LG's C4 OLED is a year old, but it remains an excellent midrange TV — here's why it's still a great value

Business Insider

16-05-2025

Even a year after its release, LG's C4 OLED TV is still a beauty. The 65-inch model I reviewed quickly transformed into the centerpiece of my living room. Its deep, rich black levels and vibrant colors drew my roommates and me to more game-playing and movie-watching than we've done all year.
The TV comes in several sizes, ranging from 42 inches at the bottom to a whopping 83 inches at the top. The 65-inch model is often on sale for $1,500 or less, which is a solid deal for a midrange OLED. It's also a lot less than the new 2025 version of this TV, the C5.
The C5 has an upgraded processor for improved 4K upscaling, and it delivers slightly higher brightness, but most people would be hard-pressed to notice a huge difference between the two. The C5 is technically a better TV, but the C4 offers more value while it remains in stock.
However, that's not to say that the C4 is perfect. Good picture quality is heavily dependent on using the right settings, and its webOS interface is cluttered and occasionally dysfunctional. But if you pair it with a solid streaming device and stick with the right picture presets, you'll be left with one of the best 4K TVs in this price range.
Setup is simple, and there are plenty of connections
Setting the C4 up is a pretty simple process — just four screws to attach its stand, though you'll need a friend to help you lug it into place if your screen is 55 inches or larger. However, the stand only raises the TV around 2.25 inches, which could be an issue if you own a large soundbar, and its pedestal design means you'll need to place your soundbar directly in front of the stand rather than right underneath the screen.
Once booted up, the TV guides you through some standard housekeeping tasks like setting up WiFi and accepting various terms and services. The C4 supports Ethernet (via one port on the side) and WiFi 5, which is on the slower side for a modern TV. You'll mainly feel that when your set is downloading larger software and app updates, but you shouldn't have any issues streaming 4K content.
Like all modern TVs, the set also has a digital over-the-air (OTA) tuner port, which is great if you want to plug in an antenna to access free, local signals without paying a fortune to a cable provider. That said, the C4's tuner only supports receiving HD broadcasts rather than 4K Ultra HD. This isn't a big deal since the majority of OTA content is limited to HD in most areas. You can also buy a 4K tuner separately if you ever want to upgrade.
The C4 has plenty of ports for connecting external devices like a streaming player, AV receiver, soundbar, or gaming console. The set has four HDMI 2.1 inputs with support for 48Gbps, enabling the bandwidth needed for 4K/120Hz signals.
Setting up the C4's built-in Universal Control feature, a fancy way of saying "use one remote to control everything," requires almost no effort at all. I just had to pick my connected AV receiver's manufacturer and run through a quick test of the power button. Coupled with the HDMI-CEC capabilities, I could then use the Magic Remote's buttons to raise and lower my receiver's volume in addition to the many options on its setup screen. Though not as full-featured as a true universal remote, it's still super-convenient for basic operations across many devices.
You can summon LG's digital assistant by saying "Hi, LG" to your TV, once you've set it up, or by holding down the associated button on LG's Magic Remote. It's surprisingly good, able to launch apps, jump to different networks within LG's Channels app, and even pull up your settings whenever you want (in addition to telling you the weather). I was actually surprised by the voice assistant's versatility, and frequently found myself talking to the TV to power it up whenever I walked into the living room.
LG also offers the option to set up several AI-powered modes to automatically adjust the brightness of scenes, improve the quality of the TV's speakers, and, as far as I can tell, upscale lower-resolution video for the TV's 4K screen. None of the visual features had any noticeable impact on my testing when enabled. I repeatedly turned them on and off during a variety of movies, and their "benefits" were minimal, at best. My advice? You don't need them.
The single AI audio enhancement option seemed to normalize the TV's volume and make everything sound equal and annoyingly louder, removing all the acoustic joy from scenes like the big spice harvester attack in "Dune: Part Two." The TV's calibration-like AI Acoustic Tuning didn't give me noticeably different audio quality when on or off, save for when I switched the feature to bass- or treble-boosting mode. Again, the LG C4 performs better without these additions.
The C4 has great picture quality, as long as you use the right settings
LG's C4 uses a WOLED panel, giving you pixel-perfect dimming that doesn't create any annoying halos or other artifacts when bright images are blasted across an otherwise dark scene — a fireball on an Arrakis night in "Dune," for example. This instantly gives the C4 a leg up on competing QLED TVs that rely on backlights arranged into zones to control the brightness of various parts of your picture. When it comes to contrast, OLED is simply superior, full stop. The C4's OLED screen also offers wider viewing angles than a QLED, though some slight shifts in color tint can be visible. Visit our QLED vs. OLED comparison for more details on the pros and cons of both display types.
The C4 does stop short of using the more advanced panel that LG uses on its pricier G Series OLED TVs. Samsung and Sony also use more advanced OLED screens that incorporate quantum dots in their flagship sets. In practice, this means the C4 can't get quite as bright or colorful as those models, but the TV still performs well for its class.
I evaluated the C4's image quality by using Portrait Displays' Calman software to measure every one of the TV's video presets across both SDR and HDR. The TV's default "Standard" preset is not very good. That's to be expected on most TVs, but its inaccuracies in both grayscales and colors were bigger than anything I've seen in some time. Even before I busted out my colorimeter, something about the TV's default image seemed way too blue and cool-toned. My tests completely confirmed that — and then some.
Thankfully, this is easily corrected by switching to one of the TV's much more accurate presets. If you switch to Filmmaker, ISF Expert, or Cinema mode, it's like you're looking at a completely different set. I expected the Filmmaker or ISF Expert modes to have the best picture quality, given that they tend to minimize any kind of unnecessary processing, but the TV's Cinema mode was actually the most accurate for grayscale and colors. Filmmaker and ISF Expert (both its "light" and "dark space" modes) were still great, and I'd be fine using any of the three if one happened to catch my eye more than another.
The TV's HDR (high dynamic range) mode provides more presets to pick from, and again, I highly recommend ignoring the Standard and Vivid presets in favor of Filmmaker or Cinema modes. Cinema was again the preset to beat, delivering grayscale and color errors so low that they're not perceptible to the eye. Switching to it also automatically turns off the TV's terrible TruMotion option, a motion-smoothing feature that makes all your movies and TV shows look like they were shot as soap operas. Gross.
When it comes to brightness, the C4 performs well for a midrange OLED, but it's not at the top of its class. Using 10% windows, I measured a maximum brightness of 355.3 nits and 998.6 nits on the TV's Cinema mode for SDR and HDR, respectively. For comparison, LG's new C5 can get slightly brighter at 1,174 nits in HDR, and Samsung's similarly priced S90D can get hit around 1,200 nits in HDR. Meanwhile, the brightest OLED available right now, LG's high-end G5, can hit 2,400 nits in HDR.
Higher luminance helps high-contrast scenes pop with more intensity, like the extended infrared fighting sequence in "Dune: Part Two." That said, I wasn't bothered by any brightness issues when watching most HDR movies and TV shows. A lot of HDR content is mastered for a max of 1,000 nits, so the C4 presents that material without any issues. As you'd expect, super-dark moments in scenes blended right into a movie's black letterboxing — the power of OLED — and movies like "Tron: Legacy" had a pleasing, cyberpunk glow.
Studios do master some HDR content for higher brightness levels that max out at 2,000, 4,000, and even 10,000 nits, so the C4 does fall short when displaying that kind of material. If you had a C4 side-by-side with an OLED that can hit 1,500+ nits, you would see specular highlights (like explosions or shimmering reflections) look more impactful on the other TV. In that sense, big home theater enthusiasts should consider paying top dollar for an LG G Series OLED. But I'd only be annoyed by the C4's limitations if LG was positioning it as a top-shelf TV. For its price, the C4 wows.
The TV is also well-equipped for gaming on current-gen consoles. The set's native refresh rate of 120Hz is a pretty standard inclusion nowadays. This can go up to 144Hz when you've connected a compatible gaming PC, and it can use Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync Premium to dynamically adjust the refresh rates during gameplay to give you a buttery-smooth picture. (Only a few TVs, like LG's G5, go any higher, supporting a maximum gaming refresh rate of 165Hz.)
In this class, the C4's biggest competitor is the Samsung S90D. The 55-, 65-, and 77-inch S90D TVs integrate quantum dots into their OLED screens, giving them slightly brighter performance with higher color volume. However, the 42-, 48-, and 83-inch models don't have quantum dots, so they don't offer any big picture benefits over the C4.
It's also worth mentioning that the S90D doesn't support Dolby Vision, while the C4 does. Dolby Vision isn't a must-have feature, but it is a nice perk. Dolby Vision is supported by many streaming apps and 4K Blu-ray discs, and it helps the C4 optimize HDR content to better match the TV's specific capabilities. Without Dolby Vision, some HDR videos can look a bit blown out or dimmer than intended. Check out our HDR guide for more details.
LG's webOS isn't my favorite smart TV platform, but it works well enough
Like all LG TVs, the C4 uses the brand's webOS smart TV interface. It's a decent enough platform, but I'm not a huge fan for two key reasons: LG takes an "everything and the kitchen sink" approach to features, which makes it a slog to navigate some of the menus, and LG still can't resist filling its homepage with unnecessary apps, recommendations, and advertising.
LG isn't unique in those drawbacks, as plenty of streaming boxes and TVs are packed full of promos and ads nowadays. But other systems like Google TV, Roku OS, and Apple's tvOS are more intuitive. The TV's default settings present a big ad banner that takes up roughly one-third of the top of the C4's homepage. This ad can be disabled in the TV's menu, which is nice, but this function is buried several layers deep. You need to navigate to the C4's General Settings, then System Settings, then Additional Settings, and then finally Home Settings to see the option.
Even with the top ad deactivated, the homepage is too focused on promos. Scrolling down below the top row of apps immediately presents you with screen-wide highlights for LG's "featured channels." After that, there's a row of boxes highlighting all the random stuff you can purchase via LG's integrated Shoptime app. The OS also lags a bit compared to the best streaming devices like the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K.
To be clear, even with those issues, webOS gets the job done. It supports all of the major streaming services you'll likely need and it does have a few handy features — including support for GeForce Now game streaming, a built-in smart home software hub for controlling connected IoT devices (which worked great with my Philips Hue lights, but not my TP-Link Tapo security cameras), and fairly easy streaming from a Windows or Mac computer. I just wish LG would cut back on the promotions and optimize its organization a bit.
A temporary bug caused issues with the TV's software, but I found a fix
Not to harp on webOS too much, but I also encountered a frustrating issue that temporarily made it impossible to use most of the TV's apps. Out of the box, the LG C4 worked perfectly; I could install and launch streaming services, visit the various content hubs, and make ample use of the TV's voice recognition. As part of my regular use, I made sure to install any available software updates, and I set the TV to automatically download future updates.
At some point during my month or so with the TV, one update went haywire. I couldn't access most of LG's apps or related content, or even use its voice assistant, without getting a "couldn't connect" error message. This sent me down the rabbit hole of troubleshooting my home network while scouring web forums for potential solutions. I finally found a workaround: switching the TV's location from the US to Canada, and then switching it back, which triggered the C4 to make me re-sign its various user agreements.
Somehow, as part of the software update, the TV seemed to forget this critical part of the setup process that grants you full access to LG's apps and services. Several other users with different LG TVs seemed to be affected by similar errors, as evidenced by various Reddit posts. I haven't encountered this kind of service shutdown glitch on any other TV or streaming device I've reviewed, but since a fix was found, I don't consider it a dealbreaker. Likewise, fellow Insider Reviews testers who have covered other LG TV models have not run into this error.
Should you buy the LG C4 OLED 4K TV?
LG's C4 has great picture quality for its price, especially now that it's frequently discounted. The newer C5 offers a few improvements, but I don't think the upgrade is worth the significant price jump for most people. For now, the C4 remains a fantastic value.
When it comes to direct competitors, Samsung's S90D OLED does have an edge when displaying especially bright colors, but only if you're looking at the 55-, 65-, or 77-inch sizes. Otherwise, the C4 and S90D are neck and neck. Though the S90D remains the top pick in our guide to the best TVs, the C4 is a strong runner-up. So it really comes down to which brand you prefer and whether you consider Dolby Vision to be an important feature.
But if you do buy the C4, just remember to stay away from its default picture mode. The Filmmaker or Cinema presets are the ones to use for the most accurate image. I also highly recommend pairing the set with a stand-alone streaming device if webOS gives you any issues. As long as you keep those key caveats in mind, the C4's performance is excellent for its price.