LG C3 vs Samsung S90C

Picture quality is the most heavily weighted criterion and the area where WOLED and QD-OLED differ most fundamentally.

The LG OLED55C3 scores 9/10. Its WOLED panel uses a white OLED emitter with colour filters to produce red, green and blue subpixels. Each of the 8.3 million pixels can be turned off individually, creating perfect blacks with zero light leakage. The C3's near-black handling is exceptionally precise, preserving subtle shadow gradations in dark content without the slight raised black level that QD-OLED panels can exhibit. Colour accuracy out of the box is excellent, covering 98.5% of DCI-P3 with a neutral, faithful colour temperature that favours accuracy over vibrancy.

The Samsung S90C scores 8/10. Its QD-OLED panel uses a blue OLED emitter with quantum dot colour conversion layers instead of filters. This produces a wider colour gamut than WOLED, with more saturated reds and greens. The visual effect is punchier and more vivid, which many viewers prefer. However, Samsung's colour tuning leans toward vibrancy over accuracy, and the near-black handling is marginally less precise than the LG's. QD-OLED panels can also exhibit subtle colour fringing on very fine text at close viewing distances, though this is rarely noticeable during normal content viewing.

Both TVs are exceptional for gaming, but the LG C3 has a practical edge in connectivity and HDR gaming.

The LG OLED55C3 scores 9/10 for gaming. It delivers approximately 9.5ms input lag in game mode at 4K 120Hz, supports VRR via both HDMI-VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium, and has four HDMI 2.1 ports. The standout feature is Dolby Vision gaming at 4K 120Hz, which is available on Xbox Series X and produces a richer, more dynamic HDR picture in supported titles than standard HDR10. Having four HDMI 2.1 ports means you can connect two consoles, a gaming PC and a soundbar simultaneously without swapping cables.

The Samsung S90C scores 9/10 as well. Input lag is fractionally lower at approximately 9.2ms, and the higher peak brightness makes HDR gaming content more impactful in a lit room. Samsung's Game Bar overlay provides quick access to gaming settings. However, having only two HDMI 2.1 ports is a genuine limitation for multi-device gaming setups, and the lack of Dolby Vision means Xbox Series X owners miss out on the best HDR gaming experience.

The LG OLED55C3 scores 9/10 for its webOS platform. The interface is clean, navigation is intuitive and app loading times are fast. Netflix launches in approximately 2 seconds, and the platform supports AirPlay 2 and Chromecast for flexible streaming. LG also offers Netflix Calibrated Mode, a dedicated picture preset developed with Netflix that matches their post-production mastering environment.

The Samsung S90C scores 8/10 with Tizen. The platform is technically capable and fast, with good app support and a modern interface. However, Samsung integrates advertising into the Tizen home screen on premium televisions, which detracts from the premium experience. The ads can be minimised through settings but not eliminated entirely. Samsung does offer a wider range of free streaming channels through Samsung TV Plus.

HDR performance is where the two TVs diverge most sharply, and where the brightness versus contrast trade-off is most visible.

The LG OLED55C3 scores 8/10. Its Dolby Vision processing is excellent, adjusting tone mapping dynamically scene by scene using Dolby's metadata. However, peak brightness of approximately 800 nits means HDR specular highlights are less punchy than the Samsung. In a dark room, the LG's infinite contrast makes HDR content look stunning because the dynamic range between black and peak brightness is so wide. In a bright room, the Samsung's advantage becomes more apparent.

The Samsung S90C scores 9/10. At approximately 1300 nits, it pushes HDR highlights significantly harder. Bright explosions, sunlight and metallic reflections are more impactful. The QD-OLED panel also displays a wider colour volume in HDR, meaning it can show bright, saturated colours that the LG cannot reach. The trade-off is that Samsung uses HDR10+ instead of Dolby Vision, which has a smaller content library across streaming services.

The Samsung S90C scores 8/10 for value at approximately £999. For this price, you get a QD-OLED panel with class-leading brightness, excellent gaming performance and a wide colour gamut. It is difficult to argue against the Samsung's price-to-performance ratio.

The LG OLED55C3 scores 7/10 at approximately £1099. The £100 premium buys you Dolby Vision support, four HDMI 2.1 ports and superior black levels. Whether these extras justify the additional cost depends entirely on your priorities. If you own an Xbox Series X, use Netflix as your primary streaming service or connect multiple devices, the LG's extras are worth the premium. If you prioritise brightness and want to spend less, the Samsung is the smarter purchase.