Samsung S85H vs LG B6: which budget OLED TV is the best buy

What was tested

TechRadar has compared Samsung's S85H and LG's B6, the two brands' entry-level OLED TVs for 2026, in a side-by-side test published on 10 November 2026. The comparison used the LG B6E, a variant that shares the same panel and processing as the B6 but drops a couple of AI features and has a different back panel design.

The timing matters because Black Friday deals have already started at some retailers, and both TVs are candidates for the best budget OLED TV this season.

Colour and detail

In Filmmaker Mode, a picture setting designed to show films as directors intended, both TVs delivered excellent colour reproduction. TechRadar found the LG B6E's colours looked more vibrant in the scenes tested, with punchier reds in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and bolder greens, reds and skin tones in The Sound of Music.

The Samsung S85H had its own strengths. Its textures appeared crisper, giving people and objects a more three-dimensional look, and details such as clothing creases looked more refined.

Brightness and contrast

Measured brightness was very close. The S85H reached 833 nits of peak HDR brightness in a 10 per cent window in Filmmaker Mode, while the B6E hit 808 nits. In full-screen HDR the Samsung measured 158 nits against the LG's 143 nits.

In practice the results flipped. Watching a desert scene from Lawrence of Arabia, the B6E showed brighter whites and sky, which TechRadar attributes to its processor. Contrast was similarly close, with the B6E showing punchier HDR highlights in The Batman and Project Hail Mary, while the S85H produced deeper black tones in dim viewing conditions.

Shared limitations

Both TVs have reflective screens, which made dark-scene viewing harder. Neither matched the mid-range Samsung S90H, which has an effective anti-glare coating. Buyers will need to consider how bright their room is.

Gaming features are nearly identical. Both have four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K at 120Hz, full variable refresh rate support and very low input lag.

Which one to buy

Prices currently favour the LG. The 55-inch S85H costs $999, £999 or AU$1,899, while the 55-inch B6E costs $799, £999 or AU$1,699, making the LG cheaper in the US and Australia. TechRadar's star pick among early Black Friday deals is the 48-inch B6 at Best Buy for $599.

TechRadar concludes that picture quality differences are small, so the best buy is whichever model has the strongest deal. It expects S85H prices to fall and match the B6 in other sizes as Black Friday approaches.