We recommend mini-LED TVs over OLED TVs if you're looking for a big-screen World Cup upgrade here's why

Date:
Sat, 23 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Description:
Mini-LED TVs are the better bet for your World Cup viewing, and there are a few key reasons why.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11, so that still gives you plenty of time to upgrade your TV if youre looking for a bigger and better view of the tournament.

Over the last few years, bigger screens 75 inches and over have become a
lot more popular, and they certainly will be for the World Cup. The big question is what kind of TV to get at these size, because the prices can get really expensive. When it comes to big-screen sports, theres one type of TV
we recommend above the others: mini-LED. Latest Videos From You may like The
3 OLED TVs I recommend for World Cup viewing, based on my testing The best mini-LED TVs for all budgets, tested by our experts 5 essential features to look for when buying a new TV for the World Cup

Why would I recommend mini-LED over OLED ? There are several key reasons, and they're mostly practical concerns about getting the best value, but Ill get into them properly below. As TechRadars TV tester, I always include sports as part of my testing, so I'm speaking from experience of actually watching sports on every kind of TV. Sponsored Save $550 Hisense 65 U7 Mini LED TV:
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Brightness Even mid-range mini-LED TVs have high brightness, with TVs such as the Hisense U (Image credit: Future) OLED TVs are getting brighter, but mini-LED will always have the advantage in the brightness department. But, where mini-LED has a big advantage is in fullscreen brightness. The same G6 OLED I mentioned earlier hit 387 HDR fullscreen brightness in Standard mode. The same Hisense U75Q mini-LED I mentioned above? 887 nits: bordering on
three times the brightness.

Fullscreen brightness is important for sport, as it not only means it can
give a large area on the screen more impact, say the field during a soccer game, but its crucial for helping with viewing in bright rooms.

The brightest OLED Ive measured to date is this years LG G6 , which clocked
in at 2,524 nits peak HDR brightness in Standard mode (the picture mode I often recommend for sports viewing). While this is a great result, even mid-range mini-LEDs will dwarf this number. Last years Hisense U75QG (the US mid-range mini-LED in Hisenses lineup) hit 3,372 nits in the same Standard mode. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

This peak brightness will make a huge difference when it comes to highlights on screen, such as the sun on the horizon, giving them more impact. This will likely have an effect on the color brightness of a teams kits during the
World Cup, giving them more punch.

While peak brightness is important, fullscreen brightness is a game changer when it comes to bright rooms, often limiting mirror-like reflections
compared to OLED and let's talk about those now. Reflections Mini-LED TVs have good fullscreen brightness for handling reflections and TVs such as the Samsung QN90F (pictured) now have anti-reflection coating (Image credit: Future) As games during this years World Cup are being played at all sorts of times, including during the day, this brightness can make or break your viewing, because you don't want reflections in a bright room to obscure your enjoyment. What to read next The best 75-inch TVs, all tested by our big-screen experts I spoke to the CEO of a TV manufacturer about the future
of TV hardware Ive chosen the best TVs you can buy to suit every budget,
after hundreds of hours of real-world testing

While OLEDs like the Samsung S95F , with its OLED Glare Free matte screen,
and the LG G6 , which has effective anti-reflection layer, are getting better at limiting reflections, most OLEDs still struggle. Their glossy screens are often magnets for reflections.

Even budget mini-LED TVs do a pretty good job of limiting reflections, purely thanks to their high fullscreen brightness reflections being visible is a simple question of whether the light shining through the screen is brighter than what's being reflected, so a super-bright screen is a major advantage.

While they can still be subject to some screen glare, during my testing of
TCL s models last year (called the C-series here in the UK and headlined by the TCL C8K ) I found that they more than held up to the scrutiny of the overhead lights in our testing labs. The same couldnt be said for LGs mid-range and budget OLEDs.

Samsung introduced the Glare Free matte screen to its Neo QLED (mini-LED) last year in the flagship Samsung QN90F , which was our pick as the best TV for sport and bright rooms in a lot of our best-of lists. Coupled with its high brightness and excellent motion handling, it made for a superb sport for TV, though it's a pricier model, and obviously value is important if you're buying a really big screen so let's dig into that side of things. Value for money Mini-LED TVs are significantly cheaper than OLED in most sizes. (Image credit: Future) OLED TVs come at a premium. A mid-range model, such as last years LG C5 , will set you back $1,399 for a 65-inch model at the time of writing. A 65-inch Hisense U75Q will cost you roughly $699, again at the time of writing. Thats 50% cheaper. As great as the C5 is, double the price is a tough ask.

In the UK, the numbers get a bit tighter, but its still a similar story. A 65-inch C5 costs around 1,299 right now, whereas a 65-inch TCL C7K (also called the TCL Q7C at some retailers) will cost 849. It's another big price gap thats tough to justify if youre on a budget, especially when the C7K boasts a lot of similar features, such as a 144Hz refresh rate for gaming.

The gap gets bigger as the screen sizes get bigger. A 75-inch Hisense U8Q costs $1,599, whereas a 77-inch LG C5 costs $2,199. And the gap gets even bigger when stepping up a size as an 85-inch U8Q costs $1,799, while an 83-inch LG C5 will set you back $3,299: almost double the price. The same is true on budget and premium models for each as well. If you're looking for the best value screen, it's mini-LED. Stadium-sized screen? No-brainer Looking
for a big screen? You can get 100-inch+ mini-LED for much cheaper than OLEDs. (Image credit: Future) If youre looking for a big screen for the World Cup, a mini-LED is your best bet. As more people look for cinema-sized screens at home, mini-LED has proved itself to be the better value option.

The largest OLED TV you can currently get is 97-inch, and these models are at the very premium end of the market. A 97-inch LG G5 will set you back $24,999 / 24,999. You can now get a 100-inch mini-LED screen for $2,999 / 2,999: just under 10% of the price of a big-screen OLED.

While you may think these 100-inch mini-LEDs will be super-cheap and dodgy models, youd be wrong. The Hisense U8Q and TCL QM8K ( TCL C8K in the UK) are just two of the models available in this 100-inch size, and these are two of the best mini-LED TVs available.

If you're in the UK, you can even pick up a 115-inch Samsung QN90F , our pick for the best TV for sport that I mentioned above, for 7,999, still a fraction of a 97-inch OLED. Its available in the US too, but at a much higher $24,999 price. So, if youre after the largest, readily available screens for the best price, mini-LED is your best bet. The arrival of RGB RGB TVs are just the latest exciting panel tech that could add another dimension to your World
Cup. (Image credit: Future) RGB TVs made a big splash when they were
announced at CES 2025, with the Hisense UX serving as the first model. Since then, brands including Samsung, TCL, Sony and LG have followed suit, announcing their own RGB TVs.

These TVs use RGB LEDs to boast incredible colors with the contrast of
premium mini-LEDs. While we worried that it would take years for these
screens to become more affordable, smaller screens, it only took a year.

The Hisense UR9, TCL RM9L and Samsung R95H are the headliners for 2026. Weve tested the UR9, and as well as a staggering 93% BT.2020 HDR color gamut coverage, it has incredible brightness. While the HDR numbers are high, its the SDR number that impressed us.

In Standard mode, we measured the UR9s peak brightness at 2,486 nits, which
is the kind of level that elite OLEDs reach in HDR it's way beyond what they can do in SDR. Considering some sports are broadcast in SDR, this number
means watching in daytime sports should be a breeze for RGB TVs, especially because the Hisense UR9 and Samsung R95H both have a matter anti-reflective coating. Youd think this new tech will cost seriously premium money, but
again you might be pleasantly surprised. The UR9 75-inch is available for roughly $3,000 / 3,500: again, that's cheaper than rival OLEDs. Were waiting on prices for other brands, but wed expect them to be in a similar region.

Were still early doors in our testing of RGB TVs, but its an exciting tech
for sure, and for it to be priced at this level this early is only good news. If these TVs prove to be the real deal, they could become the number one choice for sports. Wondering what size of TV is right for your space? Use our screen size calculator! You tell us how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality
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