Head-to-head
LG C5 vs Samsung S95F
These are two of the best OLEDs you can buy, and the choice comes down to your room and one missing feature. The LG C5 is the value flagship at around $1,499: reference-grade perfect blacks, a full 144Hz HDMI 2.1 gaming suite, and Dolby Vision HDR — the do-everything pick for dark and mixed-light rooms. The Samsung S95F is the bright one at around $2,199: a QD-OLED panel pushing past 2,000 nits with the best anti-glare coating in the category, which makes it the OLED to buy for a room with windows and lamps — but Samsung still refuses to support Dolby Vision, so the most common premium HDR format falls back to HDR10+. In a dim room both look spectacular; in a bright room the Samsung pulls ahead; on Dolby Vision discs and streams, only the LG plays along. Here's how to choose.
 LG C5 OLED LG |  Samsung S95F OLED Samsung | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.0 | 9.2 |
| Price | $1,499 | $2,199 |
| Verdict | The default OLED for most movie-and-gaming rooms: flagship picture fundamentals and a complete 144Hz gaming suite at a mainstream price. | Samsung's brightest, most bright-room-friendly OLED and TechRadar's 2025 TV of the Year — provided you don't need Dolby Vision. |
| Best for | Most buyers who watch movies and game in dark-to-moderately-lit rooms and want perfect blacks plus a full HDMI 2.1 gaming setup without paying flagship prices. | Buyers who want the best all-round OLED picture in a room with some light: exceptional brightness, the best matte anti-glare screen on the market, vivid wide color, and a full 165Hz gaming suite. |
| Avoid if | Your room is bright and sunny, or you want the highest possible brightness — a mini-LED like the Sony Bravia 9 or Hisense U8QG, or the brighter Samsung S95F, will suit you better. | You rely on Dolby Vision content, want the most accurate letterbox-black detail, or want to spend less — the LG C5 costs far less, and mini-LEDs like the Sony Bravia 9 go even brighter. |
| Score breakdown | ||
| size value | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| gaming features | 9.5 | 9.3 |
| motion handling | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| picture quality | 9.5 | 9.7 |
| brightness room fit | 7.5 | 9.0 |
| Specs | ||
| HDR | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG | HDR10, HDR10+, HLG (no Dolby Vision) |
| Audio | 2.2ch Dolby Atmos | OTS+, Dolby Atmos, Q-Symphony |
| Panel | OLED evo (WOLED) | QD-OLED |
| Sizes | 42, 48, 55, 65, 77, 83 in | 55, 65, 77, 83 in |
| Gaming | VRR, G-Sync, FreeSync, ALLM, ~10ms lag | VRR, FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM |
| Smart OS | webOS 25 | Tizen |
| Processor | Alpha 9 AI Gen8 | NQ4 AI Gen3 |
| Refresh rate | 144Hz | 165Hz |
| HDMI 2.1 ports | 4 | 4 |
| Peak brightness | ~1,200 nits HDR (3% window) | ~2,000-2,400 nits HDR |
| Screen | — | OLED Glare Free 2.0 matte anti-glare |
| Buy → | Buy → | |
Final verdict
Buy the LG C5 if your room is dark to mixed, you want Dolby Vision, or you just want the most OLED for the money — it's the value champion and the safer default for most people. Buy the Samsung S95F if your room fights you with sunlight and lamps and you'll pay a premium for the brightness and anti-glare screen that keep an OLED watchable in the light — just know you're giving up Dolby Vision to get there. Match it to your room: dark-room-and-Dolby-Vision points to LG; bright-room points to Samsung.
PickGrade may earn a commission from purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This never affects our grades. Full disclosure.