Review: LG OLED C5 (OLED65C5)

The LG OLED C5 is this year’s newcomer to the popular C-series, which has been one of LG’s best sellers for several years. With a modern OLED panel, a powerful video processor and great connectivity, this model has been an easy choice for price-conscious TV enthusiasts.

Now we’ve had the C5 on the test bench, and it comes right after the flagship G5, which we’re already very impressed with. In other words, expectations are high for what the little brother has to offer!

LG OLED C5: Best picture for the price?

Here at Sound & Vision, we naturally love to test the very latest high-end products that deliver the highest level of performance and set the bar for other products in their category. But it’s inevitable that “high-end” also means a high price tag.

That’s why we’re just as keen to find the best buys in the premium class, where you can often find products that perform “almost” as well as the flagship models at a more accessible price. Here, the C-series from LG has been a frequent returnee in recent years.

The LG OLED C5 is far from a budget model, but it still costs several thousand dollars less than an equivalent 65-inch G5. With less lavish cosmetics and slightly cheaper technology on the inside, you can still achieve an excellent picture.

LG OLED C5 – design

On the design front, not much has changed since the C4 generation. For starters, the LG OLED C5 is super thin with a barely visible frame around the screen, followed by a slightly thicker backside that houses the electronics and connections. The back has a stylish surface reminiscent of dark stone tiles. The base is a center-mounted flat foot that raises the screen a few centimeters from the tabletop. This should be taken into account if you plan to place a soundbar in front of the screen, for example.

The C5 is available in a wide range of screen sizes from 42 all the way up to 83 inches: We think the design is nice and modern, and if you’re planning to place the TV on a table anyway, there’s not much difference between this and the more expensive G5 model. However, the latter has an advantage if you want to wall mount the TV, as it comes with an original wall mount that places the screen extra close to the wall.

Ease of use and features

Those who like gadgets and gizmos have something new to look forward to with the C5 model: a new remote control! Yes, you read that right, after many years on the market, LG has finally decided to replace the trusty Magic Remote.

The new version has a flat design with fewer buttons, but retains the familiar pointing function. It also adds an “AI Concierge” button that you can use to invoke various AI functions. The WebOS 25 user interface has also been updated with more comprehensive user profiles, so you and the rest of the family can enjoy TV content according to your preferences.

The OLED C5 starts up quickly and switches quickly between menu items, but it strikes us that it may not work as fast as its big brother G5 in all situations. This may be because the C5 has slightly less memory and processing power. However, the app selection is impeccable with all the leading streaming services in place. There’s also the option to display content from your phone via AirPlay 2 or Chromecast. And like Samsung, LG offers free, advertising-funded TV channels through “LG TV Channels”. But we think there can sometimes be a little too much advertising on the home screen.

LG also boasts support for the HDR format Dolby Vision, which ensures optimal quality for very modern video content. However, they don’t support the HDR10+ format that Samsung is aiming for. There is also no support for DTS audio.

LG OLED C5 offers great connectivity (Photo: Audun Hage)In keeping with tradition, the C5 has great connectivity options. All four HDMI 2.1 inputs support 4K/120Hz video signals or up to 144Hz with VRR for gaming purposes. LG has a dedicated “Game Optimizer” menu that can be used to fine-tune performance for different game genres. And with a lag of less than 10 milliseconds, there’s no doubt that this is also a suitable TV for gamers.

Picture quality

Cosmetics and niceties are one thing, but as usual, we’re most concerned with image quality. Has LG managed to squeeze out a slightly better performance this year? For starters, the C5 has to do without the new four-layer OLED panel (Primary RGB Tandem) from the top model G5. The refresh rate stops at 144 Hz versus 165 Hz. It also doesn’t benefit from the highly efficient MLA technology that we remember well from last year’s G4: many had hoped that this advanced light-boosting filter would “trickle down” to the new premium model, but that didn’t happen.

Instead, LG has kept the same faithful OLED Evo panel as in the C4 and tried to refine it further, using an updated video processor (Alpha 9 AI gen 8). They claim to have achieved higher performance, including increased brightness, but note that this applies to the larger screen sizes (55, 65, 77 and 83) and not the smaller 42 and 48-inch screens.

(Photo: LG)

What does this look like in practice?

We’ve already had the big brother LG OLED G5 on the test bench and have therefore had the opportunity to compare the G5 and C5 side by side. The good news is that the C5 comes very close to the high-end model on several points. Dangerously close, in fact!

Both LG displays have phenomenal sharpness and contrast thanks to the “self-luminous” OLED panel, where every little pixel can be turned on and off one by one. This gives a huge sense of depth. When watching different movie clips, both familiar and brand new, it’s easy to be engaged by the realistic image quality.

OLED displays have traditionally had a slightly dim brightness that was best suited for watching TV in dark rooms, but that’s “history” with today’s displays. Both the G5 and C5 prove to have excellent brightness and are perfect for watching sports and other TV entertainment in bright environments.

Let’s face it, there’s no doubt that big brother has an edge in the measurements: While a G5 squeezes out around 2,300 nits in a 10 percent window, the C5 stops at just over half that (around 1,200 nits, or a difference of around 1,100 nits). But that’s still 200 nit higher than last year’s C4.

The difference between the G5 and C5 becomes apparent when we watch demanding movie sequences in HDR (High Dynamic Range) format. For example, the nature documentary The Universe on Netflix in Dolby Vision format. Here, the big brother shows that it has a little more power and glow in the brightest parts of “The Big Bang”. In the computer-animated images of the burning sun, we can see that the G5 has a little more nuance – more energy – to play with. But the C5 still does a very respectable job.

The color reproduction is excellent and both monitors have a very accurate and nuanced color palette. It’s only on HDR material that the G5 pulls away a little with increased dynamics and breadth of hue. But the difference is far from being “night and day”. We might as well have been comparing two high-end monitors. That’s how good the C5 generation has become!

Sound quality

Sonically, the LG monitor is relatively unchanged from last year. The C5 has the same speaker setup as before, with 2.2 channels and 40 watts of power output. Voice reproduction is clear and crisp with a distinct treble that helps emphasize dialogue. There is good width in the soundstage and a rich bass reproduction brings music and sound effects to life.
The sound is well above average, but it doesn’t quite match its big brother G5, which has an even stronger and more dynamic sound and especially deeper bass. But neither of these can compare to the sound experience you can get from a separate soundbar, which should go without saying if you want the sound quality to match the great picture.

Conclusion

The LG OLED C5 hasn’t gotten dramatically better than its predecessor, the OLED C4, but there are some differences. LG has managed to squeeze a little more performance out of the new 2025 model, resulting in stronger brightness (+200 nits) and slightly stronger contrast. The image processing has also become even sharper and an already very good TV has become even better.
In terms of overall picture quality, upscaling and motion smoothing, the C5 comes impressively close to its big brother and flagship model, the OLED G5. The differences are there, most notably in even higher HDR contrast, but you have to be a really discerning TV viewer to appreciate it.
There’s also no doubt whatsoever about which of the TVs offers the best picture for the money. For the same money as a 55-inch G5, you can buy a 65-inch C5, and for the same money as a 65-inch G5, you can buy a 77-inch C5! In other words: If you want OLED quality that comes close to high end, but without emptying your wallet, the LG OLED C5 is a brilliant choice.