I've been totally open about my love for the Sony Bravia 8 II. Not only is it the current What Hi-Fi? Awards TV of the year, it's also the TV I use at home.

Seeing as I've been reviewing TVs for almost 20 years, that hopefully says a lot.

The Bravia 8 II is also on sale right now, with the 65-inch version available for £2099 at Richer Sounds.

That's not the cheapest it's ever been (that would be £1979), but it's still a good price for what is an absolutely awesome TV.

If I were looking to buy a premium TV right now, though, it's the 65-inch LG C5 I would go for.

It's a step-down OLED rather than a flagship like the Bravia 8 II, but it's still an absolutely cracking all-rounder of a TV, and it's currently available for £1299 at Amazon.

That price difference is just too big to ignore.

In our review, we awarded the C5 five stars, praising it for delivering "excellent all-round performance" that punches well above its price.

It's one of those rare TVs that doesn't have any glaring weaknesses, making it an easy recommendation whether you're a movie buff, sports fan or gamer.

Picture quality is the obvious highlight. The C5 produces rich, vibrant colours without sacrificing authenticity, while its contrast is superb, delivering the deep blacks and bright highlights that OLED TVs are famous for.

It's also wonderfully sharp and detailed, with excellent motion handling that keeps everything from fast-paced football to blockbuster action films looking smooth and natural.

Gaming is another area where the LG excels. All four HDMI sockets support the full HDMI 2.1 specification, including 4K/165Hz, VRR and ALLM, making it one of the most comprehensively equipped gaming TVs around.

Now, let's be clear: the Sony Bravia 8 II is still the better TV. It's brighter, more vibrant and more refined, producing an even more cinematic and authentic picture. Its built-in sound system is also leagues ahead of the LG's, delivering audio that's fuller, weightier and more immersive than almost any other TV.

If money were no object, I'd still tell you to buy the Bravia 8 II.

But money almost always is an object. And when you're looking at an £800 price difference, the LG C5 becomes the smarter buy.

MORE:

Here are all of the best TVs and best TV deals available right now

And here are the best soundbars

Within the world of technology, there is often a misguided notion that newer always means better.

That is certainly true in the world of TV, especially with OLED sets. And OLED is a key tech on which readers, friends, family and random passers by often ask us for advice.

That has been especially true during this year’s Prime Day, when more than a couple of people have asked if there are any decent deals going on the two big-name flagship sets we recently reviewed – the five-star LG G6 and Samsung S99H.

If you’re dead to rights hellbent on one of them being your next TV, then I am pleased to report that, yes, there are deals running on both.

The best I have spotted is Richer Sounds’ deal on the 55-inch S99H. You can grab the 55-inch Samsung S99H for £2149 right now, if you use the TRADE250 code at checkout. You can then save a further £250 by claiming cashback from Samsung after purchase, letting you grab the cutting-edge set for £1899.

For the LG G6, numerous retailers, including Peter Tyson and Richer Sounds, have lopped £400 off the set’s original asking price, letting you grab one for £2099.

Both, in isolation, are pretty good deals, considering how recently the two TVs launched. But they’re not the TVs I, or any of the home cinema reviews team, would recommend right now.

Yes, they are top performers. The Samsung S99H in particular is a brilliant set that we describe as “the best Samsung has ever made”. We don’t give praise like that lightly.

The problem is that, even discounted, the S99H and G6 are expensive luxuries that are considerably pricier than a key rival, the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Our current Product of the Award winner, the Sony Bravia 8 II, is on sale at Richer Sounds for £1699, when you use the discount code, RSTV100, at checkout. That makes it £200 cheaper than the Samsung and £300 less than the LG.

Despite being older, the Bravia 8 II is still extremely competitive – we ran it against the G6 and S99H when we reviewed the new sets.

The upgrades offered by the S99H and G6 are limited to a smidge more peak-brightness here, a tad more colour-volume there. Even then, the Sony occasionally beats its newer rivals, offering a touch more dark detail and bit more finesse with its contrast in certain scenes. And that’s before we start talking about its better audio.

All of which helps to explain why we don’t tend to recommend buying the latest OLED TVs so soon after launch.

Year-on-year upgrades tend to be incremental (though there are exceptions to this rule). Still, TV makers launch new sets with incredibly high starting RRPs, just as the older models are plummeting in price.

And that’s the point we’re at with the S99H and G6. If you really want one of these sets rather than the older Bravia 8 II, we recommend waiting until later in the year, when the newer sets’ prices will almost certainly have dropped a little deeper. This usually happens in November, around Black Friday.

Until then, I strongly suggest looking at the much cheaper Sony Bravia 8 II. It represents significantly better value right now.

MORE:

These are the best OLED TVs we have tested

We rank the best 55-inch TVs

Check out our Prime Day 2026 home cinema deals live hub

If you’re looking for a new OLED TV over Prime Day, you will be pleased to learn that the five-star LG C6 we christened “the firm’s finest step-down model to date” mere weeks ago has had its price slashed.

Right now you can grab a 55-inch LG C6 for £1427.98 at Amazon. That is a solid £371.02 saving on the TV’s launch price.

But, before you go rushing to grab one, I’d urge you to check out the even better deal I have spotted on the older LG C5. You can pick one up on Amazon for £906.09. That’s a solid £993.91 saving on its launch RRP and the best price we have seen for it.

Why pick the LG C5 when the C6 offers a performance upgrade? It’s a good question, especially when our reviewers reported:

“[The LG C6] is a big upgrade by C-series standards. We don’t typically get too excited about processor upgrades, but the Alpha 11 Gen 3 has forced a brighter and richer performance out of the same OLED EX panel technology, and improved upscaling and shading subtlety. The extra brightness and richness have benefits across the picture, resulting in a more enticing, dynamic and three-dimensional delivery.”

The answer comes down to another key metric we always factor into our buying advice: value for money.

Yes, the C6 offers improvements on the C5. But, having run the two head to head in our test rooms, we don’t think they currently justify the difference in price. £423 is a lot of money, especially during a cost of living crisis. Even if you do have the spare cash, we can think of a better investment that will fix both TVs’ biggest weakness: their middling audio.

Neither set offers good enough audio quality for a truly immersive home cinema experience. So, even if you do have the cash to buy the C6 right now, we still recommend investing in the LG C5 and then using the money you have saved to buy a decent Dolby Atmos soundbar.

If you pull the trigger now, the five-star Sony Bravia Theatre System 6 featured in our best Dolby Atmos soundbars guide is selling for £399 at Amazon (save £150) right now. It will match wonderfully with the LG C5.

That price will even leave you with enough cash to invest in a cold pint, or iced coffee, to help get through the heatwave…

MORE:

These are the best OLED TVs we have reviewed

Check out our Prime Day 2026 home cinema deals live hub

Our picks of the best 55-inch TVs

On Monday, I wrote about how tempted I was to buy the 42-inch LG C5, which had dropped to a record-low £649.

I already own what I consider to be the best OLED TV available – the awesome Sony Bravia 8 II – but, at that price, the C5 was well worth buying for use in my spare room, where it could perform gaming and work monitor duties, as well as the odd streaming binge.

But yesterday, I updated that story to point out that the price for the 42-inch had dropped to £623. The previous price that I had thought was unbeatable had been beaten.

And now, would you believe, it's been beaten again: the 42-inch LG C5 is down to just £611 at Amazon.

That's a nuts price for a TV this good.

At £611 from Amazon, the 42-inch LG C5 is one of those deals that feels almost too good to be true.

In our five-star review, we praised its wonderfully balanced OLED picture, excellent motion handling, natural colours and superb contrast, all of which combine to deliver a brilliantly engaging and authentic viewing experience.

It's also among the most comprehensively specified gaming TVs available, with four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets supporting 4K/144Hz, VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming.

The sound is fairly ordinary, but that's a common weakness among TVs at any price and one that's easily fixed with one of the best budget soundbars.

Everything else about the C5 feels premium, making this deal particularly impressive. At £611, you're getting a TV that performs like a flagship for little more than the price of many mid-range rivals.

MORE:

Here are all the best TVs you can buy right now

And here are all of the best Amazon Prime Day TV deals

TVs are getting bigger, and bigger… and bigger.

Hisense and TCL have been selling 116-inch and 115-inch TVs for quite some time now – and both of those look fairly modest compa red with Samsung’s behemoth 130-inch RGB Micro LED TV, which was unveiled at CES 2026.

The sensibly sized living rooms of many British homes are simply not built for a TV of that size – and many will find a proper surround sound package to be a squeeze as well. So does that mean you simply can’t fit a home cinema system into your house?

Of course it doesn’t!

We have tested plenty of smaller TVs and soundbars with modest footprints; and what they lack in size, they make up for in performance.

In fact, I have built a complete system, which includes a 42-inch OLED TV from LG, a superb scaled-down Hisense soundbar package (which even supports Dolby Atmos), and a five-star Amazon streamer that is no bigger than your average chocolate bar.

All of these products are Award-winners and, thanks to Amazon Prime Day, they are now all hugely discounted. At launch, this set-up would have cost you £1418; thanks to some pretty astonishing Prime Day discounts, it can now be yours for just £862.

This trio of petite home-cinema gadgets strikes the three core pillars of any good home cinema setup: picture, sound, and content.

And if you are happy to use LG’s webOS software platform and don’t mind a slight decrease in picture and sound performance, you could ditch the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max entirely, saving you a further £40.

The 42-inch LG C5, a compact OLED TV, is the definition of small yet mighty. Sporting a panel that delivers inky blacks and perfect contrast with ease, the C5 is a superb choice for movies – it’s and our pick for the best gaming TV, too.

We applauded its sharp, warm and rich picture, which we felt was hugely cinematic despite the comparatively small screen size from the 55- and 65-inch sets we usually test.

Furthermore, its gaming features are second to none. With a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz – ideal for PC gamers and more than enough for console gamers – and four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets. The smaller display also makes this a solid choice for dedicated gaming rooms, and it can even be used as an oversized desktop monitor.

The only area that the C5 stumbles in is sound. OLED TVs, in our experience, often disappoint when it comes to their built-in sound systems, and it’s no surprise that a TV this small doesn’t break the mould.

That’s where the Hisense AX5125H comes in. Tongue twister of a name aside, this soundbar system delivers proper surround sound at a price as modest as its footprint. The package includes a soundbar, subwoofer and two surround speakers, all of which pair wirelessly and with very little fuss out of the box.

We were surprised by its weight, scale, and spaciousness, which (much like the C5) far exceed its size. Dolby Atmos is supported with two dedicated upward-firing drivers on the main soundbar unit, and there’s even an HDMI 2.0 passthrough socket. (Maybe Sonos could learn a thing or two.)

The LG and Hisense make a great cinematic space-saving duo – and, in truth, you could leave it there. But by adding the heavily discounted, Award-winning Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, you get a pretty big streaming upgrade.

Amazon’s top-tier Fire TV Stick delivers 4K streams with oodles of detail and natural colours, and with an extremely comprehensive selection of apps, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to content.

If you’re looking longingly at our best TV deals and best soundbar deals pages, but think that you can’t get involved with the Prime Day sales due to a lack of space, then hopefully this petite (and massively discounted) home cinema setup has changed your mind.

MORE:

Check out the best Amazon Prime Day AV deals live

As well as the best Amazon Prime Day hi-fi deals

And find the best OLED TV deals here

If you’re looking to upgrade your lounge AV setup holistically during Prime Day, then we have two bits of advice.

First, don’t go for the new stuff, especially when shopping for an OLED TV or Dolby Atmos soundbar. Most of the new hardware has just arrived and is still full price, or at best has had a tiny amount shaved off its RRP.

Second, ignore Amazon, at least for now, as the best deal combination we've found for a new setup is actually at Richer Sounds.

The deal requires you to use a combination of discount codes to get the best result, but once done, it nabs you a 55-inch Samsung S95F QD-OLED TV with the firm’s Award-winning Q990F Dolby Atmos soundbar system for £1836.50 – pretty impressive considering the two products would have cost £4198 mere months ago.

All you have to do is add the 55-inch S95H and Q990F to your basket at Richer Sounds and apply the “599Q990F”, “SAMS10PERCENT” and ”RSTV200” discount codes at checkout.

As an added perk, you will even get a Samsung SP-LFF3C projector thrown in for free with the deal. We haven't reviewed that specific model, so we can't comment on performance, but free is free, right?

What about the brand new Samsung S99H and Q990H? Yes, they have also both been discounted. Richer Sounds is currently offering the 55-inch Samsung S99H for £2149 (or an even better £1899 if you apply for cashback with Samsung after purchase), which is a decent saving on its £2499 regular price.

We’ve also spotted the Q990H retailing for £1299 (save £100) on Amazon. But that still adds up to a combined cost of £3198 for the two together.

While the newer models do offer noticeable performance gains according to our testing, they still don’t quite justify an extra £1371.50 investment, in our mind.

Especially as the S95F and Q990F are still very competent performers and among the best you will find at their current, discounted price.

As we said in our Samsung S95F review: “Sound aside, the Samsung S95F is every bit the five-star stunner. Vibrant, punchy and more crisp than a lifetime’s supply of Walkers Max, it’s a thrilling TV to live with and use, yet it also continues Samsung’s trajectory in producing more balanced and cinematically authentic TVs.”

And on the topic of sound, here’s our verdict on the Q990F: “The Samsung HW-Q990F nails it with a crisp and engaging sound and a whole new level of bass performance.”

So, all in all, a match made in heaven – perfect for watching the World Cup, then.

MORE:

These are the best OLED TVs we’ve reviewed

We rank the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Check out our Prime Day 2026 home cinema deals live hub

We all love a bargain, which is why many of you may be looking for a stellar Prime Day deal on an LG C5.

And why not? The 42-inch LG C5, 48-inch LG C5 and 55-inch LG C5 all earned five-star ratings. The range also picked up not one, but three trophies during our latest What Hi-Fi? Awards.

And, while it has since been replaced by the five-star LG C6, having tested the two head-to-head in our viewing rooms, we can confirm the older C5 remains a very competitive performer and a valid option for any movie fan – especially when discounted.

At first glance, this is especially true right now, with pretty much every size of the LG C5 currently discounted. You can see a quick Cliff Notes of the best early Prime Day deals we’ve spotted on each below.

• Get the 42-inch LG C5 for £649 at Richer Sounds (save £750).
• Get the 48-inch LG C5 down to £759 at Richer Sounds (save £650)
• Get the 55-inch LG C5 down to £989 at Richer Sounds (save £910)
• Get the 65-inch LG C5 down to £1299 at Richer Sounds (save £1400)
• Get the 83-inch LG C5 down to £3052 at Richer Sounds (save £2480)

So, it’s a no-brainer, right? Time to click that magic checkout button and treat yourself to a shiny new OLED?

It would be all too easy to say yes, as those are solid prices on very good TVs. In fact, the 83-inch LG C5 deal is the best price we’ve seen on the giant OLED.

But, if you want my advice, I’d not pull the trigger yet, as I think the C5 will go down in price even further during Prime Day.

There are two simple reasons why. First, because while those are very good prices, outside of the 83-inch deal, we’ve seen all the other sizes slightly cheaper in the past. Not always by much, but £50 saved is a big deal for a lot of us right now, given the current cost of living crisis.

Second, because Prime Day tends to bring particularly impressive deals on C-series sets. Last year, we saw prices for the older C4 hit record lows across multiple sizes during Prime Day, and my instincts tell me the same will happen for the C5 this year.

Which is why, with Prime Day not even officially started, my advice right now is to wait and see what the actual event brings to the table. After all, you only have a few more hours to wait…

MORE:

Check out our Prime Day Home Cinema Deals Live Hub

We rank the best OLED TVs

Our picks of the best TVs money can buy

Prime Day 2026 doesn’t technically start until midnight, but that hasn’t stopped retailers from dropping a load of awesome early OLED TV deals.

And of that list, one in particular stands out; the first significant saving we’ve spotted on the five-star Samsung S99H.

That’s right, despite it just launching and receiving a glowing review from our experts mere weeks ago, Richer Sounds has already cut a significant wedge off the 55-inch S99H’s asking price.

You can grab the 55-inch Samsung S99H for £2149 right now, if you use the TRADE250 code at checkout.

But the savings don't stop there. You can then save a further £250 by claiming cashback from Samsung. That lets you get a latest generation, flagship QD-OLED for £1899, which is undoubtedly a tempting proposition.

If you’ve read our S99H review, then you’ll likely at the very least be tempted to snap one up – and we get why. As our experts said in our review:

“With a stunning, contrast-rich picture, improved sound system and a feature set that blows most other TVs out of the water, the S99H is the flagship OLED to beat for 2026.”

And if you want the best new OLED TV currently available, and don’t mind paying for it, then this deal is easy to recommend.

But, for those not 100 per cent committed to buying the latest hardware, there is one minor fly in the ointment. Specifically, the Award-winning, 55-inch Sony Bravia 8 II is also currently discounted.

Head to Richer Sounds and you can grab our 2025 Product of the Year winner for £1699. Yes, that’s not the best price ever on the set, but it’s a solid saving on its £2499 launch price. It also makes it slightly cheaper than the Samsung.

Samsung’s latest flagship OLED TV is better in some ways. Running the two sets head-to-head this year, the S99H is a smidgeon brighter and offers minor upgrades in some of the areas we are about. But it is still a very close race between the two.

Which is why we currently think the Bravia 8 II is better value for most people. Only serious performance chasers who insist on only buying the latest hardware will be better off spending that much extra for the S99H.

MORE:

Get all of our experts' recommendations in real-time with our Prime Day 2026 home cinema deals live hub!

These are the best OLED TVs we've reviewed

We rank the best TVs money can buy

I am a very lucky guy: the best TV I've ever tested (and I've been reviewing TVs for 19 years) is also now the TV I use at home.

That TV is the Sony Bravia 8 II, and it really is as awesome to live with as I had expected.

• View all the Prime Day deals

Why, then, am I eyeing up another TV in the Amazon Prime Day sales?

Two reasons: I'd love to add an OLED to my spare room for gaming, and this deal is just too exceptional to pass up.

£623 at Amazon is just unbelievable for a TV this good, and it takes it from a super-premium option that would have to be your main TV, to a good price to pay for a second room TV.

My plan for this 42-inch OLED is to use it as a gaming TV and a monitor for work.

Its gaming specs are impeccable: four HDMI 2.1 sockets that all fully support 4K/144Hz, 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM; a superbly implemented HGIG mode for super-accurate HDR in games; and a Dolby Vision gaming mode.

It's great as a monitor, too, with neat, user-created software available that enables monitor-style features such as auto-wake.

Even if you've no interest in gaming or productivity, though, the 42-inch C5 is awesome for TV shows and movies, with a really balanced and authentic performance that makes full use of OLED's perfect blacks and pixel-level contrast control.

Other than the limp sound (which I recommend solving with one of the best budget soundbars), this TV is great at everything it does, and I think it's just irresistible at this price.

MORE:

Here are all the best TVs you can buy right now

And here are all of the best Amazon Prime Day TV deals

I’m obsessed with broadcast delays (no, I’m not much fun at parties).

It all stems from Euro 2020, when my insistence on watching every match in 4K via BBC iPlayer resulted in several goals being spoiled by cheers from my neighbours and the revellers at a pub down the road.

Since then, I've prioritised low latency over outright picture quality when choosing how to watch major sporting events.

But I'd never actually tested the accepted wisdom around broadcast delays. So, with Sky launching its new Real Time feature for Sky Glass and Sky Stream, I decided it was time to find out which viewing method is actually fastest.

So, there I was, on a sweaty Thursday evening, setting up a second TV in my living room so that I could compare different broadcast options during the Czechia v South Africa match.

I needed to remove as many variables as possible, of course, so my two TVs needed to be identical. I therefore borrowed a 65-inch Sony Bravia 8 II OLED to match the one currently in situ in my lounge.

After ensuring that both TVs were running the same software and had the same picture settings, I plugged my now rarely used aerial into the ‘new’ TV (the one on the right in all of the photos sprinkled throughout this piece) and set about comparing that with the alternatives at my disposal.

This is what I discovered.

Freeview (aerial) vs BBC iPlayer

Before I get started, it’s worth noting that everything is delayed.

It simply takes time for anything that's filmed live to make it through all of the broadcast equipment, be encoded and transmitted, travel to and from satellites in space or through underground fibre-optic cables, and finally be decoded and displayed by your TV.

It’s commonly accepted, though, that watching the signals received by your aerial via a Freeview tuner is the least delayed option available. The BBC itself says that it takes 7-8 seconds for something happening live to reach your TV via this method.

So, how much slower was iPlayer than the TV playing Freeview? A hefty 23 seconds. That’s plenty of time for a goal to be spoiled by cheers from the neighbours.

Interestingly, I found no meaningful difference between BBC iPlayer's HD and UHD streams. If you're watching via iPlayer anyway, choosing the 4K feed doesn't appear to add any extra delay.

I also tested the iPlayer app on several devices – the Bravia 8 II itself, a Sky Stream box, and an Apple TV 4K – and the result was always 23 seconds, there or thereabouts.

It’s worth remembering that BBC iPlayer is the only way to watch the World Cup in 4K, and the feeds look terrific, but when immediacy matters, such as when England are playing, foregoing pixels for promptness is the sensible way to go.

Sky Stream/Glass

Time for Sky Stream, and the good news is that this was indeed quicker than BBC iPlayer. The bad news? It was still around 18 seconds behind Freeview.

That’s better, of course, but still more than enough time for a goal to be spoiled.

But, as I mentioned earlier, Sky has a special feature up its sleeve for dealing with this…

Sky Real Time

That feature is Real Time, which is designed to massively reduce the amount of lag experienced during big sporting events.

Sky has rolled Real Time out just in time for the World Cup, and it’s available on the BBC HD, ITV1 HD and ITV4 HD.

It’s worth noting that it’s not turned on by default. Once you tune in to one of the channels mentioned above during a World Cup match, you then need to click the ‘Real Time’ button that appears on the screen. Do that, and you’ll be switched to a special ‘RT’ version of the channel.

So, how much faster is Real Time? A whopping 13 seconds faster than standard Sky Stream, which makes it just five seconds slower than the Freeview tuner.

That’s close enough, I think, to rarely be an issue.

Conclusions, caveats and Sky Q

You’ve probably spotted that there’s a significant absentee from my testing, Sky Q, and there’s an easy explanation for that – I no longer have a satellite dish.

However, Sky has previously told me that Real Time brings Sky Stream/Glass to within three seconds of Sky Q, and the results of my testing certainly suggest that's plausible.

It’s also worth noting that there are plenty of variables that mean your results might vary slightly from mine. Aerial connections and Freeview tuners are remarkably consistent, but network conditions are not. Broadband speeds, router performance, wi-fi quality and even the streaming device itself can all affect how quickly a live stream reaches your screen.

Still, if you want to see how all of these various viewing methods compared, delay-wise, for me, here’s a little graph I whipped up:

Broadcast / reception delay

Here's how long, in seconds, it takes each broadcast type to show you a goal that's just been scored

Delay

Live

0

Freeview (aerial)

8

Sky Q (satellite)

10

Sky Glass/Stream with Real Time

13

Sky Glass/Stream without Real Time

26

BBC iPlayer

31

010203040

Delay Data

Product	Value
Live	0
Freeview (aerial)	8
Sky Q (satellite)	10
Sky Glass/Stream with Real Time	13
Sky Glass/Stream without Real Time	26
BBC iPlayer	31

This is according to my testing – bear in mind that your mileage may vary.

So, is Sky Real Time the saviour of sports fans tired of hearing celebrations before they see the goal?

Not quite. My tests suggest that a good old-fashioned aerial is still the quickest way to watch live TV, and Sky Q via satellite probably remains a touch faster too.

But Sky's new mode narrows the gap dramatically. Instead of lagging tens of seconds behind the live action, Sky Stream and Sky Glass are now close enough to traditional broadcast TV that, in most homes, they're unlikely to be the reason a goal gets spoiled.

For years, choosing streaming TV meant accepting that everyone else would see the goal first. Thanks to Real Time, that trade-off is finally starting to disappear.

MORE:

Here are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

And don't forget the audio! Here are all of the best soundbars

Can you believe that there was a time when Samsung didn’t feature a single OLED TV in its range? That all changed in 2022, when it put its spin on OLED by adding a layer of Quantum Dots and launched the excellent S95B QD-OLED TV.

Five years later, the brand is now reaping the benefits of the self-emissive panel technology. It now makes some of the finest OLED TVs around – take the five-star S95F and S90F duo from last year – and its 2026 lineup features more OLED TVs than ever before.

Of course, Samsung was never going to celebrate half a decade of OLED success without taking things up a notch, which is why it has introduced a new, rather unusual flagship model that takes inspiration from one of the brand's other most successful models.

That new flagship OLED is the S99H, a premium QD-OLED TV that oozes style and sophistication, thanks at least in part to its aesthetic similarities to the wildly successful, design-led The Frame LCD range.

Here, though, those smart good looks have been blended with the core abilities of the excellent S95F – with a generous helping of performance upgrades for good measure.

The result? A showstopping OLED TV that blends style and substance, and one that we think could dethrone the current reigning champion of our best OLED TV list: the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Price

We have the 55-inch Samsung S99H before us today, and it’s officially priced at £2499, though in true Samsung fashion, that launch pricing hasn’t stuck around for long. We’re already seeing a £100 decrease across all sizes, which puts the 65-inch version at £3199, the 77-inch model at £4199, and the 83-inch size at £5999.

Now, we need to clear something up regarding model numbers for different regions.

In the US and Australia, Samsung is calling this model the S95H. Despite the different name, it is an identical TV. In these regions, you’ll find the 55-inch S95H for $2500 / AU$3999, the 65-inch S95H for $3400 / AU$5299, the 77-inch S95H for $4500 / AU$7999, and the 83-inch S95H for $6500 / AU$9995.

That's not the end of the story, though. To confuse things even more, Samsung is selling a model under the S95H name here in the UK, too, but it’s a different TV. From what we gather, it is the same TV as the S99H, but without the metal frame-style design. In fact, it looks identical to last year’s S95F.

So, to reiterate, the S99H we're testing here is known as the S95H in the US and Australia, but that is not the same as the UK's S95H TV. Yes, we have given some constructive feedback to Samsung on all of this.

Got all that? Then let's consider the S99H's competition, which primarily comes in the form of Sony’s awesome, Award-winning Bravia 8 II, the 55-inch version of which, after around a year on sale, now costs around £1799 / $2600 / AU$3995. That makes it significantly cheaper than the S99H in the UK, but there's rough pricing parity between the two TVs in the US and Australia.

There’s also the 55-inch LG G6 to consider, which appears to be widely discounted to £1840 here in the UK, but is so far sticking to its $2500 / AU$3995 launch price in the US and Australia, respectively.

Design

We’re confident in saying that this is one of the most unusual-looking TVs to enter our AV testing room.

Samsung clearly took inspiration from its hugely popular The Frame TV when it came to designing the S99H, and while this television’s looks won’t be to everyone’s taste, we’re just pleased to see a TV company that’s willing to push the boat out when it comes to design.

The S99H features a two-layer design, with an OLED screen section mounted onto a slightly larger metal backplate, with a roughly 2cm gap between. Samsung calls this its “FloatLayer” design.

It’s hard to describe, but the effect it gives is essentially a floating OLED panel surrounded by a premium metal frame. Much like LG’s G-series, this TV is designed to be wall-mounted, and while we can’t do that in our testing room, we have seen it wall-mounted at various hands-on events leading up to launch.

In short, the S99H looks like a work of art when it's fixed to a wall, as the floating design becomes really quite striking and effective. Despite the two-layer design, the overall depth is just 2.8cm, which also helps to sell the futuristic look that Samsung is going for.

Unfortunately, the TV doesn’t look quite as suave when it’s set up in its tabletop configuration. Samsung includes two quite cheap-feeling plastic feet with the TV that feel somewhat at odds with the rest of the premium design, and the metal bezel and floating design look less convincing when it's not attached to a wall.

Samsung also includes two remotes in the box: a “traditional” button-heavy number, and a sleeker “smart” remote. The latter includes both a USB-C socket and a small solar panel on the back for easy recharging, though it’s frustratingly not backlit. Then again, neither are the remotes included with the aforementioned Sony or LG TVs, so we can’t knock Samsung too much here.

Features

Samsung’s penchant for cramming (almost) every imaginable feature into its TVs is, once again, evident with the S99H.

We’ll start with the QD-OLED display, which Samsung has managed to squeeze even more brightness out of since we last saw it on the S95F. It can now reportedly reach a whopping 2700 nits in the Movie picture mode, and as you’ll come to find out in the picture section of this review, there are plenty of instances in which we find ourselves being taken aback by how bright this TV can get.

Samsung has also improved its Glare Free coating this year, making it more effective at combating reflections and glare from ambient light. The matte display also makes artwork from Samsung’s Art Mode feature look more realistic for those who want a TV that blends into its surroundings.

In usual Samsung fashion, HDR support comes in the form of HDR10+ (including the Adaptive and Gaming versions), HDR10 and HLG, but not Dolby Vision.

Samsung's answer to Dolby Vision 2, HDR10+ Advanced, is also supported by the S99H. Unfortunately, no content is available in the new format yet, and we don't have a date for its arrival. Amazon is said to be working on adding it to Prime Video in the not too distant future, though.

Hardcore PC gamers will be pleased to learn that the S99H can handle signals right up to 4K/165Hz, as well as the console-friendly 4K/120Hz format, across all four of its HDMI 2.1 sockets. VRR, ALLM and HDR10+ Gaming are also all supported.

All of the connections are built into a side-facing nook in the rear of the TV, which is a departure from the One Connect box that has come with Samsung’s previous flagship OLED TVs.

One Connect does live on, though, and in a quite remarkable way: Samsung is offering an optional Wireless One Connect accessory, which is set to launch in July for £299 / $350 (AU price TBC).

This features four HDMI sockets, and because it connects to the S99H wirelessly, it takes the total HDMI 2.1 socket count to a staggering eight. That’s enough to support all three of the current-generation consoles, a gaming PC, a 4K Blu-ray player, a soundbar or AVR, and a streaming device, and you’d still have one spare.

The S99H also supports Dolby Atmos, both via HDMI eARC and through its built-in 4.2.2-channel 70W sound system.

Samsung offers two simplistic sound modes, Standard and Amplify, but there is also a range of Samsung-specific sound processing features based on its Vision AI platform, including Object Tracking Sound Plus, Active Voice Amplifier Pro, Adaptive Sound Pro, and AI Sound Controller Pro; all of which are fairly self-explanatory.

Q Symphony also returns. This allows you to use the TV’s speakers in unison with those of a connected Samsung soundbar, but it should be approached with caution – we generally find that a good soundbar performs best when the less capable speakers of a TV don't get involved.

AI also steps in to help with picture processing, as Samsung has implemented its 4K AI Upscaling Pro, AI Motion Enhancer Pro and Auto HDR Remastering Pro features, alongside a Real Depth Enhancer contrast enhancement system and Colour Booster Pro.

On the subject of AI, Samsung has applied its “AI for All” mantra in swathes here, as the S99H is positively dripping in artificial intelligence, right down to the AI button on the remote.

A click of this button brings up Samsung’s Vision AI interface, which can recognise on-screen content and provide extra contextual information. This includes related content, cast information and prompts to find out more detailed information about the show or movie.

Scrolling from this page brings us to a more generalised AI interface, from which Samsung allows you to pick your preferred system. Here you can ask for recipes, generate AI wallpapers, or ask general questions. The sky is, hypothetically, the limit.

This is all made possible by the same NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor found in last year’s S95F, as well as Samsung’s Tizen OS platform. The operating system has had a fairly comprehensive refresh for 2026, with a new content bar at the top that splits your apps into categories including entertainment, gaming and art, and the operation feels generally slicker.

App coverage is mostly excellent, with a wide range of international and domestic streaming applications. Currently, the only missing app is BBC iPlayer; we’ve reached out to Samsung, which says that it expects to add iPlayer support soon.

Samsung TV Plus, which features hundreds of free over-the-internet streaming channels, is also included, and gamers are well looked after thanks to the presence of apps for services such as Xbox, Amazon Luna, and Nvidia GeForce Now.

Picture quality

It’s clear that Samsung has been working to tweak and adjust its picture processing over the years in the pursuit of achieving that final pinch of picture quality excellence, and the S99H is evidence that its work has paid off. This is Samsung’s most mature TV yet, and it’s all the better for that.

We opt for Filmmaker Mode as our preferred picture preset, albeit with a couple of tweaks to get the best performance possible: we switch Colour Temperature from its Warm 2 default to Warm 1, and turn the judder and blur reduction settings up to 1.

The resulting picture is extraordinary, and it makes any content we throw at it – from Blade Runner 2049, Civil War, Pan and Drive, to No Time To Die and The Batman – shine. We have the S99F set up next to the Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II, and despite the tough competition, the Samsung delivers an unflinching visual feast.

Starting with the opening scene of Blade Runner 2049, we find that the S99H serves up oodles of contrast, which results in a deeply three-dimensional picture with superb highlights.

The overhead shot of the solar farm instantly draws us in, thanks to the superb detail levels mixed with the excellent sense of depth. We also approve of how the S99H handles the gloomy, bluish-grey sky, as well as the skin tones of Officer K and Sapper Morton.

In fact, the S99H makes the Sony Bravia 8 II look a bit green in our head-to-head comparison, and skin tones start to look a bit pasty, too. Sony TVs have traditionally leaned towards the cooler side when it comes to colour reproduction, even in Filmmaker Mode, but it’s interesting to see these TVs take a different approach, particularly as they use the same panel technology.

This is most evident in the scene from Pan in which the floating pirate ship enters a cavern; the Samsung runs rings around the Sony when it comes to maintaining low-light colour volume. Skin tones are noticeably warmer and more vibrant on the Samsung in this instance. That being said, the Sony is evidently better at maintaining shadow detail.

In fact, some shadow detail is lost entirely on the S99H, especially during dark sequences in moodier flicks such as Drive and The Batman. In both films, we find facial features and clothing textures occasionally succumb to darkness, while the Sony has no trouble keeping them visible.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Samsung takes the crown when it comes to delivering dazzlingly bright highlights; in fact, we’re adding the S99H to the list of TVs that we’ve had to shield our eyes from physically.

Reverting to the exceptionally bright (and critically dismal) Pan, we find the mix of punchy, concentrated highlights and rich colours stealing our attention away from the Sony entirely.

However, the more conventional-looking Civil War is the perfect test disc to highlight exactly what this TV does well. Everything from the night-time forest fire sequence to a helicopter gliding over a lake and the Charlottesville military camp looks fantastic.

There’s a real sense of nuance here that previous Samsung TVs haven’t always been able to capture. Foliage, for example, is wonderfully textured and detailed without looking over-etched, and while the colours do seem a smidge over-saturated compared with those from the Bravia 8 II, it's not to an extent that looks instinctively wrong.

The sequence that shows the journalists driving through a forest fire seals the deal here. The mix of detail, depth and contrast served up by the S99H is remarkable – the striking, bright flames contrast wonderfully with the dark background, and there is a real sense of intensity and warmth derived from how Samsung's OLED handles highlights.

We fire up the standard Blu-ray of Logan to assess the S99H’s upscaling capabilities, and it's a similar story here, too. Detail levels are superb, and if we weren’t so eagle-eyed, the S99H could almost have fooled us into thinking we were watching a 4K disc.

Colours are also nicely balanced, and motion remains solid, too. This TV excels regardless of what you throw at it.

Sound

It’s not just the picture performance that Samsung has improved. Sound has also been upgraded, which is a good sign after the S95F’s middling delivery.

We stick with Civil War, which highlights everything from dialogue to explosions, and even Dolby Atmos height effects. The rhythmic swooping of helicopter blades is delivered with a strong leading edge, underpinned by a pleasingly controlled dose of bass.

Moving on to the scene in which Lee and Jessie have a heart-to-heart conversation in a wooded area, we approve of how the S99H captures the subtle characteristics of their voices well, and overall, the dialogue is crisp and well-defined. The atmospheric effects, including birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind, sound pleasingly spacious, too.

There is plenty of height and width to the sound, which is also evident in Blade Runner 2049. The sequence in which Officer K returns to his home from the police precinct is another example of how the S99H captures atmospheric sounds to great effect.

The booming audio adverts are placed with impressive precision and plenty of height, while the S99H somehow manages to beam the sound of the bustling street in a way that creates a fairly convincing sense of immersion.

While we’re on the subject of Blade Runner, we put the S99H through our usual chapter two stress test and find that Samsung has changed its approach. Where many of the brand's previous models have been quite bassy but a little prone to distortion, the S99H digs less deep but proves to be almost entirely distortion-free.

Sony takes a similar approach with the Bravia 8 II (and many other of its TVs), and we ultimately find it to be a sensible compromise. We would of course like more bass weight, but if that has to be sacrificed somewhat to reduce distracting distortion, then so be it.

It’s not all good news on the sonic front, though: like the S95F, the S99H simply doesn't go very loud. Even close to its maximum volume levels, this is an easy TV to talk over. The Amplify setting helps to negate this somewhat, but it does result in some dynamic compression.

The Sony Bravia 8 II also does a better job of organising the sound during scenes with lots of competing effects. The ending battle of Civil War is a perfect example, as the Sony balances dialogue, explosions, and vehicle sounds with care to create a more impactful and immersive soundscape.

With all that said, the S99H is still a big improvement over the S95F where sound is concerned, and it's ultimately a very usable (and even enjoyable) built-in sound system.

Verdict

There’s no other way of putting it; Samsung has knocked it out of the park with the S99H.

With a refined approach to picture tuning, a feature set that (with one key caveat) many TVs can only dream of, and a greatly improved sound system compared with last year’s model, the company’s latest flagship OLED TV takes the title from the S95F as the best TV the company has made to date.

The bold new design might not suit all tastes, and die-hard Dolby Vision fans may be disappointed, but we’re struggling to find reasons not to recommend the Samsung S99H to anyone considering splashing some serious cash on a flagship OLED TV.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony Bravia 8 II

Also consider the LG G6

Read our Philips OLED910 review

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

There are only two days to go until the World Cup kicks off, and manufacturers are pulling out all the stops on TV discounts.

LG might have just given us a winner, though. The 55-inch LG B6, a brand new 2026 OLED that only came out in March, is down to £879 at Richer Sounds.

Use the code LG20PERCENT to unlock this bargain price!

We haven't tested this model, but we've seen it in action and were very impressed – and a brand new OLED at this price is not an opportunity to be missed.

While we haven't reviewed the LG B6, we were big fans of previous models in LG's B-series range, with the LG B3 receiving five stars and the LG B4 the subject of a rather favourable hands-on.

We have seen the LG B6 at events, and the TV looks to offer a very capable OLED experience for the money. The main downside is the relatively low brightness, especially compared to the step-up LG C6. If you have a dark room and are on a budget, though, the B6 is more than up to the task.

As with most LG OLEDs, the B6 is stacked with gaming features. Incredibly for a budget OLED, there are four HDMI 2.1 ports, all of which support 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM and HGiG. Some flagship OLEDs don't have that!

HDR support is solid too, with Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG all on board – only HDR10+ is missing.

LG's reliable WebOS 26 is also installed, with refined menus for easier navigation. All the usual apps and streaming services are available, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Channel 4, Disney+, Netflix and the all-important BBC iPlayer and ITVX for the World Cup.

Be aware that this is the B6E, a budget variant of the regular B6. The B6E lacks the HDR Precision Master Pro and Precision Sound Pro features – but especially considering it's a whole £400 cheaper than the regular B6, we wouldn't be too concerned.

If you want a good OLED on a budget, then you might struggle to find a better value offering than the LG B6. Getting a 2026 OLED at this price is unheard of – so we'd recommend snapping up the B6 for £879 at Richer Sounds in time for kick-off.

MORE:

Here is our review of the LG C6

And these are our thoughts on the LG G6

Check out the best OLED TVs we recommend

There’s a war going on for your living room. The premium TV technology of choice of the last few years – OLED – is under attack from a new, stunningly bright and vibrant foe – RGB Mini LED.

Every major brand has either launched its first RGB Mini LED TVs or is about to. Hisense launched its first RGB Mini LED models last year, in fact, but those were gigantic, 100+ inch sets, so a long way from a serious proposition for most people.

Hisense is also the first brand to submit to us a proper, mainstream RGB Mini LED TV to review, though – the UR9.

RGB Mini LED TVs are pitched at different levels by different brands, but Hisense is absolutely pitching the UR9 as a rival to flagship OLEDs. The price confirms as much.

So, what better way to benchmark it than against our current favourite flagship OLED, the Sony Bravia 8 II.

That, then, is what we’ve done. Over several days, we’ve tested the Hisense UR9 and Sony Bravia 8 II side by side, feeding all of our favourite discs and streams into both simultaneously, and judging them on picture quality, sound quality, features, usability, design and price.

This might not be a full RGB Mini LED vs OLED battle – the Hisense UR9 doesn’t represent all RGB Mini LED TVs, after all – but it is the opening skirmish in the broader TV tech war. And it's an eye-opening one at that.

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: price

The Hisense UR9’s pricing is interesting to say the least. In the UK, the 65-inch model we tested is priced at £2999, which places it in the same price category as brand-new flagship OLEDs.

In Australia, meanwhile, the UR9’s price of AU$3999 makes it slightly more affordable by local standards.

In the US, though, the pre-launch price of $3500 had dropped vastly to just $2000 by the time the TV actually hit stores.

Things are much more straightforward with the Sony Bravia 8 II, the 65-inch version of which launched at £2999 / $4000 / AU$5295, but can now be bought for £2299 / $2798 / AU$4995.

The inconsistent international pricing of the Hisense UR9 makes it a little tricky to judge this round, but seeing as we’re a primarily UK publication, and that we reviewed a UK sample, we’re going to prioritise the UK pricing and call this it in favour of the Bravia 8 II.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: design

The Sony Bravia 8 II and Hisense UR9 are both smart-looking TVs, but they take rather different approaches to design.

Sony has essentially carried over the styling of the A95L, resulting in a TV that looks purposeful, premium and monolithic. While it lacks the ultra-thin glamour of some rival OLEDs, the Bravia 8 II still feels like a flagship product, with its clean lines and understated aesthetic giving it a suitably high-end appearance.

The feet can be installed in either a low-profile position that leaves the bottom edge of the screen sitting just millimetres above your furniture, or a raised position that creates space for a soundbar. The downside is that those feet can only be positioned at the furthest extremes of the chassis, meaning you'll need furniture that's at least as wide as the TV itself.

The Hisense UR9 is a more practical proposition. At 4.5cm thick, it's chunkier than the Sony and doesn't have quite the same premium flair, but it is solidly built and neatly finished, with slim bezels and a restrained dark metallic finish.

Hisense has also made a couple of sensible usability-focused decisions. The centrally mounted pedestal stand occupies a footprint of only around 42cm, making the TV much easier to place on narrower furniture, and it too offers two height positions so that a soundbar can be accommodated beneath the screen.

The UR9's integrated Devialet sound system is more visually obvious than Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup, with perforations running down the sides of the chassis and across the top edge to house the side- and up-firing speakers. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does contribute to the TV's more functional, engineering-led appearance.

Ultimately, neither of these TVs is likely to be bought primarily for its styling, but the Bravia 8 II's cleaner, more premium design gives it the edge. The UR9 is practical and perfectly attractive in its own right, but it lacks the sense of sophistication that Sony's flagship delivers.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: features

The biggest difference between these two TVs is, of course, their panel technologies.

The Sony Bravia 8 II uses Samsung Display's latest QD-OLED panel, paired with Sony's XR processor and a custom heatsink. Because OLED technology is self-emissive, every pixel can be controlled independently, with no need for local dimming zones.

Sony doesn't publish specific brightness figures for its TVs, but the Bravia 8 II is estimated to hit around 1900 nits in small highlights, making it one of the brightest OLED TVs currently available.

The Hisense UR9, meanwhile, uses an RGB Mini LED backlight with 980 local dimming zones. Rather than relying on a conventional white backlight shining through colour filters, it uses separate red, green and blue Mini LEDs to generate colour directly. Hisense claims a peak brightness of up to 3500 nits for the 65-inch model we tested.

On paper, then, these TVs take radically different approaches to creating their images. We're not going to award points for one technology over the other here, though, because what ultimately matters is how those technologies perform in practice. We'll get to that in the picture quality section.

There are other differences in the feature sets of the two TVs worth highlighting, though.

Hardcore gamers are generally better served by the Hisense. All three of its HDMI sockets are full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, with support for 4K/170Hz, 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. It also features a DisplayPort connection, which remains extremely rare on TVs and could prove useful for committed PC gamers.

The Sony supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, too, but still offers only two HDMI 2.1 sockets, one of which doubles as the eARC connection. That limitation remains one of our biggest frustrations with Sony's flagship TVs.

That said, we'd probably take the Sony's two HDMI 2.1 sockets and two additional standard HDMI inputs over the Hisense's three HDMI sockets and DisplayPort arrangement. The latter will be useful to a niche audience, but many buyers are more likely to benefit from having an extra ‘standard’ HDMI connection available.

HDR support favours the Hisense, though. The UR9 supports every major HDR format currently in use, including HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The Bravia 8 II supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, but, as is customary for Sony TVs, HDR10+ is absent.

The Bravia 8 II fights back with Google TV, which remains one of the stronger smart TV platforms available and features excellent app support. The UR9's VIDAA operating system is fast and responsive, but there are some notable omissions.

Most significantly, while the Apple TV app is present, it lacks access to the Apple TV Store and users' purchased libraries. That's a genuine disappointment, as Apple's movie store remains the best pay-as-you-go film streaming service available, particularly for 4K HDR movies.

Sony also offers IMAX Enhanced certification, its Studio Calibrated Modes for services such as Netflix and Prime Video, and Sony Pictures Core integration.

Ultimately, neither TV completely dominates on features, but the Hisense's broader HDR support, extra HDMI 2.1 socket and more advanced gaming specification give it the edge overall.

WINNER: Hisense UR9

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: picture quality

This is, of course, the section that really matters.

The Hisense UR9 makes an immediately strong impression. Once switched into either Filmmaker Mode or IMAX Cinema, it produces a rich, vibrant and remarkably composed image that rarely behaves like a traditional backlit TV.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the UR9 is how well controlled its RGB Mini LED backlight is. Throughout our testing, blooming is kept impressively in check, black levels are consistently strong and the TV almost entirely avoids the brightness pumping, flickering and shifting backlight behaviour that often gives Mini LED technology away.

Extra-bright HDR content is a particular strength. Movies such as Pan look spectacular on the UR9, with dazzling highlights and bold colours that comfortably outgun the Bravia 8 II for outright brightness. Sunlight bursting through clouds and glinting off fantasy scenery is delivered with real punch and intensity.

The UR9 is also a very accomplished motion performer, and it combines its brightness with rich colours, excellent shadow detail and a pleasingly cinematic warmth that stops the image from ever becoming gaudy or overblown.

In isolation, it's one of the best backlit TVs we have ever tested.

Direct comparison with the Bravia 8 II reveals why OLED remains the reference technology, though – at least for now.

Despite its impressive brightness and excellent local dimming, the Hisense simply can't match the Sony's pixel-level contrast control. Counterintuitively, some of the brightest highlights against the darkest backgrounds actually appear more impactful on the Bravia 8 II than on the much brighter Hisense, because the OLED can render them without any concern about blooming.

More significantly, the Sony produces a more solid and perceptually three-dimensional image. Objects and characters stand out from their surroundings with greater depth and dynamism, while subtle gradations within shadows, clouds and highlights appear more convincing and refined.

We've observed this extra solidity from OLED many times before, but the side-by-side comparison between these two TVs demonstrates it particularly clearly. Next to the Bravia 8 II, the UR9 simply looks a little flatter and less immersive.

The Sony also has the advantage when it comes to viewing angles. While the Hisense holds up better than many LCD-based rivals, the sweet spot in which it performs at its very best is still relatively narrow. Thanks to its OLED panel, the Bravia 8 II performs consistently from almost any angle.

And while blooming is rare on the UR9, it isn't entirely absent. Difficult scenes such as the bomb-test sequence in Oppenheimer or the opening starfield of Alien: Romulus reveal imperfections that even this highly accomplished RGB Mini LED set cannot completely escape.

The Bravia 8 II, meanwhile, is simply sensational. Its combination of dazzling brightness by OLED standards, vibrant colours, exceptional shadow detail and razor-sharp definition creates an image of astonishing depth and realism.

What impresses most isn't any single strength, but how naturally all of its strengths come together. The Bravia 8 II consistently delivers a picture that feels balanced, authentic and effortlessly cinematic, whether you're watching a pristine 4K Dolby Vision disc or a much more humble SDR stream.

The Hisense UR9 proves that RGB Mini LED can get surprisingly close to flagship OLED performance, and many viewers will adore its combination of brightness, richness and stability. But when viewed side by side, the Bravia 8 II remains the more complete and convincing picture performer.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: sound quality

Both the Sony Bravia 8 II and Hisense UR9 are unusually sonically accomplished by modern TV standards.

That's important, because while we always recommend pairing a premium TV with a dedicated sound system, for many buyers that’s either impractical or unpalatable.

The Hisense UR9 certainly doesn't disappoint. Its Devialet-tuned 4.1.2-channel sound system delivers a presentation that is impressively spacious and full-bodied, with particularly convincing width and height effects.

Dolby Atmos soundtracks benefit from a strong sense of scale, while bass is deeper and more substantial than most flatscreen TVs can manage. The overall character is smooth, rich and easy to listen to over extended viewing sessions.

The UR9's audio system isn't flawless, though. Dynamics can feel a little restrained during big action sequences, and dialogue doesn't always have the clarity and expressiveness we'd ideally like.

We also found ourselves preferring the Standard sound mode over the more expansive Theatre setting. While Theatre mode undoubtedly sounds bigger, it can introduce a slightly diffuse and faintly echoey quality to voices that makes dialogue seem less natural than it should.

The Sony Bravia 8 II takes a very different approach. Rather than relying on conventional speaker placement, its Acoustic Surface Audio+ system uses actuators to vibrate the screen itself, effectively turning the display into a speaker.

The result is one of the most cohesive and convincing audio performances we've heard from a TV.

Dialogue and effects are tied directly to the action on screen in a way that traditional TV speaker systems struggle to replicate, creating a stronger sense that sound is genuinely coming from the people and objects you're watching.

Like the Hisense, the Sony also sounds surprisingly spacious, with effects extending well beyond the edges of the screen. Detail levels are excellent, too, and the Bravia 8 II combines subtle dynamic nuance with enough punch to make action scenes engaging and exciting.

Bass depth isn't as generous as it is from the Hisense, but it's impressively controlled, and the overall tonal balance is exceptionally well judged.

Ultimately, these are two of the best-sounding TVs you can currently buy. The Hisense delivers scale, warmth and impressive Atmos effects, but the Sony's superior detail, greater dynamic expression and uniquely direct delivery give it the edge.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Hisense UR9 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: verdict

The Hisense UR9 is a hugely important TV.

Not only is it the first mainstream RGB Mini LED TV we've fully reviewed, it's also the first serious attempt to take on flagship OLEDs with a fundamentally different display technology.

And the good news for RGB Mini LED fans is that, in some ways at least, it succeeds.

The UR9 is bright, vibrant and impressively refined. More importantly, it avoids many of the traditional pitfalls of backlit TVs, with excellent black levels, impressively restrained blooming and a consistency that often feels surprisingly OLED-like.

In several respects, it's one of the best backlit TVs we've ever tested.

But while the UR9 proves that RGB Mini LED is a genuinely exciting technology with enormous potential, it also demonstrates just how high the bar currently is at the top end of the OLED market.

Ultimately, picture quality remains the most important factor in any TV buying decision, and it's here that the Sony Bravia 8 II retains a clear advantage. The Hisense has the stronger gaming specification, broader HDR support and spectacular brightness, but the Sony's superior contrast control, greater three-dimensionality and more natural, cinematic image make it the more accomplished performer overall.

This isn't a verdict on RGB Mini LED versus OLED as technologies, and it certainly isn't the last battle in what is shaping up to be one of the most interesting periods in TV tech for years.

Instead, it’s the verdict on the very best OLED TV currently available versus the first mainstream RGB Mini LED model. And while the Hisense UR9 proves that RGB Mini LED is ready to compete with the very best, the Sony Bravia 8 II remains the TV to beat.

OVERALL WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Since news broke that TCL is taking a stake in Sony’s home entertainment business, there have been a lot of questions about the Japanese giant’s plans for OLED.

After all, TCL has famously championed Mini LED as a superior technology, even at the top end of the market, so it may not be keen on Sony continuing to push its rival format.

The Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II, which Sony unveiled mere weeks ago, are both set to use new True RGB panel technology, not OLED.

So there is some evidence that Sony may partially agree with TCL and doesn’t see OLED as its future.

We, however, don’t fully agree that Mini LED is always the better option. For us, OLED is still the top dog – at least when it comes to picture quality – based on our testing.

There is something about OLED’s pixel-level light control and the resulting perfect blacks that no LED set, Mini, RGB, or otherwise, has been able to beat.

Sony is a key reason we continue to push OLED sets in our recommendations, with our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, openly describing our current Product of the Year, the Sony Bravia 8 II OLED, as the best TV he has ever tested, period.

Which is why the team and I were delighted when FlatPanelsHD spotted a new leak, suggesting Sony is not only about to unveil new sets with the panel tech, but that they will also serve a currently underserved part of the market: small, affordable OLEDs.

The leak occurred when a (now removed) listing on Sony’s website for a new Bravia 6 OLED TV appeared.

This hasn’t been confirmed yet, so we are still firmly in rumour territory (we have contacted Sony for comment), but the details in the listing paint a pretty picture.

First, because the listing shows the range will feature a 48-inch size option.

Second, because the alleged use of MediaTek's Pentonic 800 chipset means it will have four HDMI 2.1 ports. That’s great news for people with multiple current-generation consoles and a Dolby Atmos soundbar, all of which require the advanced HDMI connectivity to run at full speed.

Third and finally, because the report suggests the Bravia 6 will feature one of LG’s new OLED SE panels, which are designed for cheaper OLEDs.

We haven’t yet reviewed any TVs sporting that particular panel technology, so we can’t speculate on screen quality, but the potential is certainly exciting.

Regular readers know that we have long lamented the ongoing lack of good, cheap, smaller OLED TVs on the market.

Only a select few companies offer 48- and 42-inch OLED sets. And those we have reviewed and recommend tend to sit in the mid-tier, so can’t really be described as cheap. Even on sale, you’re looking at around £850 / $850.

Right now, with Panasonic’s Award-winning 48-inch Z90B out of stock, there are only two real options to choose from: the 48-inch LG C5 and the 48-inch Samsung S90F.

Editor's note: There are 48- and 42-inch options in the cheaper LG B-series and Samsung S85-series, but we haven’t been able to review them, so we can't recommend them.

Having another contender appear from a known OLED maker, then – and one that offers all three of the things we want – is undeniably positive.

If it does appear and delivers the Award-winning, balanced performance for which Sony OLEDs have become famous in recent years, it could well be the cheap OLED we’ve been waiting for.

So, here’s hoping it’s true, and we get a 48-inch Bravia 6 into our review rooms in the not too distant future.

MORE:

These are the best OLED TVs we have tested

We rank the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Our picks of the best Mini LED TVs

If you thought Sony was done revealing new TVs after its latest Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II announcements, then think again.

After an OLED-less lineup left us wondering if we'll ever see a new OLED from the company again, there is a glimmer of hope thanks to a leaked listing that mentions a new model – but it's not what we were expecting.

According to a post on AVS Forum (via FlatPanelsHD), Sony will launch the Bravia 6 later this year, and it is a step-down OLED that's set to compete with the LG B6 and Samsung S85H.

The Award-winning duo of OLEDs in Sony's current TV lineup, the Bravia 8 and Bravia 8 II, will remain on sale for the foreseeable future, with the Bravia 6 expected to sit lower in the lineup. In fact, it is looking like Sony will position this below its new Bravia 7 II and Bravia 9 II RGB Mini LED models.

Screen sizes are rumoured to range from 48 to 83 inches. Sony is also expected to use the A60 model number for this set.

Specific model numbers have leaked with corresponding screen size indicators, such as K-48A60 for the 48-inch model.

The post on AVS Forum also claims that Sony will use MediaTek Pentonic 800 chipset, which is the same one found on the new Bravia 3 II.

This should delight gaming fans, as the Bravia 6 will reportedly be the first Sony OLED TV to feature four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets.

The mid-range chipset and the name of this TV suggest the TV will sit in the middle of Sony's current range, which gives us a hint towards the panel technology it could use.

We expect it to feature LG Display's OLED SE panel, which has been specifically designed and tailored to entry-level OLED TVs, such as the Samsung and LG we've mentioned above.

The launch of a new "small" OLED TV could also signal the end for one of the longest-running TVs on the market.

The Sony A90K, which launched in 42-inch and 48-inch screen size options back in 2022, might finally be replaced by this supposed Bravia 6. Is this the end of an era?

For those wondering where this leak originated, we'll have to direct you to Sony itself. The Bravia 6 was explicitly mentioned on a wall-mounting compatibility page from Sony's very own website; you can find the webpage here, but all traces of the Bravia 6 have been completely scrubbed from existence.

Ultimately, we have to take all leaks with a pinch of salt, and nothing is set in stone until Sony confirms the Bravia 6's existence.

We've reached out to Sony for official comment...

MORE:

Read our full Sony Bravia 8 review

As well as our LG C6 review

And check out our picks for the best OLED TVs

Looking for a World Cup TV that's a sure bet?

Then you'll struggle to find a TV as acclaimed as the LG C5. The C5 line won not one, not two, but three Awards at our most recent ceremony, including 'best mid-range 55-77in TV'.

Our experts found the C5 to be a phenomenal TV at launch, but it's now officially half the price we tested it at; it's on sale now for £949 at Richer Sounds.

To get this deal price, make sure to use the code 'RSTV150' to get an extra £150 off. There's still time to get an order in before the first kick off on 11th June!

If you want the latest LG has to offer, the LG C6 is out now and boasts a brighter, more refined picture. You're looking at around £1800 for the 55-inch C6, though, so the C5 is the better value pick and still one of the best TVs we have tested.

We've often called the LG C5 the best TV for most people, as it offers excellent picture quality and a substantial feature set at a very reasonable price for an OLED.

It looks very similar to its predecessor, the C4, on the outside, but offers improved internal specs, including a higher peak brightness and much-improved white detail.

"Starting with Blade Runner 2049, there is a veritable feast of positive picture attributes. The C5’s colours are rich and punchy yet never look overdone or unnatural," our 55-inch LG C5 review reads. "Low light colour volume is a particular strength of the C5, as the tense confrontation between Officer K and Sapper Morton at the start of the film shows us.

"The dimly lit farmhouse appears atmospherically dingy; however, the brown sofa and orange armchair still feature rich hues and colour variation that our competing Sony set doesn’t quite capture."

The C5 will surely be a crowd-pleaser for the World Cup due to its bright colours and three-dimensional depth, while its unfussy Filmmaker mode also offers an authentic and dynamic movie-watching experience.

LG has long been a class-leader when it comes to gaming features, and the C5 is a prime example of why. Four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets are on offer, all of which support up to 4K/144Hz gameplay as well as VRR and ALLM.

WebOS 25 supports a wide range of streaming apps, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and ITVX – so there'll be no trouble streaming the World Cup this summer.

The only notable drawback of the C5 is the built-in speakers, which handle dialogue with enough clarity for everyday use but aren't quite up to the task for heavy cinematic duties. Adding a soundbar would go a long way.

Even with its successor available, the LG C5 is a fantastic all-rounder. And given that it's now available for half price at Richer Sounds, the C5 is a no-brainer if you're looking at this price level.

MORE:

Read our full 55-inch LG C5 review

Check out the best OLED TVs: four top picks direct from our reviewers

And the best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget LED sets tried and tested

Want to pull out all the stops for your World Cup TV? Fancy a brand new set with all the latest tech?

Well then, we have a solution. Our expert TV review team has had several models in their test room this year, but there's one that stands out as a clear favourite: the LG C6.

And better yet, the C6 has hit a new low price just in time for the World Cup. This OLED TV is on sale for £2079 at Richer Sounds. Make sure to use the code LG20PERCENT at checkout to get this deal price.

If you're after value, there are now huge discounts on last year's LG C5, as well as several other 2025 models.

But if you want the latest the TV world has to offer, the LG C6 sets the benchmark at this price.

While the C6 looks remarkably similar to the C5 on the outside, it's a different story on the inside – thanks largely to the new Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor.

Now we don't usually get too excited about processor upgrades, but LG's latest chip refines the picture with a brighter and richer performance, better upscaling and enhanced remastering.

"Even in Filmmaker Mode, the C6’s extra brightness over the C5 is immediately obvious," our LG C6 review reads. "Highlights are more intense, colours have a touch more richness and the overall image carries greater depth and dimensionality."

Movement is also fluid and controlled, which is sure to come in handy during fast-paced World Cup clashes.

LG's usual unbeatable gaming specs return, should you wish to switch to some EA Sports FC. Console gamers can enjoy a silky-smooth 4K/120Hz, while PC owners can go all the way up to 4K/165Hz – on all four HDMI inputs, no less. VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming are also included.

LG's webOS platform has all the usual apps, which are well optimised with excellent support for formats such as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. There have been some tweaks this time around, with more shortcuts and personalised widgets on the home page.

LG has finally made some progress on the audio front, too, with a clearer and more controlled sound than the C5. It still won't beat a good soundbar, but the soundstage is definitely more spacious.

The LG C6 might look expensive compared to the discounted C5, but the improvements all add up to a better TV. And the C6 has seen some healthy savings already – get it now for £2079 at Richer Sounds.

MORE:

Read our review of the LG C5

Also consider the Samsung S95F

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

Still debating about whether or not to go for that World Cup TV upgrade? Umming and ahhing about upgrading to OLED?

Well, let me make that decision a bit easier for you. The 48-inch LG C5, a five-star OLED and a brilliant TV all-round, is on sale for £749 at Peter Tyson.

That’s thanks to a cheeky World Cup-themed voucher code that is easy to miss. Enter the ‘KICKOFF100’ discount code and get £100 off the listed price of £849.

That’s the lowest price we have seen so far for the 48-inch model, which has already received some great deals, and an excellent price for such an accomplished OLED. And it could soon be set up in your living room, ready for next week!

As the winner of not one, not two, but three What Hi-Fi? Awards, it’s safe to say that the LG C5 offers excellent value on the performance-per-pound scale.

The 48-inch model may be on the smaller end of the C5 line, but it’s a great choice for a smaller living room or bedroom and a very affordable way to get your hands on an OLED ahead of the first kick-off.

During our testing, we found the C5 to be impressively bright and detailed, which is sure to make an eye-catching World Cup experience.

“The desert retains its sparkle, with the brightest part of the sky shining in a way OLEDs this price from even a few years ago can’t, but with significantly more detail,” our LG C5 48-inch review reads.

“Bright shading is strong, too, with a wonderful hue of blue transitioning to orange across the image.”

Of the best 50-inch TVs, the LG C5 is also our top pick for gaming. The C5 boasts four full-fat HDMI 2.1 inputs, meaning they can all handle 4K/165Hz signals, as well as VRR and ALLM. There is also support for the Dolby Vision Gaming HDR standard, something rivals such as the 48-inch Samsung S90F lack. Perfect for FIFA nights!

Regular Dolby Vision is catered for too, as are HDR10 and HLG – only HDR10+ is absent.

LG’s webOS has long had strong app support, and this continues here, with the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and ITVX all making an appearance. New additions include an AI assistant, an Xbox app and the ability to pair Bluetooth controllers.

The 2.2-channel 40W speaker system is a bit of a disappointment, however, with even Cinema mode lacking definition. We certainly recommend a soundbar if you’re keen to be immersed in the noise of a stadium this World Cup.

At nearly half price, the 48-inch LG C5 is a phenomenal value and one of the best small OLEDs on the market right now. If you’re upgrading for a smaller room or looking to make the first leap to OLED, the C5 for £749 at Peter Tyson is an excellent choice.

MORE:

Read our full 48-inch LG C5 review

Check out the best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets, tried and tested

And the best OLED TV: five incredible sets for serious movie fans reviewed by our experts

The World Cup is the perfect time to upgrade your TV – especially if you’re thinking about making the jump to OLED.

If you’re on a budget but still want to make sure you get a decent OLED, the 42-inch LG C5 is pretty much your best bet right now – especially now that it has crashed to £656 at Amazon.

This C5 model won the What Hi-Fi? Award for Best 40-43in TV at our most recent Awards. At well under £700, it’s also one of the cheapest OLEDs on the market right now.

The listed price on Amazon is currently £729, but a 10% discount is applied at checkout to bring the price down to £656.

While 42 inches is on the smaller size for a TV nowadays, this LG C5 set would be perfect for modest living rooms, bedrooms or even as a (rather imposing) desktop monitor.

And, as we discovered during testing, you don’t need a giant screen to get a stunning TV experience.

For just £656, you’ll get access to all the OLED magic, including perfect inky blacks and pixel-level contrast control – absolutely ideal for making World Cup player kits and stadium lights stand out.

Motion control is confident and controlled, too, so the C5 will be more than adept when it comes to fast-paced action.

We recommend switching to Filmmaker mode and turning off unnecessary processing for movies, though. We tested with a viewing of Dune: Part Two, and found the kind of cinematic image you would normally associate with far larger and more expensive sets.

“The picture looks fantastic, with the Fremen and Harkonnen fighters looking wonderfully sharp and three-dimensional,” reads our LG C5 review. “The TV’s slightly warm colours and solid peak-brightness levels create a truly immersive experience despite the screen’s small size.”

What really sets the C5 apart from the pack, however, is the feature set. Gamers are truly spoiled at this price, with four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, supporting VRR, ALLM and refresh rates up to 4K/144Hz, plus a Dolby Vision game mode and excellent HGiG implementation.

The slick webOS smart TV platform also offers all the major streaming apps, including Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV, BBC iPlayer, ITVX and more.

The audio can’t quite match the brilliance of the picture, though. The 2.0-channel, 20W sound system sounds clear and reasonably balanced, but it lacks weight and scale. We certainly recommend a soundbar if you truly want to hear the roar of the crowds.

It is also worth noting that the LG C6 is now available with improved processing – but that will set you back £1299 for the 42-inch model.

If you’re looking for a 42-inch TV or looking to upgrade to OLED on a budget, then this LG C5 is your best all-around option right now – it’s incredible value at this price. Get one now with 40 per cent off at Amazon.

MORE:

Read our full 42-inch LG C5 review

Check out the best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

And the best OLED TV: five incredible sets for serious movie fans reviewed by our experts

The Sony Bravia 9 II is perhaps the most impressive backlit TV I’ve ever seen. And yet, after spending time with it in Tokyo a couple of months ago (here’s my Bravia 9 II hands-on), I still don’t think I would swap my OLED for it.

That might sound odd, considering the Bravia 9 II is in many ways exactly what the TV industry has been promising us for years. It’s dazzlingly bright, remarkably controlled, deeply cinematic and, in terms of colour reproduction, genuinely closer to a studio mastering monitor than maybe any other TV I have tested.

In lots of ways, Sony’s new RGB Mini LED flagship feels like a glimpse of the future.

But my time testing it also reinforced something I have long suspected: no matter how sophisticated backlight technology becomes, there may still be certain image qualities that only self-emissive pixels can truly deliver.

To be clear, I’m not writing off RGB Mini LED. Far from it. In fact, I think the Bravia 9 II has every chance of proving to be the best LCD-based TV ever made once we get a final production sample in for a full review.

Nor am I claiming that OLED is objectively ‘better’ in every regard. The Bravia 9 II can hit 4000 nits in its most accurate mode, which is an astonishing achievement, and Sony’s new RGB backlight system appears capable of delivering exceptionally rich, accurate colours at brightness levels that OLED simply can’t currently match.

But the more impressive RGB Mini LED becomes technically, the more I find myself frustrated by the ways in which it still can’t match OLED.

The big one, for me, is solidity.

OLED TVs tend to produce images with a density and three-dimensionality that’s difficult to quantify but immediately obvious when you see it. Objects appear more tangible and more firmly placed within the image. Dark scenes, in particular, have a kind of depth and stability that even the best backlit TVs rarely fully replicate.

My theory – and it is just a theory – is that this comes from OLED’s pixel-level contrast control. Every pixel is independently and precisely responsible for its own luminance, with no need for a backlight system working behind the scenes to decide how bright different areas of the screen should be.

Even the most advanced Mini LED TVs are still, ultimately, trying to approximate that behaviour using clusters of controllable lights behind an LCD layer. Sony’s latest system is probably the closest I’ve seen any manufacturer get, but I’m not yet convinced that any amount of dimming-zone sophistication can entirely reproduce the same perceptual solidity as self-emissive pixels.

Even the most intelligent of backlighting systems can also be caught out in a way that an OLED doesn’t have to worry about, too.

During my testing of the Bravia 9 II, I used the opening text sequence from Blade Runner 2049, which is notoriously difficult for backlit TVs. Here, the Bravia 9 II’s otherwise superb backlight controls visibly faltered, introducing uneven colouring and reducing the intensity of text that should have appeared vividly red.

Now, this was a pre-production sample, and Sony may well improve this before launch. I certainly wouldn’t judge the TV too harshly based on one particularly brutal torture test, anyway.

But the moment still felt telling.

One of OLED’s greatest strengths is consistency. There is very little sense of the TV ‘working’ to create the image. Highlights, shadows and colours simply appear exactly where they should, without drawing attention to the mechanicals behind the picture.

With even the very best backlit TVs, there are still moments when you become aware of the processing and dimming systems juggling competing priorities in real time. And once you notice that, even briefly, you are no longer completely immersed in what you’re watching.

That’s not to say OLED is flawless, of course. OLED TVs are dimmer than the very brightest Mini LED models, and RGB Mini LED’s advocates are absolutely right that the technology can produce more saturated colours at extremely high brightness levels.

I’m just not yet convinced how transformative that advantage is with real-world content.

Most movies and TV shows still aren’t mastered anywhere near 4000 nits, and while extra brightness headroom is undeniably useful in bright viewing environments, the best modern OLEDs are already more than bright enough for most people’s living rooms.

Similarly, greater colour volume is technically impressive, but much of that benefit stems from the ability to maintain colour saturation at very high luminance levels. If content rarely reaches those levels in the first place, the practical gains can feel somewhat pointless outside of demos.

That may change over time, of course. TV manufacturers clearly believe brighter HDR content is coming, and perhaps it eventually will.

But there’s another reason why I think RGB Mini LED matters, and this one is more immediate and convincing to me: screen size.

At 65 and 77 inches, OLED has become relatively attainable. But once you move into truly enormous sizes – 83 inches, 97 inches – OLED remains prohibitively expensive; and models larger than 100 inches don’t even exist.

RGB Mini LED could be the answer to that.

Sony is launching the Bravia 9 II in sizes up to 115 inches, and other brands are going similarly massive with their RGB Mini LED sets (that’s the Hisense 116UX in the photo above). I suspect technologies such as this will eventually make truly gigantic premium TVs far more accessible than OLED ever can. In that sense, RGB Mini LED may end up becoming the spiritual successor to projectors.

And maybe that’s where this all ends up.

For years, the TV industry has searched for a single technology that combines OLED’s contrast and pixel precision with LCD’s brightness and scalability. RGB Mini LED is clearly the closest anyone has yet come to achieving that.

But after seeing Sony’s awesome-looking Bravia 9 II, I’m not sure I believe there will ever be one universal winner.

Perhaps the future of premium TVs isn’t about one technology replacing another entirely. Perhaps it’s about different technologies excelling in different ways, for different people, at different sizes.

At least for now, OLED still feels like the most complete and convincing option for me personally – but I can see why RGB Mini LED might be the better option for others.

MORE:

Read our Sony Bravia 9 II hands-on

Here’s our Hisense UR9 RGB Mini LED TV review

These are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

Sony has finally announced its full 2026 TV range, and guess what’s missing? That’s right – OLED.

It was long suspected that the brand’s new flagship model would be an RGB Mini LED set to replace the Bravia 9 ‘standard’ LED model. And, sure enough, that’s precisely what we’ve got, in the form of the technically formidable Bravia 9 II.

What I wasn’t expecting, though, was no new OLED in the range at all.

No replacement for the Bravia 8 II is no surprise: Sony works on two-year lifecycles for most of its models, and the company’s awesome QD-OLED set is only a year old.

And I’m beyond expecting a replacement to the A90K, which launched way back in 2022 but appears to have been sentenced to lifetime imprisonment in the warehouses of Amazon, Currys and John Lewis.

I was, though, expecting the Bravia 8 to get a replacement. Now two years old, Sony’s W-OLED model is struggling to justify itself against last year’s LG C5 and the newer C6. Surely a nip-and-tuck upgrade would be worth it, both for Sony and consumers who want meaningful choice when buying a step-down/mainstream OLED TV.

Alas, though, there’s not a single new OLED in Sony’s new range, with all three of its existing models expected to run for at least another year.

And that’s prompted in me a dreadful thought: what if Sony plans never to launch another OLED TV? Sadly, the more I think about it, the more I feel that’s a very realistic possibility.

It’s all about profit, of course, which is understandable; it’s saddening nonetheless.

You see, Sony buys all of the panels for its OLED TVs from its rivals: it buys the W-OLED panels for the A90K and Bravia 8 from LG, and the QD-OLED panels for the Bravia 8 II from Samsung.

This, inevitably, eats into the money the brand can make from these OLED TVs, especially while it tries to compete on price with those brands that both make the panels and sell the TVs.

Meanwhile, Sony’s Home Entertainment division, which is responsible for the design, development and manufacture of its TVs (and home theatre products), is about to become a joint venture between Sony itself and TCL, the latter of which will hold a 51 per cent share.

TCL is, of course, the biggest manufacturer of LCD TV panels in the world. It’s famously uninterested in OLED where TVs are concerned, and while it is in the process of building a huge factory where it will produce OLED panels via inkjet printing, these will be for smartphones, tablets and laptops, at least in the first place.

So, once the Sony/TCL joint venture begins operations at the start of 2027, will it have any interest in buying expensive OLED panels from its rivals so that it can produce Sony OLED TVs from which it receives very little profit? Or will it entirely focus on producing TVs using the in-house panel technology supplied by the TCL side of the merger?

Sadly, it’s not hard to imagine the answer to that one.

Of course, Sony says it is very much not done with OLED, and I sincerely hope that’s true, as I’m yet to test a backlit TV that beats an OLED overall. But Sony also needs to operate as a business, which means making profits. And that, I suspect, means saying goodbye to OLED.

With any luck, I’m wrong, but if the Bravia 8 II really does turn out to be Sony’s last OLED TV, at least it’s an awesome one.

MORE:

Check out our Sony Bravia 9 II hands-on and Sony Bravia 8 II review

Here are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

After months of teasers and snippets of information, Sony’s first line of RGB Mini LED TVs is finally here.

The Sony Bravia 9 II and the step-down Sony Bravia 7 II use ‘True RGB’ technology, which the company claims can offer “up to four times the colour volume of OLED” – and outdo the brightness of Mini LED.

Sony follows a host of other brands that have thrown their hat into the RGB Mini LED ring, with Hisense, Samsung and TCL all delivering their own take on the technology.

Some brands use two-diode LEDs for their RGB models. These employ green and blue diodes that shine light through a phosphor layer to generate colours.

But Sony is using independently controlled red, green and blue diodes, which the brand claims will deliver a more accurate image.

The TVs are also powered by Sony’s proprietary RGB Backlight Master Drive Pro, which the company says, “drives each LED with high precision, improving brightness, reducing blooming, and producing purer colour than conventional Mini LED displays”.

The Sony Bravia 9 II is the brand’s flagship ‘True RGB’ model.

It claims to reach the same peak brightness levels as the BVM-HX3110 mastering monitor, which goes up to 4000 nits. No official figure has been given for either new TV model, but if it goes as high as the monitor, we could be in for a very bright picture.

The flagship model is also powered by "RGB Triluminos Max and Luminance Booster Pro", which Sony claims delivers "smoother gradation, and accurate hues at higher brightness levels".

You can see the pricing of both the Bravia 7 II and Bravia 9 II below.

The TVs should launch in late spring with pre-orders available now. And we should have US and Australian pricing soon.

Both TVs offer Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, which gives a comprehensive set of surround sound options.

While Sony says both models offer a three-dimensional audio experience, the Bravia 9 II has the edge with the inclusion of up-firing beam tweeters. The company says this delivers more cinematic surround sound with "powerful depth and true immersion".

You will find Dolby Vision support with both models but, like all Sony TVs, there is no HDR10+ on the cards.

They both also employ X-Wide Angle Pro technology, which Sony says means “colours stay consistent even at wide viewing angles”.

Only available with the Bravia 9 II is the Immersive Black Screen Pro feature, which aims to reduce screen reflections.

Both TVs have a central ‘mirage stand’ which uses a layer of clever transparent material to conceal wires under the base of your screen. This isn't available with the biggest screen sizes, however.

RGB LED TVs have already been dubbed as a possible “OLED killer” by many because of the higher colour volume and brightness claims.

We’ll have to wait until we get both models into our test room to see if the proof is in the pudding – but you can read our first impressions in our Bravia 7 II and Bravia 9 II hands-on reviews.

MORE:

All you need to know about RGB Mini LED

These are the best TVs

The best Sony TVs on the market

The Sony Bravia 9 II might be the most trailed TV in history. I originally saw it in prototype form – before it even had a name – in Sony’s Tokyo HQ in February last year, and I wrote about how impressive it was a short time later.

I then saw it again in March this year, but I had to sit on that until last month, when Sony announced that its first RGB Mini LED TVs would be arriving this year, under the name ‘True RGB’.

Even then, I was able to talk about the new TV only as a vague ‘True RGB’ model, without a model name or specifications. I was also only able to discuss its performance in Sony-led demos against a couple of RGB Mini LED competitors.

During the same March visit to Tokyo, though, I was also given an hour to test independently the 75-inch Bravia 9 II against the Bravia 9 and a Sony BVM-HX3110 mastering monitor, with my own content and with full control over the settings. And I can now write about that.

An hour isn’t a long time to test a TV, and the Bravia 9 II was still in development at the time, so this hands-on, of course, doesn’t count as a full review. However, this level of access ahead of launch is extremely rare, and it means I have a good understanding of how Sony’s new flagship TV performs.

Largely, it’s extremely impressive. I think it’s possibly the best backlit TV ever produced, in fact. But is it an OLED killer? That’s where things get complicated…

Price

The Sony Bravia 9 II will be available in 65-, 75-, 85 and 115-inch sizes, with pricing as follows:

• 65 inches: £3499
• 75 inches: £4299
• 85 inches: £5499
• 115 inches: £22,999

So the 65- and 85-inch versions of the Bravia 9 II are each £500 more expensive than their Bravia 9 equivalents, whereas, surprisingly, the 75-inch Bravia 9 II is £200 cheaper than the 75-inch Bravia 9.

The 115-inch model is all-new and, unsurprisingly, very expensive indeed.

Design

Within the confines of TV design, where the screen element itself is always going to be a 16:9 rectangle, the Bravia 9 II is unusual and rather striking.

Sony refers to the design as “harmonic presence”, with the idea being to create “harmony with the space and between products”.

The “Mirage Stand” is clearly the Bravia II’s most distinctive aesthetic feature. It’s semi-transparent, which gives the impression that the TV is floating, but it still hides the cables that run behind it.

This semi-transparent neck is attached to a usefully narrow metal plate, so the TV will happily stand on furniture much less wide than itself. But the plate also sticks out quite a long way to the front and back in a way that looks slightly ungainly to my eyes. It also means you can’t position the TV particularly close to the wall – unless, of course, you choose to wall mount it.

There's no variable height with this stand, either. It is designed to allow space for a soundbar beneath the TV, but there's no option to lower it if you’re not using a soundbar.

Along the sides and the top, the bezels are extremely thin, and while the bottom bezel is thicker, it’s generally much thinner than that of most TVs.

That gives the screen itself space to shine – except it doesn’t shine, because it has a new anti-reflective treatment that Sony is calling “Immersive Black Screen Pro”.

Having seen a sample of the Bravia 9 II with a half-coated and half-uncoated screen (see the images above), I can confirm that it’s highly effective at suppressing reflections, and while it is matte, it looked far less grey in bright ambient lighting than is typical of matte-coated displays.

Features

Of course, the headline feature of the Bravia 9 II is its RGB Mini LED backlight.

Sony has taken the next-gen Mini LED backlight that it developed for the Bravia 9 and RGB-ified it. So, rather than white LEDs, the Bravia 9 II’s backlight features independently controllable red, green and blue diodes.

The theoretical advantage of this is the same as it is for all of the other RGB Mini LED TVs that are all the rage right now: better colour accuracy and, because a colour filter isn’t required, higher brightness.

The combination of these two elements should also create greater colour expression – because the TV can go brighter without the use of a colour-sapping white light, an RGB Mini LED TV should be able to deliver super-bright colours that a standard Mini LED TV cannot.

But those are just the overriding claimed advantages of RGB Mini LED technology as a whole. What makes Sony’s True RGB solution different?

The big thing is, as mentioned, the fact that it’s built upon the more or less revolutionary backlight of the Bravia 9. I wrote about that in detail when I first saw the Bravia 9 prototype way back in 2024, but suffice to say here that it involves the sort of granular backlight control that most rival systems can only dream of.

This so-called ‘XR Backlight Master Drive’ system has been upgraded to ‘RGB Backlight Master Drive Pro’, and it’s this combination of the Bravia 9’s backlighting tech with genuine RGB diodes that makes the Bravia 9 II such a tantalising prospect.

Sony’s claims for the Bravia 9 II are, as you can imagine, very bold indeed. “Unbelievable colour gradation” is promised, for example, with the brand stating that the new model has twice the colour volume of the Bravia 9 Mini LED set, and four times the colour volume of the Bravia 8 II QD-OLED model.

Sony goes on to claim that True RGB is a “best of both worlds technology”, and that the Bravia 9 II is designed to match the “intent and peak brightness of the BVM-HX3110” mastering monitor.

This comparison with the mastering monitor is crucial to the Bravia 9 II’s very existence. Sony’s claimed aim is to deliver a home viewing experience that matches what the content creators signed off in the studio. And it feels that the brightness offered by Mini LED over OLED is vital to this, and that the RGB element is vital to deliver the colour range and accuracy that neither standard Mini LED nor OLED can match.

As ever, Sony isn’t giving out specific numbers for aspects such as dimming zones, but a demonstration involving a 75-inch sample with an exposed backlight allowed me to do some quick counting, and by my calculations, it had 6120 separate LED clusters, which are controlled in groups of four, resulting in 1530 independent dimming zones.

Interestingly, if that’s accurate (and I’ll need more time with a final review sample to be sure), that means the 75-inch Bravia 9 II has 25 per cent fewer dimming zones than the Bravia 9. Sony has long argued that how dimming zones are controlled is more important than how many of them there are, but it is still surprising that the drop is this large.

Where peak brightness is concerned, Sony again won’t be putting specific figures into its spec sheets. But a demo session involving the super-bright Alpha and a measuring device proved (in so much that a manufacturer-led demo session can ever truly ‘prove’ anything) that the Bravia 9 II was hitting the movie’s full 4000-nit peak. And that was in the TV’s most accurate Professional preset.

How much value is there in that sort of brightness when almost no content is mastered to those levels? Sony appears to be of the opinion that the floodgates will one day open and brighter content will become more common.

I’m less sure about that; but having lots of brightness headroom indeed allows for a TV to deliver a better and more perceptually accurate performance in bright ambient light.

Away from the panel technology, much of the Bravia 9 II’s feature set is what we’ve come to expect from Sony TVs – and that means there’s a glaring issue for gamers. That’s right, Sony’s new flagship TV still has just two HDMI 2.1 sockets.

That we are still having to complain about this in 2026, a full seven years since LG launched its first TVs with four HDMI 2.1 sockets, feels faintly ridiculous, and it may put hardcore gamers off the Bravia 9 II regardless of its qualities elsewhere.

Picture quality

Part of my time at Sony HQ in March was spent in demos of exposed backlights, with Sony trying to (and succeeding in) convincing me that its True RGB system is more advanced and more consistent than those of its rivals.

I wrote about that experience last month, though, so here I want to talk about how the Bravia 9 II performs with real content, which I got to experience in a Sony-led demo session and an hour-long session of independent testing, in both cases with a Bravia 9 and a BVM-HX3110 for reference.

In the Sony-led session, I was shown various clips from movies, including Avatar, Black Widow, Monster Hunter and Apex, and throughout, I was deeply impressed by how close the Bravia 9 II’s colours looked to those of the mastering monitor. Where the mastering monitor looked bright and rich, so did the Bravia 9 II, whereas the Bravia 9 at times lost vibrancy, particularly in the brightest parts of the picture.

And while the Bravia 9 is remarkably controlled in terms of blooming, the Bravia 9 II is even better. A lot of this is down to the use of RGB diodes rather than white, because this means that any glow around coloured highlights appears in the same colour as the highlight, which looks far more natural and realistic.

A great example is a small red light against a very dark backdrop in Black Widow. On the Bravia 9, there’s a faint white glow around this, particularly when you view the TV off-axis. But on the Bravia 9 II, this glow is red, and because this looks so natural, you don’t even instinctively recognise it as blooming.

In my independent demo session, I played several of our favourite test clips, from movies including 1917, Pan, Blade Runner 2049, and Alien: Romulus. The Bravia 9 and Bravia 9 II were both in their most accurate Professional picture preset.

Kicking off with 1917, I immediately found it interesting that the Bravia 9 II and BVM-HX3110 mastering monitor both delivered essentially perfect black in the image with the bright movie logo, whereas the Bravia 9 looked a touch grey by comparison.

The opening shot over the French fields, meanwhile, provided a nice illustration of the colour improvements offered by the switch to RGB lighting, with the yellow flowers being reproduced with subtly greater vibrancy from the Bravia 9 II than the Bravia 9.

Skin tones looked better from the new model, too, with just a little more life to them, and the tunics of the soldiers’ uniforms had a slightly richer red/brown hue that the mastering monitor confirmed was more accurate.

The starfield in the opening shot of Alien: Romulus is a nightmarish test for any backlit TV, and it’s one that even the Bravia 9 II struggles to pass entirely convincingly. Somewhat surprisingly, the deep-space background is blacker from the Bravia 9, with the Bravia 9 II appearing to raise the black floor just a touch. To compensate, though, the new model delivers brighter stars and more detailed nebulae, and there’s greater insight into the deep shadows of the unmanned spacecraft.

In terms of colour tone, the Bravia 9 II was much closer than its predecessor to the mastering monitor, too. The Bravia 9’s highlights had a blue/green coolness to them that didn’t look quite right, whereas the Bravia 9 II maintained the cinematic richness that the mastering monitor proved was correct.

These bright white highlights also proved that, while it hasn’t been completely eradicated, blooming is indeed much reduced from the Bravia 9 II. From the Bravia 9, there was a noticeable glow around the white light of the search vessel, whereas the Bravia 9 II reduced this to very faint levels, at least when viewing the TV straight-on – at wider angles, it was a little more pronounced.

As broadly impressive as Sony’s Bravia 9 II backlight controls appeared to be, though, they weren’t completely infallible, and the opening text of Blade Runner 2049 wasn’t handled well.

The first word, which should be bright red, and was from the Bravia 9 and mastering monitor, was pale and grey from the Bravia 9 II. When this was joined by the first paragraph of white text, the Bravia 9 II introduced a pink tint that was quite vivid at the edges and pale towards the middle.

As yet more text was added, the colour became more consistent, but it was still pink where it should have been white, and when the final word, ‘Replicants’, was left on the screen, it was pale and grey where it should have been bright red.

This clip is uniquely challenging for backlit TVs, which is why we use it so frequently, but you would still expect the Bravia 9 II to handle it at least as well as the preceding Bravia 9. That decidedly wasn’t the case. Here’s hoping this is something Sony can remedy before the launch of the new TV.

One other slight surprise was that the super-bright Pan didn’t look markedly better from the Bravia 9 II than it did from the Bravia 9. There was a little more warmth to the haze around the bright sun and a little more highlight detail, but the upgrade wasn’t as pronounced as I had expected.

This is quite possibly a reflection on how well the Bravia 9 already handles this movie than it is a slight on the new model, but it will be interesting to do some more testing with this, and hopefully one or two other 4000-nit movies, once we get a final Bravia 9 II sample in for review.

One final thing to note is that while I didn’t have an OLED for comparison with the Bravia 9 II, we have generally found that even the very best backlit TVs struggle to match the general density, solidity and perceptual three-dimensionality of their OLED equivalents. And nothing I saw during my time with the Bravia 9 II suggested it will overcome this deficit.

That’s not really surprising: this solidity seems to be a result of OLED’s pixel-level contrast control, which no amount of backlight dimming zones will ever be able to match. Still, it’s something to bear in mind if you’re weighing up a backlit TV such as the Bravia 9 II against an OLED set.

Sound quality

While we always encourage the buyer of a new TV also to budget for a dedicated sound system of some sort, not everyone does that. In fact, Sony’s own research suggests that more than 80 per cent of its customers use their TV’s built-in speakers.

It’s little wonder, then, that serious effort has been put into the Bravia 9 II’s sound system as well as its picture quality.

The up-firing beam tweeters of the Bravia 9 remain, but every other element has been redesigned. There are no longer any drivers built into the bottom edge of the set. Instead, everything has been relocated to the same level around two-thirds up the TV, with some firing out and towards the listener, and others (primarily the subwoofers) firing backwards.

Sony has also upgraded the processing from 5.1.2 channels to 5.1.4, and the brand claims the Bravia 9 II has a more accurate Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) for better sound positioning, as well as a new crosstalk canceller to help prevent either ear hearing sound intended for the other.

The overall idea is that the sound is more accurately placed and is all more spatially connected to the on-screen action, and in demos, this seemed to work very well. With the Bravia 9, my ears were rather drawn to the trebly sounds coming from the drivers built into the bottom edge, but with the Bravia 9 II, there was much greater overall cohesion.

Playing a clip from Venom, the new model clearly sounded crisper and more dynamic, too, and the audio manifested further up the screen, where the action was taking place. Sony has a reputation for combining this sort of directness with spaciousness, and it seems that the Bravia 9 II will reinforce that, with surround and Atmos effects stretching a fair way around the TV.

One slight flaw that I did notice was that occasionally voices could sound as if they were coming from the sides of the screen. This may be related to me not sitting dead centre during the demo, but it will be interesting to test this further when we get a final production sample in for review.

It’s also true that, as with many previous Sony TVs, the Bravia 9 II sounded a bit bass-light. Sony tends to tune its TVs to be as clean and controlled as possible, which generally means not stretching for the deep bass that can cause distortion. On balance, that’s a good approach; but it does mean that some rival TVs can sound a bit weightier.

One final note to make here is that, while the Bravia 9 II sounded good during demos, that’s by the standards of TVs. I do not doubt that even a moderately accomplished soundbar will smash it for audio quality.

Early verdict

While we will, of course, need to get a final sample in for full testing before we deliver our review verdict on the Bravia 9 II, this excellent level of early access has given me a really good idea of how it performs – and, generally speaking, it’s very impressive indeed.

I think there’s every chance this will prove to be the best backlit TV ever produced, with a combination of 4000-nit brightness, contrast control and colour accuracy that few, if any, rivals can match.

Whether that makes the Bravia 9 II an OLED-beater is harder to judge – not least because we haven’t yet had the opportunity to do that side-by-side testing – but what I’ve seen so far suggests that OLED will still have advantages in several regards, most notably no blooming whatsoever, essentially perfect viewing angles, and a degree of solidity and three-dimensionality that seemingly only self-emissive pixels can provide.

The question, then, will be whether the Bravia 9 II’s advantages, such as higher brightness, more vivid colours, durability and greater size availability, outweigh those of OLED.

We’ll be answering that question just as soon as we get our review sample in for extensive, comparative testing.

MORE:

Check out our Sony Bravia 9 review and Sony Bravia 8 II review

Here are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

Sony is on a roll with the sheer volume of products it is delivering at the moment, with the Xperia 1 VIII smartphone and the 1000X The Collexion wired headphones storming the scene earlier this year.

Home cinema fans have not been forgotten either, as there is a range of new TVs hitting the market as well.

That includes the Sony Bravia 7 II, which the brand is presenting as the little brother of the Sony Bravia 9 II. Both of these models are the poster boys of the brand’s first RGB LED TV venture, under the punchy name ‘True RGB’. Sony says this technology offers “up to four times the colour volume of the OLED” and outdoes Mini LED brightness, dubbing it “virtually infinite in colour, brightness and depth”.

Those are strong claims, but how does the technology actually perform? I got a preview of the Sony Bravia 7 II at an event in Sony’s European headquarters. I didn’t get the chance for any serious testing, but it certainly gave me a taste of what will be entering our test room.

Price

Sony has released UK pricing for the Bravia 7 II, which you can find below, alongside the launch pricing for the Sony Bravia 7. We're awaiting US and Australian pricing, but we'll update this table when that information is given to us:

As you might have guessed, the inclusion of the sparkling new technology has resulted in a rise in pricing for this year’s models. We don’t have the pricing for other regions yet, but we can be pretty sure those regions will also see a price hike. It’s also good to see two new sizing options, with the smaller 50-inch and the gigantic 98inch models now added.

Also on the market at roughly the same level is the LG C6; that OLED’s 65-inch model launched at £2500 / $2699 / AU$3999, and we gave it a dazzling five-star verdict, praising its rich picture quality and brightness.

Design

The Bravia 7 II is a bit of a departure from its predecessor in terms of design, especially with its stand. Instead of sporting two separate feet at the bottom, there is a ‘mirage stand’ which offers a transparent strip of plastic to conceal wires under the base of your screen.

There wasn’t much to hide when I saw the TV in action at the showcase, but it created a decent illusion that there was no clutter beneath the set. The stand is available with all of the Bravia 7 II models, with the exception of the 98-inch model.

There’s a brand-new remote control with this model as well. It looks sleek yet practical, and features a backlight so you can use it easily while watching movies in the dark. It can also be recharged via a USB-C port and is made from 80% recycled plastic.

As a whole, the TV feels sturdy and well built. It has a plastic bezel around the screen, where the more expensive Bravia 9 II uses metal, so it feels slightly less premium to the touch in comparison. Despite that, the Bravia 7 II offers a sturdily designed screen.

Features

Also a new addition for this line is Sony’s X Wide Pro feature, which the brand claims to allow “colours [to] stay consistent even at wide viewing angles”. To test this, I tried watching the screen from some fairly challenging angles: brightness and colour vibrancy levels remained impressively strong.

This is a noticeable improvement over the Bravia 7, as we found that backlight blooming became more noticeable if you have to watch the TV from a wide angle.

As mentioned, the Sony Bravia 7 II is offering ‘True RGB’ technology. At its core, RGB Mini LED places independent red, green and blue LEDs into an optical lens behind an LCD panel. This differs from Mini LED technology, which uses blue LEDs that must be converted to red and green (recently, this has most widely been achieved using Quantum Dots). That should, in theory, lead to a brighter performance and a wider colour gamut than OLED and Mini LED.

Sony has not gone into a whole lot of detail on the nitty-gritty, but we do know the sets feature “new backlight drive” technology.

When asked about the number of dimming zones and maximum brightness levels, Sony’s representatives kept schtum about the details. All it has said so far is that it will offer “exceptionally high peak brightness” and “precise luminance control”.

The TV is also powered by Sony’s proprietary RGB Backlight Master Drive Pro, which “drives each LED with high precision, improving brightness, reducing blooming, and producing purer colour than conventional Mini LED displays”.

Samsung, Hisense, LG, Philips and TCL are also launching TVs this year featuring their own take on RGB Mini LED, so we think it's fair to say that Sony has its fair share of competition in this space.

The Sony Bravia 7 II supports Dolby Vision, but there is no HDR10+ on the cards. That’s the same story for all Sony TVs on the market, but it's still a bit of a shame for those looking for comprehensive HDR support.

Sony is also offering “Studio Calibrated” modes for streaming platforms, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which should adjust the picture depending on what service you are using.

Audio-wise, Sony has outfitted the 65-inch model that I saw with two full-range drivers and two subwoofers, creating a total audio power output of 40W. Sony has been very clear that this arrangement differs depending on the screen size, with the larger screen options slated to sport beefier built-in sound systems.

At the back of the TV, you will find four HDMI ports, including two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets. Having just two seems like a bit of a shame, especially considering one doubles as your HDMI eARC socket for connecting external audio devices.

Hisense's UR8, a competing step-down RGB Mini LED TV, has four full bandwidth sockets, as do Samsung and LG's upcoming RGB Mini LED sets.

Picture

I saw the Bravia 7 II briefly in action, side by side with the rival LG C6. Both of the sets were in the Vivid picture mode, though, and I didn’t get a chance to fiddle around with the settings to get them to my liking. That makes it hard to judge, and we will need to wait until we can test the TV in our own test room before we make a verdict.

But we can certainly get a glimpse of how the Bravia 7 II performs from the showcase. When watching a scene from Angry Birds, Red’s feathers look colourful and punchy. There is a little more detail in the feathers of the round bird compared with the C6 as well. The shadow detail in his furrowed black monobrow is a little clearer with the LG model, however.

Switching to Aladdin, as our hero makes his way around a spice market, there is a solid sense of three-dimensionality, which gives the scene an immersive feel. It’s also an impressively bright picture, especially when put head to head with the LG OLED, and there is not much difference between the two from this first look.

As I said, this brief glimpse is not enough to comment properly on the picture quality, but it still looks popping and detailed, judging from the Vivid mode.

Sound

Unfortunately, I didn't get to hear a peep from the Sony Bravia 7 II. When sound was played, it was through the newly announced Sony Bravia Trio soundbar package (which we should get to hear in our test room soon).

What we do know is that Sony’s AI-powered Voice Zoom 3 is included with the new model, which lets you customise the volume of voices and ambient audio. The brand is also offering “evolved” 3D Surround Upscaling, which it says can expand stereo into wider 3D surround.

When we reviewed the 55-inch Sony Bravia 7, we found that it creates a “soundstage that projects nicely away from the TV’s physical chassis” and we called it “very good for a TV in this price category”. Hopefully, Sony maintains this strong audio performance with the next generation.

Early verdict

It’s too early to give a verdict on the Sony Bravia 7 II, and we will have to wait until we get the model in our test room to give a thorough review.

Sony’s launch into ‘True RGB’ is certainly an exciting proposition, and our first look at the TV shows that it offers promising vibrancy and three-dimensionality.

We will have to see if these strong first impressions hold up after our thorough review process.

MORE:

Check out our review of the Sony Bravia 7

This is our LG C6 review

These are the best TVs

What is the most important TV feature for watching football? Size? Wide viewing angles? Good motion handling?

Luckily, the 65-inch Sony Bravia 8 has all three. Combining the incredible contrast and viewing angles of OLED with Sony's superb motion processing, you have a World Cup TV for the ages.

Even better, the five-star TV is now at its lowest ever price. The 65-inch Sony Bravia 8 is now £1379 at Amazon – you get an extra £100 off the listed price at checkout.

That's a huge saving of 54 per cent off the price we tested at, and even cheaper than rivals such as the LG C5.

The Sony Bravia 8 was our TV Product of the Year in 2024, and still holds up today – especially when it has a big discount like this.

Sony is often a step above its rivals when it comes to motion processing, and this was definitely the case when we tested the Bravia 8 with a viewing of Blade Runner 2049.

"Watching Ryan Gosling’s character fly into a dusty protein farm, motion handling is beautiful and we don’t see any artefacts as his car zooms over the landscape and a recon drone examines the scene," our Sony Bravia 8 review reads. "Dark areas retain oodles of detail, with every crinkle in the sofa in Dave Bautista's home being apparent."

The image is also wonderfully bright, sharp and three-dimensional. The Bravia 8 will make for incredibly immersive World Cup viewing, but it is also exceptionally balanced and authentic for movies.

The Bravia 8 is also one of the better-sounding OLED TVs we have tested. It won't beat a decent soundbar, but Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology delivers control and spaciousness that few built-in speaker sets achieve.

Should you switch from World Cup viewing to EA Sports FC, the Bravia 8 has you covered. There are twin HDMI 2.1 ports, with support for 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision Gaming.

Speaking of Dolby Vision, the standard format is also available, along with HDR10 and HLG. There's also an IMAX Enhanced mode for supported films.

The reliable Google TV OS also has the full suite of apps – including international heavy-hitters Netflix, Disney+ Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video, as well as the all-important BBC iPlayer and ITVX for the football.

If you have the budget, you may want to consider the step-up Sony Bravia 8 II. It's our current TV Product of the Year and our benchmark for testing, though you'll be looking at around £2100 for the 65-inch model.

At this price, though, the Bravia 8 is an incredible TV and is cheaper than rivals such as the LG C5 right now. With some of the best motion handling and built-in audio available on an OLED TV, the Sony Bravia 8 will make you feel like you're on the pitch yourself – especially with 54 per cent off at Amazon.

MORE:

Check out our full Sony Bravia 8 review

Do also consider the newer LG C5

And here are all of the best OLED TVs available right now

The LG C5 had some big shoes to fill. Not only did we rate it five stars, but we also crowned it winner of the Best Gaming TV and Best Mid-range TV categories in our What Hi-Fi Awards 2025.

After a lot of testing, we concluded that the LG C6 had surpassed the performance of its predecessor. We loved it so much that we've labeled it the best TV we've tested so far this year.

Sounds expensive, right? Well, thanks to a new discount, you can actually snap up the 65-inch C6 for $2000 at Amazon. That's an amazing $700 off the list price and a deal we're unlikely to see again for a while.

While there are some great discounts right now on last year’s Award-winning LG C5, you really can't beat the feeling of buying a new-release TV just in time for the World Cup. Especially when it’s the LG C6, which has set the benchmark at this price.

The secret to the C6’s excellent performance is the new Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor, which helps deliver a brighter, richer and more refined picture than from the already excellent C5.

“Even in Filmmaker Mode, the C6’s extra brightness over the C5 is immediately obvious,” reads our LG C6 review. “Highlights are more intense, colors have a touch more richness and the overall image carries greater depth and dimensionality.”

All of this is highly impressive, given that the C6 uses the same WOLED panel technology as previous C-series models from the past couple of years. If you have the budget, you might want to consider the 77- or 83-inch C6, which feature newer, brighter Primary RGB Tandem OLED panels, but the 65-inch model is still a revelation when it comes to picture performance.

Upscaling and shading have been improved too, while LG has also finally found some sonic success. A dedicated sound system is, as always, recommended, but the LG C6 sounds pretty good for a TV in its class, with a cleaner and more controlled performance than the C5.

To top it all off, the C6 features LG’s typically excellent gaming features, including four HDMI 2.1 sockets supporting 4K/165Hz (as well as the more console-friendly 4K/120Hz), VRR and Dolby Vision gaming.

The LG C6 is a formidable all-rounder of a TV, which will make a terrific option for the soccer World Cup – but it is capable of much, much more. Such a big discount this early into the life cycle is rare indeed – get the 65-inch LG C6 for $2000 at Amazon.

MORE:

Read our review of the LG C5

Also consider the Samsung S95F

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

Every now and then, there's a deal that makes us sit up and take notice.

And that's exactly what we have here. We only reviewed the LG C6 in March, where we praised it for setting a new benchmark for step-down rivals.

Yet the C6 already has a discount – and a pretty juicy one too. You can now get a 65-inch LG C6 for £2166 at John Lewis with the code 'LG20TV'.

You add the code during the payment stage of checkout, where there's a handy box that says '‘Add promotional code’. Be aware that this offer is only available to My John Lewis members, but it's completely free to sign up.

This offer is available at other retailers, but many are out of stock – so we'd suggest moving quickly if you want to secure a new OLED before a certain sporting event starting next month.

While there are some great discounts right now on last year’s Award-winning LG C5, you can't really beat the feeling of buying a new-release TV just in time for the World Cup. Especially when it’s the LG C6, which has set the benchmark at this price.

The secret to the C6’s excellent performance is the new Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor, which helps deliver a brighter, richer and more refined picture than from the already excellent C5.

“Even in Filmmaker Mode, the C6’s extra brightness over the C5 is immediately obvious,” reads our LG C6 review. “Highlights are more intense, colours have a touch more richness and the overall image carries greater depth and dimensionality.”

All of this is highly impressive, given that the C6 uses the same WOLED panel technology as previous C-series models from the past couple of years. If you have the budget, you might want to consider the 77- or 83-inch C6, which feature newer, brighter Primary RGB Tandem OLED panels, but the 65-inch model is still a revelation when it comes to picture performance.

Upscaling and shading have been improved too, while LG has also finally found some sonic success. A dedicated sound system is, as always, recommended, but the LG C6 sounds pretty good for a TV in its class, with a cleaner and more controlled performance than the C5.

To top it all off, the C6 features LG’s typically excellent gaming features, including four HDMI 2.1 sockets supporting 4K/165Hz (as well as the more console-friendly 4K/120Hz), VRR and Dolby Vision gaming.

The LG C6 is a formidable all-rounder of a TV, which will make a terrific option for the World Cup, but it is capable of much, much more. Such a big discount this early into the life cycle is rare indeed – get the 65-inch LG C6 for £2166 at John Lewis while stocks last.

MORE:

Read our review of the LG C5

Also consider the Samsung S95F

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

TVs are getting bigger and bigger, but that doesn't mean that a smaller living room screen won't deliver high-quality picture.

In fact, the Samsung S90F is our top pick amongst the best 48-50-inch TVs we've ever tested, delivering a TV fit for most people.

And right now, you can grab it for just £764 at Richer Sounds, which is by far the lowest price we've ever seen it, but there's a couple of things you need to do to secure the saving.

Firstly, you need to use the code 'RSTV100' at checkout to drop the price to £849. Then, as this is a cashback deal, you'll have to pay the full £849 before claiming 10 per cent (£84.90) back directly from Samsung. Full T&Cs can be found here.

The five-star Samsung S90F is one of a select few OLED TVs available in a 48-inch size, making it ideal for a small lounge or bedroom.

And despite it's relatively compact size in today's market, it delivers a bright, punchy picture that offers a fun home movie experience that will suit most people.

It's also worth noting that the S90F is to pretty easy to set up – taking less than a minute. The central pedestal stand connects easily to the screen, thanks to its screw-free design.

When it comes to picture, our expert testers switched to Filmmaker mode, with the colour booster off and the colour profile set to Warm One, to reduce the slightly overcooked feeling while watching Dune: Part 2.

This led them to say: "Then the desert retains a decent level of pop and colours look much more realistic, with rolling sand dunes featuring wonderful levels of detail. Movements lose their artificiality with the darting desert warriors’ strikes feeling as sharp as the knives they wield."

The S90F is also one of the only non-LG OLEDs you can buy with the full complement of four, rather than the more standard two, full-fat HDMI 2.1 inputs, which will be great news for gamers. Plus, there's support for VRR and ALLM onboard.

It even goes beyond the latest-generation games consoles’ 4K/120Hz, reaching all the way up to 4K/144Hz, though the latter is only relevant to PC gamers with suitably hardcore rigs.

Sonically, the S90F falls a little short. Our expert testers found the 60-watt, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos built-in sound system to be a “mixed bag”. Though that's not an uncommon feature of a set this size.

And with the Samsung S90F dropping to just £764 at Richer Sounds with the checkout code and cashback deal, you've got a little extra cash to invest in a soundbar.

MORE:

Read our full Samsung S90F review

These are the best Samsung TVs: budget to premium, 4K, 8K, QLED, QD-OLED

And the best OLED TVs: our reviewers' 5 top picks for serious movie fans

“Four stars! For an LG OLED!?” That was the reaction from many people when we published our original LG G6 review just over a month ago.

As reviewers, we are always unbiased, but we do get why the star rating caused such a kerfuffle.

LG’s OLEDs have been among the best of the best for many years, as the number of What Hi-Fi? Awards they've won demonstrates. So we've all become accustomed to them being awesome, almost by default.

Seeing a four-star LG OLED, especially this year, when Sony isn’t expected to unveil a new flagship OLED and Panasonic is only set to launch one, more affordable OLED, isn't ideal for anyone in the market for a new OLED TV.

In fact, I’d go so far as to argue there’s never been a worse time for the G-series to stumble. Especially, when the issues we encountered around its slightly grey black level and over-aggressive peaks made it hard to recommend, over the now cheaper LG G5, let alone the Product of the Year-winning, Sony Bravia 8 II from last year.

As we said in our review: “LG seems to have dug its heels in on the idea that brighter (and more colourful) is better with the G6 [...] But this new focus brings fresh weaknesses, most notably to black depth and cinematic authenticity.

“The raw materials are clearly here and, with some more considered tuning, the G6 could be among the best in class. As it stands, though, this feels like one step forward and another step back for LG’s flagship OLED range.”

No one likes being the bearer of bad news, but that was the reality, which is why we couldn't recommend it to anyone after an "as the director intended" TV experience.

And while we’re yet to test the Samsung S95H or Philips OLED911, based on our experience with previous sets, which have shown the engineers have a vivid flair when it comes to tuning, this LG fumble could leave a big hole in the market.

Thankfully, there is a silver lining.

Since our review was published, LG has been in touch, promising that the problems we encountered were due to issues with the software – issues that have supposedly been fixed in a newer version. So, understandably, LG wants us to test it out.

This is why, right now, we have a new LG G6 sitting in our test rooms, next to our reference LG G5 and Bravia 8 II, complete with the new software, ready for testing.

Next week, myself and TV and AV editor Tom Parsons will be doing a Groundhog Day (or a Palm Springs, if you prefer), re-testing the G6, to see if the new software does indeed fix the issues we found.

So watch this space. And if you’re thinking about buying a new flagship OLED, wait a little longer to see if LG’s flagship series can regain its five-star lustre.

We’ll be updating our review with our latest findings once we’ve finished running the new review unit through our rigorous comparative testing process. It's far from guaranteed that we will see any improvement but we're always willing to check and be sure.

If you have any questions ahead of us re-testing the G6, drop a comment on this page, and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.

MORE:

These are the best OLED TVs money can buy

We rank the best 65-inch TVs

Our picks of the best TVs for serious movie fans

If you're looking to make the jump to OLED on a budget, then we have a deal for you.

The five-star, 48-inch LG C5 is now available at Hughes for £781. That's a bargain price for such a high-performing OLED, and ideal for those wanting a World Cup TV for a small room, or looking to experience the incredible contrast and inky blacks of OLED for under a grand.

That's the lowest price we've seen for this model, and a good £618 off the price we tested it at. You'll have to use a code to get this discount, however. The code 'HUGMAY8' will get you an extra eight per cent saving to unlock this price.

The LG C5 won three What Hi-Fi? Awards during our most recent ceremony, so it's safe to say our expert testing team were fans.

World Cup fans will be glad to hear that we found the set to be impressively bright and detailed, with composed motion handling as shown during our viewing of Dune: Part Two.

"The desert retains its sparkle, with the brightest part of the sky shining in a way OLEDs this price from even a few years ago can’t, but with significantly more detail," our LG C5 48-inch review reads.

"Bright shading is strong, too, with a wonderful hue of blue transitioning to orange across the image."

The LG C5 was also our Award winner for the Best gaming TV, and it's easy to see why. The C5 is packed out with four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets capable of handling 4K/165Hz signals, as well as VRR and ALLM. There is also support for Dolby Vision gaming for Xbox Series X/S owners.

Speaking of Dolby Vision, the LG C5 is well catered for in terms of HDR; the set supports HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG, with only HDR10+ absent.

Streaming options are ample, also, with LG’s reliable webOS 25 supporting the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and ITVX. There's an Xbox app, too, for game streaming, as well as the new ability to pair a controller over Bluetooth.

Sound is a bit of a disappointment, with the 2.2-channel 40W speaker system lacking definition even in Cinema mode. This is nothing that can't be remedied with a decent soundbar, though.

As our five-star review shows, we already thought the 48-inch LG C5 was an excellent value at full price. Now with £618 off at Hughes, it's a bargain.

MORE:

Read our full 48-inch LG C5 review

Check out the best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets, tried and tested

And the best OLED TV: five incredible sets for serious movie fans reviewed by our experts

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm usually a bit of a sucker when it comes to buying new video game consoles.

I'll stand my ground for a couple of months, maybe a year or two if I'm feeling particularly stubborn. But after seeing the latest games available with shiny new graphics – not to mention some, ahem, *gentle* encouragement from friends, I'll usually cave and purchase the latest offering from the world of gaming.

So when Nintendo finally announced a sequel to the Switch, the second-highest-selling console of all time, this seemed right up my street. Nintendo is a brand I have a high amount of childhood nostalgia for, and for the first time, all of their iconic series would be playable in 4K HDR – starting with Mario Kart, no less, which hadn't had a fully-fledged sequel in over a decade.

So why am I holding out on the Switch 2, even though the price has been confirmed to rise in the future? Well, it's partly Nintendo's fault.

Ever since the Japanese gaming giant launched the revolutionary but underpowered Nintendo Wii, the latest in audio-visual technology has never been their main concern. The original Switch was a fine console, but it capped out at 1080p HD at a time when its rivals were making the move to 4K.

So it was a nice surprise when Nintendo announced the Switch OLED, an updated model with the premium panel technology available in handheld mode. As someone who already owned the original Switch, I initially felt little reason to pay full price once again just for a screen upgrade, but it seemed like a shrewd move from Nintendo.

But then I saw it in action. Catching my eye by chance at a family Christmas, I was immediately drawn in by the vivid colours, sharp contrast and overall premium look of the new OLED screen. Every time I went back to play my regular Switch, the LCD screen couldn't help but look dull, washed out and a tad lifeless.

So I took the OLED plunge – and never looked back. Despite the Switch's technological limitations, games always looked slick, bright and punchy. It was often preferable to playing on my much bigger, but admittedly non-OLED TV, even if handheld mode was capped to 720p.

When the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 was announced, however, Nintendo surprised some by making big strides in terms of power and performance. Resolution was bumped up to 4K in docked mode and 1080p in handheld, with support for HDR and 120 fps support in both. But there was one notable downgrade – the handheld screen was LCD, likely in a bid to keep costs down.

And during a recent gaming session with a friend, I was finally able to compare the two screens side by side. What was immediately noticeable was that the Switch 2's screen was notably bigger – 7.9 inches compared to my Switch OLED's 7 inches, making the OLED model look rather diminutive. The swathe of other improvements – 1080p resolution, VRR and HDR10 support – also played their part, with Switch 2 games in particular looking incredibly detailed, smooth and crisp.

But, especially when playing two Switch 1 games side by side – the majority of the library at this point – there was a slight lack of pop on the Switch 2. When it came to contrast and colour, the self-emitting pixels of the Switch OLED won out, with colours jumping off the screen and no backlight leaking brightness into black scenes. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I preferred my Switch OLED – it felt like more of an immersive experience, rather than just looking at a screen.

As with most consoles, the Switch 2 will eventually get a mid-generation refresh, most likely with an OLED screen (or maybe a rival format like RGB Mini LED). Perhaps then I'll finally make the switch – but for now, it's a dim prospect.

MORE:

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PS5 Slim vs PS5: what's the difference?

PS5 vs Xbox Series X: which is better for movies as well as games?

Sony's latest AV-focused flagship smartphone is here: meet the Sony Xperia 1 VIII.

It’s good news for audio fans as, like the brand's previous offering, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is quite a rarity in smartphones and claims to "support high-quality audio using wired headphones."

It has enlisted the help of the firm's Walkman division once again to boost audio quality on this new handset.

Sony has also improved the full-stage stereo speakers, which the brand says will produce deeper bass and extended high frequencies.

The new smartphone's 6.5-inch, Full HD+ (1080 x 2340) OLED display has been tuned by Bravia, and it features a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate too.

It can also automatically adjust the brightness and colour of the display according to the environment, with Sony claiming it delivers a “bright display even under sunlight”.

If you are looking at the VIII and VII editions side by side, then the immediate difference is in the camera design. Instead of having the camera lenses in a vertical line as with its predecessor, the new Xperia model features a raised camera square containing three lenses.

There are plenty of AI features packed into Sony’s latest release, including an AI camera assistant which “suggests creative expressions based on the scene recognised”. If you don’t want artificial intelligence poking around with your photography, however, there is the option to switch it off.

The brand is also implementing a new ORE-inspired design, which has a textured feel like rough stone. This comes in Graphite Black, Iolite Silver, Garnet Red and Native Gold colour finishes.

In terms of chipset, owners of the Xperia VIII will be looking at the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor (backed up by 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage). If you choose the Gold edition, which is available in select countries in-store, then you have the option of upgrading to 16GB RAM and up to 1TB of storage.

Sony also claims you can get two days of battery life from the phone, thanks to the 5000mAh battery.

The new model is launching at the same price as its predecessor in the UK, setting you back £1399 for the 256GB version and £1849 for the 1TB Gold version. When we had the Sony Xperia 1 VII in our test room, we were impressed by its detailed audio and balanced picture. Its limited HDR format and frustrating operating system quirks held it back from true greatness, but it still received a four-star rating overall.

The previous Sony phone was outshone by the five-star Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, so it will be intriguing to see how the new model compares.

MORE:

Here is our review of the Sony Xperia 1 VII

Check out the best smartphones we have tested

I will keep playing music through my phone's speakers for this very simple reason

Here it is, folks: our first full review of an RGB Mini LED TV.

We have previously run extensive hands-on tests of a couple of RGB Mini LED TVs – most notably the huge Hisense 116UX – but, due to their astonishing sizes and prices, we’ve had to do the testing outside our own facilities. In our world, that’s not a full review, so those TVs haven’t received star ratings.

The 65-inch Hisense UR9 we have before us today is designed to address the size and price issues that have until now prevented more people from hopping on the RGB Mini LED bandwagon.

This set, then, is leading the mainstream RGB Mini LED charge. And, while it’s a fair way short of perfect, particularly next to a flagship OLED TV, the UR9 is an impressive TV in its own right and a tantalising glimpse at the technology’s long-term potential.

Price

Price is always a hugely important factor whenever we test a product, but it’s particularly crucial to how the Hisense UR9 will be viewed.

In the UK, the launch price of £2999 places the 65-inch UR9 in the same category as flagship OLED TVs such as the new LG G6 and last year’s Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II.

In Australia, though, the AU$3999 price puts the Hisense UR9 up against step-down OLEDs such as the LG C6.

Most interestingly (and confusingly), while the announced launch price in the US was a super high-end $3500, when the TV actually arrived in shops, the tag was a vastly cheaper $2000, placing the UR9 in an entirely different category, below even step-down OLED models.

Essentially, then, this Hisense is a rather different proposition in each of those three regions. Seeing as we are UK-based and it’s a UK sample we’re reviewing, though, it’s the UK price that we are primarily working with here. And that means the UR9 is going to have to face off against the mighty Bravia 8 II QD-OLED.

Design

The Hisense UR9 is not one of those modern flagship TVs that disappears into your living room.

At 4.5cm thick, it’s decidedly chunky by current premium TV standards, particularly next to the impossibly slim OLED models with which it competes on price.

The rear panel is completely flat, though, which makes the UR9 fairly tidy for wall-mounting, and the overall build feels solid and substantial.

The TV’s general styling is perfectly pleasant, too, though it stops short of being genuinely luxurious. Bezels are slim enough, the dark metallic finish is smart, and the overall aesthetic is clean and restrained, but the UR9 lacks the slick elegance and premium flair of rivals such as the Sony Bravia 8 II and Samsung S99H/S95H.

Hisense has made some nice, practical decisions, though.

The centrally mounted pedestal stand has a relatively narrow footprint of around 42cm, making the UR9 easier to place on narrower furniture than many similarly sized rivals. It also offers two height positions, allowing you either to keep the screen sitting low and tidy or raise it slightly to create extra clearance for a soundbar.

Rows of tiny perforations run down both sides of the set, while larger openings line the top edge. These house the UR9’s side- and up-firing speakers, which form part of its integrated Devialet sound system.

Overall, then, the UR9 is more functional than fashionable – a practical, purposeful TV rather than a particularly glamorous one.

Features and specs

The headline feature here is, of course, the UR9’s RGB Mini LED backlight.

Unlike a conventional Mini LED TV, which uses a white backlight shining through a colour filter layer, the UR9 instead uses separate red, green and blue Mini LEDs to generate colour directly. In theory, this approach allows for both greater brightness and more precise colour reproduction.

Hisense claims peak brightness of up to 3500 nits for the 65-inch model we’re testing here, alongside 980 local dimming zones and a native 170Hz panel, all driven by the company’s Hi-View AI Engine RGB processor.

Gamers are generally very well served – with one unusual caveat. Unlike most premium TVs, which have four HDMI sockets, the UR9 has just three. These are accompanied by a PC-gaming-friendly DisplayPort connection – something that remains extremely rare on TVs.

Is a DisplayPort connection more valuable than a fourth HDMI socket? We have our doubts, but to a small number of very committed PC gamers, it may be very useful.

All three of the HDMI sockets are 2.1-specified, though, with support for 4K/170Hz (and the console-friendly 4K/120Hz), VRR and ALLM. Some brands, including Sony, still offer just two HDMI 2.1 sockets on their TVs.

The UR9’s input lag is decent rather than exceptional. We measured 32.5ms at 60Hz in the standard Game mode, though enabling the Refresh Rate setting reduces that figure to a more respectable, though far from groundbreaking, 24.6ms.

The UR9 supports every significant HDR format currently in use – HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision – plus the intelligent Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive variants that respond to ambient room lighting conditions.

It is also IMAX Enhanced certified, and the UK version of the TV features an anti-reflective, anti-glare screen coating that proves fairly effective at combating bright-room reflections.

Audio specifications are unusually ambitious by TV standards, too. The UR9 features a Devialet-tuned 4.1.2-channel speaker system with dedicated up-firing drivers, plus support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks.

In the UK and Australia, the UR9 runs Hisense’s own VIDAA smart platform, while the US version instead uses Google TV.

VIDAA still isn’t the prettiest smart system around, but it’s fast, responsive and logically laid out. App support is broadly very good, too, with all of the major streaming services and UK catch-up apps present and correctly supporting the relevant picture and sound formats.

There are, however, a few frustrating omissions. Most notably, the Apple TV app lacks access to the Apple TV store and users’ purchased libraries, so it can’t be used for movie purchases and rentals. That’s a real disappointment, as Apple’s pay-as-you-go store is the best around.

While far less important for a TV, it’s worth noting that music streaming support is sparse, too, with Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music and Qobuz all absent. There are no cloud gaming apps, either.

The inclusion of Freely is welcome, though, as it allows live TV channels to be streamed over the internet without an aerial connection.

Picture quality

The Hisense UR9 makes a superb first impression. In fact, perhaps the most impressive thing about it is just how rarely it behaves like a traditional backlit TV.

Before getting into that, though, some setup advice is required, because the TV’s default HDR settings do it few favours.

When first fed HDR10 content, the UR9 automatically switches into its HDR Energy Saving mode which, despite its name, is surprisingly aggressive. Colours skew cool and bluish, motion processing is overly intrusive, and the overall image looks unnatural and overcooked.

HDR Standard and HDR Dynamic are similarly best avoided, both pushing sharpness, brightness and processing much too hard.

Thankfully, Filmmaker Mode proves far more successful. It delivers the most accurate and balanced picture of the available presets, and it quickly becomes our preferred overall option.

Interestingly, though, IMAX Cinema is also unusually compelling. While its underlying settings appear almost identical to those of Filmmaker Mode, it consistently produces a noticeably brighter and punchier image without obviously compromising balance or naturalism.

As a result, we would stick with Filmmaker Mode for dark-room and purist viewing, but happily switch to IMAX Cinema during the daytime or whenever we fancy a little extra visual intensity.

Once properly configured, the UR9 is an extremely accomplished performer.

Play 1917 on 4K Blu-ray, and the opening logos immediately demonstrate just how well controlled the TV’s backlight system is. Blooming around the bright white text is minimal, black depth is strong, and colours look rich, warm and nicely cinematic.

More importantly, the local-dimming system generally goes about its business without drawing attention to itself. Throughout our testing, the UR9 almost never exhibits the flickering, brightness pumping or visibly shifting backlight behaviour that can make many Mini LED TVs distracting.

That consistency quickly emerges as the UR9’s defining strength. While many bright Mini LED TVs constantly remind you that they are dynamically manipulating a backlight behind the scenes, the Hisense instead achieves a broadly very composed, stable and natural delivery that often feels surprisingly OLED-like.

Blade Runner 2049 showcases this particularly well. Black depth is consistently strong, shadow detail is excellent and subtle blooming is tightly controlled. There’s also impressive richness and stability to colours, especially reds, which look wonderfully pure and saturated without drifting into pink or magenta tones.

Extra-bright HDR material suits the UR9 especially well, too. Pan looks spectacular here, with dazzling highlights and bold, vibrant colours that comfortably outgun the Sony Bravia 8 II for outright brightness in many scenes. Sunlight bursting through clouds and glinting off the fantasy scenery of Neverland is delivered with real punch and intensity.

Crucially, though, the UR9 generally achieves this brightness without sacrificing balance. Skin tones remain natural, and there’s a pleasing cinematic warmth to the image – and it doesn’t drift into gaudiness.

Motion handling is strong, too. The default Film setting is decent enough, but switching Motion Enhancement to Clear results in noticeably smoother pans without introducing the distracting soap-opera effect or processing artefacts that such systems often create.

The notoriously difficult Matera cemetery and chase sequence from No Time To Die is handled particularly well, with impressively little judder to the panning shots and clean rendering of drifting smoke and rapid camera movement.

Dropping down to standard-def and SDR, our Kiss Kiss Bang Bang DVD is reproduced with pleasing warmth, strong detail and impressively clean upscaling. Colours are arguably pushed a touch too hard at times, but the overall presentation remains highly enjoyable and consistently cinematic.

For all of the UR9’s strengths, though, direct comparisons with a top-tier OLED TV still reveal the limitations of even this undeniably refined RGB Mini LED model. Despite its impressive local-dimming system, the Hisense simply cannot match the pixel-level contrast control of the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Extremely bright highlights against deep black backgrounds are sometimes handled slightly conservatively, presumably to avoid blooming. Perhaps counterintuitively, those bright white logos against pitch-black backgrounds appear more intense and impactful on the Sony OLED than on the much brighter, on paper, Hisense.

More significantly, the OLED TV produces a more solid and perceptually three-dimensional image across the board. Objects and characters stand out from their surroundings with greater depth and dynamism, while subtle gradations within clouds, shadows and highlights appear more convincing and refined, creating a more rounded look.

This isn’t a new phenomenon: we have documented that extra solidity you get from OLED plenty of times previously, most notably when we used the Sony Bravia 8 OLED as a comparison in our Bravia 9 Mini LED review. But it bears repeating for those who are choosing between an OLED and a backlit TV.

Viewing angles are another clear OLED advantage. While the UR9’s picture performance doesn’t entirely fall off a cliff when you move off-axis, the sweet spot in which it performs at its very best is surprisingly narrow.

And while the UR9 usually keeps blooming impressively well controlled, especially for a backlit TV, particularly torturous scenes can still expose its limitations.

The bomb-test sequence in Oppenheimer is a great example. From the UR9, there’s a slight general greying to the image, plus some visible glow around isolated spotlights in the darkness. The opening starfield of Alien: Romulus, meanwhile, reveals that the UR9 cannot simultaneously maintain truly inky blacks and perfectly intense star highlights in the way an OLED can.

To be clear, the Hisense performs well in these scenes by LCD standards, and many owners may never notice such shortcomings during normal viewing. But they do prevent the UR9 from truly matching the effortless contrast precision and dimensionality of the best OLED TVs.

Sound quality

Developed in partnership with Devialet, the UR9’s 4.1.2-channel speaker system delivers a surprisingly expansive and full-bodied presentation by TV standards, with particularly impressive width and height effects.

The Theatre sound mode is the most immediately striking of the available presets, producing a presentation that extends well beyond the physical boundaries of the TV and creating a convincing sense of spaciousness with Dolby Atmos soundtracks.

There’s decent bass depth, too, and the UR9 maintains good composure at high volumes, avoiding the harshness and distortion that can afflict many flatscreen TVs when pushed hard.

The overall presentation is smooth and rich in character, which makes the UR9 an easy and enjoyable listen over long viewing sessions.

It isn’t perfect, though. Dynamics are a little stunted, and action scenes lack some of the punch and excitement they deserve, while dialogue could be projected with greater clarity and emotional expression.

The Theatre mode also slightly overplays its hand at times. While its extra spaciousness is undeniably appealing, it introduces a faintly diffuse and echoey quality to voices, along with a slight sense of delay that makes speech sound less natural than it should.

As a result, we find ourselves preferring the Standard sound mode for most content. It still sounds pleasantly spacious and open, but delivers dialogue with greater focus and cohesion while maintaining good weight and scale.

Ultimately, while even a modest dedicated soundbar will comfortably outperform it, the UR9’s audio system is better than that of most TVs, even at this lofty level.

Verdict

In several ways, the Hisense UR9 is one of the best backlit TVs we have ever tested.

Most of the time, you’re not even made aware that it is a backlit TV, so good are its black levels, its control of blooming and its consistent, flicker-free contrast.

While it is possible to trip up the backlight, it’s quite hard to do so, and many buyers may never see an unsightly bloom in their period of UR9 ownership.

But while this first mainstream RGB Mini LED TV is broadly mercifully free of the flaws that generally afflict backlit TVs, it still can’t match the overall picture quality of the best OLED models.

The pixel-level contrast control of OLED brings benefits in several areas. There are the notably brighter highlights on very dark backgrounds that even accomplished backlit sets, such as the UR9, are too cautious to go all guns blazing with for fear of blooming. There are the almost flawless viewing angles, too, which the UR9 is a long way from matching.

The biggest thing, though, is the generally more solid, more perceptually three-dimensional image that OLED provides. Next to the Bravia 8 II, the Hisense UR9 simply looks flatter, less dynamic and less impactful.

Ultimately, as enjoyable and technically impressive as the UR9 is, we can’t think of a good reason you would buy it over a flagship-grade OLED, and that’s the level at which Hisense is pitching it – at least in the UK.

Of course, if you are someone who has a flagship-level budget for their next TV and a general aversion to OLED, the Hisense UR9 should be right around the top of your list.

If you’re a UK buyer, it’s probably a good idea to wait and see if we get a massive US-style discount before placing an order, though.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 4
• Features 4

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The FIFA World Cup 2026 is fast approaching, with 48 nations set to clash over the beautiful game in exactly one month's time.

And, of course, you'll want to watch every goal, cheer and heartache on one of the best screens possible.

If you're torn between buying one of the best-performing OLEDs on the market and not breaking the bank, we've got a solution for you – the Sony Bravia 8, now £1,050 at AO.com.

Our expert testers not only gave the Sony Bravia 8 a full five-stars in their review, but they liked it so much they awarded it the TV Product of the Year Award in 2024.

Just bear in mind you'll have to be an AO member to get this price. It costs £39.99 but will grant you a £279 discount, as well as other perks such as free delivery and unpacking. Membership lasts a year and can be cancelled over the phone; full details here.

If you're buying the Bravia 8 with the World Cup in mind, you certainly won't be disappointed.

As is common with Sony TVs, the Bravia 8 offers excellent motion processing, perfect for watching footballs zip across the pitch without blur and judder. We were very impressed when we tested this with a viewing of Blade Runner 2049.

"Watching Ryan Gosling’s character fly into a dusty protein farm, motion handling is beautiful and we don’t see any artefacts as his car zooms over the landscape and a recon drone examines the scene," our Sony Bravia 8 review reads. “Dark areas retain oodles of detail, with every crinkle in the sofa in Dave Bautista's home being apparent.”

It's not all about motion, though – the Sony Bravia 8 is also incredibly bright and sharp with natural colours, which is sure to make the many kit colours stand out.

Another Sony strength is sound, with the Bravia 8 outperforming most OLED rivals thanks to its Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology. We found the bass a tad light, the Bravia 8 makes up for this with control – we didn’t experience any distortion or loss of precision as we do on most TV speaker systems until volume was above 80 per cent.

Should you wish to switch to EA Sports FC 26, there's plenty of gaming features too, including twin HDMI 2.1 ports, Dolby Vision Gaming and support for 4K/120Hz, VRR, and ALLM.

HDR is also well serviced with support for HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG formats, as well as an IMAX Enhanced picture mode on board too for movies.

You may also want to consider the 55-inch LG C5, which is also at a similar price and offers four HDMI 2.1 sockets for gamers as well as a punchier picture for World Cup matches.

The Sony Bravia 8 is a stellar OLED TV though, offering some of the industry's best motion handling and built-in audio to give you a truly immersive pitchside experience. It's received a pre-World Cup discount too – the Bravia 8 is now 42 per cent off at AO.com.

MORE:

Check out our full Sony Bravia 8 review

Do also consider the newer LG C5

And here are all of the best OLED TVs available right now

If you're on the lookout for a 55-inch TV and are primarily concerned about price, then the LG G5 for £1499 or the Samsung S95F for £1499 are well worth a look. Both are five-star performers with flagship features.

But, if you can eke out £200 more from your budget, then we think you should get the Sony Bravia 8 II for £1699 at Richer Sounds.

We loved it so much that we awarded it top spot in our best OLED TVs guide, as well as a much-coveted What Hi-Fi? Award. We think it's worth every single penny.

At first glance, it might look like Richer Sounds is selling it for £1799, but if you add it to your basket and enter the code 'RSTV100' at checkout, you will get the extra £100 off.

The 55-inch Sony Bravia 8 II is what we've called "one of the very best TVs that money can buy". And luckily, with £800 off the launch price, it's a lot more affordable.

In our full review, we said, "The Sony Bravia 8 II is a truly exceptional TV. Its combination of sizzling brightness, vibrant colours through all degrees of light, terrific shadow detail and razor-like sharpness combine to produce an image with regularly astonishing dynamism, depth and realism."

The latest QD-OLED panel combined with Sony's processing and custom heatsink results in the Bravia 8 II being able to go 25 per cent brighter than its A95 QD-OLED predecessor in terms of peak brightness.

This is such a vibrant TV, in fact, that it dazzles with colourful content, such as the Spider-verse movies, while still delivering a supremely authentic picture. And it's easy to use, thanks to Sony's presets like Dolby Vision Dark, which we recommend for Dolby Vision content, or Professional for pretty much everything else.

What's even more impressive is how all of these elements combine with Sony's new AI processing to make the image look so much more solid and three-dimensional.

Sony has done amazing work on dark gradation, too, which simply means there's more shadow detail and ensures the finest elements of dark screens aren't lost.

All this led our expert testers to say: "Overall, the key to the Bravia 8 II’s success is balance. The colours are so vibrant, highlights so bright and edges so sharp, but nothing feels exaggerated or incorrect, which means you never feel as though you’re getting anything other than the very best versions of your movies and TV shows."

Sonically, the Bravia 8 II is also one of the best-sounding TVs we've tested, and that's thanks to the same Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup as the A95L, combining directness with impressive spaciousness.

Our TV & AV editor still recommends adding a dedicated sound system, something like the Sonos Arc Ultra, for example. But, if you're happy to stick with what the Sony Bravia 8 II has to offer, it's more than good enough for basic viewing.

Feature-wise, it's packed out. Of course, the QD-OLED panel is the top tier, but there's also support for Dolby Vision and Atmos, as well as being IMAX Enhanced certified. The standard HDR10 and HLG HDR formats are also on board.

If you're a gamer, while it supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM with a Dolby Vision Game mode, there are only two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets, and one of those doubles as an eARC port. For multiple devices, you're going to have to switch up cables.

Regardless, this is a phenomenal TV at a phenomenal price – just £1699 at Richer Sounds with code, which is seriously hard to argue with.

MORE:

Read our full 55-inch Sony Bravia 8 II review

Our pick of the best 55-inch TVs

We rate the best gaming TVs available right now

LG’s G-series models are among the best TVs around, one of the big four OLED flagships that duke it out every year.

For now, though, we’re more concerned about which member of the G-series is worth your hard-earned cash. The LG G5 was quite the revelation when it arrived in 2025, boasting the world’s first Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel for new levels of OLED brightness.

The LG G6, however, boasts some improvements of its own, including even higher brightness, better black performance in ambient light and “Hyper Radiant Colour Technology”.

But what else is different from the G5? And, most importantly, are the new G6 additions worth the extra cash now that the G5 is highly discounted?

We’ll answer these questions (and more) below…

LG G6 vs LG G5: price

The new LG G6 launched at a lower price than last year’s G5. We tested the 65-inch G5 at £3299 / $3400 / AU$5299, while the 65-inch G6 came in at a notable £299 less at £3000 / $3400 / AU$4999. See below for a full launch price comparison:

After a year on sale, however, the LG G5 is now available with significant discounts. At the time of writing, the 65-inch LG G5 can be bought for £2199, and we have spotted it for as low as £1709 previously.

While credit must go to the G6 for the rare case of a product launching lower than its predecessor, the G5 still takes the win as the cheaper option right now.

**Winner: LG G5**

LG G6 vs LG G5: design

Once again, there is very little design difference between generations of LG's flagship. The LG looks identical to the G5, to the point that our testing team had to double-check the serial numbers of the two TVs when setting up to make sure which was which.

We are fans of the sleek, attractive design of the G6 and G5, but it’s hardly modern – very little has changed since the GX all the way back in 2020.

Both the LG G6 and G5 are designed to be wall-mounted (hence the G for ‘Gallery’), with LG’s Zero Gap design allowing it to be mounted pretty much flush against the wall. However, the 55- and 65-inch versions of both TVs are also available with stands.

In both cases, the stands are sturdy and come with two height options – a sleek, low-profile look, or a higher position to accommodate a soundbar.

And finally, the remote control is also unchanged for the two TVs in the UK, despite other markets receiving a premium backlit zapper.

**Winner: Draw**

LG G6 vs LG G5: features

The LG G5 had a radical transformation last year, becoming the first TV to launch with the new Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel. The technology is made up of four individual OLED layers – two blue, one red and one green – to boost higher peak and operating brightness levels, while retaining colour volume and accuracy.

The LG G6 also employs a Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel, with the only change being the inclusion of a new Reflection Free Premium display certification. This promises to reduce reflections to less than 0.5 per cent. Which means the G6 should work better than the G5 in less than ideal conditions with lots of stray, reflection-causing light.

Under the hood, however, the differences between the G5 and G6 become more apparent. The G6 boasts a new Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI processor, an upgrade from the G5’s Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 2.

At the heart of this new chipset is “Hyper Radiant Colour Technology”, which, according to LG, enables the G6 to go 20 per cent brighter than the already dazzling G5.

Peak brightness is only one part of the equation, however, and LG also claims better colour accuracy, a generally “more lifelike” picture and improvements to motion handling, upscaling, tone mapping and audio processing for the G6.

Both the G6 and G5 support Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, with Samsung’s HDR10+ technology unsurprisingly missing on both counts. There is no support for Dolby Vision 2 either, which is particularly interesting in the case of the G6, as several other 2026 flagships are confirmed to be compatible with the format.

Otherwise, LG’s flagships have been consistently flawless in their feature set for some time, and the G6 and G5 are no different. The webOS platform on both supports pretty much every app you can think of, from Now, Apple TV, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video to BBC iPlayer, ITV X and Channel 4.

All four HDMI 2.1 inputs on both the G6 and G5 offer up to 4K/165Hz gameplay with VRR and ALLM, making this a gamer’s dream, whether you play on a console that is limited to 4K/120Hz or a powerful PC that can reach those lofty framerates.

The G6 has also added some more features to support game streaming, including a new low-latency interface. There’s also a new dedicated controller developed alongside gaming peripherals manufacturer Razer, though this is sold separately.

We’ll have to wait until the picture section to see how some of these features pan out, but, on paper, the G6 has all the features of the G5 and more – and takes the win this time.

**Winner: LG G6**

LG G6 vs LG G5: picture

Sitting the G5 and G6 next to each other in their out-of-the-box settings, two things become immediately apparent: just how bright the G6 can go, while also simultaneously increasing the amount of dark detail on offer.

The G6 is not only noticeably brighter than the G5 – which is strikingly bright itself – but brighter than any previous OLED we have tested. There are plenty of positives to this, with higher peaks and more vibrant colours than the G5, while darker parts of the image look sharper and more detailed.

As eye-catching a spectacle as this is, there are some downsides. Even in the most accurate Filmmaker Mode, we find that the G6 looks over-brightened in some areas, and that some colours occasionally look over-saturated, reducing the authenticity and naturalism that we’ve come to expect from LG's OLEDs.

Switching to our go-to brightness stress test, 2015’s Pan, our suspicions that the G6 is clearly brighter than the G5 are confirmed, but we also note a slight loss of colour volume in the brightest highlights.

It’s quite a contrast to a viewing of Pan on the G5, which doesn’t go quite as bright but is more consistent in its colours.

Skin tones in particular are superbly realised by the G5, with a hint of red in the cheeks of the titular character in Pan, whereas the skin tones on the G6 come across a little green during a viewing of Sinners.

While we did settle on ideal settings for the G5 – and indeed we do for most TVs – this wasn’t the case for the G6. No matter which picture mode we tried and which settings we fiddled with, we couldn’t settle on a combination that we were happy delivered the authentic, accurate picture we would expect.

LG has also seemingly chosen to raise the black floor slightly on the G6 to increase shadow detail, but this does result in blacks looking just a touch grey. Despite fiddling in the settings once again, there is no optimal Goldilocks balance between black depth and shadow detail.

While there are those out there who will certainly prefer the G6’s pop and extreme brightness, it comes at too high a cost in our eyes. The G5, surprisingly, is the better all-around option for someone who values accuracy as well as pop and dynamism.

**Winner: LG G5**

LG G6 vs LG G5: sound

Unlike with the picture round, we can see a clear frontrunner as the G6 takes a step forward in the right direction.

When Preacher Boy Sammie plays the blues in an iconic scene from Sinners, the G6 offers a noticeably fuller, more robust sound than the G5. The older TV ends up sounding thin and hollow in comparison.

There’s bass to the plucked strings of the guitar on the G6, and Sammie’s wailing vocals are clear and noticeably separate from the background.

The audio is far from perfect, though, with even the LG G6 struggling to keep a rhythmic and tonal hold as more musical strands are added later in the scene.

The two TVs struggle with bass, too, with the synth soundtrack of Blade Runner 2049 sounding rather weak and flabby on both counts.

Neither TV will trouble a dedicated sound system – or even rivals such as the Sony Bravia 8 II and Philips OLED910 – but the LG G6 does trump its predecessor for audio quality.

**Winner: LG G6**

LG G6 vs LG G5: verdict

With a Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel and an uncompromising feature set, the LG G5 gave the G6 a strong basis to work from.

And the G6 took this basis and made some promising adjustments, with fuller, more robust audio and a fancy new processor that promises higher peak brightness and better colour accuracy.

Once we actually see the picture in person, though, issues start to creep in. The picture is undoubtedly brighter and more colourful than the G5, offering a bombastic, punchy experience that makes a big impression and will undoubtedly appeal to some.

However, this comes at a cost – namely, cinematic authenticity and the balance of black depth and shadow detail.

The LG G5, in comparison, is still plenty bright and colourful, but it’s also more balanced and consistent. Thanks to heavy discounting, it is also currently much, much more affordable.

The G6 comes close to greatness, and there is clearly potential here for a best-in-class TV. As things stand for now, though, it’s a rare case where the predecessor is the better buy.

**Overall Winner: LG G5**

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Where have all the Panasonic OLEDs gone? If you’re asking that question, you’re not alone.

We have had a wave of emails flood in from you, our eagle-eyed cinephile readers, pointing out that it’s pretty much impossible to buy most models, unless you’re willing to go second-hand.

And, blow us down, you are right. Richer Sounds, Peter Tyson, John Lewis, Sevenoaks Sound and Vision, Amazon and more all seem to have run out of stock of most of them. This is certainly strange, as Panasonic TVs usually remain on sale for at least a year, sometimes two, after launch.

In fact, going through all the usual suspects, we found it next to impossible to find many sizes of the firm’s current-generation Panasonic Z95B and Z90B OLEDs in stock. The 48-inch Panasonic Z90B, which not only impressed our reviewers enough to earn a five-star rating when we reviewed it less than a year ago, but also went on to win a What Hi-Fi? Award, is particularly hard to find.

We reached out to our contacts at the big AV retailers as well as Panasonic itself to find out what’s going on with its current-generation OLEDs. Sadly, the news isn’t great.

Commenting off the record, every store spokesperson we spoke to had pretty much the same response when we asked when and if the TVs will go back on sale: “We don’t know.”

When we went to get information straight from the horse’s mouth, Panasonic was similarly wary to give any concrete information, simply telling us that it has nothing to share about the OLED drought.

We haven’t, then, had any official word on the cause. It could be they are just really popular and sold out fast. Or, possibly more likely, it could be to do with the supply chain, and imminent deal with Skyworth. This will see the Chinese brand take over production, research and development, and sales of Panasonic TVs in numerous territories, including the UK and Europe.

We have chased for further information and will update this page when we hear back, but whatever the answer, the loss of two great TVs so soon is undeniably a bummer, especially the smaller Z90B.

While the 42-inch LG C5 is still a good alternative, there’s a reason we recommended the Z90B over it: the Panasonic set offers better picture quality. Losing it so soon after launch is more than a little disappointing, especially with the football World Cup, which will have many of us glued to our sets, coming up.

Fingers crossed we get good news about Panasonic stocks soon. If not, you can check out our picks of the best OLED TVs we have fully reviewed, recommend and can confirm are still on sale, using the attached guide.

We also expect to get a number of this year’s new sets, including the smaller LG C6, Samsung S90H and Samsung S95H, in for testing soon. So the gap left by the Z90B may well get plugged in the not-too-distant future.

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Samsung is making a statement with its 2026 TV lineup. The company is shifting things around in its range, moves which include demoting Neo QLED to its mid-range in favour of the new RGB Micro LED panel technology. And there are even more OLED options to choose from than in previous years.

With all of these exciting TVs primed to launch, Samsung kindly invited me to view some of its latest products before they officially hit the shelves. And this time, I managed to get some in-depth time with three of its latest premium TVs.

While I have seen some of the models mentioned here today in action at CES, and on a visit to Samsung’s headquarters in South Korea, this time I was allowed to sit with the TVs for an extended period, change the settings, and even play some reference discs straight from our AV testing room.

With that in mind, here's a quick roundup of my thoughts from hands-on looks at three of Samsung’s latest premium TVs…

RGB Micro LED could be a winner…

The first TV I spent time with yesterday was also the most fascinating model from Samsung’s new lineup. The R95H uses the brand’s new RGB Micro LED (which seems to be its version of RGB Mini LED) panel technology, and the initial signs are very promising.

I saw this TV at gargantuan sizes at CES, including 115- and 130-inches, but this time around it was the more real-world 65-inch model on show. While pricing wasn’t shared, I’m willing to bet that this will be a more attainable option to experience the latest panel tech compared with the huge TVs mentioned above.

Using a medley of reference clips we often use for testing, from films including Oppenheimer, Blade Runner 2049 and Pan, I got a flavour of what this TV can do. It’s safe to say that I walked away rather impressed.

A tricky nighttime scene from Oppenheimer demonstrated this TV’s local-dimming capabilities; I struggled to see any blooming, and black levels were remarkably good for a backlit TV.

At the other end of the scale, the blindingly bright Pan looked superb on this TV, with rich colours and dazzling highlights. There was also a sharpness and solidity to the picture that could – and I stress could, as we need more time with the set to cement this claim – give OLED a run for its money.

We'll need to assess this TV in our home cinema testing room to settle on a final verdict, but I certainly felt that this set left a strong first impression.

The S90H looks good, but my biggest question remains…

Sitting in the middle of Samsung’s premium TV range, the S90H is the closest rival to the five-star LG C6 that I have seen so far. Samsung set this TV up in a very brightly lit hotel room with all of the curtains open – and there was a reason behind this.

For the first time since Samsung introduced the display coating on the S95D, Glare Free is being introduced on the step-down models in the company’s range, which includes the S90H. And you’ll find it on every screen size, from 42 to 83 inches.

While it was unquestionably effective at combatting reflections and diffusing ambient light, it did disperse the light in a way that seemed to introduce a touch of greyness to blacks (this was most noticeable in the letterboxing bars of 21:9 content). However, this felt a reasonable tradeoff, and it certainly gives this TV an edge for daytime viewing.

That being said, Samsung remained coy on a hot-button issue relating to this TV, which is why I still have my reservations. Once again, the company refuses to clarify which OLED panel is inside this TV. While we have it on good authority that the S90H uses a WOLED panel, the previous generations of this TV have been subject to an “OLED panel lottery” in which Samsung used WOLED and QD-OLED panels interchangeably.

While the company maintains that the panel doesn’t matter, and that users will get a top-notch picture experience regardless, we know that these panels perform differently when it comes to brightness and colour reproduction; therefore, this remains a potential sticking point with the latest entry into the S90-series.

S99H: a unique OLED flagship?

At the top of Samsung’s range is the S99H, frustratingly called the S95H in the US. This might be the most interesting-looking flagship OLED TV we’ve seen so far this year.

The design is the most striking aspect of this set: it features a metal backplate that invokes the look of Samsung’s popular The Frame range TVs. On top of this plate is the OLED display, designed to appear as if it is floating. As a result, this TV really looks like nothing we’ve seen before.

It is designed to be wall-mounted, making it a competitor to LG’s W6 Wallpaper TV, although the benefit of the S99H is that it can also be configured to sit on a TV stand if needed.

We know that this TV uses a QD-OLED panel in its 55- to 77-inch sizes, but Samsung Display doesn't currently make QD-OLED panels in the 48-inch and 83-inch sizes that the TV is also available in.

During my demo time with the TV, the benefit of QD-OLED was certainly evident, as this TV presented an image that combined dazzling brightness and rich colours, alongside the superb contrast that we have come to expect from OLED.

Brightness improvements seem to be evident across the board with this new range, and I was impressed by both the Filmmaker Mode and Movie Mode picture presets with these TVs.

Further testing is, of course, required for all of these sets, so stay tuned for our full reviews coming soon.

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This week, we updated our best OLED TV buying advice, replacing the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B with the 42-inch LG C5 as our main recommendation for people tight on space.

Normally that would be a cause for celebration. In most instances, we only ever add a new set to our buying guides when we have found something better to recommend, after all.

That’s a key reason so many of our advice pages have entries that have been there for months, or even years in some very rare cases. If it’s still the best, regardless of its age, we’ll keep recommending it.

And to be clear, the 42-inch LG C5 is an excellent small OLED TV. That’s why we gave it a five-star rating and What Hi-Fi? Award last year. If you want a Cliff Notes summary, here’s the verdict from our review:

“The 42-inch LG C5 is the best small OLED TV we’ve tested this year. Like its predecessors, it offers a near-flawless feature set and solid, sharp, immersive picture quality, neatly packaged in a small room-friendly frame. The only minor issue remains its audio, which, while fine for casual viewing, isn’t powerful or precise enough for immersive movie watching. Plan for a soundbar in your budget, if you don’t already have one.”

The issue is, despite all its perks, it’s not the best small OLED we have tested in the past 12 months. That honour went to the also Award-winning, slightly larger 48-inch Panasonic Z90B.

We confirmed that when we ran all the small OLED TVs we had head-to-head during last year’s Awards season. The reason is simple: at the time, it offered the best picture quality of all the TVs in the room.

Though it wasn’t the brightest, it offered the most even-handed performance, with colours and movements looking wonderfully natural. So, unless you were a gamer with numerous consoles and PCs requiring multiple HDMI 2.1 sockets, it was our main recommendation.

As we said in our 48-inch Panasonic Z90B review:

“From sparkling desert dunes in sci-fi epics to cars thundering across a race track and heated conversations behind closed doors, every scene we threw at this set looked wonderfully authentic and weighty. If you want a 48-inch OLED TV and value cinematic authenticity, the Panasonic Z90B is currently the one to get.”

The only reason we have stopped recommending it is that stock appears to have evaporated atypically early, making it near impossible to buy, unless you’re willing to grab a second-hand or display set.

We have asked retailers and Panasonic if any new stock will appear, and why it has sold out so fast, and we will keep you updated on what we find out.

Either way, while we think the 42-inch LG C5 is still more than enough OLED for most movie fans tight on space, its ascension to our buying guide isn’t the same cause for unbridled celebration it might normally be. And the early loss of the Z90B isn't a good thing for buyers in general. There are very few good, small OLED TVs around in general, after all.

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LG’s C-series OLED TVs have long been among the easiest recommendations when it comes to the best OLED TVs.

They combine excellent picture quality, comprehensive gaming support and a slick smart platform, all while costing much less than flagship OLED models.

The LG C5 was already a benchmark at this level, delivering outstanding picture performance and a feature set that many rivals struggle to match. Now, the newer LG C6 has arrived, promising improved processing, higher brightness and better sound.

Both TVs earned five stars in their respective reviews, and you’re likely wondering if it’s worth spending more on the newer C6 or saving some cash and sticking with its predecessor.

Below, we break down the differences across all areas to help make your decision easier.

LG C6 vs LG C5: price

The 65-inch C6 launched with a price tag of £2500 / $2699 / AU$3999, making it cheaper in the UK and Australia than the equivalent C5 was at launch (£2700 / $2699 / AU$4299), and the same price in the US.

But that's not the whole story. Because (at the time of writing) the C6 is still brand-new, you will still have to pay that launch price. But because the C5 has now been available for over a year, it's available for vastly less.

The C6 will come down in price, too, but for now, this round simply has to go to the super-discounted C5.

** Winner: LG C5 **

LG C6 vs LG C5: design

If you were hoping for a dramatic redesign between generations, you might be disappointed. The C6 looks extremely similar to the C5, and it’s hard to distinguish the two at a glance.

Both sets feature LG’s familiar C-series design – a very thin OLED panel across most of the screen, with a thicker rectangular housing at the lower rear that contains the electronics, connections and speakers. This allows the edges of the display to remain strikingly slim, making for a more minimalist, immersive setup.

The effect is particularly appealing when wall-mounted, where the thin panel appears to hover slightly away from the wall thanks to the deeper central housing behind it.

Screen size options are also the same across both models, ranging from 42 inches to 83 inches. Their stand design is the same, too, with the central pedestal making soundbar placement a little awkward due to its forward angle.

In other words, if you liked the look of the C5, you’ll feel right at home with the C6. It remains one of the most attractive OLED TVs around – even if the design is now very familiar.

** Winner: Draw **

LG C6 vs LG C5: features

Both TVs offer a comprehensive feature set, but the C6 introduces a few upgrades under the hood.

The biggest change is the new Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor inside the C6, replacing the Alpha 9 Gen 8 chip used in the C5. LG says the newer processor enables a 12-bit processing pipeline for more precise tone and colour management.

It also enables Dual AI Super Resolution, which performs two separate AI passes when upscaling lower-resolution content – one focusing on sharpening edges and the other on refining textures and detail.

Another addition is AI HDR Remastering, which analyses each frame to enhance contrast, sharpness and colour. It can also attempt to make SDR material appear more HDR-like, though results can vary.

At 55- and 65-inch sizes, both TVs use LG Display’s established WOLED panel technology, though the larger 77- and 83-inch versions of the C6 switch to LG Display’s newer Primary RGB Tandem OLED panels.

The smart platform has also been updated. The C5 runs webOS 25, while the C6 moves to webOS 26 with tweaks including the Home Hub shortcut, a personalised My Page area and a Continue Watching row.

Gaming features are excellent on both models. Each TV offers four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports that support VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming.

The C6 gains a slight edge for PC gamers with support for refresh rates up to 4K/165Hz, while the C5 tops out at 4K/144Hz. Console players using a PS5 or Xbox Series X will effectively see the same 4K/120Hz experience on either model.

HDR support is identical across both TVs – Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG are supported, while HDR10+ remains absent.

** Winner: LG C6 **

LG C6 vs LG C5: picture

The LG C5 already impressed us with its rich colours, strong contrast and cinematic presentation. In our testing, it proved to be a consistently engaging performer, with punchy yet natural colours and particularly strong low-light colour volume.

Watching Blade Runner 2049, for instance, the C5 delivers atmospherically rich images, with convincing shadow detail and impressively nuanced colour in darker scenes. Skin tones are warm and lifelike, and there’s a pleasing sense of depth, with subjects standing out clearly against the background.

Brightness is also a strength for the C5 by traditional OLED standards. Scenes from Pan show strong highlight intensity, with sunlight shimmering through sails and vivid colours throughout the image, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of more advanced OLED panel types.

However, the LG C6 manages to squeeze noticeably more performance from a similar panel thanks to its new processing platform.

The most obvious improvement is brightness. Highlights appear more intense, colours carry slightly greater richness, and the overall image has a stronger sense of depth and dimensionality.

In scenes from Pan, reflections on water appear brighter and more vivid on the C6, while sunsets display smoother colour gradations and richer tones in the surrounding clouds.

Colour reproduction also sees subtle refinement. Reds and oranges appear slightly richer and more lifelike, helping skin tones look warmer and more convincing without drifting into artificial territory.

Upscaling is improved, too. Lower-resolution sources such as standard-definition content appear slightly smoother and cleaner, while HD material benefits from more refined detail handling. While the difference is subtle with higher-quality sources, it is noticeable with lower-resolution content.

The C5 remains a superb performer and still earns a five-star picture rating. But the C6 pushes things further with greater brightness, richer colours and more refined processing.

** Winner: LG C6 **

LG C6 vs LG C5: sound

Built-in audio has never been the C-series’ strongest suit, but this is another area where the C6 improves on its predecessor.

Both TVs use the same speaker hardware, but LG appears to have refined the processing and tuning on the newer model.

As a result, the C6 sounds cleaner and more controlled than the C5. Bass isn’t dramatically deeper, but it is tighter and less prone to distortion at higher volumes.

Dialogue also comes through with more warmth and character, and the soundstage feels slightly more spacious. Dolby Atmos effects project further away from the screen when required, giving the presentation a greater sense of scale.

The C5’s audio is perfectly serviceable for everyday viewing, but it lacks low-end weight and overall scale. That difference is reflected in the review scores – the C6 earns four stars for sound, while the C5 managed just three.

Neither TV replaces a proper sound system, of course, and pairing either model with one of the best soundbars remains highly recommended.

** Winner: LG C6 **

LG C6 vs LG C5: verdict

The LG C5 was already one of the best TVs for most people, delivering superb picture quality, excellent gaming features and a polished smart platform.

The LG C6 builds on that foundation with brighter images, richer colours, improved processing and better sound. It’s not a radical reinvention, but it is a clear step forward – enough to make it the new benchmark in this class.

That said, the C5 still makes a compelling case for itself. With discounts now widely available, it’s likely to remain the better value option for buyers who want a premium OLED experience without paying for the newest model.

Given our performance-per-pound (or bang-for-buck, if you prefer) mantra, we're therefore giving the C5 the win here – at least for now.

Once the C6's price has dropped to within about 20 per cent of the C5's, our buying advice will likely change – it is undoubtedly the better TV, after all – but at this moment, the value offered by the heavily discounted C5 simply can't be ignored.

** Overall winner: LG C5 **

It's an exciting time here at What Hi-Fi? as the first of this year's splashy new TV releases are starting to sift through our test room.

This does mean, naturally, that last year's models are starting to see some pretty hefty discounts, marking one of the best times to buy a TV if you're happy with a 2025 release.

Case in point is the LG C5, a TV we awarded multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards to last year. But this isn't just any C5 model getting a discount – it's the mighty 83-inch model, currently priced at a bonkers £2699 at Peter Tyson.

That's a whopping saving of £3300 or 55 per cent, an outrageous price for a TV of this calibre and size. Be aware that you'll have to add the TV to your cart for an extra £600 discount – the listed price is still £3299.

We haven't tested the 83-inch LG C5 specifically, but put the 42, 48 and 55-inch models through their paces and showered them with five-star reviews and What Hi-Fi? Awards. We're confident, recommending the 83-inch model at its current price, as a result.

As the biggest size the C5 offers, the 83-inch model will undoubtedly be a dazzling showstopper.

No matter what size C5 you get, however, you can be assured of its excellent gaming credentials. The C5 has four fully-fledged HDMI 2.1 sockets, which can all run games at up to 4K/144Hz with VRR. ALLM and a Dolby Vision game mode are the icing on the cake.

The HDR support doesn't end there, however – HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG formats are all on board, with only Samsung's HDR10+ missing. As usual, LG's trusty webOS also has all the streaming apps you could think of, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and ITVX.

Now, when it comes to the all-important picture quality, the 55-inch model seriously impressed during a viewing of Pan.

"The centre of each floating bubble of water glows with a vibrant greenish-blue hue, and the sunlight shimmers through the ship’s sails, illuminating the fabric patchwork to striking effect. Our reference Sony set is no slouch here, but in comparison with the C5, it almost looks dull. The combination of higher brightness, punchier colours and sharper details are tough to argue against," our LG C5 review reads.

The 83-inch model should be just as bright and dazzling as the 55-inch, but bear in mind it also shares the same 40W sound system, which we found to be overwhelming. The C5's audio will be fine for everyday use, but a TV of this magnitude would benefit from a decent Dolby Atmos soundbar to do it justice.

At 55 per cent off at Peter Tyson, you don't need us to tell you how good a deal this is. Rest assured knowing that the LG C5 is one of our favourite TVs, with the huge 83-inch size filled to the brim with features.

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On the hunt for one of the best OLED TVs? Then models such as the LG C6 and Sony Bravia 8 should be on your shortlist.

The LG C6 is the latest evolution of LG’s hugely popular C-series – a step-down OLED that promises improved brightness, better processing and stronger sound than its predecessor.

The Sony Bravia 8, meanwhile, is a What Hi-Fi? Award winner that builds on the legacy of the superb Sony A80L, focusing on natural colour reproduction, excellent motion handling, and a more refined audio experience.

We’ve fully reviewed both TVs and compared them in detail below to help make your choice that little bit easier.

LG C6 vs Sony Bravia 8: price

The 65-inch LG C6's launch price is £2500 / $2699/ AU$3999, and because (at the time of writing) it's brand-new, you'll be lucky to get any kind of discount on it.

The Sony Bravia 8 launched at £2699 / $2800 / AU$4495 for the 65-inch version, but that was over a year ago, and you can now get it with some massive discounts.

For now, then this round goes to the Sony model, but do keep an eye on prices – LG tends to go pretty early and pretty big on the discounts, and it might not be too long before the two TVs cost similar money.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 8 **

LG C6 vs Sony Bravia 8: design

The LG C6 sticks with a familiar formula. It features an ultra-thin OLED panel across most of its surface, paired with a central rear housing that contains the electronics and connections.

It’s lightweight, easy to manoeuvre, and works well both on a stand or mounted on a wall.

The Sony Bravia 8 takes a slightly different approach. It uses a twin-foot stand design rather than a central pedestal, with adjustable positions that make it easier to accommodate a soundbar. It can also sit very low to the surface or be raised for extra clearance.

The main practical advantage for Sony is its stand flexibility, while the LG arguably looks more striking thanks to its extremely thin panel.

** Winner: Draw **

LG C6 vs Sony Bravia 8: features

Both TVs are well equipped, but the LG C6 has a clear edge when it comes to gaming and connectivity.

It features four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, for a start, all supporting 4K/165Hz (and 4K/120Hz), VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. This makes it one of the most versatile OLED TVs available for gamers.

In contrast, the Sony Bravia 8 offers four HDMI ports, but only two of those HDMI 2.1 spec, and one of those doubles as the eARC connection.

That can be limiting if you’re connecting multiple current-generation consoles alongside a soundbar – a surprising omission given Sony’s PlayStation heritage.

The Bravia 8 also caps out at 4K/120Hz rather than the higher refresh rates supported by the LG, though this is only likely to matter for PC gamers with powerful rigs capable of pushing higher framerates.

Elsewhere, LG uses webOS 26 on the C6, while Sony runs Google TV. Both platforms are strong on app support, though Discovery+ is absent on the LG, and BBC iPlayer failed to launch on our early review sample.

As for HDR support, it’s identical – both TVs support Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, while HDR10+ is absent.

Under the hood, the C6 uses LG’s Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor with a 12-bit processing pipeline and AI-driven upscaling improvements. The Bravia 8, meanwhile, uses Sony’s Bravia XR processor, which focuses on delivering a more natural, cinematic image.

This is a fairly close round overall, but thanks to its additional gaming chops (most notably the extra HDMI 2.1 sockets) and slicker smart platform, we're giving the win to the C6.

** Winner: LG C6 **

LG C6 vs Sony Bravia 8: picture quality

The LG C6 delivers a brighter, richer image than previous C-series models. Highlights are more intense, colours are more vibrant, and the overall image has a stronger sense of depth and dimensionality.

Watching Pan, for example, the C6 shows clear improvements in highlight intensity and colour gradation. Reflections on water appear brighter and more vivid, while sunsets display smoother tonal transitions and richer hues in the surrounding clouds. The result is a more dynamic and three-dimensional image without sacrificing naturalism.

Upscaling is improved too, particularly with lower-resolution sources, which appear slightly cleaner and more refined, with subtle gains in edge definition and texture compared with previous C-series models.

The Sony Bravia 8, however, takes a slightly different approach. Rather than chasing maximum impact, it focuses on accuracy and naturalism.

Skin tones are a particular strength. Watching Dune Part Two, characters’ complexions appear warm and lifelike, with more realistic colour balance than many rivals. Subtle tonal shifts in skin and clothing are handled with care, helping the image feel more authentic.

Motion handling is another standout area. In Blade Runner 2049, fast-moving shots of vehicles crossing dusty landscapes are handled beautifully, with no obvious artefacts and excellent clarity throughout.

The Bravia 8 also delivers impressive contrast and depth. In darker scenes from Blade Runner 2049, fine details – such as textures in furniture and shadowy backgrounds – remain clearly visible, contributing to a strong sense of three-dimensionality.

Brightness is strong for a standard WOLED panel, and in challenging material such as Pan, the Bravia 8 produces punchy highlights with good detail retention, though it doesn’t quite match the added intensity and punch delivered by the LG C6.

Ultimately, though, while the Bravia 8 is a lovely, cinematically consistent performer in its own right, the newer C6 offers an extra bit of sparkle without deviating meaningfully from creative intent, and that's why it takes this round.

** Winner: LG C6 **

LG C6 vs Sony Bravia 8: sound quality

The LG C6 improves on previous C-series models with cleaner, more controlled audio, tighter bass and clearer dialogue. It’s a solid performance by TV standards, but it will still be comfortably beaten by a dedicated sound system, such as one of the best soundbars.

The Sony Bravia 8, however, is one of the best-sounding OLED TVs we’ve tested – and the clear leader in this step-down OLED class.

Its Acoustic Surface Audio+ system uses actuators behind the screen to produce sound, which helps audio feel more directly tied to the on-screen action. Dialogue is well placed, effects track movement convincingly, and the overall presentation feels more spacious and precise.

It does lack some low-end weight, but its control and cohesion are excellent, and it avoids the distortion that can affect many TV speaker systems.

While we still recommend a soundbar for the best experience, the Bravia 8 clearly offers a more capable and immersive built-in audio experience.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 8 **

LG C6 vs Sony Bravia 8: verdict

The LG C6 and Sony Bravia 8 are both excellent OLED TVs, but they cater to slightly different priorities.

The LG C6 is the more versatile all-rounder. It offers stronger brightness, more impactful visuals and class-leading gaming features, making it a great choice for a wide range of users.

The Sony Bravia 8, meanwhile, is the option for purists. It delivers a wonderfully natural and cinematic picture, exceptional motion handling, and some of the best built-in sound you’ll find on a TV.

All of that said, if the two TVs were the same price, we would confidently point you towards the newer LG C6.

The thing is, they're not the same price, and the fact that you can currently get the Sony for hundreds of pounds/dollars less than the LG rather complicates things.

For that reason, we're calling this one a draw for now, but should the C6 be discounted to similar levels as the Bravia 8, that's the model we recommend.

** Overall winner: Draw **

RGB Mini LED is the TV industry’s big push for 2026.

That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s about to become the best or most popular display technology – but it is the one being marketed most aggressively, with some brands even positioning it as an OLED killer.

I’ve now seen a fair few RGB Mini LED TVs in action, and I’m not yet convinced. The headline benefits – higher brightness and greater colour volume – are fairly clear, but they don’t obviously outweigh OLED’s core advantage: self-emissive pixels.

As I recently reported, LG says “OLED is still king” – though given that its business is deeply tied to OLED panel production, that stance isn’t exactly surprising.

More interesting, then, is the view from Philips.

Danny Tack, Senior Director of Product Strategy and Planning at Philips, which is launching its own RGB Mini LED TV this year, puts it plainly: “We think OLED still is better.”

That aligns with what I’ve seen so far – and Tack boils the difference down to one simple point:

“This [Philips’ MLED981 RGB Mini LED TV] has 11,520 zones, but OLED has, like, 8.2 million zones – because every pixel is a zone. [That means] we can still have much deeper black, more accurate black.

“Although [the MLED981] is pretty good, pretty well tuned, and there are so many [dimming] segments, there will still be, here and there, a danger of a halo, and a border of the dimming zone.”

That’s the crux of it. Even with thousands of dimming zones, Mini LED still can’t match OLED’s pixel-level precision – so issues such as blooming and imperfect blacks don’t disappear entirely.

Philips is a particularly useful voice in this debate because it produces TVs across all major panel technologies. And Tack, in particular, has a reputation for prioritising picture quality over all else.

So why launch an RGB Mini LED TV at all?

As with LG, the answer is largely about size and price. As Tack explains, the MLED981 is aimed at “somebody who wants a big screen size, good picture quality, and a more affordable price – the bigger the screen size, the more affordable Mini LED is over an OLED.”

Accordingly, Philips is (at least initially) launching the MLED981 only as an 85-inch model – the size at which OLED prices rise sharply and become truly out of reach for most buyers.

Mini LED also still has two notable advantages: brightness and colour volume.

“You could say also in terms of full-screen brightness, Mini LED is better than OLED – 800 nits versus OLED, which is now reaching 450 nits – so under bright conditions, this might be a better offer,” Tack says.

“Colours [are also] a bit more intense, but then again, at an angle, compared to OLED, less so. There are lots of pros and cons.”

In other words, RGB Mini LED absolutely has its place – particularly if it’s a very big, very bright, and relatively affordable TV that you’re after.

But on balance, Philips’ view is clear – and it’s one I share: right now, OLED remains the benchmark for overall picture quality.

Could RGB Mini LED overtake it? Possibly – perhaps even this year. Sony, in particular, is talking a big game with its True RGB technology.

For now, though, OLED remains the TV technology to beat.

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There are certain things you always remember, no matter how many spins around the sun you’ve done.

For me, there’s the death of Optimus Prime in the ’80s Transformers animated film, the time my brother kicked me in the nuts so hard I got a nosebleed; and seeing an OLED TV for the first time.

The year was 2012, and I could still make it from one end of the Las Vegas convention centre during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) without a toilet break. Ahh, to have a 20-something-year-old’s bladder again…

I had been assigned to cover LG’s wares at the show that year. Top of the list was a new 55-inch giant OLED TV. Sure, there had been OLEDs at past shows. But they were dinky by comparison, and I hadn’t had a chance to check them out. So I was going in fresh.

As always, LG made a big song and dance about the technology, so I probably should have been more excited than I was at the time. Truthfully, slightly knackered from the flight and cantankerous over the ever terrible wi-fi in the show’s press room, I didn’t believe any of the hype until I actually saw it.

And there was one big reason for that. Even in the less than ideal show conditions, a disappointing HD resolution and terrible test footage, it delivered something I’d never seen a TV do before: deliver perfect blacks.

In AV terms, what then ensued was that love at first sight scene every romcom seems to have. The sound of other visitors screaming and grunting as they pushed past morphed into birdsong, and the stench of stale beer (at least that’s what I hope it was) was replaced with the smell of freshly cut grass. It was magical.

Since then, right up to the present day, while we have sometimes had our four-star tiffs, OLED and I have managed to keep that spark alive.

What’s the secret to our longevity, you ask? Well, it’s pretty simple: with its perfect blacks, OLED still gives me something no other TV or projector can.

That’s why, even though I will wholeheartedly recommend LEDs and Mini LEDs to people on a budget, or those with certain specific requirements, if a serious cinephile asks what the best option is, from a pure performance and picture-quality perspective, I almost certainly point them to an OLED.

When an OLED is watched in a dark room, with a decent sound system, the added contrast and oomph the blacks give, when deployed with finesse, is magical. This is a key reason the TV Product of the Year winner at the What Hi-Fi? Awards has generally been an OLED for more than half a decade.

But it’s also why this year, in particular, I’ve had some pretty loud alarm bells go off. For reasons unbeknownst to me, TV makers seem not only to have forgotten the importance of OLED’s black levels, but are instead focused on boosting another key metric: peak brightness.

Before regular readers say anything, yes, I am aware OLED TV makers chasing a high nit count isn’t anything new. In fact, you could argue the craze started back in 2022 with the launch of QD-OLED on the Samsung S95B. But here, the focus was as much on improving colours as it was “fixing” OLED’s perceived weakness, its inability to offer as high operating and peak-brightness levels as LED, especially Mini LED, rivals.

For me, the overt focus on brightness over all else only really started gaining proper pace with the arrival of Micro Lens Array, LG Display’s short-lived rival to QD-OLED. It's a technology which has since been replaced by Primary RGB Tandem OLED.

It was MLA that sparked the ongoing nit wars, where every TV maker seems to be fighting to have the highest figure possible, regardless of whether it actually improves the picture (at least in my mind).

We have detailed why this is problematic before, but the short version is that peak brightness is important, but only one of many ingredients that make for tasty picture quality. If you add too much to the pot, you risk ruining the flavour; as with most things, balance is key.

The reason I am particularly concerned now is that, while I had seen the fight for brightness take away focus from other aspects of OLED sets’ performance before – MLA’s tendency to lose colour volume in low-light scenes, for example – the black level was generally left alone.

That changed in 2026 when we saw not one but two new TVs that didn’t nail blacks, pass through our test rooms.

First was the LG C6, which felt like a minor blip, with certain scenes looking a smidge grey until we adjusted the Near Black Detail settings. As we said in our review:

“The Near Black Detail adjustment proves particularly useful, too. Out of the box, the C6 occasionally prioritises shadow detail slightly over absolute black depth. In the opening moments of Alien: Romulus, for example, the blackness of space can appear just a touch raised compared with the LG C5. Dropping Near Black Detail to -1 neatly restores the sort of inky blacks OLED fans expect.”

Then the issue was repeated – to a far worse degree – on the LG G6. We found: “It seems as though LG has chosen to raise the black floor slightly, perhaps to increase shadow detail, but we regularly find that what should be perfect black looks slightly grey.”

And we then couldn’t fix it, with the -1 Near Dark Detail still looking a touch grey and -2 removing some dark detail.

To be clear, they are still good (great in the C6’s case) TVs. But my alarm bells are in full warning mode; I really hope it isn’t the start of a trend for OLED TVs in 2026. This is a brilliant TV tech that, in my mind, should continue to play to its greatest strength, rather than continue chasing Mini LED-level peak-brightness numbers.

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Looking for a small-ish OLED at a great price?

You'll struggle to do better than the LG C5. With its successor, the LG C6, now out in the wild, there are some serious savings to be had on 2025’s C5 model, which has become a firm What Hi-Fi? favourite over the past year.

And the 48-inch size is seeing one of the best discounts of all – you can now get this LG C5 for only £807 at Peter Tyson, the lowest price we've seen so far.

You'll have to add the TV to your cart for this saving to apply, however, as the listed price still states £949. You might want to hurry, though: this is advertised as a limited-time offer!

We found the 48-inch LG C5 to be a stellar five-star set when we reviewed it at £1399. This offer then, with nearly £600 off, is remarkable value in our eyes.

48-inch OLEDs were quite rare until recently, and the C5 is about as premium as TVs this size get. It's a perfect option for smaller living rooms or those after OLED on a budget.

We found the TV to be impressively bright and detailed, with the best performance found in Filmmaker Mode.

“Set up accordingly, the desert retains its sparkle, with the brightest part of the sky shining in a way OLEDs this price from even a few years ago can’t, but with significantly more detail,” our LG OLED48C5 review reads.

“Bright shading is strong, too, with a wonderful hue of blue transitioning to orange across the image.”

As we have come to expect from LG TVs, the C5 is packed out feature-wise. Gamers in particular are treated to four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets capable of handling 4K/165Hz signals, as well as VRR and ALLM. There is also support for Dolby Vision gaming and a peerless HGiG setting.

LG’s trusty webOS 25 runs the show here once more, with app support including Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and ITVX. New additions include an Xbox app and the ability to pair a controller over Bluetooth.

Sound is a bit of a disappointment, however, with the C5 rocking the same 2.2-channel 40W speaker system seen on the previous C4. Even when switching to Cinema mode, the audio lacks definition, so serious movie fans will want to invest in a soundbar pretty quickly.

Overall, though this is a solid option, whether this is your first OLED plunge or a secondary bedroom set.

And with 42 per cent off at Peter Tyson, this is a package bursting with features and excellent value.

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Read our full 48-inch LG C5 review

Check out the best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

And the best OLED TV: five incredible sets for serious movie fans reviewed by our experts

It’s early days for 2026 TVs, with some brands (Sony, for one) yet to reveal their full ranges – but I’ve already spotted a front-runner for TV of the year, and it’s probably not the model you’re expecting.

The model I’m talking about is the Philips OLED951.

In picture terms, this is Philips’ flagship TV for 2026, and while many brands seem to be taking a fairly evolutionary approach to their OLEDs this year, Philips is really pushing the boat out.

On paper, it ticks almost every box: picture performance, gaming features, spectacular flourishes and future-proofing.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the on-paper promise will translate to real-world perfection, and we’ll have to conduct a full review before we can deliver our verdict on that.

But, having now briefly seen it in action, I think there’s a good chance the OLED951 can really deliver.

Here, then, are seven reasons I think this Philips flagship OLED could end up being the TV of 2026.

It’s an OLED

An obvious one this, but the Philips OLED951 is… well… an OLED.

That’s a good thing in my book. The RGB Mini LED invasion is upon us, and there are some very good RGB Mini LEDs already out and on the way (including one from Philips), but I’m yet to see any evidence that the technology’s various strengths are a match for the pixel-level contrast control of OLED.

Perfect black pixels next to bright white or coloured ones make for unbeatable contrast, which has benefits right across the picture, particularly in terms of solidity and perceived three-dimensionality.

An OLED-beating RGB Mini LED TV might one day materialise – I’m open to that – but I predict that in 2026, at least, the best TV will be an OLED.

Brighter than the LG G6

We’ve written plenty of times about how brightness is a long way from the most important thing for a TV to deliver.

Still, lots of brightness headroom can be useful for a TV to deliver the goods in a brightly lit room. It also adds a degree of future-proofing, just in case Hollywood suddenly starts mastering lots of movies to 4000 nits (something I see very little evidence of, for what it’s worth).

Brightness isn’t going to be an issue for the OLED951, though, because Philips claims it can hit a peak brightness figure of 4500 nits, and a full-screen brightness of 400 nits.

Those are improvements over last year’s already very bright OLED950 of 800 and 50 nits, respectively.

Those figures, if achieved, will also make the OLED951 a good deal brighter than the LG G6, which shares a ‘Meta 4.0’ Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel with it – something that Philips says is down to its unique picture engine.

But will those figures be achieved? Having seen the OLED951 running against the OLED950 (see the photo above), it certainly looks like it. The OLED951 looked so much brighter that the figures given actually seem conservative.

And this isn’t just brightness for the sake of brightness, either, because, as we’ve seen in our own testing, when increased brightness is combined with OLED’s perfect black and pixel-level light control, the result is even greater contrast, which, as mentioned above, tends to make images look more solid and three-dimensional.

That was certainly the case in the side-by-side demo – the OLED951 really popped.

Four HDMI 2.1 sockets and custom settings for every game

Finally, Philips’ flagship OLEDs (and most of its other models, in fact) will have four HDMI 2.1 sockets.

These will all be able to accept gaming signals of up to 4K/165Hz, complete with VRR and HDR, including in the Dolby Vision format.

Sure, LG and Samsung have been offering OLEDs with four HDMI 2.1 sockets for years, but when combined with everything else the OLED951 offers (more of which I’ll get to), that still makes it a tantalising proposition for gamers.

Another feature that will appeal to gamers like me is the ability to customise settings for individual titles.

These settings can be designed to improve the picture (extra brightness and vibrancy for Rocket League, perhaps, and a darker, broodier presentation for Alan Wake II), give you an advantage over online rivals (through an onscreen crosshair or enhanced shadow detail, for instance), or deliver geeky gaming info such as the current frame rate.

If you’re a gaming picture quality obsessive, that’s very neat.

Ambilight and AmbiScape

Look, I know it’s not to everyone’s taste, and I certainly don’t think it makes sense for all content, but Ambilight – which extends the onscreen action onto the wall around the TV in the form of coloured light – remains a spectacular feature.

And now your room lights can be synchronised with what you’re watching more easily, too. This isn’t an entirely new feature, but previously, you needed Hue bulbs.

Now, thanks to the new AmbiScape feature, lights that conform to the Matter standard will be supported – and there are loads of those. That will make it far more affordable and flexible to get your lounge lights in on the Ambilight action.

Again, this won’t be an upgrade for all content, but play the aforementioned Rocket League, and it’s impossible not to get an extra thrill when a goal creates a flash of brilliant colour right across your room. It works brilliantly for colourful animated movies, too, such as the Spider-Verse series.

Dolby Vision 2

Will Dolby Vision 2 be a big deal in 2026? There’s a strong possibility it won’t be, as we’ve still had no news on actual content in the format.

It is coming at some point, though, and our first looks at it in action have been very impressive, so if you’re buying a TV this year, it’s well worth considering going for a model that supports the format.

That makes Philips’ new OLED951, OLED911 and OLED811 particularly appealing, because they will be the first OLED TVs to support Dolby Vision 2. In fact, they will also support the even more advanced Dolby Vision 2 Max, which adds, among other things, the very interesting Authentic Motion feature.

The Dolby Vision 2 and 2 Max support will be added via a post-launch software update (October is the current ETA), but don’t go thinking that 2026 OLEDs from other brands will follow suit: Dolby Vision 2 also needs to be baked into the hardware, and based on what we’ve been told so far, this hasn’t been done in the case of, for example, LG’s new models.

Excellent anti-reflection tech

Fighting reflections is a key theme in current TV development.

It’s probably fair to say that Samsung is best at it: its top OLEDs suppress reflections incredibly effectively.

But it does this by using a matte panel, and that tends to make blacks look quite grey in a well-lit room.

The new Meta 4.0 OLED panel from LG Display, though, suppresses more reflections than the previous version while still retaining the glossy finish that allows it to produce almost perfect blacks, even in strong ambient light.

According to official figures, the reflectance has been reduced from 0.6 per cent to 0.3 per cent. That doesn’t sound like a huge change, but in reality, it makes a clear difference.

We first saw this new anti-reflection tech in the G6, which massively impressed us with its combination of reflection suppression and deep blacks, and it looked equally excellent in the demo of the OLED951 against last year’s OLED950.

This is one of those things that really comes down to taste, with some people being perfectly happy with the matte look of the Samsung models. I personally prefer the glossy look, though, and the new panel in the LG G6 and Philips OLED951 strikes the best balance of anti-reflectivity and black performance that I’ve so far seen.

Dual Engine picture processing

Those already in the know about Philips’ 2026 TV lineup might be wondering why I’m getting all excited about the OLED951 rather than the OLED911.

After all, everything I’ve written so far also applies to the OLED911, and the OLED911 also has a Bowers & Wilkins sound system that, if form is to be believed, will make it one of, if not the, best-sounding TV in its class.

The reason is that the OLED951 has the Dual Engine version of Philips’ new 10th Gen P5 AI processor, whereas the OLED911 has the single-chip version. This unlocks some extra picture processing features that should further improve certain things, such as bright details and banding suppression.

The difference perhaps won’t be huge – we’ll need to fully test both models to find out – but as someone who subscribes to the ‘all TVs should be partnered with a dedicated sound system’ philosophy, I’ll always choose the potential for better picture quality over a better sound system.

You may feel differently, of course, and that’s fine. If that’s the case, I strongly recommend you read Lewis Empson’s Philips OLED911 hands-on.

That also looks like an excellent TV – but on paper (and from what I’ve seen of it so far), the OLED951 is the one that ticks every box for me.

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No one likes a broken record. So if you’ve read any of my recent rants about TVs and their bizarre focus on nits, I apologise.

But, after helping review the LG G6, the firm’s latest flagship OLED TV, I can’t help myself. Why? Because many TV makers still aren’t listening.

To catch readers up, the LG G6 is a particularly big deal if you’re looking to upgrade to a top-tier OLED TV this year. This is because two key players aren’t expected to release flagship OLED TVs in 2026.

Sony – because its two-year re-release cycle and new partnership with TCL, means it is very unlikely we’ll see a successor to the Award-winning Bravia 8 II arrive any time soon. Panasonic – because it’s selling its TV division to Skyworth and only has one new OLED set arriving this year, the entry-level Z86C (Z85C in mainland Europe).

So if you’re planning on buying a new OLED at this level in 2026, you’re likely only going to be able to pick between the LG G6, Samsung S95H or Philips 911.

And I had high hopes for the LG G6, mainly because, though the company shouted about how the set could go 20 per cent brighter than the outgoing LG G5 at launch, it spent far more time talking about changes it has made to let it offer a more true-to-life picture.

So, unboxing it in our test rooms and plonking it right next to the G5, ready to run our standard suite of comparative tests, I was legitimately excited.

Not to spoil our review, but immediately the TV proved that the first of LG’s claims is true. The TV was noticeably brighter and delivered a truly spectacular performance that will delight fans of blow-your-socks-off experiences.

But the problem is, it does so at the expense of other picture quality metrics that I, and many others, would argue are equally if not more important than brightness.

First up is colour accuracy. Like many of the Mini LED sets I’ve reviewed over the past two years, skylines in particular suffer. For example, during a scene from our Civil War test disc, the skyline is much brighter than what’s on show with the G5, but the G6’s colours look washed out.

The oomph the extra nit count offers comes at the expense of richness, making the scene look flat, by comparison. Honestly, it gave me flashbacks to when I was testing the since-replaced TCL C855K, which suffered from similar issues.

Problems with the G6’s black level continue this theme. Flipping to Sinners, the TV artificially raises the black level in a bid to offer more dark detail. Yes, it adds some detail but, concurrently, it makes parts that are meant to be pitch black look a little grey.

Considering perfect blacks and pixel-level light control are two reasons OLED sets can justify their premium prices, this feels like an odd decision by LG. Again, it’s something I normally worry about with Mini LEDs not OLEDs.

And what’s worse is that there’s no way to fix it. After hours of fiddling with the TV’s settings, including Filmmaker mode, which is meant to turn off all processing, nothing worked.

Yes, people like pop. And yes, the G6 is still a good TV that will delight people who want that punch. But, for cinephiles and more serious movie fans, who value accuracy and consistency, it feels odd, and a move in the wrong direction.

Hence, the need to repeat my rant against peak brightness chasers and pen this piece. Here’s hoping the S95H and OLED911 don’t make the same mistake. It’ll be a bad year for premium OLED buyers if they do.

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We have been eagerly awaiting the UK pricing of LG’s latest stream of OLEDs, and the day has finally arrived. The price tags of the C6, G6, B6, and W6 OLEDs have been unveiled, and it’s great news.

All of the models are cheaper than last year’s OLED entries across all sizes. The most premium TVs will still set you back a fair bit if you are looking to upgrade your home cinema system, but it is a welcome addition to see a slight price drop.

For the LG G6, the pricing is as follows:

As you can see, the latest G6 model is coming in at a lower price than the previous LG G5 models across all sizes. That is especially prevalent with the larger screen sizes, as the eye-bogglingly big 97-inch screen is a whole £9000 cheaper than the G5.

But how does the G6 actually perform? Well, lucky for you, we recently published our comprehensive review of the new OLED.

The 65-inch model scored a solid four-star review after being rigorously put through its paces in our test room. We praised its punchy picture quality and excellent gaming specifications, but colours do look slightly overcooked in a way that could leave cinephile purists feeling disappointed.

We will have to see how the other sizes perform, but its colourful performance with the 65-inch model bodes well.

Next up, here is the pricing for the LG C6:

Once again, the step-down OLEDs' prices are lower than last year's entries.

The 77- and 83-inch versions of the C6 feature Primary RGB Tandem OLED technology for the first time, which could be the biggest C-series upgrade in years. We are yet to get these models in our test room, but we have reviewed the 65-inch entry.

It scored a glowing five-star rating, dazzling with brighter, richer and more refined picture quality. The G6 also improves upon the C5's audio performance, as voices sound a little warmer and Dolby Atmos effects are projected further away from the screen when required to create a greater sense of scale.

But what about the pricing of the LG W6, the brand's newest Wallpaper TV?

• 77-inch LG W6: £4700
• 83-inch LG W6: £6800

LG's art TV provides a store of more than 5000 regularly updated digital artworks that users can use as screensavers. It offers wireless connectivity and integrated speakers, and measures an impressive 9mm in thickness so it can sit mostly flush on your wall.

This is not LG's first Wallpaper TV, with the last iteration coming out back in 2017 in the form of the W7. It launched at a high-end price point, which made it simply unattainable for many, so it makes sense that LG has dropped the price tag for its latest art model.

We got a chance to see the W6 in action at the start of the year at CES, and although we will need to wait until we have thoroughly tested the model to deliver our verdict, we find:

"Black levels look just as deep, rich and neutral, for starters, with no obvious signs under the CES show lights of any green or magenta tinting, even if viewed from the side."

Finally, LG has also released the pricing for its B6 series:

These prices mean the B6 series can offer a genuinely affordable range of OLED TVs from the brand, which will be welcome news for those who cannot stretch to the above models.

The reason LG has been able to drop the pricing so much on an already budget range is thanks to the development of a new SE OLED panel. The majority of the cost saving has been made by removing the pricey polariser.

Without this, the B6 will likely be more reflective than current OLED models, but they should also be brighter than current budget sets, hitting something in the region of 1000 nits rather than the 600-700 nits of models such as the LG B5.

We have yet to test any of the B6 sizes, but keep your eyes peeled for our review of the budget range.

MORE:

Here is our review of the LG C6

And these are our thoughts on the LG G6

Check out the best OLED TVs we recommend

The G6 is the latest incarnation of LG’s wildly popular G-series Gallery OLED, and one of 2026’s most highly anticipated new TVs.

It’s under particular pressure this year. Changes in the TV landscape mean it's one of only a select few new “premium” OLEDs set to launch in 2026, so a lot of eyes will be on it.

And, despite initially impressing our reviewers (at least after a couple of early flaws were fixed), the preceding G5 later came fourth out of four in our 2026 flagship OLED shootout.

The big question, then, is whether the G6 can take LG back to the top of the OLED TV performance pile.

Having thoroughly put it through its paces against both its predecessor and last year’s TV Product of the Year, we finally have an answer to that question.

Price

The 65-inch G6 we’re reviewing has a price tag of £3000 / $3399 / AU$4999. That makes it cheaper in the UK and Australia than the G5 was at launch (£3300 / $3400 / AU$5299), while US launch pricing has remained unchanged.

There's no denying that the G6 is still a very premium TV, but the price drops versus last year are very welcome. It will be fascinating to see if Samsung takes a similar approach with the pricing of its S95H.

As is to be expected, the G6’s launch price is vastly higher than the now-discounted prices of 2025 flagship OLEDs such as the G5, Samsung S95F and Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II.

But prices should fall quite quickly. LG OLEDs have a reputation for being discounted faster and farther than most rivals.

Design

The LG G6 looks identical to the G5 in nearly every way. So much so that we frequently had to check the serial numbers of the two when setting them up on our test benches to make sure which was which.

The TV is mainly designed to be wall-mounted, hence the picture frame-style design, but the 55- and 65-inch versions are available with a stand if you prefer. The versions without the stand come with a Zero Gap wall mount instead, which allows for the TV to be mounted more or less flush against the wall.

But while the design certainly delivers on the promise of the ‘Gallery’ designation, it’s rather too familiar at this point, having barely changed since 2020’s GX. The upcoming Samsung S95H is a far more exciting take on the same concept.

Despite this minor qualm, the G6 is functionally sound and nicely unobtrusive. Our sample came with the pedestal stand, and while that doesn’t have a swivel mechanism, it’s sturdy and indicative of the set's generally excellent build quality.

The stand’s two height options and a fairly thin and flat plinth also make it generally easy to place a soundbar in front of the TV without blocking the screen.

The only big gripe is the lack of changes to the remote. It remains a chunky, cheap-feeling, plastic affair that doesn’t feature backlighting or USB-C charging – two things we’ve come to expect of a set at this level.

Motion controls still feature, adding some occasionally useful point-and-click functionality when navigating the set’s menus, but even so, the remote feels in need of a proper overhaul at this point.

Frustratingly, many markets were treated to a new LG TV remote last year, but the UK still has to make do with the old model.

Features

Like its design, the G6 doesn’t change the key ingredients in LG’s current OLED recipe. At its heart, you’ll find a Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel. That’s the same tech we saw in last year’s G5.

For those unfamiliar with it, Primary RGB Tandem uses a ‘four-stack’ panel structure to try and help an OLED offer higher peak and operating brightness levels, while retaining colour volume and accuracy, even during low light scenes – an area its predecessor, micro lens array (MLA), struggled with, especially against Samsung’s rival QD-OLED technology.

The only technical change to the panel is the inclusion of a new Reflection Free Premium display certification, which promises to reduce reflections to less than 0.5 per cent – meaning it should work better in less than ideal conditions with lots of stray, reflection-causing light.

But, while the fundamental panel tech remains largely unchanged, the inclusion of a new Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI processor means LG is quoting some pretty palpable improvements for the G6.

For starters, the chipset’s new Hyper Radiant Colour Technology system means that the set can offer “20 per cent higher” peak brightness levels than the already dazzling G5.

But more importantly, as peak brightness is one of many screen-quality metrics, the tech also aims to allow the G6 to offer better colour accuracy and a generally “more lifelike” picture. Finally, motion handling, upscaling, tone mapping and audio processing are also meant to be better thanks to the new silicon.

On the subject of audio, the G6 comes built in with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect functionality. This is a hot ticket item that aims to let the TV automatically connect to compatible speakers, including the LG Sound Suite we recently reviewed, to create a surround sound package.

The tech includes the ability to use the G6’s built-in speakers as the central channel, and clever room and viewer location optimisation powers. Though the tech is in its infancy, it’s a nice touch that gives the G6 an element of future-proofing.

However, there is one minor, pigmy-sized elephant in the room when it comes to next-gen Dolby tech. Specifically, the G6 doesn’t support Dolby Vision 2 (“the future of home cinema”, if Dolby is to be believed) – and it seems fairly unlikely that it ever will.

For now, as we’re yet to see any content mastered in the format, it’s not a deal breaker. But it is a minor concern for those who tend to keep their TVs for five years or more, especially as Philips has confirmed its 2026 flagships will support the standard, as will several non-OLED sets from TCL and Hisense.

LG has hinted that it may add the functionality via an over-the-air update at a later date, but the lack of certainty is still a minor frustration considering the G6’s price. People paying this amount don’t want a TV that’s out of date within a year. Though until we see the benefits of Vision 2, we want to emphasise that it's a minor gripe. We don’t currently know how big a deal Vision 2 is in general.

The supported standards remain Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, meaning outside of Vision 2, the only other noticeable absence is HDR10+.

The TV’s broader feature set is, like that of all of LG’s recent flagships, more or less flawless. WebOS 26 supports pretty much every app you can think of, ranging from Now to Apple TV, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, all of which are present and work correctly. We’re also pleased to see it continue to support niche streaming platforms, including the anime-focused Crunchyroll and Hidive.

Gaming functionality lives up to LG’s strong track record, with all four HDMI 2.1 inputs offering up to 4K/165Hz gameplay with VRR and ALLM, and Dolby Vision Gaming HDR supported.

LG has also added more game-streaming features, including a new low-latency interface and a dedicated controller developed alongside popular gaming peripherals manufacturer Razer, which can be connected directly to the TV – though this is sold as an optional accessory.

Picture

So what difference does a piece of silicon and general spruce make for a flagship OLED? Quite a lot, as it turns out.

Powering up the G6 next to the G5 in both sets’ out-of-the-box settings, the new OLED immediately reveals a focus on two things: selling quite how bright it can go, while simultaneously increasing the amount of dark detail on offer. And on paper, this makes sense, letting you get a more dynamic, punchy image with eye-catching peaks traditionally reserved for Mini LED sets, coupled with the pitch blacks OLEDs are famous for.

And it does make a very strong opening impression. Running our tried and true Civil War 4K Blu-ray, the entire screen burns brighter than any previous OLED we’ve tested, with the American countryside scene offering palpably higher peaks and more vibrant colours. Dark parts of the surrounding foliage offer more detail, too, with every leaf and twig looking sharper and clearly visible.

Even compared with last year’s other Primary RGB Tandem OLED and QD-OLED flagships, the G6 is significantly brighter. The picture offers noticeably more eye-catching spectacle as a result.

And, while we’re not convinced this makes the picture more lifelike, as LG promised, the new focus is, in many ways, a positive. If pop’s what you value, make no mistake, the G6 will delight.

But as the film switches to the next shot, issues creep in. The helicopter’s flight looks too smooth, with it bouncing rather than cutting through the sky. More pressingly, some detail, especially subtle gradients of reds and oranges in the setting sky, is lost, as the set pushes the brightness at the expense of richness, making it look slightly flat.

Traditionally, we’d have put this down to using the out-of-the-box Standard picture setting. Nearly all the TVs we review are overly aggressive with their processing here. But switching to Filmmaker Mode, while the positive aspects of the picture remain and some issues are mitigated, to our surprise, the G6 continues to over-brighten parts of the picture.

We also continue to experience jarring over-saturation, with greens in particular proving problematic, adding an air of artificiality not present on the G5 – which is a surprise given Filmmaker Mode’s focus on offering an as-the-director-intended experience.

The issue becomes even more apparent when we switch to our Pan test disc, which remains our go-to brightness stress test thanks to its atypical 4000 nits mastering. Once again, the G6 is clearly brighter than the G5 and our Product of the Year Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II, but the pop comes with a slight loss of colour volume and at a clear expense of accuracy.

Going through every picture mode, even after tweaking the settings for hours, we can’t settle on a combination that we’re happy delivers the authentic, accurate picture we would expect, which is a great shame for those who value accuracy over razzmatazz.

We end up settling on Filmmaker Mode with TruMotion set to the subtle Cinematic Movement option, and Dynamic Tone Mapping switched off, as the best compromise – but we’re still left unsatisfied.

Our 4K Blu-ray of Sinners, in fact, illustrates another issue. While the G6 produces a generally wonderfully immersive experience, with the dark night-time speakeasy oozing atmosphere and the vampires’ eyes, brooding in the fields, holding spectacular malice, we find that skin tones tend to look a little green and, more disappointingly, that the darkest parts of the picture simply aren’t dark enough.

It seems as though LG has chosen to raise the black floor slightly, perhaps to increase shadow detail, but we regularly find that what should be perfect black looks slightly grey.

We experienced the same issue with the step-down LG C6, but this could be more or less fixed by changing the Near Dark Detail setting from 0 to -1. This doesn’t quite do the trick with the G6, though, which still looks a little grey. Pushing down to -2, though, removes too much dark detail in its quest for deeper black. Ultimately, as with the picture settings in general, we struggle to find the perfect balance.

That isn’t to say that the black depth vs shadow detail issue is a huge one. On the contrary, not everyone will notice it without the benefits of a side-by-side comparison, but as we watch the opening of Alien: Romulus, we’re frustrated by the need to choose between perfect blacks and detail levels.

While the G6 is rather bombastic in its delivery of HDR content, it’s noticeably more considered with SDR. Playing our old faithful Blu-ray of True Grit, the differences between the G6 and G5 are subtle, and it becomes immediately more apparent that they’re from the same family of TV.

The G6 upscales the film with suitable care, retaining its intentionally grainy, Spaghetti Western feel without flattening it or adding noise. Characters’ stitched, thick cotton clothes are nicely sharp and detailed, and there’s a pleasingly light touch that is missing from the TV’s HDR performance. Here, it feels as though the G6 is carefully improving the experience, while remaining true to the source material.

Sound

Audio quality is a key area in which LG’s flagship OLED TVs have struggled to impress in our review rooms for the past few years. And, while we’re not reaching for the party streamers with the new G6, there’s no denying it is a step in the right direction.

Playing an iconic scene in Sinners, where Sammie, aka “Preacher Boy”, performs the blues, the G6 delivers a noticeably fuller, more robust sound than the G5, which offers up a thin and hollow rendition by comparison.

The guitar’s plucked strings have some bass to them, and Sammie’s wailing vocals are nicely audible and separate from background noise.

As the medley grows, adding new tracks to the mashup, the set delivers a decent sense of directionality, with each addition swooping in as the camera carves a path through each room and musical era.

But it’s still a good deal short of perfect. The low end isn’t powerful enough to deliver the oomph you need to do the scene justice, and the delivery lacks the precision to handle the vocalist's wailing vibrato, which is nearly entirely lost.

The TV also struggles to maintain a rhythmic and tonal hold on proceedings as ever more musical strands are added, and in the end, it becomes more of a cacophony rather than the intended complex medley.

This theme continues as we switch to chapter two of Blade Runner 2049. The speakers’ low end is too weak and flabby for the scene’s synth track, which occasionally sounds more like a child blowing a raspberry, rather than a booming synthetic growl.

Ultimately, while the G6 is certainly an improvement on the G5, it’s still a long way short of rivals such as the Sony Bravia 8 II and Philips OLED910, and is even beaten by certain step-down OLEDs, such as the Sony Bravia 8.

In fact, we’d say the C6 sounds better than the G6, which makes us wonder if the Gallery design is the biggest cause of LG’s G-series sonic struggles.

As ever, though, our criticisms of TV audio quality need only be taken into account if you’re ignoring our strong advice that any new TV should be partnered with a dedicated sound system.

Verdict

LG seems to have dug its heels in on the idea that brighter (and more colourful) is better with the G6. The set feels quite different to past G-series models as a result, delivering a memorable, punchy experience that immediately catches your eye.

For those after a bombastic home cinema experience, this makes the LG G6 a good TV; one capable of offering a strikingly bright, punchy picture with vivid, vibrant colours.

But this new focus brings fresh weaknesses, most notably to black depth and cinematic authenticity. The raw materials are clearly here and, with some more considered tuning, the G6 could be among the best in class. As it stands, though, this feels like one step forward and another step back for LG’s flagship OLED range.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony Bravia 8 II

Also consider the LG C6

For last year's model, see our LG G5 review

Read our Samsung S95F review

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

Sony has just officially announced its first RGB Mini LED TVs, under the punchy name 'True RGB'.

Actually, that's not entirely true: what Sony has announced is the 'True RGB' name and some broad info on the technology, such as the fact it features true, independently controlled red, green and blue diodes, and that it will feature "new backlight drive" technology.

What Sony hasn't announced is specific models, specs, release dates or pricing – that info will come at a later date.

Despite that rather odd situation, I have actually already seen the flagship Sony True RGB TV in action at Sony's Tokyo HQ – and in quite some detail.

I've seen it running side-by-side with a Bravia 9, with the backlights of both TVs exposed; I've seen it running against RGB Mini LED TVs from rival brands, again with the backlights exposed; and I've even seen how it handles real movie content alongside a Bravia 9 and Sony's mastering monitor.

That's pretty unprecedented access to a pre-release TV, and it's illustrative of Sony's confidence in its RGB Mini LED push.

Broadly speaking, I think that confidence is very well placed, but I do have a couple of reservations.

Before I get to the meat of the hands-on experience, though, some housekeeping: while I'm free to write about my impressions of the True RGB TV's performance, I'm not currently allowed to go into detail about the technology behind it, beyond what I've already said about it featuring true red, green and blue diodes in the backlight.

I'm not permitted to discuss other specs either. Or the design. And my photos, which I was only allowed to take in one of the three test rooms, had to be taken from a distance so as not to reveal any of those details.

All of that stuff will be revealed further down the line, of course, but for now, let's just focus on picture performance.

Sony True RGB vs the Bravia 9

The first stop on our True RGB test tour was the room you can see in the image above.

Here, a 75-inch Bravia 9 was placed on the floor alongside a 75-inch True RGB TV. Above each was a sample with the LCD layer removed, revealing the backlight.

Hopefully, you can easily see the profound difference in the way the backlights work.

With the Bravia 9, on the left, you can see that the backlight is only contributing differing amounts of blue light. Shapes are fairly vague, as they largely blend into one another.

With the True RGB TV on the right, the expression of colour from the backlight alone is exceptional, and when combined with granular brightness control, this makes the shapes of the image much clearer.

The way this translates to the actual picture performance is in punchier, richer and more consistent colours. The image from the True RGB model is generally brighter, too, with no discernible loss of black depth.

Sony played demo clip after demo clip, and the degree to which I could discern what was in each image by looking at the True RGB backlight alone was never less than extremely impressive. Take another look at the photo at the top of this page for another great example.

Sony True RGB vs rivals

The second True RGB demo session was all about comparisons with rival RGB Mini LED TVs. I'm not permitted to mention the competitor brands, let alone the specific models, but let's just say they're all pioneers of RGB Mini LED tech – even though they might not use that term in their branding.

Sony's goal here was to illustrate one of its key True RGB claims: that "performance depends on LED density and algorithm, not LED size".

At the sort of density it has achieved with its True RGB TV – around 1cm between LEDs – even a 100 micrometre reduction in size would have "no meaningful impact on picture quality", according to Sony.

Furthermore, the new backlight drive that controls how the LEDs perform is what Sony says really sets its True RGB solution apart from its competitors.

To illustrate this, Sony ran various test clips through its True RGB TV and two of these competitors, with a patch of the backlight of each TV exposed.

With one of the competitors, the backlight would switch from full colour to white once the size of the on-screen image was reduced from 100 per cent to about 80 per cent.

This model's backlight also struggled to express colours during real-world footage. Frankly, most of the time, it was barely more colourful than white.

It also allowed the background colour of an image to badly affect the element in the centre, so a man's face would change colour significantly, based on whether the rest of the image was red, green, blue, etc.

The other competitor fared better in these tests, but it was still far from perfect. Its biggest issue was inconsistency in its handling of different colours: green and red, for example, looked perfect, but colours such as cyan and pink were very pale.

This second competitor's backlight also struggled to express convincing colours with real-world content, though less so than the first.

The Sony True RGB TV performed impeccably through all of these tests. Each bold colour was delivered accurately and consistently, regardless of window size, and the expression of colour with real-world content was stunning.

The "colour shift" was practically non-existent in the image of the man against the various coloured backgrounds, too, and through every demo, the Sony was brighter as well as more consistent and vibrant in its colours.

Sony claims that its True RGB tech is also superior in terms of viewing angles, and this is where the third competitor set came in.

This rival suffered badly with blooming and a loss of vibrancy when viewed off-axis, whereas the Sony remained punchy and controlled at even wide angles.

Sony True RGB vs a mastering monitor

Our final stop on the Sony True RGB tour was a blacked-out room containing the True RGB TV, a Bravia 9 and a Sony BVM-HX3110 mastering monitor. No exposed backlights, no demo material – just real movie content split across the three screens.

Both TVs were in their 'Professional' preset, which is essentially Sony's equivalent of Filmmaker Mode, and is designed to deliver the most accurate picture possible, which really means getting as close to the mastering monitor as possible.

In that regard, the True RGB TV was a clear winner. Its colours were far closer to those of the BVM-HX3110, its viewing angles were much better than those of the Bravia 9, and its blooming was almost non-existent.

The blooming point is an interesting one, I think. While the Bravia 9 is very controlled, the fact that it uses white LEDs means you can get a bit of a white glow around intense coloured highlights on a very dark background, such as the red light in a dark room in Black Widow.

But because the True RGB TV uses coloured light, any glow around highlights is in the same colour as the highlight itself, resulting in a far subtler and more natural effect.

Overall, it was deeply impressive how closely the new True RGB TV emulated the performance of the mastering monitor, while boosting it to a far larger scale, but I do still have a couple of minor concerns about its performance.

First, when Lewis Empson and I reviewed the Bravia 9, we noted that, as a whole, it lacked the solidity, density and three-dimensionality of OLED, and nothing I've seen so far suggests that the True RGB TV is better in this regard.

Ultimately, I strongly suspect these characteristics come from OLED's pixel-level contrast control, which a backlit TV will simply never be able to match.

It's also the case that while the new True RGB TV appears to be able to produce deeper blacks in tricky mixed light images than the Bravia 9 can, it still doesn’t seem able to match an OLED here, either.

Many will argue that True RGB’s advantages over OLED outweigh its disadvantages, and they could well be right. That’s something I’m very much looking forward to putting to the test when we get a final production sample in for comparative testing.

Early verdict

It is worth bearing in mind, of course, that Sony's True RGB TV hasn't even been named yet, so there's likely lots more refinement to come before it hits shops – and before we fully review a production sample in our dedicated test rooms.

And, even at this stage, it looks like a deeply impressive technical achievement that adds 'true' RGB LEDs and next-gen colour control to the envelope-pushing backlighting of the Bravia 9.

Is True RGB an OLED killer? I'm not yet entirely convinced by that, but it certainly appears to take backlit TVs to new, super-vibrant heights – and Sony bringing its picture processing magic and cinematic authenticity to bear in the realm of RGB Mini LED TVs is something to be very excited about indeed.

MORE:

Sony’s ‘True RGB’ TVs are coming – and they were 20 years in the making

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