TV Buyers Boycott Sony, LG! Champion of Premium Flagship TV Brands: 'Outstanding Picture Quality, Bright Colors, No Reflection' – Truly Top-Tier

The U.S. annual TV comparison known as the 'TV Shootout'—often dubbed the 'Oscars of the TV industry'—has announced its 2026 results. This year’s biggest highlight is Samsung ending Sony’s seven-year reign in the OLED market, with its S95H QD-OLED claiming the title of Best OLED TV of the Year. Meanwhile, in the LCD (RGB LED) category, the Sony Bravia 9 II secured the top spot with outstanding overall performance, reaffirming Sony’s strength in the high-end LCD market.

2026 TV Shootout Results: 6 Flagship Models Go Head-to-Head

Hosted since 2004 by Value Electronics, a renowned U.S. audiovisual retailer, the 'TV Shootout' invites professional video calibrators, AV media, and industry experts each year to evaluate flagship TVs side-by-side. It is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative TV assessments globally.

Six flagship models competed in 2026:

OLED Category - Samsung S95H QD-OLED - LG OLED65G6 - Sony BRAVIA 8 II (K65XR80M2)

LCD (RGB LED) Category - Samsung MRN75R95H - Sony Bravia 9 II (K75XR90M2) - LG 75MRGB95B

All competing TVs were professionally calibrated and benchmarked against four Sony BVM-HX3110 professional reference monitors. Evaluations covered color accuracy, brightness, clarity, shadow detail, and motion smoothness.

Samsung S95H Wins OLED Crown with Superior HDR Performance

The Samsung S95H QD-OLED scored 9.3 out of 10, claiming the 2026 OLED Champion title.

Its biggest strength was HDR picture quality, scoring 4.7 out of 5—0.7 points ahead of the runner-up. In SDR, it earned 4.6 points, slightly above the Sony BRAVIA 8 II’s 4.5, demonstrating comprehensive picture superiority. This marks the first time Samsung has defeated Sony in the TV Shootout’s OLED category, ending a seven-year winning streak.

Users who have experienced the Samsung S95H QD-OLED firsthand shared: 'In person, the C5 and G5 had much more glare compared to the S95'; 'If you care about reflections, Samsung is unmatched'; 'My impression completely changed after using it—the transparency and black levels are slightly worse in bright rooms, but the trade-off is extreme anti-glare, giving a canvas-like viewing experience, which is amazing. I used to get eye strain from glossy screens, but the matte finish greatly reduces fatigue'; 'Samsung’s only issue is the cool tone, but high-end models are truly top-tier'; 'The brightness and color performance, especially in blues and magentas, are astonishing. This is what I’ve been waiting for—finally, OLED has achieved it. I’ll jump in once the price drops'; 'Got the S95H—it’s incredibly bright and an excellent TV.'

Sony Remains King of High-End LCD with Bravia 9 II Winning Best RGB LED

Although Sony lost the OLED crown, it maintains leadership in the LCD market.

The Sony BRAVIA 8 II delivered stable performance in the OLED category, with SDR picture quality nearly matching Samsung. Meanwhile, the RGB LED-powered Sony Bravia 9 II excelled in HDR, earning the highest score among LCD (RGB LED) flagships this year.

Since OLED and RGB LED are different display technologies with distinct evaluation criteria, direct comparison isn’t feasible. Nevertheless, the Sony Bravia 9 II is considered the most recommended high-end LCD TV of 2026.

RGB LED Emerges as the New Standard for Flagship LCDs—Color and Brightness Leap Forward

Another key trend in 2026 is RGB LED technology becoming the new mainstream for high-end LCD TVs.

Compared to traditional white LED with color filters, RGB LED uses separate red, green, and blue light sources, reducing light loss and enabling more accurate color reproduction, higher brightness, and improved contrast—narrowing the gap with OLED.

All three LCD flagships in this year’s shootout used RGB LED, signaling that major brands now view it as a core direction for premium products.

OLED Brightness Makes a Leap—Breaking the 'Only for Dark Rooms' Myth

Alongside RGB LED’s rise, OLED panels also achieved a breakthrough in 2026.

While OLED has long been praised for perfect blacks and contrast, many consumers felt it lacked sufficient brightness for well-lit environments.

However, the Samsung S95H QD-OLED demonstrated a significant leap in HDR peak brightness, maintaining vivid colors and detail even in bright scenes. This shatters the long-held perception that 'OLEDs aren’t bright enough and are only suitable for dark rooms,' indicating OLED technology has entered a new phase.

Further Discussion: 'PTT', 'Reddit', 'Reddit'

Source: Value Electronics

Editor: Li Yiqing