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The Premium TV Landscape in 2026
In 2026, we’ve seen a flood of new technology terms and marketing acronyms, but choosing a premium TV still comes down to two fundamentally different display technologies: LCD and OLED. LCD TVs have made significant advances in brightness and color gamut this year, thanks to RGB backlighting on some models and enhanced quantum dot layers (“Super Quantum Dots”) on others. Meanwhile, OLED TVs continue to get brighter, narrowing the gap with LCD TVs in one area where they’ve traditionally struggled: performance in brightly lit rooms.
Building on improvements in bright room performance, manufacturers have also refined and expanded the use of specialized screen coatings designed to minimize reflections from ambient lighting. Samsung has improved its “Glare Free” matte screen coating and expanded its availability to more models, while Sony has introduced its own “Immersive Black Screen Pro” technology in its flagship True RGB TVs which we believe is even more effective than Samsung’s Glare Free technology as it introduces no color shift and only minimal loss of black levels in bright rooms. LG has also unveiled its “Reflection Free Premium” screen coating on flagship models, which is effective at minimizing direct reflections while preserving the glossy finish and deep black levels that make OLED TVs so appealing to many buyers.
Increased competition among the five major TV brands—Samsung, TCL, Hisense, LG, and Sony—has also helped stabilize prices, with some models becoming even more affordable. That’s a welcome development in a market where the cost of practically everything else has increased significantly.
Two of the most recognizable TV brands, Sony and TCL, have announced a new partnership called BRAVIA, Inc., through which both companies will collaborate on the design, engineering, manufacturing, and marketing of TVs under the Sony and BRAVIA names. The partnership is expected to make Sony’s TVs more competitive on price by leveraging TCL’s vertical integration and manufacturing expertise while preserving Sony’s strengths in video processing and industrial design. However, with the new company not expected to begin operations until April 2027, the announcement has yet to make a meaningful impact on the TV market.
Meanwhile, OLED TVs, with their self illuminating pixels, have maintained their advantage in several key areas of picture quality, including contrast, black levels, image uniformity, wide viewing angles, and freedom from backlight artifacts such as blooming and haloing. This year, flagship OLED models from LG and Samsung have also achieved brightness levels previously associated with premium LCD TVs. Advances in LCD technology, including RGB backlighting and Super Quantum Dots, are narrowing the performance gap while delivering brighter, more dynamic images in increasingly large screen sizes. However, there is still no true “OLED killer” that can definitively surpass the technology in overall picture quality and accuracy.
2026 has also seen the introduction of Dolby Vision 2, an advanced dynamic HDR format available on select Hisense TVs, with support expected to follow on TCL models. Our early experiences have been positive, particularly in how the technology optimizes existing Dolby Vision content for the capabilities of individual TVs. It also lays the groundwork for further improvements, giving studios and content creators more sophisticated tools to refine picture quality and deliver a more accurate viewing experience.
Methodology
All TVs receiving an Editors’ Choice award underwent hands-on testing by our experienced team of TV reviewers in at least one screen size. Additional screen sizes were evaluated in person at media events, workshops, or trade shows. Beyond picture quality factors such as contrast, black levels, color accuracy, color saturation, and image processing, our editors also considered setup, design, and ease of use when making their selections.
Without further ado, here are our 2026 Editors’ Choice Award winners for TVs.
Samsung S95H QD-OLED TV
As Samsung’s flagship 2026 OLED TV, the S95H offers excellent picture quality, right out of the box, strong performance in both dark and bright rooms, and a robust AI-enhanced user interface that is relatively free from invasive advertising. The Samsung S95H was the only new QD-OLED (Quantum Dot Organic Light Emitting Diode) TV released in 2026 and the tech has really come into its own with impressive peak brightness, outstanding contrast and black levels and highly accurate color reproduction. While the Float Layer metal frame and the Glare Free matte screen may not appeal to everyone, Samsung has created something special with the S95H and we feel it represents the current high water mark for overall picture performance.
Samsung offers the S95H in an 83-inch screen size, using the same industrial design, user interface and picture processing, but with a different type of OLED panel. Performance of this TV also looks promising but we have not done a hands-on review of this model. So our Editors’ Choice pick applies to the 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch models.
Why We Picked It: The S95H offers outstanding picture quality with inky black levels and punchy accurate colors, a slick, responsive interface and great performance in both bright and dark rooms.
Sizes: 55″, 65″, 77″, 83″* ($2,499 – $6,499) at Best Buy
*not a QD-OLED panel
Sony BRAVIA 9 II RGB-Backlit LCD TV
Sony’s first flagship entry into the RGB-backlit LCD TV category is a strong performer, particularly for viewing in rooms with high ambient light thanks to its high peak brightness and the inclusion of the new “Immersive Black Screen Pro” anti-glare screen on all sizes except the 115-inch. In overall performance, the BRAVIA 9 II True RGB TV is the best we’ve seen yet of the RGB-backlit LCD TVs. It is particularly adept at making all content look good, from streaming to standard def DVDs, to fast-moving sports to movies, in any sort of room lighting. And its automatic calibration modes mean you’ll spend less time fiddling with settings and more time just enjoying what you’re watching. While we still prefer OLED TVs for critical viewing in darker rooms, those who want a larger screen or a TV that works well even in bright rooms will find a lot to like in the BRAVIA 9 II.
Why We Picked It: Excellent video performance with any type of content, bright punchy image with excellent color saturation, great value-add features like DTS:X audio support in Sony Pictures Core and Disney+.
Sizes: 65″, 75″, 85″, 115″ ($3,599 – $30,999) at Crutchfield and Best Buy
TCL X11L SQD MiniLED/LCD TV
TCL’s flagship X11L SQD Mini-LED TV is as bright as TVs get, and with its extended color gamut coverage and refined local dimming, it delivers truly attention-grabbing picture quality. It is the first TV to feature the new Super Quantum Dots for extended color and it includes up to 20,000 independently controlled backlight local dimming zones (varies by screen size). It uses TCL’s high-contrast WHVA 2.0 Ultra Panel with an anti-reflective screen filter for strong bright room performance and good off-axis viewing.
Why We Picked It: Bright enough for even the brightest rooms, minimal haloing/blooming thanks to thousands of dimming zones, great black level and contrast performance for an LCD TV.
Sizes: 75″, 85″, 98″ ($4,999 – $9,999) at Amazon and Best Buy
LG C6H OLED TV
Available only in 77” and 83” screen sizes, the LG C6H is the step-down from the flagship G6, but uses the same high performance Quad Stack OLED panel as the flagship model. Cost savings arrive from forgoing the anti-glare screen coating and flush wall-mounting options of the flagship model. The C6H offers the best performance characteristics of OLED tech, such as deep blacks, powerful contrast and rich color, combined with the high brightness levels that you’d typically expect from the best Mini-LED TVs at a more pocket-friendly price.
Why We Picked It: perfect blacks, excellent contrast and bright enough for well lit rooms at a significant discount to the flagship models.
Sizes: 77″, 83″ ($3,699 – $5,999) at Amazon, Crutchfield and Best Buy
Samsung S90H OLED TV
The Samsung S90H OLED TV is the step-down model from the S95H. It sacrifices overall brightness and a small amount of color volume that could be hard to detect in most viewing situations, while keeping a matte (glare-free) screen coating for improved viewing in high ambient lighting. With its solid combination of picture quality and features, the Samsung S90H is recommended for anyone wanting the benefits of OLED at a real-world price.
Why We Picked It: The Samsung S90H presents an excellent value proposition: get the main benefits of OLED (black levels, color saturation and contrast) at a more affordable price.
Sizes: 42″, 48″, 55″, 65″, 77″, 83″ ($1,399 – $5,999) at Amazon and Best Buy
TCL QM8L SQD MiniLED/LCD TV
The TCL QM8L is the step-down from the X11L in the company’s SQD Mini-LED TV lineup for 2026. It offers a marked improvement over last year’s also very impressive QM8K series. It gets a visible, and measurable upgrade in color performance through the introduction of Super Quantum Dots, and its Halo Control System with a 26-bit backlight controller and up to 4,000 local dimming zones mean that backlight blooming artifacts are nearly non-existent. The QM8L series is also a great TV for gaming, with 4K/144Hz support across four HDMI 2.1 ports and its ZeroBorder design gives it an almost bezel-free “all-screen” look.
Why We Picked It: The TCL QM8L offers performance very close to the X11L flagship at a substantially lower price.
Sizes: 65″, 75″, 85″, 98″ ($2,499 – $5,999) at Amazon and Best Buy
Hisense UR9 RGB MiniLED/LCD TV
The Hisense UR9 offers strong overall performance and good value in an RGB Backlit MiniLED TV. And it represents the company’s second generation offering, addressing many of the issues in its first generation RGB lit TVs. While its feature set and overall performance lag slightly behind RGB TV competitors such as the Samsung R95H and Sony BRAVIA 9 II, it sells for appreciably less than both of those models. Also, thanks to a recent software update, the UR9 is the first TV in North America to offer Dolby Vision 2 dynamic HDR. The inclusion of Dolby Vision 2 takes the UR9’s performance on current 4K Dolby Vision content up a notch in picture quality, compared to when we initially reviewed it. It also makes the UR9 ready for the future as studios, streaming services and content developers begin to roll out content optimized for Dolby Vision 2.
Note that the price of the UR9 can vary significantly. At the time of publication, the 65-inch model is selling for $2,199 but we have seen it sell for as low as $1,699, making it a much better value.
Why We Picked It: Solid RGB-backlit performance for the money and future upgradability, thanks to inclusion of Dolby Vision 2.
Sizes: 65″, 75″, 85″, 100″ ($2,199 – $9,999) at Best Buy.
Price Comparison Table (As of October, 2026)
Current prices at the time of publication are listed below from our Editors’ Choice 2026 Award winners.
Related Reading
- 2026 Value Electronics TV Shootout Crowns New Kings of OLED and RGB TV
- Podcast with Caleb Denison: State of the A/V Market from CEDIA Expo (Sept 2026)
- Podcast with Chris Boylan and Al Griffin: Best TVs of 2026: Editors’ Choice (July 2026)
ORT
October 19, 2026 at 11:17 pm
Chris, great information so thank you for this one! I own Hisense and TCL televisions with the one I watch movies on in my
“Media Room”, LOL! being my absolute favorite. The TCL QM9K 75″ with 4 TCL Z100 Dolby Atmos speakers.
I am not worthy!
ORT
Chris Boylan
October 20, 2026 at 5:47 pm
Hey, ORT!
Thanks for the (positive) feedback. It was a joint effort with Al Griffin, our new TV reviewer. The QM9K is a great TV. You should enjoy that for years to come. Do you have a TCL sub with those Z100 speakers? If not, get one, as it makes a big difference. TCL rolled out a firmware update this past May (v643) to support a total of 5 Dolby Atmos FlexConnect speakers, including a subwoofer. When it first launched, you were limited to 4 speakers total for Flex Connect, but that has changed. Enjoy!