The LG C-series is a bit of a mess right now, and it’s all the better for it

Last year, I called the LG C5 “the best TV for most people”, and that sentiment certainly rings true for the LG C6, which is an even better TV.

We have just awarded it five stars, and while I won’t give our full review away, the bottom line is that there are loads of picture and sound improvements that LG has been very modest about leading up to the release of this highly anticipated TV.

It’s a terrific TV, and it fixes the few niggles we had with the Award-winning C5; but that doesn’t change the fact that the C-series is, and has been for a while, a little bit of a mess. Thankfully, I love that.

The C-series has always floated around in the mid-range of LG’s OLED lineup. It is more premium and has a better feature set than the B-series, but it doesn't get the top-of-the-line panel technology and sleek design of the G-series. And that’s perfectly fine.

For many years, we championed these Goldilocks TVs, as by our performance-per-pound metric, they offered just the right performance for the asking price.

All that changed last year, however, as the latest generation of flagship OLED TVs – which includes the Product of the Year-winning Sony Bravia 8 II and other five-star sets such as the LG G5, Samsung S95F and Panasonic Z95B – really set themselves apart and justified the additional outlay.

Panel technology has come on leaps and bounds since then, with Primary RGB Tandem OLED and QD-OLED now fully established as the step-up options that deliver richer colours, faster refresh rates, and sublime brightness.

That has never affected the C-series, as the C3, C4, and C5 have all used the “traditional” OLED panels, also known as OLED EX. While there have been incremental brightness bumps and improvements in picture processing and tuning, the C-series has stayed in its mid-range lane.

That changes this year. The C6 now comes with a Primary RGB Tandem OLED, but only in its two largest sizes: 77- and 83-inches. Furthermore, it comes equipped with the flagship Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor, whereas previous models have sported the step-down Alpha 9-series processor.

There was once a time when the G-series and C-series were much more aligned – the C2 and G2 from 2022, for example, used very similar panels and processors. That changed from the C3 and G3 onwards.

It now seems as though LG has gone full circle, which is both confusing and great for home cinema fans who want premium features at a cut-down price. Especially, of course, if you’re looking at the larger sizes with that premium panel technology.

When I caught up with LG at CES 2026, I was told that the 77- and 83-inch C6 models are essentially a “G5 plus”, as they seem to use the first-generation Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel that featured on the G5. They even have the new Hyper Radiant Colour technology, and a slightly lesser version of LG’s anti-reflectivity screen tech that is featured on the G6.

With this in mind, I wouldn't be surprised if prospective TV buyers are umming and ahhing at the decision of whether they should pony up the extra cash for the G6 or save with the C6 and get a lot of what the more premium TV has to offer.

This comparison is less close, it must be noted, at the 55- and 65-inch sizes. The clear distinction with the smaller screens is that the C6 uses a WOLED panel, while the G6 gets Primary RGB Tandem OLED.

That being said, we run into a similar problem again at the smaller end of the scale. The C6 and G6 both come in a 48-inch size, and that, too, essentially sounds like the same TV on paper.

Primary RGB Tandem OLED panels don’t come in this size, meaning both sets use WOLED panels and the Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor. If I were your average TV customer and not clued into the AV world to such an extent, I bet I would head straight towards the cheaper of the two.

Now, there are, of course, going to be differences between the models. I highly doubt – and sincerely hope – that LG is going to simply repackage a C6 into that lovely G6 chassis, whack a higher price on it and call it a day; but we'll need to test these TVs to discern exactly what the differences are between them.

The bottom line is that, as of now, the C6 is in its awkward in-between phase. It reminds me of a plot thread from a little film called Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

Anakin Skywalker is granted a place on the Jedi Council in that film, but he is not promoted to Jedi Master. Much like how the LG C6 has been upgraded to include a lot of LG’s top-of-the-range tech, but not been granted the flagship title.

With overlapping features and changes between generations that have widened and closed the gap between the mid-range and flagship models, the C-series can feel like a TV that needs to get its act together. Still, considering how amazing the past three generations of the set have been, I don't mind that at all.

MORE:

Read our full LG OLED65C6 review

As well as our LG OLED65G5 review

And check out our picks for the best OLED TVs