Need to know
- LG and Samsung dominate the TV market in Australia, with TVs across a range of prices and sizes
- Both brands make quality TVs, but which brand is right for you depends on a number of factors
- CHOICE experts have been testing TVs for more than 50 years. Our detailed reviews can help you find the best TV for your needs
Researching which new TV to buy is a big job, made more difficult by all the terminology and new features available in modern TVs: LCD or OLED? HDR10+ or Dolby Vision? And what about the size?
Once you've decided on these factors, you'll be faced with the next big question: which brand?
If you're looking for a new TV, chances are that Samsung and LG are on your radar. And for good reason: they're the two biggest names in the TV world, and their products frequently top our TV reviews. (Although not all of them top the charts, so check our expert TV reviews before you buy so you don't end up with a dud.)
Samsung and LG are the two biggest names in the TV world and their products frequently top our TV reviews
"Several years ago, the Australian TV market had a healthy level of competition, with Sony, Panasonic, LG, Samsung and Sharp fighting it out in Australian lounge rooms," says CHOICE TV expert Denis Gallagher.
"Today it's basically a battle between Samsung and LG, with Hisense, Sony and TLC fighting for the minor placings, particularly for mid-priced TVs."
Samsung and LG compared
Everyone has different priorities when it comes to choosing a TV, whether it's certain features you're after, a specific size you want to suit your living space, great sound quality, or a budget you need to stick to.
It's also important to consider the brand itself, including things such as:
- how reliable their products are
- their track record in customer service and customer satisfaction
- the type of warranty they offer
- whether technical support or repair is available if something goes wrong.
About the companies
Both LG and Samsung are reputable, large-scale companies who've been on the scene for quite some time.
They produce a large range of products including whitegoods, vacuums, air conditioners and home appliances.
They're both South Korean manufacturers, although hardly any of their TVs for the Australian market are made in Korea any more. LG TVs are predominantly made in Indonesia; Samsung TVs are generally manufactured in Vietnam.
Operating systems
LG uses the Web OS operating system, while Samsung uses Tizen. Both operating systems cater heavily to a smart TV environment, with a strong focus on streaming apps, connectivity with other devices in your home and the use of a voice assistant.
"Updates to the operating systems will provide additional functionality and features such as extra streaming channels or improved smart home control," says Denis.
"However, sometimes a feature you like will be removed, which can be frustrating. After a few years, updates on features will be less likely as many improvements require the latest processing chip."
If your TV reaches the stage of no further OS updates, it doesn't mean it will be useless.
"Don't worry – you'll be left with a TV that performs just as well as before, but not as well as the latest and greatest model."
Read more about what changes to your operating system can mean.
Price
The LG TVs in our review range in price from $699 for a 43-inch LCD TV through to $4299 for a 65-inch OLED TV.
The Samsung TVs in our review range in price from $595 for a 43-inch LCD TV through to $3499 for a 64-inch OLED TV.
"While smart TVs made dramatic improvements in connectivity and ease of use several years ago, this rate of improvement has become incremental over the last year or two," says Denis.
"So don't be afraid to purchase a TV that was released in 2024 if you can find it for a good price – you'll get similar features and performance for less money."
The LG remote (left) has more defined buttons, while the Samsung remote (right) is more minimalist in its design.
Remotes
The remote control is crucial to the TV's operation and makes up a significant part of the CHOICE Expert Rating for a TV.
"One of the biggest differences between LG and Samsung TVs is the remote control," says Denis.
"The remote for the Samsung is an attractive design but not intuitive, while the LG remote offers much better control over common menu selections.
"Both remotes allow you to perform many actions to control the TV, but the Samsung remote requires more button presses to get the job done."
If you're comfortable with the use of voice assistants such as Google, Siri or Alexa and don't mind drilling through menus rather than buttons on your remote, then the Samsung solution should not cause you concern.
If you have trouble seeing the buttons on your remote and prefer to have clearly defined buttons to perform specific tasks (such as changing channels, launching Netflix, or changing the input), and you like colour-coding to find your Freeview TV channels, then the LG remote may be more suitable.
Screen types
LG is typically known for its OLED TVs, which it's been producing for more than a decade.
OLEDs have steadily improved in terms of screen quality and brightness to the point where OLED models routinely receive some of our highest overall scores, known as CHOICE Expert Ratings.
Samsung offers an alternative premium TV option with its Neo QLED TVs, but it's since entered the OLED game as well. Even so, the Neo QLED range is still Samsung's bread and butter. (Not sure what OLED and QLED mean? We cover this below.)
Warranty
Both brands offer a one-year standard warranty. Some of the more expensive models offer warranties up to five years. (Don't forget that you're still covered by the Australian Consumer Law, regardless of the manufacturer warranty.)
Overall brand vs individual model
While both LG and Samsung have reputations that are well-founded, buying based on brand alone can sometimes leave you disappointed. The performance, features and usability of specific product models can vary significantly – so don't assume that all products from a reputable brand will give you what you want.
Buying based on brand alone can sometimes leave you disappointed
The best thing to do is to focus on individual models by checking CHOICE reviews to find the best TVs before you buy, but there are some feature and function differences between LG and Samsung that may appeal to your particular needs.
CHOICE best TV brand
We use our TV test results along with feedback from our members on satisfaction and reliability to come up with a best TV brand each year.
LG is undoubtedly ahead on our CHOICE Best Brand TV scores: it's taken out the gong every year since 2016.
Not only that, but LG ranks higher on just about every metric that contributes to a Best Brand score: reliability, customer satisfaction, average test score, and more.
Samsung's scores certainly aren't to be sniffed at, though: it's not far behind for many of the scores. Sony is also a strong contender.
Here's how they stack up:
| Brand | LG | Samsung |
|---|---|---|
| Best Brand score | 83% | 76% |
| Average test score | 80% | 74% |
| Reliability score | 87% | 85% |
| Customer satisfaction score | 91% | 88% |
| Recommended ratio* | 65% | 35% |
| Number of models tested | 60 | 57 |
| Number of recommended models | 39 | 20 |
*Recommended ratio: We calculate the percentage of TVs that we recommend against the total number of TVs tested in each brand. This includes currently available and discontinued models. The greater the number of models that earn a recommendation, the higher the recommended ratio score, rounded to the nearest whole.
LCD vs OLED screens – which is better?
Here are the basics of what you need to know about LCD vs OLED:
- LCD TVs are typically brighter than OLED. In rooms where lighting is inconsistent, they may perform better than OLEDs. However, colours don't tend to be as rich or vibrant and dark scenes can look a little grey.
- OLED screens are usually more expensive than LCDs and can provide superior contrast and viewing angles, as well as being slimmer. But OLED technology can't get as bright as LCD, so you'll need a darker room for optimal viewing.
An LCD screen type that is also attracting attention is QLED (quantum light emitting diode). Samsung TVs have typically come with QLED screens, but they've made a foray into OLEDs in recent years. QLED replicates the contrast and vibrant look of an OLED while delivering a brighter picture.
If the TV is well made, whether it's LCD or OLED will make very little difference to the quality of the image
Denis Gallagher, CHOICE TV expert
"If the TV is well made, whether it's LCD or OLED will make very little difference to the quality of the image. A good image is a good image. We've seen great performance from both screen types," says Denis.
"There are differences but for the most part they're a good deal less important than the quality of the manufacturer."
How can you tell which screen type is right for you? Denis breaks it down:
- If you can control the lighting in your TV room (making it dark by closing the curtains, for instance), then an OLED TV presents a good option for a cinematic experience at home.
- If you're in a room with challenging lighting conditions (shadows and streams of sunlight that hit the TV screen, and rooms that have lots of natural light), then you may want to consider a QLED or an LCD with stronger backlighting.
Default picture setting
Most people watch their TVs on the default picture setting – after all, who wants to waste time fiddling around with settings when you've got a brand-new TV you're itching to watch?
For the most part, what you'll get straight out of the box is going to give you great picture quality. Our experts actually test TVs on their default settings as we know that that's how most people use them.
But what the default setting looks like can vary from brand to brand, and that's especially true of LG TVs compared to Samsung – they deliver quite different out-of-the-box experiences in terms of colour.
Playing around with the settings will give you a much better watching experience, and it's worth spending the time to tweak it to your liking
"LG TVs tend to have a cooler look on the default picture setting," says Denis.
"On the other hand, Samsung has decided to deliver a much more vivid colour gamut for its out-of-the-box mode."
While that vividness might be eye-catching, you might not like it as much when you're watching at home over time. This is where changing the settings can really enhance your TV watching experience.
"Playing around with the settings will give you a much better watching experience, and it's well worth spending the time to tweak it to your liking," Denis says.
"Try changing the brightness and contrasting colour settings to see what you prefer, but also make sure you know how to get the picture setting back to default as you could end up making it worse."
LG OLED in standard picture mode.
Filmmaker Mode
If you want to take things to the next level, you need to know about Filmmaker Mode. It's a preset picture mode in your TV that's designed to make your screen look more cinematic, so what you're seeing is as close to what the director intended it to be.
It was developed in collaboration with a number of prominent directors such as Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan. Many other directors have endorsed it.
In Filmmaker Mode, the colours, tones, etc. are closer to the director's original intentions.
Filmmaker Mode has only been around for a few years, and it's not available in every brand or model. All recently released Samsung and LG TVs have Filmmaker Mode, however, so it's worth giving it a try on your new TV.
"We've found that Samsung TVs tend to look much better on Filmmaker Mode than on the default settings, so if you buy a Samsung, try switching to Filmmaker Mode when you watch movies to see if you prefer it," says Denis.
Read more about the finer details of this setting in our article, Filmmaker Mode explained.
Samsung vs LG: Comparing the TVs
Outstanding OLED TVs
If you want to go big on screen size and budget, these OLEDs are likely on your shortlist. They're quite similar TVs in many aspects – same screen size and almost identical features and functions. The only major difference is that Samsung TVs use HDR10+ while LG has opted for Dolby Vision (another version of HDR).
They're also the same price. Keep an eye out though, as Samsung and LG TVs can have significant discounts during sales periods that may bring them into your budget.
Samsung entered the OLED market quite a bit later than LG. But even though Samsung has been making OLED screens now, we're yet to test one that has matched, or outperformed, an LG equivalent. If you're considering an OLED, you're better off buying an LG.
They've both been tested in our CHOICE labs to our exacting standards, which reveal a clear winner. Full TV reviews, including the best models, are available exclusively to CHOICE members.
Lovely LCD screens
If an expensive OLED screen doesn't quite fit your budget, the more affordable LCD TVs are a great alternative with good picture quality. While you're not going to get the same rich colours, deep inky blacks and images that pop off the screen, you're spending up to $2000 less for a TV that's just as big.
That said, LCDs are typically brighter than their OLED cousins. So these screens may be a better choice if you're watching TV in a well-lit room or during the day in a space with lots of natural light.
With LCD TVs, LG has the edge if you're watching 4K content, while Samsung's TV speaker is considerably better
Performance results are comparable in most respects, though LG does have the edge if you're watching 4K content. Samsung's TV speaker, however, is considerably better, so you may not need to invest in a soundbar. But you definitely need one if you're considering an LG LCD.
Speaking of soundbars, these TVs (and a few other models) unlock additional audio features and functions when paired with compatible models from the same brand. Factor this in when shopping around, as LG WOW Orchestra and Samsung Q-Symphony can deliver impressive results. Otherwise, the better LCD TV of the two is mostly a matter of personal preference.
Cheaper LCD alternatives
While they may not compare to the top performers, we've tested plenty of quality LCD TVs with a more reasonable price tag. Once again, these two have virtually the same features and were neck and neck in a number of areas during our expert assessment.
These TVs are nearing the end of their lifespans, which means one thing – steep discounts.
These TVs are nearing the end of their lifespans, which means one thing – steep discounts
They're still perfectly fine for all but those people who need absolute cutting-edge tech in their homes. Most people probably won't notice many differences between these and their 2025 equivalents.
However, stock is in short supply. You may need to hunt around and do it quickly because once these models are gone, they're gone.
CHOICE members can access the full TV reviews. If you're not yet a member, you can join CHOICE to see all our reviews.
Can I connect a Samsung device to an LG TV, and vice versa?
If you have a Samsung device but you're looking at an LG TV, don't worry – they'll still talk to one another. And the reverse is true, too: LG products will connect to Samsung ones.
So if you have an LG phone, tablet, soundbar, DVD or BluRay player, laptop or Bluetooth speaker, you'll still be able to cast, mirror, screen share or otherwise connect them to a Samsung TV – and vice versa.
However, some products do unlock additional features if you match up the brands. For example, a few LG and Samsung TVs can deliver enhanced audio if you connect them to compatible soundbars. Read more about LG's WOW Orchestra and Samsung's Q-Symphony.
The process is pretty much the same as connecting any device to a TV, regardless of the brand. Find out more and read the how-tos from our experts:
How we test TVs
Our expert testers have 35 years' experience testing TVs between them – they're some of the most experienced TV testers in the country. It's safe to say that they know their stuff.
Here's how they put TVs through their paces to find out which are the best:
- We use a colour-calibrated reference TV to compare each model to make sure our scoring is consistent.
- Tests take around three weeks from start to finish as they're so detailed. The results then go through our rigorous verification process, so you can have confidence in our results.
- To score picture quality, we assess how well the TV can handle a number of different source materials (such as movies, sports, 4K and more). This includes both a technical and subjective viewing panel.
- We obscure brand and model names during the test so there's no chance of bias.
- A panel of three experts assesses SD, HD and 4K HDR content on each TV.
- We assess technical footage to check for things such as, jaggies (diagonal lines that appear as jagged or broken lines), judder and blur.
- Since the remote control is such an important part of using your TV, we assess how easy the remotes are to use.
- We assess the on-screen user interface, smart functionality and sound quality.
- Our expert panel also tests the quality of each TV's speakers.
Learn more about how we test TVs at CHOICE.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
