Wired found that on LG's cheapest OLED, the B6, the trees behind a frozen lake in Game of Thrones season eight go completely black. The C6 costs about $200 more on sale, and Wired calls it "a much better, brighter TV." In its 7/10 review of the LG B6, Wired says the B6 is a good budget OLED but "beset on all sides by better, brighter options," including LG's own C6.
This guide maps the B6, the C6 and a discounted C5 to real viewing situations. It rests on one published review and its spec reporting, not on this site's own testing. The sale prices quoted below ($1,300 for the B6 and $1,500 for the C6, both 65-inch) were a snapshot when Wired wrote, and they will change.
Dark rooms and movies: where the B6 earns its price
The B6's best trait is how it handles near-black. Wired describes blacks and grays with "great texture and clarity," a surprise given how many midrange TVs wash out shadowy scenes. Very dark films such as Awake and The Creator looked clear and detailed, though the reviewer first switched to Vivid mode and tweaked a few picture settings.
That points to a basement or bedroom with the lights off as the B6's best setting. This is an inference from Wired's findings, not something the review states.
The catch is contrast in the hardest scenes. In the infamously dark Game of Thrones episode, background trees went completely black on the B6, while better TVs and home theater projectors show them. A dark room helps, but it does not remove the limit. If your watchlist is full of murky scenes like that, the C6's extra brightness could still pay off.
Bright rooms and sports: where the B6 shows its limits
LG lists only "wide color gamut" and no brightness rating, so Wired relied on its own benchmark testing and viewing. A Baltimore Orioles game looked rich and textured but "not very bright."
Color was also a weak spot. Wired found saturation and luminance lacking next to the RGB TVs it has tested recently, and winter grass in a demo reel looked too brown. Skin tones, though, were surprisingly good.
The following is my inference, not a measured result. A living room with big windows, or a TV that mostly runs during daytime games, is where a dimmer panel will frustrate you most. Wired calls the C6 "a much better, brighter TV," so that is where the extra $200 has its clearest case.
Gaming: the B6 holds up
Wired says LG is not the first brand it thinks of for gaming (it names Sony) but still gives the B6 "extra credit." All four HDMI ports support 120Hz, and a gaming mode helps with low latency. Crimson Desert on PC felt crisp and responsive, and Resident Evil: Requiem looked almost photorealistic. See related: is gibney's four-hour musk documentary worth your time? for additional background.
Gaming alone, then, is not a reason to skip the B6. But the review does not compare gaming across the B6, C6 and C5, and it publishes no latency numbers. Check the C6 and C5 spec sheets before assuming either one games better.
A few other details: the B6 supports only Wi-Fi 5, has two USB 2.0 ports and runs LG's webOS. Wired disliked the remote's pointer, which you cannot turn off. It also found the remote hard to use by feel in the dark, because the Home button is offset and the app shortcuts are not backlit.
The price gap: C6, C5 and RGB alternatives
Wired's strongest point is about money. With the C6 only about $200 above the B6, it calls the C6 "much better" and brighter. The review also says an older LG C5, which it describes as still brighter than the B6, was on sale for less than the B6. It gives no C5 price, so you need to look it up.
Wired also lists RGB TVs, including the LG Micro RGB Evo and models from Samsung and Hisense, as a convincing argument against choosing OLED. It does not publish their prices, so I can't say whether they fit a $1,300 to $1,500 budget. They make the most sense if color punch and brightness matter more to you than OLED black levels.
Side-by-side decision table
This table is an inference built from Wired's findings and its sale-price snapshot. It is not a lab comparison, and Wired did not compare the C6 and C5 directly.
| Situation | LG B6 | LG C6 | Discounted LG C5 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Dark room, movies | Strong fit: great shadow texture, but the darkest scenes can lose background detail | Brighter, so a safer pick | Worth a look if priced under the B6; Wired does not describe its blacks | | Bright room | Weakest choice | Better fit than the B6 | Brighter than the B6, per Wired | | Sports and news | Rich and textured, but dim | Brighter, likely better for daytime | Brighter than the B6, per Wired | | Gaming | 120Hz on all four HDMI ports, praised | Not covered; check specs | Not covered; check specs | | Budget | $1,300 on sale | $1,500 on sale | Found below the B6; exact price not stated |
Worked example: two viewers, two picks
These profiles are illustrations, not test results.
The dark basement movie fan. The room has no windows, and the TV runs at night. The B6 is a reasonable pick at $1,300 because its strengths are blacks and shadow detail. The tradeoff is the brightness and contrast ceiling, so the most extreme dark scenes may still lose background detail. If a C5 costs less than the B6, look at it first: Wired found it brighter, though it does not describe the C5's black performance.
The bright living room sports watcher. Afternoon games, sunlight and a TV shared with the family. The C6 is the safer pick at about $200 more. The tradeoff is paying $1,500 instead of $1,300. If a discounted C5 undercuts the C6 by a wide margin, it is the budget alternative, since Wired calls it brighter than the B6.
A gamer who plays in a dim room can lean B6 for the price. A gamer who plays in a bright room should lean C6.
The simple rule: the B6 makes the most sense in a dark room when the $200 matters to you. Lean C6 if you watch in daylight or sit near a window. If a C5 costs less than the B6, price the two against each other before buying, because you would get a brighter TV for less money. As Wired puts it, "It all depends on how much you want to spend."
Your next action: compare prices and returns
Prices change quickly, so run this check on the day you buy.
- Write down the current 65-inch prices of the B6, C6 and C5 at the same retailer.
- Compare the gaps. If the C5 costs less than the B6, price it against the B6 first. If the C6 is still about $200 above the B6 and your room is bright, lean C6.
- Check the return window and any restocking fee before you commit.
- Judge the picture in your own lighting, in store or at home within the return window. Play one dark movie scene and one daytime sports clip, and note whether the dimmer panel bothers you.
- Confirm the ports and settings you need, such as 120Hz on the HDMI input you will use.
If the return window is generous, buy the model that fits your room and send it back if the picture disappoints.
