LG vs Samsung Projector 2026: Which Laser TV Should You Buy?

Quick Answer: LG and Samsung both sell ultra-short-throw “laser TV” projectors meant to replace a living-room flat-panel, but they measure brightness differently — LG publishes ANSI lumens, Samsung publishes ISO lumens — so the numbers on their spec sheets aren’t directly comparable. At the value tier, LG’s HU715QW (roughly $2,499 street) undercuts Samsung’s similarly specced Premiere 7 (~$2,999–$3,499). At the flagship tier it flips: Samsung’s Premiere 9 is $5,999 MSRP against LG’s HU915QB at $6,499, while also claiming a higher raw lumens figure — though that’s not an apples-to-apples brightness win given the different standards. Samsung also publishes exact built-in-speaker specs for every current Premiere; LG doesn’t for either HU-series model.

LG and Samsung are two of the biggest names chasing the “laser TV” idea — a projector that sits on a media console inches from the wall and throws a 100-to-130-inch image, instead of hanging from a ceiling in a dark theater room. Both run their own full-fat smart-TV software (LG’s webOS, Samsung’s Tizen) rather than a third-party Android layer, and both pair their flagship with an ALR screen for daytime use. But the two companies disclose different things on their spec sheets, which makes a surface-level comparison misleading. This guide breaks down what each brand actually ships, at what price, for what. If you want the full UST field beyond these two, see our best ultra short throw projector guide; for each brand’s complete lineup, see best LG projector and best Samsung projector.

By the numbers: Per LG’s own specs, the flagship HU915QB uses a 2nd-gen 3-channel (RGB) laser rated at 3,000 ANSI lumens, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, and a 0.19 throw ratio, at $6,499. Per Samsung’s own specs, the flagship Premiere 9 (LPU9D) uses a triple-laser (RGB) engine rated at 3,450 ISO lumens with AI picture upscaling, at $5,999 MSRP — a lower price with a higher claimed lumens number, measured on a different scale. One tier down, LG’s HU715QW street-prices around $2,499 (list $2,999) at 2,500 ANSI lumens, while Samsung’s similarly priced Premiere 7 (LPU7D) runs $2,999–$3,499 street at 2,500 ISO lumens — the same nominal number, a different ruler, and a real few-hundred-dollar LG price edge. On audio, Samsung publishes 40W 2.2.2 Dolby Atmos for the Premiere 9 and 30W 2.2-channel for the Premiere 7; LG’s materials for the HU915QB and HU715QW don’t state a comparable wattage or channel figure.

LG vs Samsung at a glance

Where LG and Samsung actually differ

The brightness numbers don’t use the same ruler. LG publishes ANSI lumens, the long-standing 9-point averaged-screen method, across its CineBeam laser TVs. Samsung publishes ISO lumens, measured to the newer ISO 21118 standard, across its Premiere line. Manufacturer explainer content from other brands (AWOL Vision, Dangbei) describes ISO figures as generally reading lower than ANSI for comparable real-world output, but there’s no single agreed conversion factor between the two. So when LG’s HU915QB claims 3,000 ANSI lumens and Samsung’s Premiere 9 claims 3,450 ISO lumens, that’s not a clean 15% brightness gap — it’s partly two different measuring sticks.

At the flagship tier, Samsung costs less and claims a bigger number — but the standards gap means you can’t call that a clean win. LG’s HU915QB is $6,499; Samsung’s Premiere 9 is $5,999 MSRP and claims 3,450 lumens against LG’s 3,000. If both brands used the same ANSI scale, Samsung would look like the easy pick on price and brightness together. But because the lumens figures aren’t directly comparable, the honest read is that Samsung’s flagship is cheaper with an unverifiable brightness edge, not a confirmed one.

Samsung discloses built-in audio specs; LG doesn’t. The Premiere 9 ships with a stated 40W 2.2.2 Dolby Atmos system, and the Premiere 7 carries a stated 30W 2.2-channel setup — real numbers a buyer can compare against a soundbar. LG’s own materials for the HU915QB and HU715QW describe webOS, color coverage, and laser life in detail but don’t publish a matching wattage or channel-count figure for either model’s built-in speakers, despite both being marketed as console-style laser TVs meant to stand in for a flat-panel TV. That’s a real information gap, not necessarily a performance one — but it means a buyer comparing the two brands on paper only gets that data point from Samsung.

LG undercuts Samsung by a meaningful margin at the value tier. LG’s HU715QW street-prices around $2,499 against Samsung’s Premiere 7 at $2,999–$3,499 — both single-laser, both nominally 2,500 lumens on their own brand’s scale. Even accounting for the ANSI-vs-ISO gap, that’s several hundred dollars of LG price advantage for a UST laser TV with a very similar on-paper spec sheet.

Best LG picks by use case

For LG’s brightest, widest-color flagship, the HU915QB (3,000 ANSI lumens, 100% DCI-P3, $6,499) is the step-up pick — covered in full in our best LG projector roundup, alongside the portable 4K CineBeam Q (~$999).

Best Samsung picks by use case

For Samsung’s value UST, the Premiere 7 (LPU7D) (2,500 ISO lumens, $2,999–$3,499 street, stated 30W 2.2-channel audio) is the brand’s value pick — see our best Samsung projector roundup, alongside the portable Freestyle+ (~$1,199.99).

Which should you buy? Quick verdict by use case

The honest verdict: LG wins on value-tier price, Samsung wins on flagship sticker price and spec-sheet transparency on built-in audio. Neither brand’s lumens claim should be read against the other’s at face value — ANSI and ISO aren’t the same ruler, so judge the picture in person or against third-party ANSI-tested reviews where you can find them, not just the number on the box. For the full rankings within each brand, see our best LG projector and best Samsung projector guides, or compare both against the wider field — including Hisense — in our best ultra short throw projector roundup and our existing Hisense vs Samsung projector comparison.

Verified October 2026: LG’s ANSI-lumen figures and Samsung’s ISO-lumen figures are each brand’s own published specs — the two standards are not directly convertible, and figures here should be read as each brand’s own claim, not a normalized apples-to-apples brightness ratio. Built-in audio wattage/channel figures are drawn from each brand’s own current product pages as of this writing — always confirm current specs before buying, since lineups and pricing can change by region and retailer.