Rick's 2026 TV of the Year — The Overall Winner

The LG C6 65" at $2,499 is the TV I recommend to most buyers in 2026. Here's why: the C6 got LG's flagship Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 processor (same chip as the $3,499 G6). That's the rare upgrade that genuinely matters — better upscaling, better motion, better HDR tone mapping. Add 1,438 nits peak brightness (real bright-room performance), 4× HDMI 2.1 (multi-console parity with Samsung), 165Hz + full VRR stack (G-Sync + FreeSync + ALLM), webOS 26 with Gemini + Copilot AI, GeForce Now 4K@120 cloud gaming (2026 LG OLED exclusive), Dolby Vision support — and the lowest input lag of any 2026 TV measured (~9ms at 4K@120). The C6 isn't the brightest TV (TCL QM8L wins that), the cheapest (Hisense U7N wins that), or the most prestigious (LG G6 wins that). It's the TV that delivers 95% of any superlative for ~70% of any flagship's price. After 28 years of installs, that's the calculus I make for every paying client. The C6 wins on it.

TCL QM8L at $2,499 is the spec-sheet winner of 2026 — same SQD Mini-LED panel as the $7K X11L flagship, 6,000 nits peak, 4,000 zones, 4× HDMI 2.1. Beats the C6 in bright rooms. Only loses to it on brand reliability (TCL sits below LG long-term) and OLED contrast (which Mini-LED can never match).

Samsung S90H — same $2,500 tier, same QD-OLED panel quality. Wins for Samsung-ecosystem buyers, loses to the C6 on Dolby Vision (Samsung still doesn't support it) and webOS 26 (Tizen 2026 is good but webOS edges it).

Hisense U7SG at $1,699. Flagship-spec stack (3,000 nits + 165Hz + 4× HDMI 2.1 + ATSC 3.0) at mid-tier price. If C6 budget is too rich, this is the smarter spend than dropping to a 2025 OLED clearance.

LG G6 at $3,499 is the OLED most reviewers would pick if money is no object. 2,268 nits + Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 + included Gallery Wall Mount. But you're paying $1,000 more than the C6 for ~20% brightness gain that only matters in direct-sun rooms.