Mini-LED vs OLED has been a battle in the TV world for a few years now. While mini-LED always provided more brightness and better bright room viewing and OLED delivered better black levels, thanks to its self-dimming pixels, that has changed in recent times, with both TV techs managing to cover more bases. Both LG and TCL make some of the best TVs you can get, with the former delivering some of the best OLED TVs and the latter offering up some of the best mini-LED TVs . Both also deliver great value for the price you pay, especially TCL. The LG B6 is one of the best OLEDs I’ve tested this year, offering great performance for a more affordable price. Now, the TCL C7L (this is the UK model — the TCL QM7L is the US equivalent) has arrived in our testing lab so I thought I’d compare the C7L, the brand’s mid-range SQD mini-LED for 2026, against LG’s most entry-level OLED, as they’re available for similar prices. Can the mini-LED hold its own against OLED? A quick note that we’re using the LG B6E, a cheaper B6 that performs the same other than missing some AI picture modes, and with a different back panel. Brightness
The TCL C7L (left) has a clear brightness advantage over the LG B6E (right) (Image credit: Future) Flagship and mid-range OLED TVs have seen a brightness boost over the years, with one example being the near 1,000-nit peak HDR brightness increase between the LG G4 (1,489 nits) from 2024, and its 2026 successor the LG G6 (2,475 nits). It’s taken until this year for entry-level OLED to get a brightness boost: and it’s not as significant as that. The LG B6E measured 808 nits HDR peak brightness (10% window pattern) in Filmmaker Mode in my tests: a nice boost over the B5’s 668 nits. However, this 808 nits pales in comparison to the 2,083 nits peak HDR brightness achieved by the C7L in its Filmmaker Mode. Mini-LED has always been the brighter tech, but do these results reflect real-life? In practically every scene I tested, the answer was a resounding yes. With both TVs set to Dolby Vision Filmmaker, in a scene where Lawrence and his guide are by a well in the desert in Lawrence of Arabia , the white sands and blue skies were much more impactful on the C7L, showing off the brightness advantage. The B6E did a good job with the picture, but next to the C7L it looked dim in comparison. Switching to the B6E’s Cinema Home mode did give it a boost in brightness, but still the C7L’s picture dazzled in comparison. This was also apparent in HDR highlights in other movies. In Speed Racer , the brilliant white of the Mach 5 was much punchier on the C7L than the B6E, though the gap in luminance wasn’t quite as obvious as it had been in Lawrence of Arabia . For bright-room viewing, neither TV was perfect, with both showing mirror-like reflections. The C7L did a better job in brighter conditions, thanks to that added brightness — it’s the clear winner for pure brightness, and for visibility in strongly lit rooms
Contrast and dark scenes
The LG B6E OLED (right) is better for black tones and dark room viewing compared to the TCL C7L (left), shown here during Project Hail Mary. A quick note: the C7L’s backlight blooming does not appear this aggressive in-person (Image credit: Amazon / Future ) OLED’s advantage when it comes to darker, more contrast-y scenes is its self-dimming pixels. As it doesn’t rely on a backlight and it can turn off individual pixels, this produces much deeper black tones that most mini-LEDs can achieve, and with precise borders between light and dark. However, more mini-LED TVs are demonstrating better backlight control and more impressive black tones. In my time testing the C7L, I’ve been impressed with its black levels: especially for a mid-range mini-LED. Yes, there’s still some blooming going on, but it’s greatly reduced from the previous generations of TCL’s TVs I’ve tested before — not that long ago, this would’ve been premium performance. Still, when it comes to black handling, OLED is king. Watching any space scenes from Project Hail Mary , the B6E clearly produces richer, deeper black tones that are consistently strong throughout. The C7L, while rendering strong black tones of its own, don’t quite have the same consistency, as some shots of the stars in space demonstrate blooming, a common occurrence with backlit TVs. Both TVs deliver very good contrast, but the B6E (right) has a more satisfying picture for darker movies like The Batman (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future ) When it comes to contrast and shadows however, there’s a bit of give-and-take. Watching The Batman , with its array of contrast-rich scenes, the B6E clearly produces a more balanced image thanks to its deeper dark tones and well-handled bright tones. The TCL’s picture however is more impactful thanks to those punchier highlights. As Bruce works at his desk in the Batcave, the dark crevices and wood of the desk blend well with the lamps and monitors on both TVs…
