We’re in the run-up to the biggest event in home cinema and hi-fi fans’ calendars, the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2026 – where we will unveil this year’s Product of the Year winners at an exclusive black-tie ceremony.
But ahead of that, we’ve already had one huge shake-up in a key category: best OLED TVs.
After months of comparative testing in our dedicated viewing rooms, running all the latest sets we could get our hands on that are still on sale head-to-head, it was a bit of a bloodbath, with our advice completely changing last week.
And while the focus may be on the Samsung S99H dethroning the Sony Bravia 8 II as the best premium OLED TV – a development that surprised everyone on the team, including TV and AV Editor Tom Parsons – or the 65-inch C6 finally replacing the older C5 as our mid-range recommendation, it was another smaller set that caught my attention.
Specifically, the 48-inch LG C6.
Why this set? Because it's the biggest upgrade we’ve seen to small OLEDs in nearly half a decade.
In case you’re new to What Hi-Fi?, the home cinema team and I have long lamented the lack of innovation happening in small OLED TVs compared to their larger siblings.
Larger OLEDs, especially flagships, have been flooded with new hardware over the past few years. Within LG’s stack alone, we’ve seen not one, but two next-generation panels launch – first, Micro Lens Array, then the current Primary RGB Tandem OLED tech seen on the LG G6.
And that’s a huge shame for buyers who can’t accommodate big sets as, though there have been teething pains, the new panel tech has holistically been a positive.
Higher peak and operating brightness levels, better colour volume and accuracy, especially during dark scenes; the tech, when utilised correctly, can radically improve picture quality.
We’ve run the new TVs against basic WOLED and previous-generation MLA sets to confirm that.
So, it should make sense that we wanted to see it trickle down to smaller, more affordable sets.
And while LG has remained cagey, bluntly refusing our requests for confirmation of the specific panel used on the 48-inch C6, our testing suggests our wish may have finally been granted.
Comparing it to older models, its peak brightness, colour accuracy and general similarity to larger Primary RGB Tandem OLED sets add up to make a compelling case. Our primary reviewer, and senior staff writer, Lewis Empson said as much in our review, where he reported:
“If our theory is correct, it’s likely the cheapest way to acquire an RGB Tandem OLED TV, and if it’s not, then we’d really like to know how LG has pumped the brightness and vibrancy up to this extent. Regardless, it’s fully featured, talented in the picture and sound departments, and it proves that you don’t need to sacrifice a considerable chunk of your living room to achieve a cinematically satisfying experience.”
So even if it doesn't have it, the 48-inch C6 is the best small OLED we’ve ever tested – which is a huge positive and the reason we’ve had to completely change our OLED TV buying advice this month.
Here's hoping it's the start of a trend in the small OLED TV market...
MORE:
These are the best TVs we’ve reviewed
We rank the best small TVs
Our picks of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars
