LG makes the best OLED TVs on the market, full stop. Their C-series has been the default recommendation for home theater enthusiasts for years, and the 2025-2026 lineup continues that dominance. But LG also sells QNED (Mini-LED) and budget LCD TVs that aren't nearly as impressive — knowing which tier to buy is the key decision.
Quick answer
- Best overall: LG C5 OLED — the benchmark. Perfect blacks, Dolby Vision, 4K/144Hz, best gaming features
- Best value: LG C4 OLED — same picture as C5, lower clearance price. Buy this if you find it on sale
- Best premium: LG G5 Gallery OLED — brighter than C5, flush wall mount, MLA technology
- Best budget OLED: LG B4 — entry-level OLED, still real OLED blacks at a lower price
- Best non-OLED: LG QNED90 — Mini-LED for bright rooms where OLED's price is too high
LG C5 vs C4 — which to buy?
This is the most common question. The honest answer: buy whichever is cheaper at the time you're shopping.
The C5 is the 2025 model with a slightly updated processor. The C4 is the 2024 model that performs virtually identically for movie watching and gaming. If the C4 is $200+ cheaper (which it often is during clearance), buy the C4. If they're close in price, get the C5 for the newer processor and longer software update timeline.
Both have:
- OLED panel with perfect blacks
- Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos passthrough
- 4 HDMI 2.1 ports (all supporting 4K/144Hz, VRR, ALLM)
- eARC on HDMI 2
- Sub-2ms input lag in Game Mode
- webOS smart TV platform
Our picks
LG C5 OLED — best overall LG TV
The C5 is the TV that every other TV is compared against. OLED panel with per-pixel dimming delivers perfect blacks — dark scenes look exactly as the director intended, with zero light bleed or blooming. Dolby Vision IQ adjusts brightness based on your room's ambient light. All four HDMI 2.1 ports run at full 48Gbps bandwidth, which means you can connect a PS5, Xbox, Apple TV, and Blu-ray player without any compromises.
The webOS Gaming Dashboard makes switching between game and movie modes effortless. The α11 processor handles upscaling and motion processing well. Out-of-box calibration is close enough to reference that most people won't need to adjust anything beyond brightness.
Not ideal for: Very bright rooms with direct sunlight — OLED is more susceptible to washout than Mini-LED.
LG C5 OLED on Amazon (paid link)
LG C4 OLED — best value LG TV
Same OLED technology, same perfect blacks, same Dolby Vision, same 4 HDMI 2.1 ports. The C4 uses the α9 Gen7 processor instead of the C5's α11 — the difference is invisible in normal viewing. Buy this if it's cheaper than the C5, which it usually is.
55" models typically $950-1,100 on sale. 65" models $1,300-1,500 on sale. These are the best OLED prices available.
LG C4 OLED on Amazon (paid link)
LG G5 Gallery OLED — best premium LG TV
The G5 is LG's flagship. It uses MLA (Micro Lens Array) technology that makes the OLED panel significantly brighter than the C5 — this reduces the gap between OLED and Mini-LED in bright rooms. The flush wall mount is included (designed to sit flat against the wall like a picture frame), and the overall build quality is a step above the C-series.
Buy the G5 if brightness in a moderately bright room is your concern, or if you want the absolute best picture quality LG offers. For most people, the C5 or C4 is enough.
LG G5 Gallery OLED on Amazon (paid link)
LG B4 OLED — cheapest OLED
The B4 is LG's entry into OLED. It has the same self-emissive panel technology — perfect blacks, wide viewing angles, Dolby Vision — but with a less powerful processor (α8) and slightly lower peak brightness than the C-series. Two of the four HDMI ports are full HDMI 2.1; the other two are HDMI 2.0.
For movie watching, the B4 looks nearly identical to the C4. The differences show in gaming (fewer HDMI 2.1 ports, higher input lag) and very bright HDR content (lower peak brightness). If you primarily watch movies and TV shows, the B4 is an excellent way to get OLED quality at the lowest price.
LG B4 OLED on Amazon (paid link)
LG QNED90 MiniLED — best for bright rooms on a budget
If OLED's price is too high or your room is extremely bright, the QNED90 is LG's best alternative. Mini-LED backlighting with quantum dots and NanoCell technology. It gets bright enough for sunny rooms and supports Dolby Vision, 4K/120Hz, and VRR.
Black levels don't match OLED, and local dimming can produce visible blooming around bright objects in dark scenes. But for the price, it's a solid TV that handles bright rooms better than any OLED at this cost.
LG QNED90 on Amazon (paid link)
All LG TVs have eARC on HDMI 2
Every recent LG TV (C3, C4, C5, G4, G5, B4) has eARC on HDMI 2. This is the port that sends audio to your soundbar or AV receiver. Don't plug streaming devices or game consoles into HDMI 2 — that port is for your audio output only.
For soundbar recommendations that work seamlessly with LG TVs, see: Best soundbar for LG TV
LG vs Samsung: which to buy?
Choose LG if: You watch in a dark or moderately lit room, Dolby Vision matters, you want the best gaming TV, or you want the cleanest smart TV interface (webOS is less ad-heavy than Samsung's Tizen).
Choose Samsung if: Your room is very bright (Samsung's Mini-LED and anti-glare are superior), you want Samsung ecosystem integration (Q-Symphony, SmartThings), or you prefer Samsung's design options (The Frame).
See: Best Samsung TV
FAQ
Is the LG C5 worth it over the C4? Only if the price difference is small ($100 or less). The picture quality is virtually identical. The C5 has a slightly newer processor and will receive software updates for longer.
Do LG TVs support HDR10+? No. LG TVs support Dolby Vision and HDR10 but not HDR10+ (Samsung's format). In practice, this rarely matters — most content that has HDR10+ also has Dolby Vision, and Dolby Vision is the better format.
Should I buy OLED or QNED? OLED if your budget allows and your room isn't extremely bright. The picture quality difference is significant — once you see OLED blacks, it's hard to go back. QNED is a reasonable compromise if OLED is out of budget.
How long do LG OLED TVs last? Modern OLED panels are rated for 100,000+ hours. Burn-in is possible with static content (news tickers, game HUDs) but is not a practical concern with normal mixed-use viewing.
Related guides
- Best soundbar for LG TV — WOW Orchestra and eARC picks
- Best Samsung TV — LG's main competitor compared
- Best TV for movies — cross-brand movie-watching picks
- Best gaming TV for PS5 and Xbox — gaming-specific recommendations