LG says “OLED is still king” – and I agree (at least for now)
Last week, I spent the day checking out several LG 2026 TVs alongside members of the company’s product development team. That day, one word kept coming up: “OLED is still king”.
Not too surprising to hear this from LG. Although it came from members of LG Electronics instead of the panel-producing division of LG Display, the truth is that the LG organization as a whole is more invested in OLED technology than any of its competitors.
Therefore, when LG launched an RGB Mini LED TV this year (somewhat under the name ‘Micro RGB’), it feels like the company is responding to market pressure rather than leading with confidence. LG is placing this MRGB set below its flagship OLED models – and possibly below the C6, although that will only become clear once the price is confirmed.
According to LG’s Maarten-Joost Möller, the brand’s MRGB TV is “for people who want to have a big TV with a lot of light”.
“It’s a particularly big TV,” he continues, and one to buy “if [someone doesn’t] you want to spend money on OLED, because 90-inch OLED, or 75-inch [OLED]sometimes it’s too expensive for some people.”
But while LG is clearly interested in defending OLED in the face of the “OLED killer” claims made by many of its competitors, I actually agree with its sentiments that “OLED is still king”.
Each pixel is lit individually, so it’s like having 8.3 million dimming areas with great contrast, no blooming, and flawless viewing angles. No pressure haloing, no light output to soften, no backlight algorithm trying to guess what should be dark.
Watch the dimly lit hallway scene in between Alien: Romulus and the difference is clear. The inky blacks of deep space, the pinnacles of strong industrial light, the subtle order in the shadows – with OLED, those elements live together naturally. Even with the best backlight sets, you can often, however slowly, have a system that works in the background to keep the blooms and gray hairs going.
These qualities, to me, are more important than other thousands of nits of high brightness. They make for a more immersive cinematic experience, where you’re completely focused on the film rather than the technical gym your TV does to hide the fine technical constraints of its panel.
That doesn’t mean OLED is perfect. High brightness still follows the most extreme Mini LED sets, and the largest panels are always expensive. If you’re looking for a 100-inch screen with incredible brightness for less than the price of a new car, the RGB Mini LED currently can’t be beat.
But for overall balance – contrast accuracy, viewing angles, black depth, and cinematic realism – OLED still leads.
There’s still every chance that one of this year’s RGB or SQD Mini LED TVs will surprise me and really challenge OLED’s dominance. I hope that happens – competition drives progress, and better image quality is good for everyone. I’m just trying to capture it.
For now, at least, I’m inclined to agree with LG.
