes of Sony and Samsung on price for years.

But Hisense is doing the exact same briefing as Sony against unnamed competitors who may use the cheaper version. The company told me that its two new RGB TVs use all three LED colors, unlike some that might be using the dual-LED system.

Okay, what about TCL? The company certainly gets some side-eye from TV enthusiasts following the result of a lawsuit saying that it can't call certain TVs "QLED" anymore. Well, TCL told me explicitly that its higher-end RGB model not only uses all three RGB LEDs, but it actually has two of each LED per element to provide better light performance.

The company said that the red element even uses an individual control chip per red LED, because the red wavelength needs the most careful management. For green and blue, the two LEDs are each controlled by one chip.

Now, Sony's made a big song and dance about having one LED per color, and TCL's out here with two LEDs per color — who's the more premium now, eh, Sony? The answer is: I have no idea! We'd have to test both, but this whole thing leaves me exhausted rather than excited about a new technology that hasn't even launched yet. Multiple companies are pointing fingers at others for cutting corners, but everyone is also successfully emphasizing how they're absolutely not cutting corners.

The good news is that it should be very obvious if TVs are using the cheaper system once we get them in our labs, because the spectrum power distribution of a TV screen is like a fingerprint for different technologies, since it measures the inherent luminance of different wavelengths within the panel, which gets adjusted for the content.

But the thing is, we're not even done with the technology being confusing yet, because at CES in 2026, Hisense literally didn't show its two new RGB TVs at all, instead opting to show the next version of the tech, which is no longer RGB anymore. It's RGBC, because the company is apparently adding a cyan LED in addition to the red, green, and blue.

Am I excited about this? I don't know, man, why don't you let me see what I think of the RGB ones first!

And I haven't even talked about how RGB TVs will often "color zones" instead of the "dimming zones" you get with mini-LED, meaning you need to divide the number of color zones by three in order to get the equivalent number to simple dimming zones, because color zones count all three RGB elements as independently dimmable (but this is silly, because we only care about the number of zones in terms of their ability to turn things black).

What do you tell people in your own advertising?

Look, it's obviously great that the TV world is more innovative and competitive than it's ever been right now. It's going to mean better results and cheaper TVs for people buying them, so I'm far from mad about all this.

But I'm bemused, because the TV companies are making it both harder for themselves and for me by rolling this tech out in such a chaotic manner.

Take Hisense, valiantly betting on RGB as being the flagship top-of-the-line TV. It will surely just advertise that RGB is the best you can get — nice and easy, right? Except TCL will offer an RGB TV that massively undercuts both of Hisense's TVs, so Hisense's own advertising may work against it because it makes that TV look incredibly tempting in comparison to its own — and both companies have opted to name their versions of the technology 'Mini RGB', so they'll sound incredibly similar to most people.

When someone asks me whether one type of TV technology is better than the other, or even just whether something is good for a particular purpose, I can normally give a succinct answer, even if it starts with 'depends'.

I really don't know how to answer with RGB tech this year. I'll probably have to tell people to ignore the name and just think of it as mini-LED because of how interspersed it is with mini-LED tech between different manufacturers at similar prices.

But that seems like such a waste of a new screen technology, doesn't it? OLED has such a simple dominance of branding as the premium TV tech, and RGB could have challenged it, but collectively, the branding has been diluted before it even launched fully.

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The LG G5 was one of the best-performing TVs of 2025, delivering exceptional picture quality and performance that set a strong bar for the best OLED TVs to follow. The G5 was an excellent flagship OLED, so it meant its successor, the LG G6, needs to prove itself against its predecessor.

I actually already compared the LG G6 side-by-side with the LG G5 once, and was impressed with the results of the G6. It proved to have more natural colors, more accurate contrast with deeper blacks, and proved to be better in bright rooms, thanks to its superior reflection handling. It also posted impressive brightness boosts, especially in fullscreen.

However, since then, LG has released a new firmware update for the G6, which it says makes adjustments to brightness. The color vibrancy had already been adjusted in the G6’s Filmmaker Mode (compared to the G5’s) after feedback. Now, it seems the G6 has had its overall brightness tweaked freshly. So, I applied the update to see what it had done and re-evaluate the G5 and G6 side-by-side again.

I haven't written about black levels, shadow detail or sound comparisons here — I wrote about them in my original article, but these remained essentially unchanged, so for my thoughts on these, check out my original article here.

Let's instead look at what's new in this update.

Changes from the firmware update

Rather than go into too much detail about the firmware updates changes, I’ll give a brief summary here. First and foremost, I found that perceived brightness had been reduced in the G6.

Colors were already more natural on the G6, but again the brightness of said colors on the G6 has been toned down, to give an even more balanced look. In some scenes however, the G6’s colors had more depth and richness. I’ll get into what colors looked like on the G6 shortly.

Some of the major changes came in my objective measurements. While there were minute brightness increases in SDR, the major change came in HDR Filmmaker Mode. I’d measured HDR brightness on a 2% window at 3,326 nits before the update. Post-update, this had dropped to 2,504 nits. While this may seem odd, this is in-line with the brightness limiting I’d expected, to improve tonal accuracy across the range.

The above EOTF graphs were measured with a target of 1,000 nits. This measures how accurately a TV displays HDR levels. The closer a TV sticks to the yellow 'reference' line, the better.

Interestingly, the G6 was more accurate at low brightness/darker areas (which makes sense based on my dark scene testing), while the G5 was slightly more accurate with highlights and brighter areas. This actually felt different to me in real-world viewing with HDR and Dolby Vision content, where it felt like the G6's image was better balanced overall, they were interesting results nonetheless.

To clarify, neither the G5 nor the G6 have been calibrated. When taking measurements, we use out-of-the-box settings because this is what the vast, vast majority of people at home will live with.

Brightness

Aside from the changes in the tiny HDR peak brightness windows I mentioned above, the measured brightness figures of the G6 were close to what they were pre-update, with less than 50 nits difference in most window size, and just 10 nits in fullscreen. The real differences came in real-world scenes.

The G6’s perceived brightness has been toned down in some scenes, in my opinion. During the funeral scene from The Batman, as the camera cuts to an overhead shot, the grey/white sky looked brighter in Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode on the G5 than the G6. While both looked good, the G6 looked more accurate to the movie itself.

Using the same snow scenes from the Spears & Munsil footage I used last time I tested, some white tones looked a little too punchy on the G5, but the G6 had a more uniform white tone across the whole screen and actually looked brighter overall, presumably due to the superior full-screen brightness available in the new panel.

Colors

I decided to use La La Land for color analysis this time around, not only because it has some striking color in scenes, but also because it only supports HDR10, no Dolby Vision, so the TV's own tone-mapping is more involved.

During the daytime scene, it was interesting to see that while Mia’s yellow dress looked bolder and richer on the G6, the greens of the bushes in the background were toned down and appeared more natural, whereas they appeared a bit too saturated in comparison on the G5. Mia’s dress on the G5 looked paler.

According to LG, there's a difference between the G5 and G6’s colors in part due to the color luminance (their brightness) in HDR Filmmaker Mode being toned down for the G6 after feedback about the G5’s looking too bright.

A later scene where Sebastian walks on the pier at sunset appears shows this, as the orange, pink and purple sky has brighter colors on the G5, but I think they they look more authentic on the G6.

Switching to a Dolby Vision movie once more, The Sound of Music, and the same is true. The green grass and blue skies of any scenes at the mountains show the G6’s perceived better color accuracy. The G6 is stronger at picking out individual shades of grass, whereas on the G5 they less differentiated, and look a touch oversaturated next to the G6.

Really, it’s impressive to see that the G6 delivers richer colors with greater depth for bolder colors such as red, orange and yellow, while also looking more accurate with greens and blues. It may sound like the G5 has bad color reproduction from what I'm saying, but it absolutely doesn’t — it’s excellent in fact. But the G6 manages to nail the specifics

LG Gram Book: Two-minute review

Sometimes, even the best laptops can be a bit... boring. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, though; forgo some of the fancy features and the over-designed chassis, and you'll often find yourself with a solid, minimal-frills laptop that comes with a sensible asking price.

That's the case with the new LG Gram Book. It's a new entry to LG's iconic Gram laptop series, but designed to fill a hitherto non-existent position within the Gram ecosystem: a midrange laptop.

See, the LG Gram series makes for some pretty decent laptops, but they're also rather expensive, typically sitting comfortably above the $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,500 mark. For that high price, you're getting a premium-feeling laptop that LG has tried as hard as possible to keep at the 1kg weight point - hence the name. But what if LG stopped worrying so much about the weight, and just focused on making a good midrange laptop?

Enter the Gram Book. It weighs in at 1.65kg, which arguably means LG should've tried to find a different name for it, but to be fair, I do own some actual paper books that are heavier than this. Rather than going for ultra-premium hardware, this laptop sits more in the budget-to-midrange space, with a 1080p display and 13th-gen Intel Core i5 processor.

It's not much to look at, but I actually think that's fine: this isn't a laptop for people who care too much about appearances. It feels quite sturdily built despite an outer casing made of matte plastic, and features a full-scale keyboard with a numpad.

Unfortunately, the price-to-performance ratio simply isn't there; this laptop is fundamentally underpowered and offers seriously lackluster battery life for the asking price.

The Gram Book is clearly aimed at office workers and students who need a straightforward laptop for work or studying, and I had hoped it might qualify for a position on our ranking of the best student laptops. In some areas, it does deliver in that regard. There are a few nice additions here, which I'll get to further down in this review, but for the most part, it's just a deeply unexciting laptop.

LG Gram Book: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? Starts at $799 / £699 / AU$1,199
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

With a price tag of $799 / £699 / AU$1,199, the LG Gram Book isn't exactly what I'd call a budget laptop. In fact, considering the specs on offer, I'd argue it's a little overpriced; you could spend a similar amount on one of Acer's excellent Aspire laptops and get slightly more bang for your buck.

It's certainly not terribly expensive, especially since the LG Gram line has historically come with some uncomfortably steep asking prices. It's just unfortunate that you could definitely do better without needing to pony up more cash. There's currently only one configuration of the Gram Book available, listed below.

Outside of Windows laptops, the obvious competitor here is the new MacBook Neo. While it doesn't offer the same amount of oomph as the mainstream MacBook Air and Pro models with M-series chips, Apple's first 'budget MacBook' is indisputibly a better choice. It offers better performance, a full metal chassis, and a nicer display - and it's actually a bit cheaper than the Gram Book, costing just $599 / £599 / AU$899.

• Price score: 2/5

LG Gram Book: Specs

LG Gram Book: Design

• Display is merely okay
• Lots of ports
• Touchpad feels a bit cheap

At first glance, the LG Gram Book isn't much to look at. The outer chassis is plain gray, with a subtle Gram logo emblazoned on the lid. Opening it up, you're met with the same no-nonsense color scheme - bar the retro red power button, which is immediately reminiscent of the infamous red 'laptop nipple' navigation nub found on Lenovo's ThinkPad series.

I actually quite like it. It's befitting the design ethos of this laptop, not trying to draw your attention with fancy aesthetic design choices or LED keyboard backlighting. The Gram Book looks like a laptop belonging to the type of person who shows up, gets the job done quickly and efficiently, and goes home.

On the topic of the keyboard, it's fine but unspectacular; there's not quite as much travel as I'd like, and the keys feel a little spongy on firm presses. This is a full-layout laptop keyboard, featuring a numpad and function key row, but I will admit that it never felt cramped to type on in my testing; if anything, I'd say the key size and spacing are good.

Sadly, I can't say anything nice about the touchpad, which feels cheap and plasticky, with far too much flex in the chassis when I pressed down firmly. Clicks are muted and responsive, which is something, but this is definitely a case where I'd recommend connecting a mouse. For the asking price, it smacks of bargain basement hardware.

Speaking of connections: the Gram Book has plenty of physical ports, which is always nice to see. We've got two USB-A and two USB-C ports (sadly, the latter don't support Thunderbolt 4) along with an HDMI port and a headphone jack. The only thing missing here is an SD or microSD card reader, but this isn't really a laptop for photo/videography specialists, so it's an understandable omission. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, which again, is perfectly acceptable if not on the cutting edge.

The display is a bog-standard 1080p 60Hz IPS panel, which performed reasonably well in brightly-lit environments but isn't particularly impressive. The webcam is also a fairly pedestrian 720p camera, although it does include a physical privacy shutter - something I personally think should be mandatory on laptops.

• Design score: 3/5

LG Gram Book: Performance

• Decent but hardly exciting performance
• Handles everyday tasks fine
• Not for gaming

I won't beat around the bush here: the Intel Core i5-1334U chip powering the LG Gram Book isn't exactly brimming with power. You can expect to get reasonably good everyday performance from this laptop, but it's not going to be running triple-A games or resource-intensive creative software anytime soon. Even lightweight titles like Civilization VI struggled a bit.

Frankly, the benchmark results don't paint a very impressive picture, with absolutely feeble graphical performance and decidedly average scores in productivity and AI tests. But synthetic benchmarks don't always tell the full story.

In real-world testing, I actually found the Gram Book to be quite responsive, having no difficulty opening numerous Chrome tabs or watching a YouTube video while working in another window. Considering that most of my work involves typing, emailing, and surfing the web, it was a sufficient replacement for my usual workhorse - the 2019 model of the venerable HP Spectre x360, which is starting to show its age a little. Then again, it's not exactly flattering to compare this laptop to a device from six years ago.

If you want to do anything more demanding than that, though, the cracks start to show. I was able to use GIMP 2.0 to do some light image editing without things getting too sluggish, but that's about the extent of this laptop's creative prowess. The Gram Book's rendering and video editing capabilities simply aren't up to snuff, and while I was able to play Stardew Valley just fine, attempting to run modern titles with 3D graphics felt like a fool's errand.

Interestingly, the LG Gram Book also has a dedicated Copilot button, and is marketed with support for Microsoft's handy AI assistant as a key selling point. I found this a little strange initially, as the Intel Core i5 chip doesn't actually have a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for handling local AI tasks - something that Microsoft has previously mandated for laptops to receive the new 'Copilot+ PC' designation.

However, it seems that LG has decided to go ahead with including a Copilot button regardless, which is great for power users who want to make the most of AI in Windows - though it's important to note here that the Gram Book is not a true Copilot+ system, meaning that you don't get access to a handful of specific features that do require an NPU, such as the controversial Recall functionality. It also means it's unable to process AI tasks locally - instead, you'll need to be connected to the internet, with all the associated risks to privacy that using cloud-based AI tools entail.

Still, the Copilot button works mostly as advertised, letting you summon Microsoft's chatbot at the press of a button. It was even able to helpfully explain the difference between using Copilot with and without an NPU for me - but don't worry, I made sure to double-check its information.

• Performance score: 3/5

LG Gram Book: Battery

I'm going to keep this section short: the battery life on the LG Gram Book is unimpressive, perhaps even bordering on dismal. In our video playback test, with the laptop set to the power-efficiency preset in Windows, volume at zero, and brightness at 50%, the Gram Book didn't even make it past the seven-hour mark. In practical testing during my regular workday, it perished before I reached six hours of continuous use.

Considering how much this laptop costs, it's frankly disappointing that it couldn't even survive through a full eight-hour workday without needing to be plugged in. Crank up the brightness, turn on the speakers, or start running multiple programs at once, and you'll get even less time between charges.

It doesn't even charge particularly fast, since the USB-C ports used for charging don't support Thunderbolt 4's improved power delivery capabilities. In my tests, it took about two hours to charge to full (from 5% battery) while not in use.

• Battery score: 2/5

Should you buy the LG Gram Book?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also Consider

How I tested the LG Gram Book

• Replaced my regular laptop with LG Gram Book for two weeks
• Used the laptop both for day-to-day work and personal projects
• Ran our usual selection of benchmarking software

For this review, I took the usual steps: in addition to our standard testing routine, the LG Gram Book replaced my daily driver for work and personal projects, so I could better get a feel for its performance in real-world settings. This is mostly low-level tasks like writing in Google Docs and doing research online, with a bit of image editing via GIMP 2.0 sprinkled in there. I also used it outside in my yard to see how well the screen performed in bright sunlight.

Each software test in our benchmarking selection is run three times and averaged to avoid outlier results. I tested the laptop while it was plugged in and set to Windows 11's performance power preset (with the exception of the battery life test, naturally, which uses the best efficiency preset).

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2025

The LG G5 was one of the best-performing TVs of last year, delivering superb picture quality with gorgeous colors and strong contrast. It was also one of the best options for gaming, with a full suite of features and razor-sharp performance, as well as an intuitive smart TV platform. While it was a premium TV, it was good value for what it delivered.

Its successor, the LG G6, has some mighty big shoes to fill. Earlier this year, I saw the LG G6 and LG G5 side-by-side at a demo event, but now the G6 has now arrived in our testing labs for longer-term testing.

I still use the G5 regularly for testing discs in my Blu-ray Bounty column, so I put the G5 and G6 next to each other, and compared the two using some 4K Blu-rays I regularly use for testing TVs, with a signal splitter from our trusty Panasonic DP-UB820 Blu-ray player.

Brightness and reflections

Equipped with a new-gen Primary Tandem RGB OLED 2.0 panel, the LG G6 promised a brightness upgrade over its predecessor, and it’s delivered. The G6 registered 2,471 nits of peak HDR brightness (10% window) in Filmmaker Mode, compared to the G5’s 2,268 nits. While this is only an incremental increase, fullscreen HDR brightness (100% window) in Filmmaker Mode on the G6 clocked in at 455 nits, which is a huge jump from the G5’s 331 nits.

But what does this mean for pictures? In brighter scenes, such as a series of clips of snow from the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark’s demo material, the G6 has higher brightness in fullscreen parts of the picture.

While the G5 actually appears brighter in some peak areas, such as the snow on the fence in the photo above, this is likely due to intentional Filmmaker Mode tweaks, where G6 pulls back on the vibrancy. This results in a more balanced picture, with no over-exertion of bright tones, which is how the G5 can appear at times.

One area where the G6 shows a real upgrade over the G5 is reflection handling. While the G6 still shows some mirror-like reflections, they are significantly reduced compared to the G5.

Watching darker scenes from movies such as The Batman, Alien: Romulus and Dark City in bright conditions, with overhead lights on in our testing lab, the G5 actually has higher perceived brightness, but the obvious mirror-like reflections make viewing difficult.

The G6, despite appearing dimmer, is much better at reducing mirror-like reflections, leaving a cleaner and more distration-free image, as is clear in the photo above. The G6 even looks better than the Samsung S95F's matte anti-reflection screen in bright rooms, balancing the pros and cons the two TV's approaches to beating reflections.

Contrast and shadow detail

Using The Batman, one of my go-to discs for contrast testing because it's so damn dark, both the G6 and G5 demonstrate very strong contrast with a great balance between light and dark tones. As Batman walks through the halls and rooms of Mayor Mitchell’s house, the lamps on the wall and flash bulbs of cameras have a nice punch on both TVs and contrast well with the dark walls and floors.

Where the G6 impresses is that not only do peak areas on screen, such as the aforementioned lamps, look brighter than the G5 but blacks are deeper resulting in more natural looking contrast.

The G5’s dark tones appear raised in comparison, so while the G5 may appear the more eye-catching on the surface, the G6 appears to be the more accurate result. This follows what LG told me about how the more restrained Filmmaker Mode on the G6 is “by design” in the pursuit of accuracy.

Both TVs demonstrate great shadow detail, with objects and textures in dark areas on screen still visible. As Bruce enters the Batcave, rocks and steel in the roof are still defined on both TVs and again, although it’s marginally more visible on the G5, the G6 strikes that nice balance between detail and black accuracy.

Alien: Romulus is another movie with plenty of high contrast scenes. Both TVs deliver strong shadows and deep black levels, but the G6’s are deeper and more authentic. Again, shots of space show the G5’s blacks are marginally raised in comparison, but are still solid overall.

Again, the G6 was best for watching in bright rooms as although the G5 was brighter, revealing more details in dark areas such as the textures of the ship’s panelling, the G6 did a better job with reflections, so more of the picture was clearer.

Colors

Colors are the most obvious place where LG has intentionally dipped the vibrancy of the G6 in Filmmaker Mode compared to the G5. Watching The Sound of Music, colors do look brighter and more saturated on the G5.

But it’s the G6 that looks better on the whole. The red, yellow and orange fruits in the market stall appear more natural on the G6, while also still having a nice punch to them. Colors also appear more balanced on the G6, with brighter colors contrasting more appealingly with paler colors, and a deeper and more beautiful richness to every hue.

This is the case with the green grass and blue sky against the white clouds and brown mountain during the Do Re Mi scene. On the G6, everything appears more realistic, whereas some areas on the G5 look a touch too punchy and bright in comparison.

Skin tones are another area where the G6 appears more accurate. On the G5, they can sometimes look too red, whereas on the G6 skin tones appear more true-to-life, with a more consistent color throughout.

Switching to an animated movie, The Wild Robot, again colors have the higher perceived brightness on the G5, but look more authentic on the G6, with more color depth.

As Roz is surrounded by multi-colored butterflies and explores the lush, green woods, the G6 appears to have a more rounded color profile. While the G5’s color reproduction is still brilliant, with a good punch and richness, the G6 is the more complete package.

Sound

The G5’s AI Sound Pro mode was my choice during my testing last year, delivering good accuracy, a wide soundstage and some solid impact. The G6 comes with fewer sound presets — including lacking my previous go-to, which was Entertainment — so AI Sound Pro is the mode I used for both TVs.

While I’d still recommend one of the best soundbars with both TVs for audio that really matches the fidelity of the pictures, I decided to compare the two models' built-in sound, because LG has changed things for the G6.

Using The Mask, I was surprised by just how different they were. The G6 has a much more forward, direct sound that focuses on the mid-range and low tones, creating a warmer profile. As The Mask is first introduced, any crashes and effects have more of an impact on the G6 compared to the G5. Both TVs have great sound mapping, accurately capturing the direction of sound as The Mask tornadoes around, moving across the screen.

Switching to The Batman’s Batmobile/Penguin chase scene, the G6 delivers much more bass, capturing the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine ignition sequence more accurately. The G6’s sound profile suits the scene more, with pinpoint precision of bullet sprays and squealing tyres and horns.

The G5 still has good positional accuracy and width, and it offers clear speech, but its more restrained sound doesn’t quite deliver on the same level as the G6.

LG G6: a big upgrade

The G6 is a clear upgrade on the G5. The tweaked Filmmaker Mode delivers better color accuracy, more balanced contrast with richer black levels, a major fullscreen brightness boost, and crisper, more authentic textures. The G5 still has fantastic picture quality in its own right, but it’s impressive what LG has managed to do with the G6 in Filmmaker Mode

Under the hood, both these TVs have a list of features to match the best gaming TVs, with 4K 165Hz, total variable refresh rate support, Dolby Vision Gaming and very low latency. webOS is still one of the best smart TV platforms around, because it's fairly intuitive and well laid out, even for those who like to experiment with settings.

The 65-inch G6 is set to launch for $3,399 (UK and Australia pricing TBA), which is the same as the G5’s launch price. The G5 is likely to be the more tempting option on price alone, because the 65-inch model is $2,199 / £2,249 / AU$3,189 right now, and honestly, the G5 is still a brilliant TV.

But, if you’re planning to upgrade your TV later in the year or even early next year, the G6 is well worth the wait, because it's inevitable that its price will come down too.

• LG Display is now mass-producing its world-first LCD panel
• The unique feature is VRR, which can adjust itself to as low as 1Hz in order to save power with static on-screen content
• The OLED version of this tech is currently a 20Hz implementation, but a 1Hz spin will be coming in 2027

LG Display has announced that mass production of its world-first LCD panel has just started, with the unique twist being that it has a variable refresh rate (VRR) that can dip to just 1Hz — and an OLED take on this formula will follow in 2027.

Tom's Hardware highlighted LG's press release that explains: "In order to achieve this world first, the company developed its own circuit algorithms and panel design technology, discovering new materials and applying the oxide with the lowest power leakage during low-refresh-rate mode to the display's thin-film transistor."

The screen intelligently adjusts the refresh rate depending on the content being displayed, running at up to 120Hz, or as low as 1Hz as noted.

It's with static images — like when reading a document, or web page, where you don't need the screen to be refreshed many times per second — that the tech will drop to 1Hz (once per second). The benefit of this is to save power, and therefore battery life, with no impact on the quality of what you're viewing on the screen.

This so-called 'Oxide 1Hz technology' is actually already available in the Dell XPS 14 and 16 for 2026, though with volume production now underway, it'll presumably be coming to more notebooks soon enough.

Note that the OLED version of this tech — again as seen on the Dell XPS 14 and 16 — can't drop to 1Hz, but rather its lowest limit is 20Hz. However, LG says it has an OLED version that can get down to 1Hz, coming into mass production in 2027.

Analysis: a considerable benefit — with others set to join the 1Hz party

LG claims that this tech makes a big difference, noting, "The result is dramatically improved battery efficiency, including 48% more use on a single charge compared to existing solutions."

We don't have to take LG's word for it, as it's clear enough that the mentioned Dell laptops have excellent battery life. The LCD model of the new XPS 14 offers a longevity of up to 31 hours (based on Dell's own testing with streaming Netflix playback), and while that's not all down to VRR (by any means), it seems the tech definitely helps keep power usage frugal.

According to Notebookcheck.net, the Dell XPS 16 (LCD version) sips just 1.5W of power when idling at the desktop (with VRR on, and with nothing happening on-screen, the tech will be dropping the refresh rate down to its lowest 1Hz level).

LG isn't the only player in this battery extending game, either, with BOE in conjunction with Intel also having developed 'Winning Display 1 Hz tech', which is the same idea.

The end result is that by next year, we should be seeing a lot more of these power-saving screens beefing up battery life, including a widespread deployment of an OLED variant from LG that can hit 1Hz, as noted. And with mobile silicon continuing to take big strides with power efficiency, there should be some seriously long-lasting notebooks coming down the line.

Coming off a strong 2025, in which we awarded LG’s three OLED TVs — the B5, C5 and G5 — positive reviews, and claiming the mid-range C5 to be the best TV for most people, the company has finally revealed Australian pricing and availability for its 2026 lineup of TVs.

As was the case last year, we here in Australia were late to the party getting eyes on the new range, but thankfully I have now been able to get up close and personal with the QNED, OLED TV and even the company’s sole Micro RGB model.

A more streamlined TV series

The biggest change this year, in my opinion, is that LG has now said buh-bye to its entry-level NanoCell TV series — which last year started at just AU$749 — opting instead for QNED tech as the default gateway into its TVs. What’s even more exciting is that LG’s QNED TVs have also now done away with edge-lit backlighting systems, with Mini LED backlights being used across the entire range.

I spent some time with the QNED81 TV back in January 2024 and was able to compare it side-by-side with the then-flagship G3 OLED. I found colour production to be good, but it ultimately struggled where brightness was concerned, which had a negative effect on contrast. Now that the QNED TVs are all moving to a Mini LED backlight, which the onboard processor will have greater control over, I’m excited to see how much of an improvement has been made.

When I saw the new QNED screens at a recent demo, colours and brightness did indeed look much, much better. I’ll be keen to view them under more normal living conditions, because with prices starting once again at AU$749 for a 43-inch QNED70, there could be plenty of value.

OLED continues to shine

Of course, LG is best known for its OLED TVs and this year the company has made some exciting updates that it hopes will allow it to continue to compete at the highest level.

The flagship G6 receives a new Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 display panel, a second-generation version of the Primary RGB Tandem panel used in the LG G5. Enhancements include Hyper Radiant Color technology, which, according to LG, extends the brightness benefits of its Primary RGB Tandem panel to other picture quality factors such as colour and contrast.

The TV also gets a new Brightness Booster Ultra feature that claims to provide a 20% brightness increase over the G5. Finally, the anti-reflective coating on the screen has been upgraded, with LG claiming lower than 0.5% screen reflectance.

My UK-based colleagues have recently conducted a side-by-side test of the flagship LG G6 against the Samsung S95F to see how LG’s new technology fared against what is arguably the best TV for viewing in bright rooms, thanks to its Glare Free panel technology. In short, it was a positive result for LG, with reflections being less pronounced than they were in the G5, while being able to maintain excellent black levels.

The other big change for the 2026 LG OLED range relates to the popular mid-tier C6 model, which will now be offered in two versions. One version will get the same Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 panel as found in the flagship G6, while the other will continue to use the same WOLED panel as found in previous C-series TVs.

In other global markets, the higher-spec model will be known as the C6H, however, I asked local LG representatives if the same model name will be used in Australia, and they told me that no, it won’t. The C6 name will be used for the entire lineup, but in-store TV specialists and displays should highlight the fact that the larger models benefit from an upgraded OLED panel.

The slight caveat is that to get the more advanced OLED panel, you’ll need to opt for either the 77-inch or 83-inch LG C6. On paper then, you may wonder why you’d opt for a big screen G6, when you can get the same technology in a more affordable model. The main difference between the two lies in the anti-reflective coating, with the C6 getting an inferior variant.

All versions of the LG C6 and the G6 will get the same Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI processor, which promises major upgrades to the picture, including upscaling. Previously the flagship G-series would get the latest processor, so it’s great to see it also coming to the mid-range C-series this year.

I’ll have to wait until TechRadar’s team of TV experts complete reviews of all the new models, but I expect the LG C6 to take over as the best TV for most people in 2026.

Massive Micro RGB

Finally, LG also demonstrated its new Micro RGB TV, the MRGB96. Funnily enough, the number in its model name doesn’t relate to screen size — it will be available in 75-, 86- and 100-inch variants, with prices starting at AU$7,999.

LG is still positioning its OLED TVs as the pinnacle of its entire lineup, but there was no denying just how impressive colours looked on the new model. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as LG says it offers the Triple Crown of colour accuracy, with 100% coverage of the BT.2020, DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB colour spaces.

When can I get the 2026 LG TVs and how much will they cost?

LG has maintained the same launch prices for its OLED TVs this year as it did last year, and in fact, the huge 97-inch G6 OLED has come down by AU$10,000 to a launch price of AU$29,999 (the 97-inch G5 launched at AU$39,999).

Full pricing and availability is as follows.

Ever since its introduction in 2024, Samsung’s OLED Glare Free anti-reflection screen has served as a simple yet effective way of watching most content, even darker movies, easier in brighter rooms by limiting mirror-like reflections.

Mirror-like reflections, where objects are clearly reflected in the screen, have often been the main downfall of the typically glossy and historically not-that-bright panels in the best OLED TVs. The reason they're particularly distraction is two fold: they have clear and constrasty details that mean the eye is more likely to catch and focus on them than a hazy reflection; and when you focus on them involuntarily, your eye has to refocus, because the reflection is on a different focal plane to the TV panel.

More recent OLEDs, such as last year’s LG G5 have made a valiant effort at handling mirror-like reflections while still having a glossier screen, but ultimately couldn’t beat the Samsung S95F’s OLED Glare Free 2.0 screen, which uses a matte coating to turn all reflections into a haze.

While the lack of mirror-like reflections is welcome, the S95F’s blacks aren’t as deep or rich as you’ll find on OLEDs with glossier screens when there's a light creating a haze. It's a compromise, but one I thought was the best balance if you'll watch in bright rooms a lot — at least, I did until now.

At a recent LG event, I got to see the new LG G6 in-person and noted that its reflection handling was a major step above its predecessor. I’ve just received the LG G6 at our testing labs, so there’s no better time to test the G6’s anti-reflection screen using my reference discs in the environment I'm used to for comparing TVs.

The Batman: the ultimate test

Regular readers will know that The Batman is one of my main testing discs, primarily for testing nuance in contrast. It also serves as an excellent ‘torture’ test for TVs due to its low, 400-nit mastering brightness (as opposed to the industry-standard 1,000 nits).

Not only does this mean you’re more likely to experience black crush (where detail is lost in dark areas on screen), but it’s also very challenging to watch in a bright room, especially on a traditional glossy OLED.

Firing up my usual testing scenes from The Batman, I knew the S95F would do a solid job limiting reflections, but I’d have to compromise on black level accuracy. However, this wasn’t the case with the LG G6.

In the opening subway fight scene, with both TVs in HDR Filmmaker Mode (the most accurate but one of the dimmest picture modes), the G6 clearly demonstrated richer blacks and more dynamic contrast. It also exhibited better shadow detail, with more objects in the background such as the outline of the kiosk clearer against the dark background.

While the S95F was effective at limiting mirror-like reflections, blacks looked more raised in comparison and shadow detail wasn’t as good, with the same objects I could clearly see in the background on the G6 now more obscured. This wasn’t helped by the slightly crushed blacks either.

Moving onto a slightly brighter scene, the crime scene in Mayor Mitchell’s house, again the G6 demonstrated better detail in darker areas on screen. As a cop stops Batman, the G6 showed more texture in Batman’s armor and cowl than the S95F. The hallway lights looked punchier on the G6 as well, again creating more powerful perceived contrast.

During a close-up shot of Batman’s face as he speaks to Gordon and another detective where he is half in shadow, the G6 again showed more detail in Batman’s left eye (the more hidden side) namely the white of his eye. This again was more obscured on the S95F.

Finally, another scene where Bruce rides into the Batcave on his motorcycle demonstrated the G6’s shadow detail superiority. As the camera zooms out to reveal the whole cave, more of the rocks in the ceiling are visible on the G6 compared to the S95F, and blacks are still deeper.

During all of these scenes, the G6 did a superb job of limiting mirror-like reflections and while some were still present, it didn’t distract from my viewing experience as I’d found on the LG G5 and other glossy OLEDs.

Other scenes

I decided to test some other dark scenes out, but from more brightly-mastered movies. In Dark City, as John speaks to the desk clerk in the opening, both TVs delivered excellent contrast, with great balance between the bright lamp and the shadows cast onto the two characters.

The gap between the G6 and S95F was narrowed here and even though its black levels still weren’t as rich or accurate as the G6’s, it was an improvement over The Batman.

The Last Voyage Of The Demeter is another movie with a ton of dark scenes and most of them again really showed the G6’s prowess. While there were still some mirror-like reflections on the G6, but none on the S95F, the G6 showcased much better shadow detail.

In one scene where Clemens stands on deck next to the wheel, much more of his lower half and the corner of the stairs in the foreground are visible on the G6 compared to the S95F, where black crush really kills the details. This was the case throughout a lot of scenes.

Reflections vs accuracy

One thing that can’t be denied is the S95F’s mirror-like reflection killing abilities. The S95F does a very effective job at eliminating mirror-like reflections of not only objects but direct light as well, turning it into a haze. Looking at the overhead lights in our testing lab against both screens, the S95F completely eliminates both the light and shape of the light, whereas on the G6, the light itself is visible.

While the above is an extreme example, it’s something to note for people who may have light sources they can’t move that are in view of their TV screens. The S95F will be more effective at getting rid of that pesky reflection. The difference now is that only the most extreme light will overtake the G6's picture, whereas before it didn't take much before reflections were visible.

I decided to try out the subway scene from The Batman with the S95F in its brighter Movie picture mode, and although the black crush issue was resolved, everything looked a bit too bright and oversaturated, compromising the tone and accuracy of the movie. I preferred watching the G6, even in its Filmmaker Mode with some reflections — they're just limited enough now not to overwhelm the image.

While the S95F is still the out-and-out best at totally removing mirrorlike reflections, the G6 has done an exceptional job at eliminating enough reflections for bright room viewing while delivering more accurate blacks and contrast than the S95F.

For a glossy OLED, the G6’s anti-reflection is downright impressive and if I had to pick one to buy for a bright room, the G6 would now be my choice.

• Eclipsa Audio is a new rival to Dolby Atmos from Samsung and Google
• LG TVs will support the audio format involved, but not the name
• It's all down to which bit is open source, and which bit needs a license

Recently, I covered news of a report that LG is adding Eclipsa Audio support to its 2026 TVs, and some 2025 TVs. However, LG has now clarified to TechRadar that while Eclipsa Audio sources should work on its TVs technologically, the company isn't supporting the name Eclipsa Audio.

What exactly is going on? There are four layers to this onion, so let's peel through them one by one.

1. What is Eclipsa Audio in broad terms?

Eclipsa Audio is the name of a new 3D audio format to rival Dolby Atmos. It's built on a free and open new technology. The idea with it is to reduce the cost barriers of entry to spatial audio for small creators in particular, and allow the great use of spatial audio on all kinds of video and audio.

Samsung was one of the companies majorly involved in its creation, and you can read more about the logic behind it in our interview with the VP of Samsung Audio Labs.

2. What is the technology behind Eclipsa Audio?

The audio technology behind Eclipsa Audio is called IAMF (Immersive Audio Model & Format), and it's an open-source audio data container to add 3D-feeling positional information to audio formats, including height information. The development of it was led by Samsung and Google.

As a free and open format, anyone can implement it without paying a fee or royalties for its use, as long as they follow the rules of the open-source license it's available under.

3. What's going on with the name Eclipsa Audio?

Eclipsa Audio is the name that Google and Samsung have chosen as a consumer-friendly brand for the IAMF 3D format. However, while IAMF is free for anyone to use, the name Eclipsa Audio is not.

It's part of "a certification and brand licensing program" run by Google and Samsung, in order "to provide quality assurance to manufacturers and consumers for products that support Eclipsa Audio".

So if companies want to say they support Eclipsa Audio, they need approval from Google and Samsung, presumably including providing access to upcoming products for certification.

4. So what's LG supporting?

LG is fully supporting the IAMF technology, but it has chosen not to participate in the Google and Samsung certification and licensing program, so the name Eclipsa Audio will not be found on its products.

This is confusing, but it makes sense. If you were LG's TV team, would you want to send your latest new products to Samsung ahead of their launch for approval?

As things stand, anything with IAMF support should fully work with LG's compatible TVs – meaning that if a video on YouTube says it supports Eclipsa Audio, it should deliver the full experience on an LG TV. It's just that LG can't call it Eclipsa Audio in its settings or information screens when it's playing.

5. Which LG TVs support Eclipsa Audio?

According to the original report from FlatpanelsHD, all of LG's 2026 TVs will support IAMF audio, and it will also be added to select 2025 TVs: the LG G5, the LG C5, the LG CS5, and the LG QNED9M.

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• Samsung restarts development of self-emissive QNED displays
• This QNED isn't the same as LG's QNED — it's self-emissive, like OLED
• 'True QNED' isn't close to mass production yet

As if TV tech weren't confusing enough, Samsung Display has reportedly restarted development of QNED televisions – and Samsung's QNED is not the same QNED that we've previously seen from LG.

Samsung's QNED is short for Quantum-dot Nanorod Emitting Diode, and like OLED it's a self-emissive technology, meaning each pixel generates its own light rather than using a backlight behind a grid of pixels.

For those who know TV tech, the simplest way of thinking of the version being proposed here is that it's like a micro-LED version of QD-OLED. QD-OLED works by having OLED pixels shine blue light through a layer of quantum dots, which convert the blue to other colors as needed. But where QD-OLED uses organic LEDs (OLED), QNED uses inorganic nanorod LEDs that could be cheaper to manufacture, longer lasting, and hopefully more efficient.

You'd still have an individual light for every pixel, like you do with micro-LED, but unlike micro-LED you don't need three sub-pixels of red, green and blue to create your colors – you just have the blue, and you let the quantum dots handle the rest, which could mean it doesn't have the cost issues that micro-LED is struggling to beat.

(LG's QNED technology is basically its version of a QLED TV — using advanced color filtering tech such as quantum dots with an LED backlight and LCD screen.)

Samsung had previously said that QNED would deliver better contrast, brightness and response times than the most advanced current display technologies, but as FlatpanelsHD notes, it paused the project in 2022 to concentrate on QD-OLED and micro-LED, which it was having more success with.

According to reports in the Korean trade press, Samsung restarted QNED in late 2025 after making a breakthrough in the way it positions the nanorods.

Why has Samsung returned to QNED?

Speaking to ETNews, an insider said: "The team that previously worked on QNED has regrouped. Internally, there is a recognition that nanorod LED technology should be pursued as a long-term strategy, which prompted the restart of QNED."

That means Samsung Display has (at least!) three TV panel technologies in active development: QD-OLED, which is the current flagship and is being improved every year; EL-QD (aka nano-LED, ELQD, QD-LED, EL-QLED and AMQLED); and now QNED.

That's on top of the continuing development in the industry around micro-LED, which has been in TVs for several years but is having trouble reaching a realistic price; constant improvements in mini-LED; and the launch of RGB-backlit TVs. Oh, and IJP-OLED is lurking somewhere over the horizon as well. It's an interesting time for TV technology…

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Update: LG has contacted TechRadar to clarify that while its TVs will support the spatial audio technology that Eclipsa Audio is based on, it's not part of any licensing agreement to use the name Eclipsa Audio. The underlying tech is called IAMF, and LG will support this, so video labelled as being in the Eclipsa Audio format should work fully on LG TVs — but LG isn't using the name Eclipsa Audio anywhere, so it won't be identified as such in the settings. The rest of this article remains as originally published.

LG is adding support for the Eclipsa Audio format to its 2026 models, as well as to certain 2025 TVs. This is an alternative to Dolby Atmos, delivering spatial audio over streaming, and was notably developed by Samsung and Google.

According to a report from FlatpanelsHD, all of LG's 2026 TVs will support Eclipsa Audio, and support has been added to the following 2025 TVs via a free update: the LG G5, the LG C5, the LG CS5, and the LG QNED9M.

FlatpanelsHD says the format will be supported for playback over the TVs' built-in speakers, or can be passed out to compatible soundbars (such as the Samsung HW-Q990F).

Eclipsa Audio is being released by the Alliance for Open Media, much like HDR10+ is, and has no licensing fees or royalties, so companies can choose to support based purely on whether they think the technical development is worth it. All of this is true of HDR10+ as well, but LG has never seen fit to support the rival to Dolby Vision — we'll come back to why I think it's different this time, though.

We spoke to Samsung in-depth in the past about why it developed Eclipsa Audio, what it hoped to achieve, and why it believed Dolby Atmos couldn't be the sole future for 3D sound.

Samsung said that it wasn't to expand into areas where Dolby Atmos either isn't widely already used, or is prohibitive. "Dolby is not involved in gaming seriously, and they’re not involved in in-car audio," said Samsung Audio Lab VP Allan Devantier (though I should add that Dolby definitely invests a lot in in-car audio — see the Cadillac Optiq this year).

Samsung is particularly keen for Eclipsa Audio to be used by smaller content creators, which Devantier says "can’t make immersive content because to make Atmos content costs too much money." The idea of offering spatial sound to small creators seems to be Google's goal as well, because it's already integrated the technology into YouTube.

There are ambitions for Eclipsa Audio to be used by movies and TVs as a full rival to Atmos for large-scale productions, though: Samsung said "we're working with Netflix and Amazon" on the format, though no announcements have been made there.

Analysis: a surprise, given LG cautiousness with other formats

Some TV brands, such as TCL and Hisense, like to embrace a ton of formats, which helps to give their TVs a sense of being incredible value. LG is a lot more circumspect about such things, usually.

The company has supported DTS audio formats at times in the past, but that's been on and off — it's currently off. LG also told me at a recent event that it still has no immediate plans to support Dolby Vision 2, and representatives were unsure if the 2026 TVs could even be updated to support it in the future.

This decision was based on the lack of Dolby Vision 2 content currently — LG said it would consider support when there are things to watch that fully make use of the format.

Now, one might note that both DTS and Dolby Vision 2 require paying a fee to include in a set, so there's a strong reason for a business not to support them if it doesn't think it's a problem to exclude them.

However, HDR10+ doesn't require a fee to support, but LG has always been vehemently against it, instead focusing solely on Dolby Vision HDR. In the past, LG's answer has usually been similar to the Dolby Vision 2 answer: that there wasn't enough content to justify adding support.

More recently, HDR10+ has been added to more streaming services (including Apple TV+ and its movie rentals, Disney+ in some countries, including some Hulu content, and Paramount+ on some content), so last year I asked LG about adding support, given that it's now more widely available.

The company said that it still doesn't see the point, claiming pretty much anything available in HDR10+ will be available in Dolby Vision too. It also said that it believes its own tone mapping processing is superior to HDR10+, removing the need for it, and that it was simply likely never to support it.

So, why is Eclipsa different? Well, I suspect it's to do with something I mentioned above: YouTube. YouTube doesn't, and I suspect never will, support Dolby Atmos. YouTube is also more popular on TVs than even the likes of Netflix and Disney+. And TVs have become the most popular way to watch YouTube, surpassing even phones.

If people start expecting and enjoying things on YouTube with more immersive Eclipsa Audio, then LG doesn't want to be left as a platform where you're not getting the best sound from the most popular streaming app. Especially since Samsung already supports Eclipsa Audio, and Google TV supporting Eclipsa means TCL, Hisense, and Sony will surely all include the format. And if Samsung's been working with Amazon, we can assume Fire TV sets may support it at some point.

LG could afford to be 'left out' of HDR10+ because, as it rightly said, Dolby Vision was the only game in town for so long in practice, and is still the bigger player. But Eclipsa Audio will make its impact in places that Atmos will likely never reach, so it makes sense for LG to actually join Samsung in an upstart format, for once.

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Recently, LG released its Sound Suite range, which it has described as the “world's first soundbar audio system powered by Dolby Atmos Flex Connect".

This tech enables you to experience optimized audio and Atmos effects, even if your speakers are positioned outside of the optimal 'forward left and right, rear left and right' placement. In order to do this, FlexConnect speakers use built-in microphones to map their position in a room, adjust their output accordingly to recreate a normal surround sound from wherever they are, and deliver the best home theater immersion possible in your particular space.

It’s a technology that could be game-changing for people with rooms that are ill-suited to the best Dolby Atmos soundbars requiring a traditional surround sound setup. And I’m intrigued to see whether LG’s rivals begin implementing it into their home theater tech too.

As I discovered when writing my LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review, FlexConnect is more than a good idea in theory — it works well in practice too. However, that specific system combines a soundbar and sub with only two surround speakers. And I wanted to really push this system’s FlexConnect capabilities to the limit.

So, I tried the ultimate configuration: a soundbar, sub, and four surround speakers — and those are the most powerful LG M7 speakers. This set-up is known as the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7. It’s a 13.1.7-channel system packed with 29 speaker units and a whole lot of power. But is it actually good? And is it worth buying? Here are my thoughts after hours of testing.

Flexible Atmos that’s seriously striking

You may have already suspected this, the Quad Suite 7’s stand-out feature is its impeccable Dolby Atmos performance.

As I mentioned earlier, FlexConnect works very well, and helps to make Atmos effects feel supremely immersive. All I had to do was set the speakers up around our TV testing space, add them on the LG ThinQ app, and calibrate the system. I had to try this a couple of times to get the most accurate reading, but once the system was set up, I got access to some seriously impressive sound.

With a 4K Blu-ray of The Mask, I was blown away by the quality of Atmos — even compared to the still-powerful Immersive Suite 7 Pro. In a scene where The Mask himself hurtles through a glass door, he continues to spin around the screen in a tornado-like motion.

With the Quad suite, every part of his movement was mapped amazingly. I could hear the small discrepancies as he spun from the center into the left corner, and the sense of space of each movement was huge. It really sounded as if I could hear him spinning into the corners of our testing room, creating an almost tangible viewing experience.

Other details impressed me too. Tina’s dialogue was placed expertly when chatting to Stanley, for instance, and the sound of mobsters playing air hockey in the backdrop of another scene was replicated in a natural-sounding, authentic manner. This movie really was a great example of the phenomenal width that the Quad Suite could whip up.

But the Quad Suite is very adept when it comes to height effects too. I threw on my go-to for testing verticality, Top Gun: Maverick, and the system performed very astutely. In a scene where Tom Cruise flies his jet directly up and overhead, the system tracked the lift of his aircraft with total precision. Most soundbars or soundbar systems I’ve tested don’t completely nail that verticality — after all, Atmos in its truest form makes use of actual overhead speakers.

The Quad Suite served up a really strong showing, though, and mapped upward movements to great effect throughout the movie’s runtime. With flexibility, expansiveness, and impressive height, the Quad Suite 7 really is elite when it comes to Dolby Atmos sound.

Sound check

Atmos is great on the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7, but how does it sound more generally? Well, as you may imagine, it’s an extremely powerful system – the H7 soundbar has a maximum power output of 500W, with 220W for the W7 sub and 100W per M7 speaker. Combined, that means you’re getting a power output well in excess of 1,000W, which in turn provides listeners with seismic bass, direct-sounding dialogue, and energetic highs.

When tuning into a scene 2024’s Nosferatu, the deep, imposing voice of Count Orlok tore through me, and as tensions heightened, deep bass rumbled throughout the scene with gigantic impact, but still didn’t veil sounds elsewhere in the frequency range. Alongside that, eerie sound effects oozed from the four surround speakers, creating a real sense that I was right in the middle of a horror spectacle.

In another scene, I could hear chanting from each corner of the room, while the higher-pitched noise of scurrying rats sounded tonally convincing rather than shrill or tinny. This was followed by a gut-wrenching screech, which came through forcefully and sharply, highlighting the impressive dynamics of the system.

More generally, I found dialogue to be clear and easily discernible across various movies, and I never felt the need to dip out of the standard sound mode. See, there’s a couple of AI sound settings, but to me, these actually sounded less nuanced and balanced, so I’d advise against them.

Even if we stray from movies and tread towards the music domain, the Quad Suite 7 performs pretty well overall. When listening to a Dolby Atmos mix of Brick House by the Commodores, I could hear drums playing in the left corner of the room, guitars strumming on my right, and vocals flowing from the center. The system provided a nuanced presentation with well-placed instruments, but the overall sound was still cohesive.

Unsurprisingly, I felt that the Quad Suite setup provided a significantly more expansive and enveloping music listening experience than the Immersive Suite 7 Pro, although one small nitpick I had carried over to the larger build, which was my feeling that some sounds in the mid-range — typically vocals — sometimes lack the separation I’d expect from a more premium hi-fi setup.

Wait, how much?!

Anyway, it’s clear that the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7 is a very strong performer overall, and it really is awesome for movie-watching, in the truest sense of that word. That full-bodied, spatial sound basically demands your attention. But you may be wondering just how much this all costs, and spoiler alert: it’s a lot.

OK, so LG isn’t selling the Quad Suite 7 as a whole package — at least not yet. Instead, you’ll have to buy its constituent parts separately, and… it’s about to get pricey in here. The system’s core, the LG Sound Suite H7 soundbar, comes in at $999 / £899, but you’ll also have to splash out $599 / £599 on the LG W7 sub, and $399 / £399 per LG M7 speaker. You could go for the cheaper LG M5 speaker instead, which are $249 / £249 a pop, but I can’t speak to their quality.

So, let’s say we’re going for four M7 speakers here — in that case, you’d be looking at a spend approaching $3,200 / £3,100.

But look, as expensive as that is, the real question should be about value for money. Even if the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7 costs more than $3,000 / £3,000, is it still worth it? Well, for most people, I’d probably say no.

Sure, the FlexConnect technology is amazing, and the audio you’ll experience — especially for movies — is seriously gripping. But you can regularly scoop up a traditional surround sound system — such as the phenomenal Samsung HW-Q990F or almighty JBL Bar 1300MK2 — for essentially half the price.

OK, these systems lack FlexConnect, and they have two smaller rear speakers as opposed to four larger alternatives. But as someone who’s tested both, I can say with confidence that they still sound spectacular, and for half of the money? I think I’d have to skip on the Quad Suite 7, assuming you can place the speakers in the correct positions.

Having said that, if you’ve got the cash, you’re willing to go all out, and the ability to place speakers wherever you want is useful to you, it’s hard to look past the Quad Suite 7.

Its integration of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect tech makes it genuinely unrivaled in terms of versatility, and the power you get from four M7 speakers — alongside the sleek-looking W7 sub and expansive H7 soundbar — is palpable.

So yes, if you’re looking for an incredibly immersive home theater experience, the Quad Suite 7 is almost certain to impress – but for most people, I’ll continue to recommend more cost-efficient alternatives.

After eagerly waiting since its unveiling at CES, I finally had a chance to see the LG G6 OLED TV in action. The LG G5 was one of the best TVs of last year and it has since become my reference TV for testing, particularly for my Blu-ray Bounty columns. So naturally, I was excited to see how the LG G6 would compare to the G5.

I got the chance at an LG event recently, so I could see just what the new Primary Tandem RGB OLED 2.0 panel in the G6 (the first generation was introduced in the G5) could muster.

Spec comparison

First, a quick comparison between the G5 and G6 in some key spec areas. LG says that the G6 is up to 20% brighter than the G5, and we were told that while the G5 can hit roughly 350 nits fullscreen (close enough to our measured peak HDR fullscreen brightness figure of 331 nits), the G6 would be capable of 400 nits. 50 nits may not seem like much, but in fullscreen figures it can make a clear difference.

Also, the G6 comes with the new Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI Processor, which promises big changes, including Dual Super Resolution Upscaling — with one engine focusing on edge enhancement and one focusing on texture boosting— and Dynamic Tone Mapping Ultra, a more refined version of last year’s Dynamic Tone Mapping Pro.

Other big changes include Hyper Radiant Color Technology, to boost color accuracy and a 12-bit color pipeline (compared to the G5’s 8-bit pipeline) for more refined picture quality and the reduction of color banding (we'll talk more about that in the future). Actually, LG made the point that the image pipeline is technically 13-bit output, where the processor adds one extra bit of image depth focused on bright white tones.

The panel is still 10-bit, though, so this process is about making the image as good as possible in the processing stage, and then delivering to the panel to make the most of it, which will mean some downsampling of the full color data – though LG confirmed that this should have a kind of 'super-sampling' effect of ensuring better color overall, and is what will help with reducing color banding from all sources.

The G5 was already one of the best gaming TVs of last year, with 4K 165Hz, FreeSync, G-Sync and HGiG support, as well as Dolby Vision and ALLM all features across four HDMI 2.1 ports. That hasn’t changed in the G6 and although there were no obvious new features, there didn’t really need to be.

LG G6 doesn’t look as punchy?

While we were shown several different tests involving the LG G6 and LG G5, one that really caught my eye involved vibrant, colorful images when both the G6 and G5 were set to Filmmaker Mode.

In these pictures, which displayed extremely vivid greens and yellows, I noticed that the G6 didn’t look as punchy or vivid as the G5. I found this odd considering the G6 was said to be up to 20% brighter than the G5 and LG has talked up its Hyper Radiant Color technology from the Alpha 11 processor. A quick query to LG themselves about this confirmed that this is the case, and that it's “by design”.

Apparently, LG had received some feedback from creators regarding the G5’s colors in Filmmaker Mode being “too vibrant”, so for the G6, the company toned it back. It’s not to say the G6’s colors were bad, far from it in fact, but seeing the perceived drop in color saturation was jarring at first, since we usually see changes go the other way.

The more I looked, the more I felt that the G6’s colors did look more natural, while still also delivering plenty of depth. But while the G6 was still pretty rich, the G5 kept drawing my eye because of those bolder colors, with the yellow in particular really showing the gap.

Interestingly, due to these color-profile changes, the G6 also appeared dimmer in general compared to the G5. A shot of food on a table was also shown and again, the white of the flour on the loaf of bread appeared brighter on the G5 than the G6. In fact, the whole picture just appeared brighter on the G5. Odd considering the G6 is said to be 20% brighter than the G5, but we'll take measurements in the future to see — and it may just be in Filmmaker Mode.

Other demos

One thing the G6 did so much better than its predecessor, though, was handle mirror-like reflections. Throughout the various scenes we were shown, the G6 has very obviously reduced reflectivity, even when viewing really dark footage.

We know LG has added a new kind of anti-reflective layer to this set – and in combination with the higher fullscreen brightness, the difference looks impactful.

The G6 also did a great job with handling the brighter areas on screen. In a scene from The Meg, as the sun sets on the horizon, the G6’s highlights were more controlled and detailed while still appearing bright, whereas the G5’s highlights were definitely overblown in places, losing details such as the shape of the sun itself.

There's probably a combination of the new panel and improved tone mapping in the processor helping yhis.

The G5’s brightness clocked in at 2,268 nits HDR peak brightness and 331 nits HDR fullscreen brightness in Filmmaker Mode. While the G6 may not have the perceived brightness in ultra-colorful scenes, it did have impact with highlights and did a great job reducing reflections compared to the G5.

I’ll be keen to measure the G6 to see if it is both brighter and its colors more natural, as this can be a hard balance to strike.

Viewing a TV next to another can sometimes skew your impressions, and this was the case for me with the G6 next to the G5. The G5 was obviously the more eye-catching thanks to its punchier colors, but I’ll reserve full judgement for when I can get the G6 and G5 into our testing lab and use my reference testing discs that I’m familiar with to see if I'm happier with the changes.

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is well and truly here. And the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro is among the first systems to make use of this technology. This sound system – composed of an LG H7 9.1.6-channel soundbar, two 2.1.1-channel LG M7 wireless speakers, and the LG W7 sub, all available separately too – is a powerful, dynamic, and expansive-sounding system. But is it capable of outdoing the home theater big boys — particularly Samsung?

Well, let’s start by tackling the Immersive Suite 7 Pro’s unique feature: its Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capabilities. This enables you to enjoy optimized sound and Atmos effects even with your speakers in non-optimal positions for traditional surround setups – the speakers map their position in the room, and adjust their output so you'll still get as close to 3D sound as they can provide. So, if your living room isn’t suited to having rear speakers to the left and right behind you, this could be a real solution.

And FlexConnect works really well in practice on the Sound Suite, helping it to stand out among the very best soundbars. I tried placing the two M7 speakers – which can work wired or wirelessly – across various spots in our TV testing space, and I was treated to clear, impactful, and balanced sound with each configuration. All you have to do is recalibrate the speakers each time you change their position, which is quick and easy to do in the LG ThinQ app.

More generally, the calibration tool provides accurate, streamlined sound, no matter where you’re seated. I had to retry this a couple of times during testing for the most accurate reading, but this wasn’t too troublesome. I did experience a couple of errors later on in my testing, but was almost certainly due to a network issue in our weird corporate network in our test rooms, so setup is likely to be straightforward if you’ve got stable home connectivity.

I want to talk about the Suite 7 Pro’s sound more generally now, because it really impressed me. Surround sound is phenomenal, and I often felt like I was truly enveloped in the movies or music I was playing. When viewing a 4K Blu-ray of 2024’s Nosferatu, I truly felt like I was at the center of the action — the movie's eerie score came through with immense power and control, high-pitched screeches pierced through the center channel and never sounded tinny or distorted, while bass was rippling yet regimented.

In addition, I was struck by the accuracy and expansiveness of the Suite 7 Pro’s Dolby Atmos performance when switching over to The Mask on 4K Blu-ray. At one point, the titular character flung through a glass door like a tornado with a truly palpable smash, and the system mapped his wild movements across the screen with tremendous precision.

Something that a lot of Dolby Atmos soundbars struggle to nail is height effects, but that’s not the case for the Suite 7 Pro. I threw on Top Gun Maverick, and during the scene where Tom Cruise flies his jet over Ed Harris, the verticality of the move was captured with commendable fidelity. The continued upward movement was traced well too, making for a highly immersive viewing experience.

One audio feature that some people may miss is support for DTS audio, meaning there’s no decoding of DTS HD or DTS:X onboard here – but that was to be expected after LG dropped DTS from its TVs in 2025. If your TV or video player supports decoding DTS, that should be fine.

But let's take it back to the fundamentals, where the Suite 7 Pro performs admirably. Dialogue is clear and direct, bass is intent-filled but doesn’t overwhelm other sounds in the frequency range, and treble is both clear and expressive.

I didn’t think music sounded perfect on this system, though, with vocals in the mid-range sometimes getting slightly obscured in the mix. Still, tunes generally sounded strong with clean bass and the Suite 7 Pro made great use of its various channels, especially with Atmos tracks. There’s AI-powered upmix mode if you want to convert a stereo audio signal into an expansive multi-channel format.

In fact, there are quite a few sound modes available, including an AI Sound setup, bass, and voice settings. Personally, I enjoyed the standard sound mode the best— it felt like the most balanced and revealing of the available options to me. But the options don’t stop there. You can adjust channel levels to suit your preferences, adjust the lighting on the rear speakers, and even activate Sound Follow mode, which centers audio on you, rather than a position in the room.

Combine all of that with Wi-Fi connectivity — which opens up hi-res 24-bit/96kHz audio and supports for the likes of Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect — and you’re looking at a feature-rich system. You’ve also got Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity at your disposal.

One thing that didn’t quite bowl me over was the Suite 7 Pro’s look. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a nice-looking system overall and I appreciated its display, but the H7 bar itself does look a bit basic, lacking the sleek, modern look of a Sonos model or the eye-catching luxury of a bar like the Marshall Heston 120.

I did quite like the curved W7 sub, though, which can stand upright or lay flat. It's not the smallest, but that’s to be expected for a model that reaches down to 25.9Hz and packs a maximum power output of 220W. The mighty M7 wireless speakers are pretty appealing too, and their customizable downward lighting really won me over. On top of that, the included remote feels as if it's built to a very high standard, and it's highly responsive.

What I was a little disappointed by, however, was the lack of HDMI passthrough. See, when you use a soundbar system like this, you already have to sacrifice your TV's eARC port for enhanced sound. And given that many modern TVs only have two HDMI 2.1 ports, this means you can be pretty limited there – if you’ve got a couple modern consoles, say, then that may prove to be inconvenient. That’s something where the Samsung HW-Q990F outdoes the Suite 7 Pro, given that the former supports 4K 120Hz passthrough.

It would be remiss of me not to mention price, too. The H7 soundbar is priced at $999 / £899, with the W7 sub costing $599 / £599, and the M7 speakers coming in at $399 / £399 a piece. That means you’ll be fronting almost $2,400 / £2,300 for the Suite 7 Pro.

Sure, this is an almighty system, rammed with 21 speaker units, a swathe of height channels, game-changing FlexConnect technology, and excellent all-round audio. And given that we’ve tested models like the Yamaha True X Surround 90A, which comes in at $3,499 / £2,199 — a model with fewer channels and no FlexConnect — I don’t think the price is totally unwarranted.

But when you can grab a sensational system like the aforementioned Samsung Q990F for almost $1,000 / £1,000 cheaper, the Suite 7 Pro’s price could prove to be a difficult pill for some to swallow.

With that said, the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro is certainly something special. It uses Dolby Atmos FlexConnect tech to great effect, its audio performance is very admirable indeed, and the speaker configuration opens up exceptionally immersive movie watching.

Yes, the lack of HDMI passthrough is a shame, and it comes at a very premium price, but if you’re looking for a system that’s designed to suit your specific needs, then this is about as good as it gets.

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review: price and release date

• Sound Suite H7 soundbar priced at $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400)
• Sound Suite W7 sub costs $599 / £599 (about AU$840)
• Sound Suite M7 speakers are $399 / £399 (about AU$560) each
• Whole system will set you back approximately $2,400 / £2,300 (about AU$3,400)

The LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro is pretty pricey, coming in at about $2,400 / £2,300 (around AU$3,400) in total. The individual components of this system got a price drop ahead of release, making it pretty competitive over the likes of Sonos, which also offers different parts of its system individually.

You can connect up to four of the M7 or the cheaper LG M5 speakers up to the Suite H7 soundbar, or connect speakers directly to your TV if you have a compatible model, like the LG G5 or LG C5.

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review: specs

Should I buy the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review: also consider

How I tested the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro

• Tested across the course of a week
• Used at our TV testing space at Future Labs
• Played 4K Blu-Ray, streamed movies and streamed music over Wi-Fi

I spent a week testing the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro, using it alongside the LG G5 OLED TV via HDMI eARC. I tested the system using various configurations, and tried the system with the wireless speakers across many parts of our TV testing space at Future Labs.

During my testing time, I viewed and listened to a wide variety of content. I began by throwing on some movies via Netflix Premium, as well as higher-quality 4K UHD Blu-rays, which I played using the Panasonic DP-UB820. I also connected my phone up to the Suite 7 Pro and listened to some tracks via Tidal Connect, using both Dolby Atmos and stereo formats.

Of course, I made sure to exhaust the Suite 7 Pro’s various features as well. I listened using all of the different sound modes, messed around with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, and tried out the Sound Follow feature.

More generally, I've tested a load of soundbars here at TechRadar, and have tried out everything from ultra-cheap models like the Sony HT-SF150 through to luxurious alternatives like the JBL Bar 1300MK2. My experience testing rival models means that I know exactly what it takes for a soundbar system to stand out, in what is a highly competitive market.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: March 2026

• LG Display OLEDs achieve "100% Dimming consistency" certification from UL Solutions
• OLED handles different brightness zones more consistently than backlit ones
• Somehow, AI's been crowbarred into this, too

LG Display's OLED panels for TVs and monitors have achieved what the company says is an industry first: they've been certified as having "100% dimming consistency" from a third party, UL Solutions. By comparison, LCD panels only achieved a maximum of 83%, with some scoring just 43%.

According to LG Display, OLED is even better than next-gen RGB mini-LED technology. And also, that it's "the optimal choice in the AI era."

I don't doubt that LG's panels prevailed in this test. But I do have a few questions.

If LG OLED Is the winner, who was the competition?

The first and most obvious question is: what is being measured here? And helpfully, LG explained that when announcing its victory. Dimming consistency is a measurement based on setting a reference area in the center of the screen, measuring the maximum and minimum brightness, and then reducing the measured area to 1/10th of the panel, then 11/1,000th of the panel, moving through 5/1,000th, and finally down to 2/1,000th.

If the minimum and maximum brightness levels remain the same across measurements, you're looking at high dimming consistency. But if it varies, it means the dimming is more variable depending on the window's size.

Given that OLEDs don't use backlights and have very small self-emissive pixels, then of course you'd expect an OLED to do very well in a test that, frankly, might as well have been named the 'Is this an OLED?' test. LG's OLEDs got full marks.

The second question is: which panels were tested, and how big were they? We don't have that information, so while a 43% consistency score for LCD sounds bad, we don't know if we're comparing like with like, if we're comparing the same sizes of panels, or if we're comparing high-end OLED with low-end LCD (presumably so).

Even if we assume the test treats RGB mini-LED as a high-end LCD panel option, there are different tiers of RGB panels. The likes of Hisense and TCL are making more budget options as well as high-end ones.

Next thought: where is QD-OLED in this test? LG Display's OLEDs are the first to score 100% in this test, but is that partly because the other tech likely to score 100%, which is also made by rival Samsung Display, isn't included?

And I have the same thought about micro-LED screens. Again, you'd assume this would score 100%, given that it's also self-emissive, but it doesn't seem to be included.

And finally, I'm bemused by this: LG Display says that "This further highlights OLED as the optimal display for connecting humans and AI. In the AI era, high luminance, high resolution, and high color gamut performance are essential," which is a strange claim for a tech largely used to type things into a prompt.

And that sentence might sound like an oversimplified joke on my part, but LG also said, "Having achieved 100% dimming consistency, OLED can deliver the rich visual information generated by AI in a natural and precise manner", which really doesn't sound like a boast that text looks good on OLED. Which, I guess, it does.

For all my snark, I do think this is an interesting piece of information, even if it is mostly preaching to the converted: there's a reason so many of the best TVs for all budgets in our guides are OLED. There's no doubt that good OLEDs can deliver better contrast consistency than backlit TVs.

But the margin between the best of each tech is getting smaller and smaller, and it arguably feels like increasingly specific tests are being employed to keep OLED seeming more clearly superior.

Panasonic recently unveiled its new 2026 TV line-up (for UK and Europe — US news will come later), and it included a new OLED model that's a world-first. The Panasonic Z86C will be a new entry-level OLED in Panasonic's range, and it's the only TV revealed at the time of writing to include LG Display's new OLED SE panel, which is set to be cheaper and potentially brighter than previous budget OLED screens.

The Z86C (known in Europe as the Z85C) is the only new OLED from Panasonic this year, because the company is keeping the Panasonic Z95B flagship TV and Z90B mid-range OLED from last year — the new one will slot in right below them.

I got to see the new TV at Panasonic's launch event, though while it was only a brief first impression, it looked initially positive in the area people will be most curious about: the brightness.

Some brief background on this new panel: LG Display says it should be cheaper to make and brighter (up to 1,000 nits) than the previous budget OLED panel, but one way it achieves this is by removing the polarizer, which is a layer designed to reduce reflections. Manufacturers can add their own polarizer, or another solution to reduce reflections, when they make the actual set, but this adds cost back in and reduces brightness.

But the good news with the Z86C is that when looking at it in a strongly lit conference room, with the Z90B mid-range just behind it for reference, it looks like it's delivering on the brightness front — and without any more obvious reflectivity than the Z90B.

Panasonic's demo was a very OLED friendly set of space images, with nebulae and galaxies and space stations moving against a black (and starry) backdrop. The individual tiny stars had a good amount of pop to them, more than I might've expected, while obviously benefitting from being against the deep inky black that OLED can achieve right next to the light.

In images that can take advantage of brightness, on the face of it the new panel really seemed to stand up to the mid-range one. The bright corona of a sun shimmers off the screen, and a swirling galaxy is full of vibrancy and rich hues. At a glance, there's very little to set the screens apart.

But there are signs of the differences — in this shot of the sun, you might notice that while the luminance of both appears more or less on par for the two sets, theres a lot more detail on the TV behind: the Z90B.

You can see more of a spread of dark and lighter areas dotted across the top of the sun in the TV behind, whereas on the Z86C these aren't as clear — there's less variation in the tone.

This suggests that either the processing or the panel (or the combination of the two) are better at tone mapping in the Z90B than the Z86C. Tone mapping is what happens when a video is encoded at a different brightness level to what a TV can display – the TV has to 'compress' brightness, and this can result in detail being lost because different tone levels get smushed together. It's a common thing to see in less-bright TVs.

It's possible that this could be improved by software updates before the TV launches, of course, but I wouldn't be surprised if this kind of nuance is the difference between this TV and the mid-range — just a reduction in the small nuances that make the really great TVs worth the extra cash.

I'll be interested to see whether we similar results in other TVs (none has been announced, but I'd bet money on the LG B6 using it) that use this panel — a good sense of perceived brightness, but telltale signs that it lacks the overall performance of the step-up panel used in the Z90B (and the LG C5).

The element I was interested to see other than brightness was the reflectivity, since that will be a big question on TVs that use this panel — since it doesn't have its own polarizer, it could vary wildly in TVs.

And in this case, I couldn't see a major difference in reflectivity compared to the Z90B in the demo hall – in my pictures, there are more reflections on the Z86C, but that's more a function of the photography angles. Panasonic has added a polarizer here — we don't yet have a price for the TV, so I don't know what that will mean for the price overall.

All of this means I'm not only interested to see more of the Z86C and what it can do in a full testing environment, but more of the LG panel as well, and whether I see similar results when it's used elsewhere (and with other processing).

The Z86C doesn't have a price and release date yet, but we know it'll have 120Hz and variable refresh support for gaming, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, and Amazon Fire TV software (replaced by Google TV in Europe, in the Z85C version). It'll come in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes.

We recently reported that LG’s latest firmware update, 33.30.92, has made Dolby Vision picture modes – Cinema Home, Standard, Vivid and Game – appear much brighter on the LG G5 and LG C5, in an effort to fix user complaints of TVs looking ‘too dark’ with some HDR video these days… even in the case of the best OLED TVs.

A common complaint among TV owners is that movies and TV shows’ shadows look too dark, meaning you can't always tell what you're watching, especially if you're in a bright room. Several years ago, Game of Thrones was one of the first TV shows to get wide coverage on this issue with its infamous season 8 battle.

In an effort to combat these complaints, it appears LG has performed some picture wizardry with its Dolby Vision picture modes to help out. Most Reddit users such are embracing these changes, with one saying “Thank you LG for finally fixing the darkness”, and generally a lot of overwhelmingly positive reaction.

There are some detractors, such as this thread, with people who are more apprehensive but still the response seems like a big win for LG.

So, how has LG done this? Is this a straight-up brightness boost or a tone mapping tweak? Thankfully, I have the G5 and C5 available, both of which hadn’t received the new update yet, plus specialized testing equipment to measure brightness. So let’s find out how this update looks! In this article, I'll be focusing on the G5, because it got long enough before adding in the mid-range model – I'll follow up with results for the C5 soon.

A quick note on the photos below: these should be considered illustrative, rather than totally accurate reproductions of what you'd see in real life – the films don’t appear as harsh (in some cases) on the TV in person.

The Batman

The Batman is a regular 4K Blu-ray I use for testing as not only does it have plenty of high contrast scenes to test a TV’s capabilities, but it’s also very dark (mastered at 400 nits, compared to the industry standard of 1,000 nits).

It acts as a sort of torture test and can be extremely difficult to watch in bright conditions, so naturally it’s the perfect first test for this new update.

Dolby Vision Cinema Home

As you can see in the first photo above, there is strong contrast here with half of Batman’s face in shadow, but the white of his left eye is more obscured. My reflection wasn’t as pronounced as the photo would show, but there were mirror-like reflections visible over the detail in the scene.

The second photo, post update, shows better detail within the shadow, with Batman’s left eye and his stubble more pronounced, demonstrating a change to tone mapping. Even reflections of myself and other objects are less obvious, because the overall image is brighter. Crucially though, blacks and the darkest tones still appear accurate and don’t appear lifted.

In this shot of a much darker scene, where Batman stands post-fight on a subway platform, the changes may not appear as obvious as the face photo above, but there are some differences.

More of the subway environment such as the back wall and floor are on display in the second photo and the various peak light areas do appear marginally brighter. Again though, accuracy has not been sacrificed: dark tones still appear deep and true-to-life.

Dolby Vision Standard

When I measure TVs, I always measure both Filmmaker Mode (as the most accurate mode) and Standard mode, as it is often the default for some users. So, I decided to check out Dolby Vision Standard before and after this update as well.

The first thing I noted with Dolby Vision Standard is how different its color temperature was, as it favored a much cooler blue. While I expected this based on other picture modes, it was still surprising. It’s worth noting that the change in color temperature wasn’t as aggressive as the photos would suggest, but is clearly there.

Post update, Dolby Vision Standard seemed to receive the same treatment as Dolby Vision Cinema Home: a change in tone mapping revealed more details in darker areas, while still retaining accurate black tones. There is also a perceived brightness boost, with my reflection once again less visible post update.

I didn’t feel this mode suited The Batman, but it is good to see a noticeable change for the better.

DV Filmmaker, Cinema Home and Standard

Below, I’ve again used the photos of Batman’s face from The Batman, but in these galleries, I’ve included Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode. This picture mode is the only one to remain unaltered from the firmware update.

In the first gallery, this is Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode, followed by Dolby Vision Cinema Home and finally Dolby Vision Standard before the update. Gallery two is the same photos, but post update, so Cinema Home and Standard have changed.

Pre update

Post update

As you can see, Filmmaker Mode is a great marker for just how significant the update is. Both Cinema Home and Standard are showing much more detail than before the update.

Filmmaker Mode also struggles in the brighter conditions due to its lower brightness, meaning darker areas are harder to see, there is perceived black crush when in a brigther room, and mirror-like reflections are more present. For The Batman in brighter conditions, Cinema Home is definitely the better choice.

Dark room viewing

I also decided to see how these updates would fare in darker viewing conditions. For photography purposes, there is an uplight behind the TV, but in reality I viewed it in pitch black conditions. This is where Filmmaker Mode shines.

In the pitch-black conditions, due to the G5’s higher brightness, I found that the brighter Dolby Vision modes could have lifted dark tones in places, and while Cinema Home still looked very good, Standard was oversaturated and didn’t look as accurate.

In these home theater conditions, Filmmaker Mode looked excellent. It delivered that accuracy I was looking for, still demonstrating crisp textures and powerful contrast, but without getting too overzealous.

In the subway scene from The Batman, Filmmaker Mode (slide 1) has the most visually pleasing picture, with the best balance in contrast that reveals details and textures in the walls and floor, while also demonstrating impactful highlights such as the lamp opposite the platform. Cinema Home does the same, but definitely appears brighter. I felt Filmmaker Mode did more justice to this dark scene.

Last Voyage of the Demeter

The next movie I tested was Last Voyage of the Demeter, another movie with plenty of dark and high-contrast scenes. Again, this can be tricky to watch in brighter viewing conditions as it's vulnerable to mirror-like reflections. For this, I decided on a scene where two of the sailors are on deck at night and one walks while swinging a lamp.

Dolby Vision Cinema Home

The biggest change here is in the mirror-like reflections. While they are still present, they are much less obvious in the Cinema Home post-update, thanks to higher average brightness across the screen.

Brighter objects, where moonlight is reflected on them, also appear brighter and more detailed, such as the tarp over the small boat in the background and the wooden grate in the foreground. Light sources, such as the swinging lamp also appear brighter, giving them a little more pop on screen and creating higher perceived contrast.

Dolby Vision Standard

For Dolby Vision Standard, I didn’t find the changes to be as significant compared to Cinema Home. However, I was surprised that the color temperature of this scene, already very cool, became even cooler post update.

This mode also reduced reflections, but again not to the extent of Cinema Home. There was an added brightness however, which was obvious in the ropes in the background, again taking on a cooler hue.

DV Filmmaker Mode, Cinema Home and Standard

I decided again to put both Cinema Home and Standard alongside Filmmaker Mode to see how it fared in brighter conditions. Below, gallery one is all three modes pre-update and gallery two is all three post-update, with Filmmaker Mode once again unaffected.

Pre-update

Post-update

In brighter conditions, Filmmaker Mode unfortunately suffers from quite obvious mirror-like reflections, making it difficult to watch. Cinema Home’s post-update picture is the best for viewing conditions, nicely balancing the accuracy of Filmmaker Mode but adding a nice hit of brightness and adding some more detailed tone mapping, giving objects a more lifelike appearance.

Pitch black conditions

I also tested this scene in pitch black conditions and this was once again where Filmmaker Mode came out on top. Its contrast was more balanced than the other two modes, but once again Cinema Home was a close second, as it had been with The Batman.

Cinema Home did bring out some nice details in less obvious objects however, such as the pile or rope in front of the sailor. For accuracy’s sake though, Filmmaker Mode was the obvious choice. I found Standard too bright in dark conditions.

The Sound of Music

I decided to try out the update on a brighter movie as well, to see what differences it could make. I opted for The Sound of Music, a breathtaking 4K Blu-ray with plenty of colors to pop and bright, impactful scenes. I decided to focus on the ‘Do Re Mi’ scene, as it has plenty of lush greens and vivid blues and whites, plus it has a particularly punchy brightness to it.

Dolby Vision Cinema Home

Looking at this scene from The Sound of Music in Dolby Vision Cinema Home pre and post update, it’s clear the firmware update has had an impact. The green grass to the left of Maria and the snow-capped mountains in the background definitely look more vibrant and bolder post update.

The whites of everyone’s outfits also have more shine in the update, though I’m not sure this is a positive as some of the children’s outfits are straddling the line between accurate and oversaturated.

Still, it’s clear that the update has indeed added more energy to certain colors on screen and raised the perceived brightness.

Dolby Vision Standard

I found Dolby Vision Standard’s changes harder to see, apart from the very obvious color temperature change again. There are some subtleties to suggest more saturation in the green grass and a bit more punch in the blue sky, but again I didn’t find Dolby Vision Standard’s changes as prevalent as Cinema Home’s or as obvious as I found watching The Batman.

Dolby Vision Filmmaker, Cinema Home and Standard

Once again, I decided to take a picture of the same scene above with Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode to compare it to Cinema Home and Standard pre and post update. Once again, gallery one is of the three modes pre-update and gallery two is post-update, where Filmmaker Mode remains unchanged.

Pre-update

Post update

Despite being in brighter viewing conditions, I would still choose Filmmaker Mode. Its color reproduction appears more accurate, striking a nice balance between saturation and accuracy, making The Sound of Music feel more authentic.

Cinema Home is a close second as it does add some nice pop and only certain colors can appear a touch oversaturated. For me, Standard changes the complexion of the film too drastically.

While it can be difficult to tell the changes the update has made at times, it definitely added more vibrancy in more subtle areas of the picture, especially the greens of the grass. Cinema Home has definitely benefitted the most from the update with The Sound of Music.

Measurements

Now that I had experienced the update in action, I was curious: was this a straight up brightness boost or was this more a focus on changing the tone mapping? Was LG just cranking up the dial marked 'light', or was it adjusting the curves for how bright specific tones should be compared to others?

The TechRadar team strongly suspected the latter, but I broke out the equipment to make sure. I measured the G5’s Dolby Vision Cinema Home and Standard picture modes pre and post update to see if there were any big brightness changes.

Using a Klein K10A colorimeter, Murideo Six G 8K test pattern generator and Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record said measurements to test the G5, I got to work, focusing on peak brightness (10% window) and fullscreen brightness (100% window).

Dolby Vision Cinema Home pre-update hit 1930 nits peak and 313 nits fullscreen brightness. Post-update, it hit 1979 nits peak and 325 nits fullscreen. So while there has been a slight boost in brightness, the human eye wouldn’t be able to discern this very marginal increase: not to the extent that I perceived when viewing the movies in action.

Dolby Vision Standard clocked in at 2,045 nits peak and 352 nits fullscreen brightness pre-update, meaning it was unsurprisingly the brighter of the two modes between it and Cinema Home. Interestingly, its brightness barely moved post-update, only rising by single digits in most cases.

So, what this tells us is that it’s not a simple case of LG pumping more energy into the panel to boost output, but rather that LG is taking certain tones and raising their brightness profile compared to how they were before, in an attempt to make them appear more accurate as the eye perceives them, specifically when viewed in brighter conditions.

Conclusion

After testing LG's latest firmware update, I'm joining the majority and calling this a success, on the G5 at least. The Dolby Vision Cinema Home update in particular has been extremely useful for darker movies in brighter conditions. It reduces reflections, applies more dynamic tone mapping and adds some perceived brightness that mean it it's impossible to watch a movie like The Batman in a light room.

In darker conditions, I would still opt for the more accurate Filmmaker Mode and I'm glad to see LG left it untouched. While Standard isn't my style, it could work well for more modern, animated movies by adding even more brightness.

It's rare that we cover a firmware update to this extent on TechRadar, but this one really piqued my curiosity as a TV tester. And honestly, it was worth covering: this is a successful update. If you're an LG OLED TV owner, make sure to update – if you're thinking of buying one, but have worried about performance in bright rooms, maybe this will make a difference.

I'll be back next week with my look at the changes on the LG C5. Given that its panel is less bright, that could be very interesting…

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TV-based cloud gaming has been 'nearly there' for a while – the kind of feature you’d spot in a smart TV menu, try once, then forget about. More recently the TV industry started talking about cloud gaming like a proper, premium capability, not a novelty app tucked away behind Netflix – and in 2026, that's ramping up further.

LG, for example, used its new OLED Evo range to push the idea of a big-screen gaming experience that doesn’t need a console at all, being the first TVs to offer 4K 120Hz cloud gaming, via Nvidia's GeForce Now service.

Why does this matter? Because once major TV makers treat gaming ease of access as the goal, everything else – controllers, interfaces, and subscriptions – starts to evolve around it, too.

As recently as last year, we might have said that this is unlikely to disrupt console makers for the foreseeable future – but with memory prices continuing to rise, and Microsoft increasing the price of Xbox consoles, things are changing fast.

The big news: 4K 120Hz cloud gaming is here

One particular moment from CES 2026 made cloud gaming on TVs feel properly grown up: seeing 4K gaming at 120Hz being pitched as a built-in capability, not a best-case scenario for the future.

For LG, that message came wrapped in new OLED hardware – it announced the OLED Evo G6 with the kind of premium panel talk you’d expect (higher brightness, lower reflections), but the gaming headline was just as striking.

The company says its new OLED range are the world’s first TVs to support 4K 120Hz cloud gaming, with Nvidia GeForce Now built in at that spec.

And 120Hz isn’t just for bragging rights. In practice, a higher refresh rate can make streamed games feel more immediate and less 'floaty', especially in fast camera movies or twitchier genres, where latency and responsiveness are the whole experience.

The bigger shift, though, is what it says about priorities: cloud gaming is now being marketed like HDR performance or panel tech – a core feature someone might buy the TV for.

The GPU crisis makes TV gaming even more attractive

Rising hardware costs due to the AI boom are making a 'no console' feel less like a gimmick and more like a sensible default.

The ceiling for PC gaming parts has moved again – recent pricing of the Nvidia RTX 5090 has spiked as far as double the official list price – and that's if you can find one, as data centers gobble up all the parts.

Memory has it just as bad, with prices have risen massively, and with most future inventory already accounted for, experts say it will get worse amid an 'unprecedented and record-breaking surge' for parts.

Game consoles remain the cleanest plug-and-play route, but they aren’t immune to the same component cost pressures, especially as pre-AI boom inventory runs out and manufacturers raise prices.

In this context, cloud gaming starts to look less like a compromise and more like a smart buying decision.

Instead of paying for a big hardware jump every few years, you’re effectively renting performance, and letting your TV do what it’s already good at: showcasing content on a big screen.

Even if your TV doesn't support cloud gaming, with Nvidia bringing native GeForce Now support to Amazon Fire TV devices, the 'buy a box' decision can shrink down to 'grab a controller and use the streamer you already have'.

Accessories are adapting to TV-first gaming

The other thing that's truly evolving in 2026 is the ecosystem around cloud gaming on TVs.

Razer’s Wolverine V3 Bluetooth is a good example: it’s built specifically with LG smart TVs in mind, and it’s the first controller to carry the Designed for LG Gaming Portal certification – and, more importantly, to use new next-gen lower-latency Bluetooth tech.

What’s interesting here is the direction of travel. Once you’ve got a controller that’s been designed around the TV interface as much as the games themselves, it suggests that accessory and TV makers are trying to remove the little bits of friction that make cloud gaming feel a step behind actually owning a console.

In other words, this isn’t just a peripheral launch, it’s a sign that smart TV gaming portals are starting to behave more like proper platforms, with hardware partners and certification programmes.

TV operating systems want to be gaming storefronts

The sets that win the war for gamers' cash won’t just have great panels – they’ll make it effortless to discover a game, sign in, and jump back into a session without digging through menus. And two moves we've seen in 2026 underline this.

Amazon’s Fire TV got its first major interface refresh in years, with a stronger focus on discovery, a reorganized navigation bar, and more emphasis on pinned apps, from streaming to gaming.

Google TV, meanwhile, is pushing a Gemini-led upgrade that’s designed to make the interface more helpful and conversational, which inevitably shapes what gets surfaced, and how quickly you can act on it.

TV makers are leaning into the same logic. LG’s OLED messaging frames cloud gaming as part of webOS, complete with 'portal' language and accessories built around it, for the complete package.

Why 'no console' is more plausible in 2026 than it was a few years ago

The big change isn’t that cloud gaming suddenly works perfectly everywhere, it’s that the number reasons not to choose it is being reduced smartly.

We're seeing more end-to-end thinking this year: TV makers are pitching cloud gaming as a flagship capability, and accessory partners are optimizing around TV gaming portals rather than treating them as a compatibility afterthought.

Nvidia’s CES 2026 move to bring native GeForce NOWow support to Amazon Fire TV devices pushes the idea that you don’t even need a premium TV for a credible setup – a streaming stick plus a controller can do it all.

Then there’s the ecosystem overlap with the traditional console world. An Xbox app on LG TVs, offering Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming via Game Pass Ultimate, is the clearest expression of the idea. Pair that with Samsung’s long-running Gaming Hub approach and the direction is hard to miss.

None of this makes a console obsolete right now, but it does make the 'no console' route feel less like a compromise, and more like it might be the right choice next time you're facing a decision on what platform you'll invest into.

Hold your horses – why you might still want a PS5

The most realistic outcome isn’t a living room with zero consoles overnight – it’s a wider spread of 'good enough' big-screen gaming setups that make a dedicated box feel optional.

For plenty of people, cloud gaming on the main TV becomes the easiest on-ramp because it’s instant, it’s already on the screen you own, and it avoids a big upfront spend just to get started.

Consistency is still the make-or-break factor, because stability, latency, and packet loss decide whether a game feels sharp or slightly off, especially at higher resolutions and frame rates.

So the console doesn’t disappear: it stays the simplest route to fewer caveats, offline resilience, and the same experience every time you press play.

With component costs rocketing due to the AI boom, shifting towards a software-first model, combined with a top-end TV, seems pretty smart in 2026.

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• LG releases update 33.30.92 for LG C5 and G5 OLED TVs
• Brightness changes in several Dolby Vision modes, but no changes to Filmmaker Mode
• Lots of people noticing changes in G5, but not as many noted in C5

LG has released an update that's intended to make Dolby Vision HDR much brighter in several modes on the LG C5 and LG G5 OLED TVs – and it looks like many owners are delighted with the results so far.

Some owners on Reddit are sharing before and after images, and the difference in brightness is dramatic – the after images are far more bright and vibrant, swapping deeper shadows for a brighter tone.

Before vs After Results : LG G5 Dolby Vision brightness update (33.30.92) from r/LG_UserHub

A changelog shared by user Stanley083 says the updates are the following:

Models: LG C5 and G5 OLED (2025 Models)

This update is a specific picture quality fix addressing user complaints regarding Dolby Vision brightness.

Major Changes

Dolby Vision Brightness Fix: The primary purpose of this update is to resolve an issue where Dolby Vision content (specifically in "Cinema Home" mode) appeared noticeably darker than standard HDR10 content.

Targeted Modes: The brightness boost has been applied to the following Dolby Vision picture modes:

• Cinema Home
• Vivid
• Game
• Standard

Filmmaker Mode Unchanged: LG has stated that Filmmaker Mode remains untouched to preserve "creator intent" and the reference standard, meaning it will still appear darker than the updated modes.

Context & User Findings

• The Issue: Prior to this update, many C5/G5 owners reported that the "out-of-box" Dolby Vision experience was too dim, particularly "Cinema Home" preset, which is usually intended for brighter viewing.

So far, the changes seem to be a big hit. "Thank you LG for finally fixing the darkness," Uluquat posted on the r/LGOLED subreddit.

Thank you LG for finally fixing the darkness with 33.30.95 firmware update from r/LGOLED

But there's one thing to note: all the images and big praise we're seeing so far have been from LG G5 users, and while the update is for the C5 too, there doesn't seem to be as much discussion of that.

We're breaking out our LG G5 and LG C5 units right now to test the differences on both TVs ourselves, and we'll follow up with what we find.

Who'll benefit from the LG update – and who probably won't

The people most likely to benefit are those of us who watch TV in fairly bright rooms, where your eye can never full adjust to a super-dark image, and where reflections and ambient light tend to crush and obscure shadows more, meaning nuanced dark areas become a big black mush.

One of the most detailed posts is by Redditor International-Oil377, who says that "Cinema home is the most interesting that received an update. It’s not as bright as vivid but still quite a bit brighter than FMM [Filmmaker Mode]. The highlights pop less than FMM but still remain impactful in a lot of cases."

However, their post suggests that the update won't be of much interest to serious home cinema owners as it doesn't change Filmmaker Mode – but "Not everyone has a dark theater in room in their basement, so I can see many people appreciating this change."

So if you've been struggling with the visibility of your 2025 LG OLED in Dolby Vision modes, this could be the update you've been waiting for – though there's no word on a similar boost for the LG B5 yet, which arguably would benefit from it even more, since it's a dimmer TV to begin with.

We're in the process of breaking out our C5 and G5 TVs to test the update and see exactly how big a difference it makes, but going by Reddit it's pretty significant and welcomed by many.

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For the longest time, I’ve held a bitter grudge against LCD TVs. I still vividly remember buying my first flatscreen back in 2007, and immediately recoiling in disgust upon seeing how much worse the on-screen text looked in Xbox 360 games than they had on my ageing CRT set. Fast forward 20 years – a period in which I became obsessed with OLEDs – and I’m ready to give LCD another chance.

Alright, it's not quite as simple as that. When I say ‘LCD’, I specifically mean ‘RGB mini-LED’, but hey – it’s still a traditional liquid crystal display, just with (quite a few) bells and whistles. But this tech ditches so many of the drawbacks of LCD, while also potentially improving on the few weaknesses OLED has – I think it could be the premier screen type for AV snobs going forward.

As managing editor of entertainment Matt Bolton recently argued, RGB TVs are a huge danger to OLED TVs… and I’m right there with him on that. Brighter, potentially cheaper (more on that shortly), and sporting incredible color deptch, the most tantalizing TV technology coming out of CES 2026 has made my obsessive eyes oh so excited.

Easy as RGB

The technology behind RGB mini-LED (or Micro RGB, as you will sometimes see it called) is fascinating… providing you’re a massive AV dweeb. Rather than use a single color of backlight behind the pixels, as LCD TVs always have, every LED in the backlight now has red, green and blue elements, meaning they can shine the correct color for the part of the picture they're behind. This means much less color-filtering is needed, and yet you get a wider range of colors at the same time. It also makes them more efficient.

What does that mean for my inner OLED obsessive? A good chance of higher brightness compared to my go-to TV tech, combined with a precision level of backlight control that should limit the ‘halo effect’ that has dogged the corners of even the best LCD TVs for decades, where light leaks from bright areas to dark areas.

Even though Samsung has already shown us its giant 115-inch Micro RGB TV, I’m particularly excited to see what LG and its ‘Micro Dimming Ultra’ feature can produce in its first RGB panels.

Sure, OLED TVs can self-dim every single onscreen pixel. But then again, thanks to my Philips Hue Gradient Lightstrip, and the fact it projects the colors of whatever content I’m watching onto my lounge wall, I don’t really need every dark scene in my favorite film to be perfectly inky because the wall-illuminating technology boosts perceived contrast anyway.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m currently extremely happy with my 77-inch LG G3 OLED. What. A. TV. Thanks to its infinite black levels, incredible contrast and peerless screen uniformity, the South Korean manufacturer’s flagship panel of 2023 is comfortably the best television I’ve ever owned. And hoo-boy, have I bought a lot of them during my four decades on this spinning rock.

Still, a part of me will forever be enticed and intrigued by the shiniest new form of TV tech. Hence why I’ve owned 12 separate OLED panels since 2016. Somewhat pathetically, I can remember every single model number; be it the 10 LG sets or the Philips and Sony screens that made me cheat on my favorite OLED manufacturer.

OLED down the garden path

Over that time I’ve been jazzed by all the latest advances on the ‘Light-emitting Diode’ front. MLA brightness-boosting solutions. Primary Tandem 2.0 panels. Glare-ending ‘Reflection Free Premium’ screens. For all I appreciate the drastic increase in peak HDR brightness with the best OLED TVs year on year, my hyper focused eyes are now obsessed with the potential of RGB mini-LED sets.

Every manufacturer is boasting that RGB TVs will deliver well over 100% of the HDR color gamut, and I'm excited by the promise of going super-deep on colors. As someone who is bothered by color banding (where tonal changes that should be a smooth gradient have clear 'bands' dividing them) on his current LG OLED to an unhinged degree, this statement has me hoping that RGB tech can overcome this, either by delivering more advanced HDR color 'upscaling' on streamed content, or just with less color limitation on the panels.

When you’re playing one of the best PS5 games, it can be all too obvious when spotting the differences in gradients of certain hues while panning across a bright blue sky. I’m not saying Micro RGB panels can entirely cure this issue, but I’m hopeful they can reduce it.

I also have a slight problem with my LG OLED’s preset modes when it comes to colors. I tend to favor Vivid (hersey, I know) in most situations. That’s mainly because I prefer a cooler tone in movies over the earthier hues that my TV’s Filmmaker and ISF Expert modes offer.

Even still, I can’t shake the feeling my G3’s color accuracy isn’t quite on the money, which is only making me thirst more and more for Micro RGB.

Huge punch at smaller sizes

There’s also a good chance I’m going to have to plump for a smaller (and crucially cheaper) TV than my G3 in the not too distant future. I’m currently in the process of selling my apartment, and in all likelihood, the place I end up staying next won’t be able to accommodate a 77-inch screen.

Though the first, colossal Micro RGB sets that launched last year are pricey, that's because they were huge. Considering they’re far closer tech-wise to mini-LED than they are to OLED, it’s not far fetched to expect them to drop lower than comparable mid-range OLEDs over the next few years.

Considering I may well have to channel my inner Scrooge Mode going forward while I downsize to a smaller place, the fact that Micro RGB TVs can potentially be more energy efficient is seriously seductive too. As much as I adore wall-dominating screen real estate, the notion of a super-bright 55-inch Micro RGB with amazing colors and almost OLED blacks has my Spide… AV sense tingling.

As I gradually make peace with a future that involves a smaller screen, I find my TV horizons are broadening. Five years ago, I would have rather taken a bath in sulphuric acid than own an LCD screen. Yet with Mico RGB becoming increasingly attractive? I say bring on the sulphur.

People tend to think of Black Friday and other sales events, such as Prime Day, as the best time to buy a TV. But there is another great time of year that is often overlooked: the end of a TV’s life cycle. The best TVs usually have a lifespan of 1-2 years before they are replaced by their successors. Most major TV manufacturers will release a new model every year, often around the same time.

LG and Samsung are first out of the gates in March and April, followed by TCL and Hisense in June/July, and Panasonic and Philips are usually in the latter part of the year, say August/September. Sony used to release in July, but has since reverted to a biannual release schedule for most of its flagship models.

But what does this mean for older models? Well, it usually means you can expect big discounts! Companies will be eager to clear the stock of said older models before the arrival of the new sets, meaning you can usually get a nice price cut. It’s not always the case, but it happens more often than you think.

While there are tons of models each year to choose from that could get discounts, I’ve picked a few of my favorites from 2025, looking at current pricing and what you should aim to pay.

LG C5

• Current price (65-inch) - $1,399 / £1,599
• Ideal price (65-inch) - $1,199 / £1,299

The LG C5 was one of the best OLED TVs I tested in 2025, delivering the perfect balance between price and performance. Its picture quality delivers strong contrast, bold colors, refined detail, crisp textures, and accurate motion. It’s got all the features you could want from the best gaming TVs, including four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 144Hz, full VRR including FreeSync and G-Sync, Dolby Vision gaming, and ALLM. Plus, its smart TV, webOS 25, is intuitive with useful AI features.

While OLED is a premium-priced technology, the C5 has been one of the most consistently discounted TVs since its March 2025 release, often offering huge discounts. You can pick up the 65-inch C5 for $1,399 / £1,599: a nice drop from its release price of $2,699 / £2,699.

We have, however, seen the 65-inch C5 drop to $1,249 / £1,349 in its lifetime, and while this is a great price, if you can get it for $1,199 / £1,299 before it disappears, that’s an excellent deal.

TCL QM7K (US) / TCL C7K (UK)

• Current price (65-inch) - $799 / £849
• Ideal price (65-inch) - $699 / £699

The TCL QM7K/C7K is TCL’s mid-range model in its 2025 mini-LED lineup, and it’s seriously impressive. Boasting brilliant picture quality, which is bright and rich with refined local dimming, great gaming features, including 4K 144Hz, FreeSync Premium Pro, and Dolby Vision support, with performance to match: all for a staggeringly low price. While this is an excellent value TV at full price, you can get this TV for a bargain if you know what to look out for.

Upon its release, the 65-inch TCL QM7K cost $1,499, while the TCL C7K cost £1,000. The QM7K’s price quickly dropped to $999, and while these are both excellent prices for these TVs, we’ve seen them drop lower. The QM7K has hit $799 (its current price), and the TCL C7K (also known as the Q7C at some retailers) has hit £740.

If you can pick up the QM7K 65-inch for $699 and the C7K/Q7C 65-inch for £699, that’s a phenomenal price for a TV with this much to offer.

Samsung S95F

• Current price (55-inch) - $1,899 / £1,499
• Ideal price (55-inch) - $1,599 / £1,299

The Samsung S95F is the flagship model in Samsung’s 2025 OLED TV lineup. I gave it five stars in my review, and it earned the title of TV of the Year at the TechRadar Choice Awards. Its picture quality is superb with vibrant colors, rich contrast, and crisp textures, and thanks to its OLED Glare Free anti-reflection screen, it can be watched in a bright room. This means it's fully equipped for gaming and has a visually appealing design that’s slim and modern.

Naturally, as a flagship OLED TV, the S95F wasn’t cheap on release. The 55-inch model launched for $2,499 / £2,199, and while prices have dropped, it is still at the premium end of the TV market. However, it is worth the money.

You can now pick up the 55-inch S95F for $1,899 / £1,499, which is a reasonable price, but it has dropped to $1,799 / £1,449 before. An ideal price for this would be $1,599 / £1,299. It’s an extremely ambitious price, but the S95F’s predecessor, the Samsung S95D, fell to around this price. If you can pick up the S95F for a similar price, that’s a superb deal.

LG B5

• Current price (48-inch) - $599 / £799
• Ideal price (48-inch) - $499 / £649

The LG B5 is the entry-level model in LG’s 2025 OLED TV lineup. It may not have the brightness of step-up OLED models, but it does deliver crisp textures, powerful contrast, rich colors, and great motion handling. It also carries all the gaming features you could need, with 4K 120Hz, FreeSync and G-Sync, Dolby Vision gaming, and ALLM supported across all four HDMI 2.1 ports. It does all this for cheaper than other OLEDs.

The B5 48-inch model, a perfectly sized screen for gaming, launched at $1,299 / £1,299, which was a steep price for a model this size, but its price quickly dropped, creating a larger gap between it and the step-up C5.

The LG B5 48-inch is currently available for $599 / £799, which is actually a very good price for an OLED at this size. However, I’d hope it drops to $499 / £649 before the end of its life. This would be a superb deal worth jumping on.

• 2025 LG C5, G5 and CS5 models can now work as Dolby Atmos FlexConnect hubs
• Full compatibility with LG Sound Suite wireless speakers and sub
• Supports 22 configurations of speakers and subwoofers

LG has upgraded its 2025 C5, CS5 and G5 TVs to support Dolby Atmos FlexConnect as a hub, working with LG's new Sound Suite speakers, which enables you to put your speakers pretty much anywhere in the room and still get accurate audio positioning as if you had them in the normal surround sound positions at the front and rear.

The update brings Dolby Atmos FlexConnect to the three models, enabling them to connect directly to the Sound Suite M5 and M7 wireless speakers and the W7 subwoofer, combining the TV's speakers with the other speakers. As FlexConnect hubs, the TVs analyze the audio from the speakers and adjusting their output so they sound good no matter where you've placed them – I'll explain more about FlexConnect in a moment.

The one downside is even though Dolby Atmos FlexConnect will be available on speakers from multiple manufacturers, LG's TVs will only work as hubs with LG's compatible speakers.

What is FlexConnect?

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect – you need the full name as there's an unrelated system called FlexConnect in wireless networking is essentially a kind of room calibration for more flexible home theater audio where you don't need to worry about where you've placed the speakers.

Wireless speakers broadcast their location to the hub so it can adjust timings and frequencies to deliver accurate spatial audio positioning. In theory that means you can put your speakers anywhere at all and still get correct positioning of sound objects in Dolby Atmos soundtracks and music.

LG says that there are up to 22 possible configurations with one of the compatible TVs and its M5/M7 speakers and W7 subwoofer – you can have up to four speakers, plus the subwoofer.

What does that mean in practice? It means you can have a surround sound setup that's as big, or small, or weird as you like, so for example you might have just one rear speaker instead of two, or have multiple speakers on the left because that's where you have shelving. FlexConnect will identify where they are and configure its output accordingly to create cohesize whole sound.

LG has gone big on Dolby Atmos FlexConnect but other firms are getting involved too: TCL was the first big name to unveil a FlexConnect product, the TCL Z100 speaker system, and since this is a Dolby technology we should see more brands getting on board – but as I mentioned above, LG told TechRadar that it only has plans to support its own speakers.

I haven't heard FlexConnect yet but my colleague Matt Bolton has, and he tells me it sounds fantastic. This is definitely an audio tech to keep your eye (and ears) on: while there are currently only a few products to choose from their numbers should increase considerably in the coming months.

Have you ever been watching a movie or tv show and found it doesn’t look right? Almost like the movement of the picture looks too smooth? Well, that's commonly called called the ‘soap opera effect’.

Why is it called the soap opera effect? It stems from the fact that soap operas were shot at higher frame rates compared to movies particularly (but also some TV shows), giving them a kind of 'hyperreal' smoothness to the movement.

So why is this a problem on movies on modern TVs? It's because even the best TVs tend to come with some hidden settings active by default, called ‘motion smoothing’ or ‘motion interpolation’. On some TVs, such as Samsung, they are also now referred to as ‘clarity settings.’

If you’ve been fed up with this weird looking motion on your TV but don’t know how to solve it, we’re here to help. But first a quick explanation as to what’s going on.

Why does the soap opera effect happen?

Modern TVs are very bright and work at a range of different frame rates (how often the image on-screen changes) and this can cause a problem called 'judder' in movies (which are shot at 24 frames per second), where you can really see gaps in the movement sometimes, which you can't see in the dim, custom-designed world of movie theaters.

On top of that, many cheaper or older TV literally can't show a clean 24fps image. Many of these TVs have screens that refresh at 60fps, and can only cleanly show motion at a number that 60 divides into (such as 30fps, which is common in HDR video). This means you'll get more judder, because 24fps movies are having frame moved forward or backward in timing to fit the world 60fps TVs.

(More advanced TVs are 120fps, and these actually can show a clean 24fps image, because 120 divides by 24).

On top of that, lower-quality streaming or digital broadcasts lose a lot of information in fast-moving scenes, because the amount of data they can include is pretty limited. Anytime there is a quick, panning shot or fast moving sequence, there will be a loss of detail on the screen.

This is where motion smoothing settings come into play. TV manufacturers began to add motion settings into their lower frame rate TVs to help reduce motion blur and judder during fast paced content, but it's used in all TVs.

With motion smoothing activated, a TV will artificially insert new frames within content to improve clarity. The TV essentially guesses what the next frame is going to look like based on the previous few frames, and adds new frames in – in order to make the image appear smoother and more detailed.

This may sound great for sports, and it usually is – but it has a weird effect on 24fps movies, or cinematic TVs shows. When a TV tries to artificially add more frames into a movie, the movie starts to look too smooth, almost like it's moving too fast – because the low frame rate of movies is very distinctive.

A long panning shot will suddenly look like it’s moving at a higher speed, taking on a soap opera appearance, hence the name ‘soap opera effect’. People will feel like they've move too twitchily. Things will also appear artificially 'clear' in a way that's really off for how we're used to films.

Thankfully, in most cases, these motion settings can be controlled or turned off. Here’s how – but bear in mind, you won't always want to turn them off.

Turning off or adjusting motion smoothing

If you head to your TV’s picture settings, often under 'more' or 'advanced' settings, motion settings can often have their own sub-category. Sometimes, they can be found under another menu and can be referred to as 'clarity' settings.

Below I've done a quick step-by-step guide on how you would access motion settings to turn them off or adjust using our reference LG C5 – there's no way I can run through it for every TV, but it will hopefully give you a useful example.

An indicator of motion settings will be two headings called ‘blur reduction' and ‘judder reduction’, or can be referred to under different names. I found, for example, that while testing Philips OLEDs, judder is referred to as ‘smoothness’.

Another quick fix, if you’re looking for film-accurate picture, is to set your TV to Filmmaker Mode picture mode. Not all TVs have one, but most do nowadays. This picture mode is designed to turn off any enhancement features, including motion smoothing (though some brands have started to keep some more minimal motion settings on).

Where motion smoothing can help

While home theater purists often say motion smoothing is no good, as someone who's tested a lot of TVs of every kind, there are many situations where it can be helpful.

We loved TCL’s mini-LED range in 2025, with the TCL QM7K (the TCL C7K is the UK equivalent) being a particular highlight. While this TV is great, its motion handling is less so, despite it being a 120Hz TV.

When I tested the C7K, I found that without motion settings tweaked, there was a lot of judder while watching sports. However, setting blur and judder reduction to 3 (out of 10) resulted in a smoother image that didn’t result in the soap opera effect.

I’ve found this to be the case with a lot of budget TVs, especially 60Hz panel ones for the reason mentioned above – 24fps movies literally can't show correctly on these screens, so a minimal amount of motion smoothing is the best option.

In fact, I found that LG’s OLEDs, including one of my top sets of 2025 the LG C5, benefitted from keep a motion setting on. In its motion settings menu, activating Cinematic Movement, a mild form of motion smoothing designed purely to preserve the look of 24fps movies, resulted in a much more stable image. A panning shot of a rocky cliffside in No Time To Die had a lot less judder with this setting activated – more like how it's supposed to look.

Really, motion smoothing is all about personal preference. It will require some time experimenting, but it’s worth the investment. It will depend on what TV you have and what content you’re watching as well, but if you’re looking to get away from the soap opera effect, this is how to do it.

• LG no longer makes its 8K OLED TV, nor any 8K LED TVs
• 8K panel production is "on hold", but could come back if things change
• Even Samsung isn't pushing 8K as hard – it's starting to look a lot like 3D

Stop me if you've heard this before: a TV technology has failed to excite customers due to high prices and a lack of compatible content. It looks like 8K may be going the way of 3D TVs and is winding down, as LG reportedly abandons a market that TCL and Sony have already exited.

LG was the only maker selling 8K OLED TVs worldwide, but its Z3 OLED TV was discontinued last year and there's no replacement model in this year's line-up. Panel producer LG Display has confirmed to FlatpanelsHD that the development of 8K panels is on hold for the foreseeable future unless market conditions improve.

The Z3 was one of our picks of the best 8K TVs. But the fact that our list only includes three TVs, one of which is still available but is no longer being made, is a bit of a clue to why LG is apparently getting out.

What's the state of the 8K TV market?

With LG getting out of the 8K TV market, Hisense's 8K plans apparently on hold, and both TCL and Sony gone, that leaves Samsung as the sole carrier of the 8K torch – and Samsung enthusiasm doesn't look that strong either.

A few years ago, Samsung offered a range of 8K TVs aimed at different budget levels. Last year, it only bothered with a really high-end model, and that seems to be the case in 2026 as well – unusually, though, Samsung didn't showcase this TV at CES 2026, focusing RGB TVs and QD-OLED instead.

Perhaps even more notably, when Samsung first demoed its Micro RGB backlight tech at CES 2025 it was in an 8K prototype – but the only RGB TVs it's actually launching are 4K.

We identified 8K TV as one of our losers for 2025, and explained that a huge part of the problem is that 8K TV doesn't solve a problem: "there’s only so much information the human eye can actually perceive. In a world where the best 4K TVs continue to dazzle, native 8K UHD panels (7860 x 4320 pixels) are overkill." At normal viewing distances "you’d be hard pressed to tell the fine details of your favorite Ultra HD movie or show on the 8K display from the current best 55-inch 4K TV".

I think another key issue is the ongoing and probably fatal lack of content for it. Blu-ray tops out at 4K resolution, as do all the major streamers' most premium tiers, and there will not be an 8K disc format; last year Warner Bros said it had scanned some big-name movies in 8K, but the number of films was just 20 and it wasn't clear how those movies would be distributed. As I wrote at the time, "the dearth of 8K content is clearly worrying the TV firms and keeping sales numbers low."

I think that's a shame, but as the former owner of a 3D TV who struggled to find much worth donning the silly specs for, I'm well aware that sometimes TV tech's usefulness doesn't always live up to the hype (although maybe 3D isn't as dead as it looks: a new TV tech delivers glasses-free 3D TV. The big question is whether enough of us will want it).

I think there's a place for 8K technology: Samsung's The Wall is extraordinary, and it can be useful in monitors where you want a lot of pixel acreage.

But given the cost of the kit, the lack of content and the sheer brilliance of the best 4K TVs, I'm just not sure that place is in my living room or yours. And it looks like the manufacturers are increasingly coming to that conclusion too.

CES 2026 didn’t just feel like a victory lap for bigger and brighter TVs – it also made the whole “big screen at home” conversation a lot more interesting.

On one side, you’ve got genuinely enormous TVs pushing into the 130-inch range, with brands leaning on next-gen tech such as micro-LED, RGB mini-LED or possibly SQD mini-LED to argue that a giant panel is the way to get punchy, colorful, and premium images in a normal room.

On the other, projectors aren’t quietly accepting defeat. Instead, they’re turning up with brighter laser models and increasingly living room-friendly setups, while still holding the ultimate trump card: sheer scale.

When demos of the latest consumer-friendly models are talking about images up to 300 inches, it’s hard not to wonder whether the next upgrade is a bigger TV on the wall, or a projector that turns your entire wall into the screen.

Either way, CES this year pointed to a new battle for the living room, and it’s one where both sides – TVs and projectors – have a real case.

Why 130 inches suddenly feels realistic

A few years ago, a 130-inch TV felt like something you’d only see in a showroom, or a high-end sports bar – impressive, but wildly impractical, not to mention astronomically expensive.

CES 2026 suggested that’s starting to change, and not just because brands want a headline-grabbing centerpiece.

As our CES 2026 TV roundup made clear, the show’s big story wasn’t only 'bigger', but 'better at being big', with next-gen backlights pitched as the route to higher brightness, stronger color, and fewer of the expected compromises, such as problems with screen uniformity.

Samsung’s 130-inch Micro RGB prototype is the clearest example: a giant TV positioned less as a novelty and more as a direct challenger to the reasons people buy projectors in the first place. It's big, it's immersive, and it's designed in a way that's realistic for fitting into a home (if your home is large).

The key point is that display tech is now evolving with 'real rooms' in mind, not just darkened home theaters, and CES was full of signs that multiple brands are treating giant TVs as a genuine battleground in 2026 and beyond.

Hisense used CES to talk up its fresh RGB mini-LED direction, including an 'Evo' approach that adds a cyan element to the red, green and blue light modules.

Meanwhile, TCL used the show to push its own next-gen mini-LED message – including its TCL X11L SQD mini-LED flagship – while also flagging new RGB mini-LED models in the same breath.

Both those brands, plus Samsung and LG, also offer micro-LED TVs ranging from 130 inches to 160 inches, though these cost a lot more, and are less designed for standard living rooms.

CES's projectors: bigger and more flexible

If giant TVs were the loudest at CES 2026, projectors seemed to be making the more pointed argument: 'we can still go bigger, and we’re easier to live with in most rooms'.

As we found in our CES 2026 projector roundup, there was a good mix of brighter portable models, gaming-friendly options, and even a more mobile home-theater concept that underlines how far projectors have come.

Hisense did the clearest job of framing projectors as the natural rival to the 130-inch TV push.

Ahead of CES, the company unveiled the XR10 – a 4K laser projector pitched for screens up to 300 inches – alongside the Hisense PX4-Pro, positioned as the sequel to its highly regarded Hisense PX3-Pro (which we regard as the best ultra-short throw projector), with many features aimed squarely at living rooms.

And then there’s the other trend that the CES launches kept reinforcing: convenience.

Samsung’s updated Freestyle+ portable projector isn’t trying to beat a home-theater laser projector on sheer impact, but it does show where the category is heading: higher brightness and smarter automatic picture optimization.

The 2026 living room battle: TV or projector?

This is where the giant TV vs projector debate stops being about CES spectacle and starts being about what your living room can realistically handle.

A huge TV’s biggest advantage is that it behaves like a TV: bright, consistent, and largely indifferent to the type of media or environment.

The push among the best TVs around next-gen backlights (especially RGB mini-LED) is effectively an attempt to stretch that advantage to extreme sizes, keeping colors looking rich and highlights looking punchy, even if your room is brightly lit.

The best projectors are getting brighter, and the laser models shown around CES underline how far performance has come, but they’re still more sensitive to the room and factors such as ambient light, which makes them look washed-out very quickly, and makes black tones look gray.

While ultra-short-throw projectors can make projection far more living room-friendly in terms of setup, you’re buying into the idea that the space is part of the system.

Reflections are the other unglamorous factor. The bigger the screen, the more it can behave like a mirror in a bright room, which is why premium TV makers keep pushing reflection-reducing approaches alongside raw brightness and colour gains.

Projector screens don't reflect light at all – but they do suffer from ambient light in the way mentioned above, which can be more harmful to the viewing experience, depending on your setup.

What CES really signalled

If CES 2026 proved anything to us, it’s that 'the biggest screen for your home' is no longer a settled question.

Giant TVs are pushing into the 130-inch class with a new argument – not just that they’re enormous, but that next-gen backlights like RGB mini-LED can deliver top-end quality at scale.

At the same time, projector makers are making compelling upgrades to their latest models. Hisense’s XR10 and PX4-Pro explicitly pitch around living room practicality, while still dangling that headline-grabbing 300-inch screen.

So the battle for the home theater isn’t really TV versus projector in the abstract: it’s two competing versions of convenience.

Right now, it comes down to: do you want the appliance-like certainty of a wall-sized TV, or the flexibility of projection, where the room is part of the system, but the payoff can be truly theater-scale?

• Samsung has reportedly ordered new "polarizer-free" OLED TV panels
• This appears to be the new brighter and cheaper 'OLED SE' panel we've heard about
• These panels will be more reflective – and Samsung's lack of Dolby Vision is still relevant

We recently wrote about the arrival of LG Display's new budget-friendly OLED SE TV panel, which promises to cost less than current cheaper OLED TV panels, while being being brighter at the same time.

LG Display had already confirmed that the screen would be used in 2026 TVs, and I'm taking the leap to assume that means it'll be in the LG B6, the new budget OLED TV for 2026, which LG has confirmed is coming but said it won't discuss officially until spring, so likely not before March.

But it will almost certainly come to other TVs too, because LG Display sells its panels to other companies – we just didn't know exactly what else to expect to see it in.

A new report from Daily Korea (via FlatpanelsHD) says that Samsung has increased the number of OLED TV screens it's ordering for 2026 TVs by 30%, and it appears that this number includes OLED SE panels.

We can assume that this means Samsung's budget-friendly OLED TV for this year, the Samsung S85H, will include the new brighter and cheaper panel, then, hopefully adding a lot more punch over its (still good) predecessor from 2025, the Samsung S85F.

However, there's one downside to all this: reflections. A huge part of why the new OLED SE panel is cheaper and brighter is that LG Display has removed the polarizer layer, which is the primary way these screens reduce reflections, so that you can better see what's on the screen.

That's actually why we know Samsung is using these panels: the report says that Samsung's purchase includes "polarizer-free panels", and every other OLED screen uses a polarizer.

Removing the polarizer is probably the main reason that the panels are brighter than before, reportedly hitting up to 1,000 nits of peak HDR brightness, compared to the 777 nits we measured from the Samsung S85F. Polarizers absorb light as they work, so removing it is an easy path to brighter screen, even if it comes with the downside of showing stronger reflections.

Instead of the polarizer, FlatpanelsHD reports that this screen will use "a new reflective film" (which I presume is anti-reflective in practice), and says that this has a measured light reflectance of 4.4% – this compares to a claimed 0.3% reflectance on the new high-end Tandem OLED panel from LG that's being used in the LG G6 (which is one of the 5 TVs from CES 2026 we're most excited to test).

Is the Samsung S85H the cheap OLED to beat, then? Not so fast

While the increased reflectivity is the biggest catch with the new OLED panel, the Samsung S85H will have another catch of its own: its lack of Dolby Vision HDR support.

Samsung never supports Dolby Vision HDR on its TVs, and is all-in on the rival HDR10+ format, of which the company is one of the key creators. However, Dolby Vision currently has wider support among movies and shows on streaming services, even ones that support both formats.

The LG B6 is likely to use the same panel as the Samsung S85H, but will support Dolby Vision, which can make a real difference.

When our lead TV reviewer, James Davidson, compared the Samsung S85F and the LG B5 – the two 2025 models – he found that Dolby Vision made a real difference to the image quality compared to standard HDR when viewing the same video on both TVs.

That's because a major feature of Dolby Vision is how it enables TV to better adapt HDR images for dimmer TVs in particular. Most movies and shows are created for 1,000 nits of peak brightness as the highest brightness level, with all other tones calibrated from there – so if a TV can't hit those levels of brightness (as is the case with previous budget OLED TVs), a process called tone mapping needs to be applied.

Tone mapping means that the TV decides how to reduce those bright elements to something the TV is capable of showing, and if done badly, it can smoosh different tones together, removing detail from them.

Dolby Vision (and HDR10+) is designed to apply tone mapping based on the original creator's intent, so you can be confident that it's done well, and retains as much detail as possible.

This process doesn't matter as much on brighter TVs (though it can still be a problem, and is one of the things Dolby Vision 2 is designed to address), but on these dimmer TVs, it's important – and even with the brighter panel, these budget OLEDs still look likely to be in the zone where it makes a clear difference.

Still, we're really looking forward to testing this new generation of OLED TVs and pitting them against each other – hopefully this will be a leap forward for affordable options among the best OLED TVs.

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2026 is going to be the year of RGB TVs. The biggest TV makers have sets coming out using next-gen RGB backlight technology, which basically replaces the blue or white backlight of a traditional mini-LED LCD TV with one that has full RGB color support, meaning that these TVs are more efficient, offer richer and more accurate colors, and can suffer less light leakage into dark areas.

Obviously, we need to wait and see just how well these TVs perform in practice – but TechRadar's TV team has seen several of them in early demos, and they're incredibly impressive. Wide viewing angles (often an issue with LCD TVs), vibrant yet realistic colors, inky deep black tones, powerful HDR highlights… they look like a huge danger to the best OLED TVs.

That's in no small part because RGB TVs are set to arrive at only slightly higher prices than standard mini-LED technology, and that's in their first year – think about how quickly standard mini-LED prices have dropped in the few years since their inception, meaning you can get a large-screen, great-quality mini-LED set for under $500 / £500 these days.

My colleague Al Griffin, a TV industry veteran of nearly 30 years, even went so far as to say the budget OLED TV is doomed. He thinks that RGB TVs' contrast performance is so close to non-flagship OLED TVs, with richer colors and far superior brightness, that cheaper OLED TVs will become "irrelevant".

I agree with him in principle, although the news that LG Display's new, cheaper, and simultaneously brighter new cheap OLED panel is coming this year probably means that reports of budget OLED's demise are slightly exaggerated.

But I can see a different potential path forward, I hope: while I agree with Al's sentiment about the current state of the industry, I think the aggressive expansion of RGB TVs is the best thing that could happen for OLED TV fans.

At the high end of OLED TVs (like the LG G5 and the Samsung S95F), there's been significant development over the last few years – micro lens array, QD-OLED, Primary RGB Tandem, next-gen quantum dots.

The progress in mini-LED TVs, plus the arrival of competition for the creation of OLED panels between LG and Samsung, lit a fire under the high-end OLED world. It's improving faster now than at any time in the 13 years OLED TVs have been mainstream.

But at the more affordable end? Not so much.

The LG C5 OLED uses essentially the same panel as the LG C4, and as the LG C3 – and the LG C6 also has it (although there will be a new LG C6H at larger sizes with a better panel).

The LG B5 affordable OLED uses basically the same panel as the LG B4, the B3, and… you get it.

And that's been okay, because the TVs have been very high quality, and mini-LED TVs haven't really been able to match OLED in the key area that people buy them for: the perfect black tones maintained down to the individual pixel.

That truly cinematic look just hasn't come across the same in mid-range mini-LEDs… but RGB TV could change that. Sony told me that one of the advantages of using colorful backlights is that some light wavelengths are more easily absorbed in black areas than others, meaning that there will naturally be less 'blooming' from light areas to dark, as you get in current mini-LED TVs.

If mid-range RGB TVs get close to the contrast of cheaper OLEDs while outperforming them in color and brightness, even purists may turn to the RGB side.

Why is this still a problem for OLED?

The problem for OLED TVs has always been in the manufacturing. The materials needed for the organic pixels haven't changed enough in price over time, and the complicated nature of depositing the material hasn't shifted enough either. Yield rate is another major issue that still holds it back – the manufacturing process just isn't reliable enough to keep prices from dropping.

There have been breakthroughs in areas like the holy grail new blue phosphor material, or the developments in inkjet-printed OLED materials – but I've been told by insiders that the latter is probably three years away from even starting to be used on TV-sized panels, and blue phosphor just won't be enough on its own.

The costs of making OLED panels just haven't changed enough over time to have ever made them truly cheap TVs, and while there's no magic wand for making them less expensive suddenly now, there's certainly more incentive.

Nothing motivates like an existential threat – and RGB TVs certainly have the potential to be just that for today's affordable OLEDs.

OLED TVs are among the most popular on the market. Thanks to OLED’s self-emissive pixels, it can produce perfect blacks while also delivering crisp textures, bold colors and strong contrast. Traditional TV OLED tech, known as Tandem WOLED now, has always struggled with its brightness, measuring significantly dimmer than mini-LED TVs.

Enter QD-OLED. Introduced by Samsung in 2022, QD-OLED adds quantum dots into the OLED equation, enabling very high brightness. While WOLED itself is getting brighter, QD-OLED continues to promise higher brightness increases than WOLED can generally manage each year – and we seem to know now the secret sauce that's allowed a huge 35% claimed jump in 2026, which I'll come back to shortly.

But QD-OLEDs advances aren't helping it take over the industry. Both OLED and QD-OLED are used in some of the best TVs, but WOLED continues to be the most widely used, even though QD-OLED is the brighter of the two panel technologies. In 2023, I said that WOLED was dying thanks to the arrival of QD-OLED and since then, a QD-OLED TV has been named TechRadar’s TV of the Year each year since, last year won by the Samsung S95F.

So, why hasn’t QD-OLED fully taken over? Let’s explore.

QD-OLED vs OLED brightness

When it comes to brightness, QD-OLED usually comes out on top. Last year however, LG introduced a new OLED panel: the Primary RGB Tandem OLED, also known as ‘four-stack’ OLED. It delivered higher brightness and richer colors, and it even beat QD-OLED in one area when we tested LG and Samsung’s flagship models last year.

We measured the LG G5’s peak HDR brightness at 2,268 nits, which was higher than the Samsung S95F’s peak HDR brightness of 2,132 nits. However, where QD-OLED had the advantage was fullscreen HDR brightness, with the S95F hitting 390 nits and the G5 clocking in at 331 nits, and this is more impactful measure for real-life viewing.

It’s worth noting that the RGB Tandem OLED was reserved for the flagship models. The mid-range LG C5, and its older WOLED OLED EX panel, hit 1,180 nits peak brightness – whereas the 65-inch Samsung S90F, which used a QD-OLED panel, hit 1,400 nits. The mid-range is where the QD-OLED made the most difference.

QD-OLED vs OLED’s future

At CES 2026, LG revealed its 2026 OLED TV lineup, announcing that both the LG G6 and LG C6H, the latter of which is basically the LG C6 at 77-inch and 83-inch sizes, will use a next-gen Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 panel. LG says that the G6 will be 20% brighter than its predecessor the G5.

While this is impressive, Samsung revealed its own 2026 OLED TV lineup and we learned that the Samsung S95H, its 2026 flagship, should deliver 35% higher brightness than its predecessor the Samsung S95F. That’s a big boost and dwarfs LG’s 20% higher brightness claim. How is such a boost possible?

Well, we actually learned from Nanosys, the manufacturer behind quantum dots, that QD-OLED will get brighter thanks (at least in part) to a new version of the Quantum Dot Color Conversion (QDCC). QDCC is a type of ink which is used in QD-OLED and this new version is more efficient, enabling higher brightness levels. Other factors probably play in too, but this seems like the key technical development.

So, with all these exciting updates, why is QD-OLED not the most widely used OLED tech?

QD-OLED’s downfall: price

It’s no secret that OLED TVs are some of the most premium priced on the market. While there are ‘budget’ options available such as the LG B5 and Samsung S85F, they’re still much pricier than mini-LED TVs. But, while WOLED TVs are getting cheaper and are available in more budget models, QD-OLED isn’t.

Price is QD-OLED’s biggest downfall. As QD-OLED appears to be a more costly panel to make, it hasn’t made its way to cheaper models. In fact, it’s also not available (at the time of writing) in anything smaller than 55-inch, leaving WOLED as the sole OLED panel tech in smaller 42 and 48-inch models. QD-OLED also isn't available at 83-inch sizes.

At launch, a 65-inch Samsung S95F cost $3,399 / £3,399 / AU$5,295, very similarly priced to the 65-inch LG G5 cost $3,399 / £3,299 / AU$5,299. And while QD-OLED’s prices are similar in its available sizes, 55-77-inch, the lack of a smaller, more budget friendly model is noticeable. Samsung actually uses traditional WOLED in its entry-level S85F model, and in some sizes of the Samsung S90F, with QD-OLED seemingly not able to keep up with Samsung's own demands.

What's also very notable is how other manufacturers don't seem desperate to use QD-OLED. Panasonic and Philips use LG's Tandem WOLED displays. Sony has used QD-OLED for its flagship OLED TVs, but Sony has always sold TVs at a price premium compared to other manufacturers – so it being the only user feels telling.

With LG Display recently announcing a lower-cost OLED panel with impressive brightness, and no announcements from Samsung Display that it'll be able to offer cheaper QD-OLED panels or new sizes (so far), it looks like LG still has the lead with other manufacturers where it matters: bang for buck.

I put the LG G5 and Samsung S95F side-by-side and it was an extremely close fight, with both producing incredible pictures. Putting these two models in a four-way OLED showdown, they both came out on top, with the S95F scoring higher in most categories. But, as long as QD-OLED is pricier, I can’t help feeling it’s still one step behind WOLED. If it can get its price down, all bets are off.

LG and Samsung are big names in the world of OLED TV and often find their models among the list of the best OLED TVs year-after-year. Their flagship models – the LG G5 and Samsung S95F – were two of 2025’s top TVs, with the S95F being crowned TechRadar’s 2025 TV of the Year.

While I’m always impressed by LG and Samsung’s OLEDs, there’s another brand that I love: Philips. Not only does it produce strong-performing OLEDs, but it has one unique feature over everyone else: Ambilight.

I’ve spoken about my love for Ambilight before, which uses colored LEDS to project light from the back of the TV onto the wall, which can create a more immersive and cinematic experience, making the picture feel bigger. Pair this with the already spectacular colors and contrast of an OLED TV, and you’re in for a treat.

Of course, there is the option of adding the Philips Hue TV lighting system, and as LG and Samsung offer a Hue app (as a paid extra), they are the next best candidates behind Philips for this.

But for 2025, Philips laid down the gauntlet in another way. While you can expect to pay roughly £2,099 for a 65-inch LG G5 and 65-inch Samsung S95F, the Philips OLED910 (the G5 and S95F equivalent) costs around £1,799. Considering the mid-range LG C5 65-inch is around £1,599, with the OLED910 you’re basically getting flagship performance (it uses the same OLED panel as the G5) for a mid-range price.

So, I had to find out: how does the OLED910 compare to the G5 and S95F? I put the three models side-by-side to see.

Brightness

For all my testing, the TVs were set to Filmmaker Mode, which is the most ‘accurate’ picture mode and the one I use when testing most TVs.

Firstly, some numbers. We’ve measured the peak HDR brightness of all three of these TVs and, perhaps surprisingly, the OLED910 was the brightest. In peak HDR brightness test consisting of a white window that takes up 10% of the screen, the Philips hit 2,329 nits, compared to the G5’s 2,268 nits and the S95F’s 2,132 nits.

In terms of fullscreen HDR brightness, the OLED910 hit 406 nits, again edging above the S95F’s 390 nits, and comfortably stronger than the G5’s 331 nits.

How did this translate to real-world viewing? All three OLEDs certainly appear rich and bright, which really leant itself to brighter and daytime scenes. A snowy scene from Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark demo footage showcased vibrant whites on all three TVs – but despite what the numbers above said, the G5 had the brightest perceived white tones for me.

In bright-room viewing, all three TVs did well to maintain visibility, though the G5 was the most reflective of the three, meaning dark scenes were tougher to watch due to reflections. The OLED910 performed well, but again was reflective. The S95F is the top dog however, thanks to its effective anti-reflection screen.

Colours

Starting with The Sound of Music, one of the best-looking 4K Blu-rays I’ve tested as part of the Blu-ray Bounty, the vibrant reds and yellows of the fruits in the market scene exploded on each screen. While the OLED910 had the most accurate image to my eyes, the S95F had the most striking. The G5 struck a good balance between the two, looking authentic yet vibrant.

In the Do Re Mi scene, as Maria and the Von Trapp children sit in a field by the mountain, the OLED910 delivered the most convincing greens of the fields and blues of the sky.

Again, the S95F’s were the richest with the most color depth, although on occasion the green did appear oversaturated. The G5’s colors looked slightly cooler compared to the other two screens, despite being in Filmmaker Mode, which usually has a warm tone.

Moving on to more intentionally bold colors, all three TVs handled the garish houses of the suburban neighborhood in Edward Scissorhands well. They popped most on the S95F, capturing the sickly eyesore colors of the houses.

In places, such as the vivid pink carpet of one of the homes, the OLED910 actually had the most vibrancy. But in a daytime scene, Joyce’s yellow car appeared punchiest on the G5, due to its higher brightness.

All three TVs demonstrated superb color reproduction, but I found myself most drawn to the OLED910, as it struck a nice balance between the striking colors of the S95F and the more natural richness of the G5.

Dark room viewing and contrast

Moving onto more contrast-heavy movies, I started with The Batman 4K Blu-ray. Due to its low brightness, I tested this movie in pitch-black conditions. All three TVs again demonstrated powerful contrast, but noticed that while blacks were solid across all three TVs, they were marginally raised on the G5, so had a touch more of a grey tone.

All three sets had excellent shadow detail, maintaining textures such as Gordon’s lapel on his black jacket.

The S95F had arguably the most striking contrast, with rich blacks and punchy highlights, whereas the OLED910 had what I thought was the most ‘film-accurate’ look, accurately capturing the grittiness and powerful contrasting scenes.

This was also true when watching Dark City on 4K Blu-ray, a movie with a lot of high-contrast scenes. As shadows are cast onto faces by lamps throughout, the S95F again had the highest range between light and dark tones to create the strongest contrast, but both the OLED910 and G5 did a brilliant job too.

Despite the OLED910’s higher measured peak brightness, the G5 and S95F actually delivered the punchiest highlights from light sources such as lamps and the neon sign of the Automat in Dark City. At points, the G5 showed slightly raised blacks again.

Still, all three TVs delivered superb contrast and rich blacks: as you’d expect from OLEDs of this calibre.

Motion and upscaling

I decided to test motion specifically on these TVs as I’ve often found that Philips' sets require some adjustment, and that was the case here. Using a panning shot of a rocky hillside from No Time To Die with all motion processing turned off and the TVs set to Filmmaker Mode, all three produced some judder, but the OLED910’s was noticeably worse.

Switching on some motion processing to each TV – Cinematic Movement for the G5, Pure Cinema for the OLED910, and Judder Reduction set to 3 on the S95F – the G5 came out on top, producing a smooth image that avoided the soap opera effect. The S95F was similar to this, but again the OLED910 produced judder. Setting its motion setting to Movie, it was smoother but some minor judder was still happening.

I finished testing with some standard-definition viewing, using a DVD of Amazing Spider-Man. During my four-way OLED comparison, between the G5, S95F, Panasonic Z95B and Sony Bravia 8 II, the G5 easily came out on top due to its punchier brightness and cleaner textures.

The same was true here. The G5’s default Filmmaker settings still produced bold brightness and did a great job cleaning up textures, giving characters and environments a fresher look. Both the OLED910 and S95F did a good job, but the S95F was let down by its lower vibrancy. For colors, all three delivered brighter punchier colors, but again the G5’s had that added pop converting from SDR to something closer to HDR.

Conclusion

Having put these three TVs side-by-side, all three proved they are phenomenal and you won’t be let down by any. One issue with the OLED910 is that it's only available in 55 inches in some territories, and the UK isn't one of them (and like all Philips OLEDs, it's not available in the US at all) – so if you want a 55-inch, it’s down to personal preference between the G5 and the S95F.

The S95F arguably has the bolder colors and richer contrast in HDR, but lacks Dolby Vision. The G5 has the more natural image and rich colors with better upscaling, but doesn't perform as well in bright or pitch-black viewing conditions.

That said, if you’re looking for a 65 or 77-inch OLED, my overall pick is the Philips OLED910. It delivers the most natural and balanced picture of the three, and with the Ambilight feature I love, it edges the LG G5 and the Samsung S95F. Plus, it’s hard to believe that for a 65-inch model, it’s £300 cheaper than the other two even with its unique extra feature.

• LG Display has shown off 'OLED SE' screens – cheaper but brighter for budget TVs
• 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness
• Coming in 2026 from "major customers"

When it comes to the best TVs, you know the drill: OLEDs are revered for premium image quality, while mini-LEDs are brighter and cheaper. But LG Display may disrupt that with a new kind of OLED panel it calls 'OLED SE'.

OLED SE is designed for entry-level TVs, and while its specifications aren't even in the same zip code as the Primary Tandem OLEDs of the LG G5, it could be a game-changer for affordable OLEDs such as the LG B5.

Like the panel in the B5, OLED SE has a refresh rate of 120Hz. But it delivers a claimed 1,000 nits of brightness, which is significantly more than the 668 nits we measured on the B5.

However, I should mention here that LG Display claimed that the Primary RGB Tandem panel used in the LG G5 can hit 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-world or not.

Still, this could make OLED more competitive for budget-conscious TV buyers who might otherwise go for mini-LED due to its sheer bang-for-buck.

How does OLED SE cut the cost of an OLED TV?

As LG Display explained in a Q&A at CES 2026: "SE retains OLED's pixel-level dimming and core advantages, including superior HDR picture quality, perfect black levels, and outstanding response times, enabling clearly superior image quality compared to 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 has managed to reduce the price of the OLED SE panels is by going without the polarizer.

Polarizers reduce reflection and glare, but also reduces the amount of light that a panel emits, so by binning it you get more brightness and less cost. The downside, of course, is that you also end up with a more reflective TV.

TV manufacturers could deal with that by adding their own anti-glare layer, and that could be in the form of their own polarizer, or a matte layer like the one used in the Samsung S95F (which we've been told can be inexpensive to apply). These may affe

LG Display doesn't just supply LG: it makes panels for all kinds of manufacturers, including Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Hisense and Philips. It said it will be supplying OLED SE to "major customers" in 2026.

LG Display told FlatPanelsHD that it will be making the OLED SE panels in five sizes to begin with: 48 inches, 55 inches, 65 inches, 77 inches and 83 inches.

Those sizes just happen to correlate with the five sizes of the LG B5, and of course they're generally the most popular sizes of mid-range or high-end TVs. So it feels like a safe bet that we'll see OLED SE in the LG B6 – but LG has told us that we won't really hear more about that TV until the spring.