5 min read
The LG C-series has long been the consensus mainstream king of OLED TVs. It has always given savvy TV buyers the great benefits of an OLED panel—perfect blacks and “infinite” contrast—without pushing you to spend an arm and a leg on the most expensive set possible. This year’s model, the LG C6, follows suit, offering an upgraded processor, a higher maximum screen refresh rate, and increased peak brightness. The result is a superb picture, with strong performance at just about any viewing time.
And yet, it feels like an off year for the C-series. While it is undoubtedly an upgrade over last year’s LG C5, the performance gap doesn’t necessarily justify its higher price. As of right now—July 2026—the C5 is readily available at most retailers and costs $500 less for a 55-inch set, or $700 less for a 65-inch set. While the largest models, 77 and 83 inches, respectively, have some additional enhancements for big-screen lovers that might justify a splurge, the standard and smaller sizes just don’t have the kind of meaningful hook that would justify spending so much more.
That won’t always be the case, of course. The LG C6 price is almost guaranteed to follow the trend and drop over time. Today, the TV is only worth the hefty price tag, especially if you’re looking at an extra-large 77- or 83-inch model, as these screen sizes have a fancier tandem OLED display. For now, though, the C6 may not be at the top of the OLED heap, or even the top C-Series in the store.
A Little Bit Brighter, A Little Bit Better
Every LG C-series has looked good, so it’s no surprise that the C6 is a stunner. It delivers the same full vibrant color and perfect blacks that we’ve always expected from these TVs. Everything I watched looked gorgeous—from live World Cup games to HDR-enhanced movies and series. Movie buffs in particular will appreciate the TV’s dedicated Filmmaker Mode, which displays content just as its creators intended.
Netflix’s Dolby Vision-enhanced film noir series Ripley allowed the TV to perfectly demonstrate its infinite contrast capabilities, which display black by powering off individual pixels. The neon-laden, colorful futuristic cityscapes of Cyberpunk 2077 looked even more captivating, thanks to the same OLED display trick.
Winston Zhou
When viewed in more specific light, though, the differences between this TV and other OLEDs, including last year’s C5, are not out of this world. My 65-inch review unit was just a tad brighter than the C5, not enough to make a material difference in most viewing conditions.
Interestingly, LG has further enhanced the larger 77- and 83-inch C6 TVs with more sophisticated Tandem OLED display panels that stack multiple layers on top of each other within the display. (LG normally saves this tech for its pricier G-series OLEDs.)
Tandem OLED panels deliver a noticeable performance difference, headlined by higher peak brightness for better viewing in bright spaces. It’s a big enough change that I might recommend spending the extra $900 on a 77-inch “C6H” instead of settling for last year’s model. Without that tandem panel, though, a little extra punch is an improvement, but not a game changer. For $500 or more, I’d like to see what I’m paying for.
Lastly, a new processor in the TV, the Alpha 11, adds AI-boosted upscaling to enhance lower-resolution content, as well as other boosts to image processing across various viewing modes. It’s a surprisingly meaningful improvement—not every YouTube video is made for 4K—but you may not see year-over-year improvements across every show, movie, and game you consume.
Plus a Small Performance Bump for PC Gamers
The LG C6 is also a very solid gaming TV, adding some upgraded features that specifically cater to PC players with a living room setup. First and foremost, its max framerate is up to 165 Hz, reaching above what the PS5 and Xbox Series X call for. It also supports both premium variable refresh rate standards, AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, which ensure smooth, efficient performance. It’s a nice add and keeps pace with the rising frame rates I’ve seen across mid- and high-end TVs this year.
Casual gamers who don’t want to invest in additional hardware will also appreciate the cloud gaming capabilities baked into LG’s operating system, including Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass. All I needed to fire up top-tier games was a monthly subscription and a wireless controller.
And There Are Lots of Little Things to Love
Speaking of which, LG’s webOS platform offers access to any streaming service, cloud gaming, seamless smart home integration, and even the option to use the TV as home decor by displaying art or photos of your choosing. A rich set of AI-powered features is also available and easy to access via voice commands or a dedicated remote button.
Winston Zhou
Like the LG OLED models that precede it, the C6 is also jam-packed with wired and wireless connectivity options. I like that the set is literally up to any task that involves linking up to an external device, be it a PlayStation 5 Pro gaming console via HDMI 2.1 or an iPhone via Apple AirPlay 2, to name a couple of options.
Despite having an impossibly thin display panel, the LG C6 can pump out surprisingly crisp and powerful sound out of the box. That said, I’d still recommend most TV buyers invest in a soundbar or a full surround-sound system so the audio output is as good as C6’s picture quality.
The Shortcomings
Compared to some of the other TVs I’ve reviewed this year, such as Samsung’s S95H and Hisense’s UR9, the C6 falls short in mitigating glare from direct sunlight. While any TV will react poorly to having the sun or a lamp pointed directly at it, the C6 takes excessive exposure especially hard. The image will look much darker in bright conditions, which can make it hard to watch already-dark scenes. That said, it is plenty bright, and the picture won’t fade in normal sunny conditions.
Also, while this is a pretty serious nitpick, I wish that this TV supported both premium HDR standards. The C6 supports Dolby Vision, which is great, but not HDR10+. This means that some HDR content will not support rapid brightness adjustments. In the end, most of your content will look great, but after more than 10 years of HDR support, I believe both standards should be… well, standard on any premium TV.
Who Should Buy the LG C6?Shop LG C6 by Size
LG C6 4K OLED TV (55-inch)
LG C6 4K OLED TV (65-inch)
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LG C6H 4K OLED TV (77-inch)
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LG C6H 4K OLED TV (83-inch)
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The LG C6 is a great TV. If you buy one, you will be very happy. The picture is incredible, and the C-series remains one of the most well-rounded TVs on the market. But as I said at the top, it’s hard to say this year’s model offers any improvements that justify the price difference between these TVs and the C5 series. In the short term, I would recommend that most folks buy the LG C5 until it’s no longer available, given the huge price gap.
There is an exception, of course. If you are looking for a 70-plus-inch big screen, the Tandem OLED panels in the larger “C6H” models improve performance more than the other upgrades. It’s a big spend, but probably not the most you’d spend on a 2026 OLED that size. If that’s what you’re looking for, I say go for it.
Shop LG C5 by Size
LG C5 4K OLED TV (77-inch)
Stefan is an award-winning consumer technology editor with over a decade of experience in reviewing gadgets, particularly smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, desktop and laptop computers across multiple form factors and platforms, as well as accessories for them. He also covers televisions and audio equipment, including headphones, earbuds, wireless speakers, and soundbars. Since joining Hearst in 2015, Stefan has contributed to BestProducts, Popular Mechanics, and numerous other publications. Prior to his current role, he served as the US Editor for GSMArena.com.
Mike Epstein is a Senior Commerce Editor at Hearst Enthusiast Group, producing reviews for buying guides Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Best Products. Prior to joining Hearst, he was a video game and technology critic for over 10 years, with bylines at IGN, Gamespot, Variety, Lifehacker, Kotaku, GamesRadar, Flavorwire and Digital Trends, among others. Now, he’s a jack of all trades, helping reviewers share everything they know about all kinds of technical gear, from snowblowers, to running shoes and bicycles, and every kind of gadget imaginable.