Latest news with #G5
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Tom's Guide
LG G5 vs LG G4: Which OLED TV should you buy?
The G5 is LG's flagship OLED in 2025. It delivers an incredible picture with some of the brightest highlights you'll find on an OLED TV. It also comes packed with features. As one of the brand's newest TVs, you're unlikely to find substantial discounts on the G5. The G4 is LG's flagship OLED from 2024. It's one of the best OLED TVs we've ever seen, delivering higher brightness and better picture processing than all but a few OLED TVs on the market. Due to its 2024 debut, it can be purchased at a steep discount. When new TVs debut, old TVs drop in price. That's the dynamic playing right now with the LG G5 and the LG G4, the brand's flagship OLED TVs from 2024 and 2025. Being top-tier models, these are both among the best OLED TVs you can buy right now. That said, there are some pretty significant differences between the two, and depending on your budget and viewing habits, one might be a better fit than the other.I've spent years testing and reviewing everything from ultra-affordable sets to the best TVs on the market, and I'm intimately familiar with both the G5 and the G4. Let me help you get to the bottom of it. LG G5 LG G4 Sizes 55", 65", 77", 83", 97" 55", 65", 77", 83", 97" Ports 4x HDMI 2.1 4x HDMI 2.1 Resolution 3,840 x 2,160p 3,840 x 2,160p Refresh rate 165Hz 144Hz HDR Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Smart TV software webOS webOS ATSC 3.0 support? No No Processor a11 AI Processor 4K Gen2 a11 AI Processor 4K It shouldn't come as a surprise that these flagship OLEDs have a lot in common. Each TV offers a full suite of high-bandwidth, HDMI 2.1-compatible ports and both TVs are available in 55-, 65-, 77- and 83-inch models. (There's also a larger-than-life 97-inch version of both, if you really want to change your life.) Dolby Vision support is standard on both of these TVs, which ought to satisfy A/V enthusiasts who want to make use of the most popular enhanced HDR format in the game. HDR10+ is not here, but the format isn't as prolific as Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ content will fall back to standard HDR. One key difference to note is that the G5 features a higher native refresh rate. This upgrade will only matter for PC gamers, though, since consoles currently top out at 4K/120Hz. Last year, LG included a stand with 55- and 65-inch versions of its G4 OLED (seen above). For the larger sizes in the series, this stand was sold separately, as LG assumes that folks shopping for the G4 at this size points is likely planning on taking advantage of the TV's gap-free, wall-mounted design. The all-new G5 doesn't come with a stand at any size point. You can see the separately sold stand in the picture above — it's quite similar to the one attached to the G4 (seen below). Keep this in mind if you don't intend on wall-mounting your next TV. The G4 ships with an older version of LG's Magic Remote. The G5, on the other hand, arrives with a new, slimmed-down remote with a different set of buttons. Both offer the motion-activated controls that LG TV remotes are known for, but the newer version doesn't feature an input button. There just isn't enough of a difference between these two models to settle on a better-designed candidate. Their build quality is top-notch, and they're especially impressive to see in their wall-mounted configuration, due to their flush design. Winner: Draw Before we dive into which of these TVs packs a prettier picture, let's take a look at how their test results stack up. LG G5 LG G4 SDR Brightness (10%, in nits) 465 358 Delta-E (lower is better) 1.9 1.4 HDR Brightness (10%, in nits) 2,296 1,487 UHDA-P3 Gamut Coverage 99.79% 97.17% Rec. 2020 Gamut Coverage 82.42% 72.91% Input latency (milliseconds) 9.2 9.2 The first thing that ought to jump out at you here is the gap in HDR brightness. While both OLEDs offer sizzling HDR highlights, the G5 (and its 4th-generation OLED panel from LG Display) is one of the brightest OLEDs we've ever tested. When paired with the perfect black levels OLED displays are known for, this creates a sense of depth that really needs to be seen to be believed. Make no mistake: Both of these TVs look incredible thanks in part to their tremendous HDR highlight brightness, but the G5 is even more striking. The G5 also offers higher SDR brightness, and this includes full-screen brightness. This makes it a slightly better pick for those that do most of their viewing during the day. Color volume is another area of performance where the G5 has seen improvements year over year. In a side-by-side comparison, this will be less noticeable than the brightness discrepancy. Nevertheless, the G5's 82% coverage of the Rec. 2020 color gamut is an impressive feat for an OLED TV that isn't rocking quantum dots. The G5's improved performance is the main reason to buy it over the G4. In almost every other way, these TVs are equally as impressive. Both sport incredible out-of-the-box accuracy in LG's Filmmaker mode, and both deliver sensational input latency for silky-smooth gaming. At the risk of spoiling the rest of this face-off, I'll be perfectly honest: The G5's improved performance is the main reason to buy it over the G4. It's better brightness and bolder colors put it in a comfortable lead over its predecessor. Winner: LG G5 The G4's home screen is pictured above. For reference, the G5 looks nearly identical, and functions the same, too. The G5 is running a newer version of LG's built-in smart platform, webOS, but the G4 will eventually receive an update that freshens up the software experience. That said, there's no guarantee that all of the G5's webOS features will eventually make their way to the G4, and this is especially true of the G5's AI-based features. These features are intended to streamline how users discover new content and maintain viewing preferences across user profiles. There's also an AI Chatbot intended to help folks navigate the LG experience and choose what to watch. Your mileage may vary, but I don't think it's a deal-breaker for the G4 to be missing this sort of functionality. The G5 arrives with a new, slimmed-down remote control. On the gaming side of things, these TVs are nearly identical, too. As mentioned, each offers HDMI 2.1-compatibility across all four inputs, so 4K gaming at 120Hz is possible regardless of which input you're connected to. Each TV also comes with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), AMD FreeSync Premium and G-Sync compatibility for smooth gameplay. As mentioned, the G5 supports 4K gaming at 165Hz, for anyone feeling bold enough to hook it up to a gaming rig. The G4 is capped at 144Hz in 4K. I don't find the G5's handful of additional features to be significant enough to earn it a win in this category, but based on your needs, you might disagree. For me, this one's a draw. Winner: Draw LG G5 LG G4 Specs (25) 24 24 Design (25) 21 21 Performance (25) 25 24 Features (25) 25 24 Total Score (100) 95 93 The LG G5 is a better-performing TV than the year-old G4, but the latter is still one of the best TVs on the planet. Both sets offer the incredible contrast and perfect black levels that OLEDs are known for, but the G5's HDR highlights are a step above the G4's. Getting better brightness and overall color volume should be the primary reason you spend more on the G5 instead of saving on the G4. Right now, the 55-inch LG G4 is $1,696 at Amazon, while the 55-inch LG G5 is available for $2,299. Similarly, the 65-inch LG G4 OLED is $2,399 on Best Buy, compared to a whopping $2,996 for the 65-inch LG G5 on Amazon. Is that $600 jump worth it for you? For my money, I would go with the discounted LG G4. Yes, it would be quite awe-inspiring to own a brand-new G5 with a punchier picture, but I can't stress enough just how good the G4 still looks just a year after its debut. (Plus, I could always put the money I save towards a new soundbar.)
Stuff.tv
3 days ago
- Stuff.tv
You can score up to £1000 off our favourite LG OLED TVs before Prime Day – here's how
I've tested quite a few 4K TVs, and LG makes some of my favourites. The picture quality that the brand offers is unmatched by competitors. In fact, this year's LG G5 is the best and brightest OLED I've ever tested. OLED TVs have always delivered perfect blacks and top-tier contrast, so are the one to buy – but they can be pricey. That's why there's never been a better time to by an LG OLED, including the G5. Right now, you can score up to £500 off the brand's best TVs thanks to a cashback deal to celebrate the Women's Euros ahead of Amazon Prime Day. The headline deal has to be the LG OLED evo G5 65-inch. As I mentioned, it's one of the best TVs I've ever seen. Thanks to an upgraded AI processor and new tandem panel tech, this screen is amazingly bright. Normally it'd set you back £3300, but LG's knocking £400 off through this cashback deal. That's enough to cover a new soundbar, a posh wall mount, or your movie popcorn. If you're not quite ready to splash out so much cash for your TV but still want a stunner, the LG OLED C5 65-inch is another great pick. We reviewed the 42-inch version and gave it a full five stars. It's basically the G5's slightly more down-to-earth sibling. You get the same 4K upscaling but a slightly less powerful AI-powered processor but for £2700. It also has £400 off through this offer. Then there's the monster 86-inch LG QNED 85A. With a screen that huge, it basically turns your living room into a cinema. It's great for hosting match parties and showing off your favourite films. That'd usually cost £2800 at retail price, but also has £400 off thanks to the cashback promo. The biggest cashback savings go to the likes of the OLED97G5 and OLED97M5 – each netting you a tidy £1000 back. But both of those start at over £20,000 – so you're probably not boshed about saving a few quid if you're eyeing this screen up. Other models, from the sensible 42-inch OLEDs to the bonkers 100-inch QNEDs, are all included too, with savings ranging from £75 to that lovely £1000 ceiling. To claim your cashback, just buy one of the qualifying models from a participating UK retailer between now and 22 July. Then, head to LG's dedicated site. If you've been eyeing up a new LG OLED TV, now's your moment. Just don't wait too long, as these offers run out in a few weeks.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How NIL Spending Is Reshaping College Football's Competitive Landscape
How NIL Spending Is Reshaping College Football's Competitive Landscape originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In 2021, Cincinnati made history by becoming the first Group of Five program to reach the College Football Playoff. For many, it was proof that the so-called gap between the Power Five and G5 wasn't insurmountable. Advertisement But in 2025, that proof feels distant. Not because the quality of G5 football has declined, but because the financial structure of the sport has changed entirely. As college athletics enters the first full cycle of NCAA-sanctioned revenue sharing and matured NIL collectives, the economic realities facing Group of Five programs have become unavoidable. And nowhere is that shift more visible than in the SEC. While the Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 are also adapting to this new era, the SEC stands as the clearest representation of what the modern Power conference looks like. For the sake of this comparison, it serves as a fair and conservative barometer for the Power Four as a whole. Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) shakes hands while entering the locker Pendleton-Imagn Images NIL Spending and Revenue Structures in 2025 Starting in 2025, every school within the Power Four is permitted to distribute up to $20.5 million to athletes through the NCAA's new revenue-sharing model. According to projections from SEC schools are expected to meet that cap across the board. On top of that, the average SEC collective will provide another $13.95 million in NIL compensation. Advertisement That puts the total average for SEC athlete compensation at roughly $34.5 million per school. In contrast, Group of Five programs are projected to operate on significantly smaller margins. Here's how the averages stack up: Conference Revenue Share (Avg.) NIL Collective (Avg.) Total Compensation SEC (P4 Proxy) $20.5M $13.95M $34.45M American $2.99M $1.6M $4.6M Mountain West $4.37M $1.7M $6.0M Sun Belt $2.02M $1.0M $3.0M MAC $1.90M $800K $2.7M Conference USA $1.63M $600K $2.2M These figures reflect projected funding availability, not guaranteed athlete payouts, as collective disbursements vary based on structure, fundraising stability, and timing. Even within the Power Four, there are schools operating more conservatively than others. But as a whole, the SEC provides a useful benchmark for how far the top tier of college football has moved from the rest of the landscape. Advertisement How NIL Impacts G5 Player Retention in College Football For years, the most difficult challenge for G5 programs was attracting high-end talent. Now, it's keeping it. Player development has long been a hallmark of successful mid-major programs. But the same qualities that make G5 players appealing, such as early playing time, system fit, and on-field production, also make them targets in the transfer portal. One G5 staffer described his situation plainly. 'We can't offer more. We can only offer first,' he said. 'And most of the time, that's not enough anymore.' When a starting wide receiver in the American makes $15,000 and hears from a Power Four program offering $75,000, the leverage disappears quickly. And with NIL deals now embedded in roster planning, that gap becomes less about poaching and more about structure. Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The SEC's NIL Spending as a Model for Power Four Programs Programs like Texas and LSU are projected to spend over $40 million on athlete compensation in 2025. Some, like Texas Tech, are experimenting with consolidated booster-collective models that push total payrolls past $50 million. Advertisement This is not just a reaction to NIL. It is the beginning of a structured financial era. Some Power Four programs are segmenting their NIL spend by position group. Others are introducing multi-year deals and retention bonuses that incentivize players to stay through graduation. Meanwhile, many G5 schools are still assembling short-term packages through local sponsors, donor drives, and limited institutional support. The systems are fundamentally different in scale, planning, and stability. NIL Disparity and the Future of G5 Competitiveness These numbers don't disqualify G5 programs from being competitive. But they do redefine what that competitiveness looks like. Advertisement A 12-0 G5 season that earns a Playoff bid remains possible. Building it into a sustained era of success, however, now requires navigating an environment where roster stability is directly tied to financial infrastructure. In a model where one tier of programs is investing in multi-year continuity and another is forced to rebuild annually, the pressure is no longer just on recruiting. It's on retention, investment alignment, and consistent access to capital. South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers could be the 2026 number 1 draft pick.© Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images Closing: A Financial Divide That's Redefining College Football College football has never been a level playing field. But as athlete compensation becomes a core function of program operations, the separation between tiers of the sport is becoming formalized. Advertisement Programs at the top are managing rosters with continuity in mind. Programs at the bottom are often just trying to hold theirs together long enough to stay relevant. Related: Will NIL Dreams Crush Team Chemistry in College Sports? The sport may still be governed by one rulebook, but the terms of competition are no longer the same. The playoff is expanding. The revenue models are not. The question now is not whether a G5 team can make a run. It's whether any program without long-term financial planning can remain in the conversation for more than a year at a time. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Tom's Guide
5 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I've been testing TVs for 8 years — and the LG G5 OLED actually wowed me
Price: $3,400Screen size: 65 inchesModel: OLED65G5WUAResolution: 3,840 x 2,160HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLGRefresh rate: 120Hz native, 165Hz VRRPorts: 4 HDMI 2.1, 3 USBAudio: N/ASmart TV software: webOS 25Size (without stand): 56.7x32.5x1 inchesWeight (without stand): 48.5 pounds After more than eight years of testing TVs, I don't get wowed by them very often anymore. But every once in a while, one manages it, and the LG G5 OLED is just such a TV. LG's top-of-the-line OLED excels in every area, with an eye-catching, dynamic picture in every situation, and enough new technologies both inside and out to make everything you watch look as good as it can possibly be. At its launch price of $3,200 for a 65-inch model, though, the G5 is $1,000 more than the superb LG C5 OLED, and the competition from Samsung and Sony is fierce enough that the G5 doesn't always fully justify its sky-high price. Still, this is an exquisite OLED, as well as one of the best TVs you can buy for folks who want a premium design to match LG's top-notch picture quality. The G5 is the latest TV in LG's flagship line of OLED sets, slotting in above the upper-midrange C5 and the lower-midrange B5, both of which are currently available. The M5, essentially a version of the G5 designed for entirely wireless use, is likely to be released later this year. The five size variants of the G5 include: We evaluated the 65-inch model, but because the 55-, 77-, and 83-inch versions all use the same technologies, we would expect them to be comparable as far as overall picture performance. The only substantial differences arise with the 97-inch G5. It uses Brightness Booster Max instead of Ultimate (see below for more on this), and the lack of faster Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support means you're limited to a refresh rate of 120Hz. Otherwise, the TVs should all be similar, regardless of size. You would expect that the G5, being a high-end TV, would have a high-end look — and you would be correct. Unlike the C5, which more resembles a traditional OLED in its no-nonsense design and ultrathin screen, the G5 boasts another layer or two of sparkle in its design. The most obvious enhancement is that its substantially thicker screen (just past half an inch) is framed on all sides with a gleaming silver band that catches your eye from everywhere in the room. When looking at the set from the front, the only other visible adornment is the orange power light. Located on the underside of the power light's housing are a switch for activating or deactivating the integrated far-field microphone, and a hardware button you can push to turn the TV on and off or access Inputs, Volume, and Channel functions. The other key difference between the G5 and LG's lower-end sets is that this one does not come with a stand. (This was true of the G3 OLED two years ago, too, but not last year's G4 OLED.) LG provided an excellent stand (an ST-G4SN65) for the purposes of our review, but you'll have to buy your own if you want the TV on top of an entertainment center or other flat surface. No, the G5 is intended for wall mounting. It ships with a special wall bracket designed to fit into the large depression on the rear panel, and thus make it possible for the TV to lay nearly flat against the wall, as though it were a painting. It's not alone in this aesthetic, as both the Hisense Canvas and Samsung The Frame are also engineered to provide this gallery-style design. As a result of this, the port layout is slightly unusual, with the majority (a coaxial cable connector, Ethernet, two HDMI ports, and two USB ports) near the center of the TV's back and facing downward and hidable beyond a snap-on plastic panel. Three more ports intended for regular use (two HDMI, with one the eARC port, and one USB) are recessed in about 5 inches from the TV's left edge and face outward. All four HDMI ports support the newer and more powerful HDMI 2.1 specification that offers Auto Low Latency-Mode (ALLM) and the aforementioned VRR, which is capable of refresh rates as fast as 165Hz. HDMI 2.2 is right around the corner, but for now, this port selection is as good as it gets in 2025. We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom's Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set's performance. For our technical tests, we set the TV to Filmmaker Mode (usually the most accurate out of the box) and take measurements using a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays's Calman TV-calibration software. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining the TV's gaming prowess. Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer but usually include anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our 'How we test TVs' page. Though QD-OLED TVs have stolen most of the headlines the last couple of years with their combination of quantum-dot color and brightness with the perfect black and infinite contrast of OLEDs, LG's new Four-Stack OLEDs can still rock your world. Because the G5 gets so bright (see below), something LG attributes to its Brightness Booster Ultimate technology, it has no trouble pointing up even fine light details in the darkest scenes, while also supercharging color. The results are astonishing with anything. I was especially thrilled by the roller-coaster contrast in movies like Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two, which thrive on scenes of either pure black and white or more monochromatic color palettes. The G5 made them look nearly as vivid as they did in the theater. There is nothing to criticize about movies on the (literal) opposite end of the spectrum, either. Films like Barbie, Wicked, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, all four of which may as well feature eye-detonating color as a main character, looked stunning on the G5. As with all OLEDs, the G5's picture doesn't lose a whit of its distinctiveness or colors their saturation from any seat in the house. And though I haven't experienced crippling glare problems with LG's previous G-series sets, the new antiglare coating on the G5's screen (which has earned the TV a UL Glare Free certification) eliminates what little problem was left. LG G5 LG C5 LG G4 Samsung S95F SDR Brightness (10%, in nits) 465 335 358 268 Delta-E (lower is better) 1.99 1.25 1.4 1.19 Rec. 709 Gamut Coverage 99.69% 99.67% 98.55% 106.88% HDR Brightness (10%, in nits) 2,296 1165 1488 2,138 UHDA-P3 Gamut Coverage 99.79% 99.45% 97.29% 99.97% Rec. 2020 Gamut Coverage 82.42% 76.18% 72.91% 90.26% Input Lag (ms) 12.9/9.2 (Boost) 12.9/9.1 (Boost) 12.9/9.2 (Boost) 9.5 Our technical tests backed up what my eyes were already telling me. For an OLED, the G5 gets dazzlingly bright with both SDR (465 nits) and HDR (2,296) content, putting it not only on equal footing with the Samsung S95F OLED (2,138 nits), but within spitting distance of a lot of LED-based sets. (As an interesting point of comparison, the G5 proved more than 800 nits brighter with an HDR signal than its predecessor, the G4 — a truly impressive generational leap.) We measured its Delta-E (a value representing the difference between a color at the source and as displayed on the screen, with lower numbers being better) as 1.99, and its coverage of the Rec. 709 (SDR) color gamut as 99.69%, and its HDR performance in coverage of the UHDA-P3 gamut as 99.79 and the Rec. 2020 gamut as 82.42. In every case, this is outstanding, if never quite category leading. The similarly priced S95F, and even some lower-cost sets like the Samsung S90F and LG's own C5, for example, had marginally more accurate colors, and both Samsungs covered noticeably more of the Rec. 2020 gamut. Audio on the G5 is fine. It never stood out as either a detriment or a boon while watching movies or series, and when just playing music it was in no way offensive with either low basses or high trebles. The 4.2-channel, downward-firing speaker system, complete with Dolby Atmos, is unquestionably good enough for the purpose of everyday TV watching. But not much more than that. In order to get the TV to sound as good as it looks, however, you will definitely want to add one of Tom's Guide's best soundbars. LG's higher-end TVs have long been good for gaming, and the G5 is surprisingly no exception. As measured with our Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester, the G5 registered an outstanding 9.2ms of lag when the Game Optimizer boost function was enabled, and a still-strong 12.9ms with it off. This puts the G5 in the first rank of gaming sets, right alongside the best gaming TV, the LG C5 OLED. There are plenty of gaming features, too, including Dark Room Mode and Multi View, which are accessible through the Game Optimizer menu (when you're in that mode) and a pop-up game bar you can raise while you're playing a title. The G5 also supports AMD FreeSync Premium and is Nvidia G-Sync compatible. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle played beautifully and looked absolutely amazing on the G5, with the G5's superb contrast and brightness handling accentuating every nook and cranny of the water-hewn caverns and dank secret passages that provide so much of the game's rich, satisfying atmosphere. LG has not abandoned its proprietary webOS operating system — and why should it when it's one of the best you can find on a TV? The easy-to-navigate home screen is divided up into rows, with an advertising carousel at the top, a row of rectangular cards that group various functions such as sports or gaming, a highly customizable app bar, then below that a row showing content from your recent inputs and offerings from the LG Channels streaming service. It shouldn't be hard to find something to watch from the home screen, but you can also view video from your mobile device with Google Cast or Apple AirPlay or watch live broadcasts on the integrated ATSC 1.0 tuner. (Due to an ongoing licensing dispute, there is no ATSC 3.0 tuner, which would allow for over-the-air 4K broadcasts. This is common in recent TVs, but it's still a shame that it's not included here.) AI features comprise a voice search option that, as far as I can tell, is functionally identical to the previous, non-AI version (and works just fine from either the remote or the far-field microphone), and a 'concierge' that makes additional viewing suggestions based on your interests and watch history. I was not bowled over by these, but they are there if you want to take advantage of them. Amazon Alexa is also supported, in case you have a smart home full of Amazon's Echo devices. Like all LG's TVs beginning this generation, the G5 ships with a thoroughly redesigned Magic Remote that retains much of the (controversial) original's functionality in a more streamlined package. It still can be used like an on-screen mouse by waving it (that's the 'magic' part), and the select button in the center of the directional control is still a scroll wheel for some reason. But in addition to losing the antiquated number keys and color buttons, LG has also dumped some I would consider essential (Inputs, which you now must access via the Home Hub button, and Mute) and renamed or added others that may be of limited use ('AI'). This new Magic Remote is more in line with Sony's and Samsung's recent redesigns, and its new matte, candy-bar design is more traditional than the previous glossy, ergonomic one. These changes won't be for everyone, though the overall offering is a functional one. The big question with the LG G5 isn't whether it's a good TV, or even whether it's a great one. Each of those questions merits an emphatic 'yes.' What really needs to be asked instead is: Is it worth the money? If you have the money budgeted for a high-ticket home entertainment purchase, that's also a firm yes. The big advantage the G5 has over the C5 and its other competitors is its incredible brightness. But that's a bit of a matter of diminishing returns past a certain point. And as much as I loved everything I viewed on the G5, the fact remains that the C5 — despite being not as bright on paper — looked almost as good, and it costs nearly $1,000 less. Some other sets, like the Samsung S90F (which costs about the same as the C5), even edge out the G5 in other ways. Good as the LG G5 is, it's not quite an undisputed king. I still think this is one of the best TVs you can buy, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a premium design that matches that G5's excellent picture performance. If you can live without the gallery-esque aesthetic, however, the more affordable C5 is still my go-to pick in 2025.
Business Insider
27-06-2025
- Business Insider
LG's new G5 TV delivers nearly perfect picture quality. Here's what makes this premium OLED so special.
I review lots of TVs every year, and as performance improves across the board, it's becoming harder for flagship models to stand out. But LG's G5 doesn't have this problem. Simply put, the G5 OLED offers the best picture quality I've ever seen from a consumer TV. Panasonic's upcoming Z95B has a chance to surpass it, but for now, the G5 is the premium 4K TV to beat. Using LG's latest OLED panel technology, the G5 balances perfect contrast with high brightness, sharp detail, rich colors, and wide viewing angles. This is the kind of high-end image quality that makes home theater nerds like me geek out. The G5 also has solid smarts via LG's webOS interface and some cool new perks like AI voice recognition. However, the G5 isn't quite perfect. Though the set's image performance is nearly flawless, it does have some minor issues with color gradients and over-brightening. These imperfections are subtle, though, and the displays' many strengths outweigh them. I also wish LG's webOS placed less emphasis on shopping recommendations, but I'm more than willing to ignore an ad here and there if it means getting such a fantastic viewing experience. It's also important to note that this is an expensive display. Most people will be satisfied with a cheaper midrange OLED, like LG's C5 and C4, or Samsung's S90D. But premium sets like the G5 aren't geared toward most people. This is a pricey TV built for enthusiasts willing to spend top dollar on top picture quality and design. And in that sense, it's the best TV of its kind. The TV has an elegant design, but a stand costs extra LG's G5 is available in 55, 65, 77, 83, and 97 inches, with list prices ranging from $2,500 to a whopping $25,000. For this review, I tested a 65-inch unit, which retails for $3,400. With the exception of the 97-inch model, all sizes offer the same specifications. The 97-inch model uses a different kind of OLED panel, so it can't get as bright as its smaller counterparts. The G5 uses LG's One Wall design, which allows it to be mounted with virtually no gap. A bracket is included in the box to accomplish this, so you don't need to buy one separately. On the downside, LG doesn't include a traditional pedestal stand, so if you don't want to mount the G5, you need to purchase a stand on your own. LG sells a stand for $106 (which was used for this review), and the G5 is compatible with many of the best TV stands made by third-party manufacturers. Though the G5 looks best when mounted, it still has an elegant style when placed on its pedestal. The display is made of premium materials and has a thin profile that measures just under an inch thick. The build and aesthetics are what you'd expect from such a pricey display and are a clear step up from the cheaper construction of more budget-friendly models. LG also gets points for including four HDMI 2.1 ports to enable support for up to a 4K/165Hz signal. Many rival brands, including Sony, only include two HDMI 2.1 ports and use HDMI 2.0 for the remaining inputs. This is a great perk for gamers who want to connect multiple systems to the TV, as HDMI 2.1 is needed to unlock the smoothest performance on current-gen consoles and high-end PCs. LG redesigned its Magic Remote for 2025, and this new version is mostly an improvement. It has a thinner, more traditional shape instead of the bulky body used on past LG remotes, which makes it feel better in hand. Its main selection button, which doubles as a scroll wheel, also feels sturdier, making clicks more responsive. Sadly, the remote is not backlit, which has become standard on some competing TVs from TCL, Hisense, and Roku. Like past models, the Magic Remote lets you choose between navigating via standard button presses or by using motion controls (the "magic" part) to point the remote at the screen to move a virtual cursor. Unfortunately, there's no way to fully deactivate motion control if you don't like it. Clicking on the directional pad temporarily turns it off, but it gets turned back on if you slide the scroll wheel, and this is too easy to accidentally trigger. The remote's button layout has also been simplified, and I generally like this more minimalist approach. But there are two odd choices. First, there's no longer an input select button. To switch inputs on the TV, you have to hold down the Home button to pull up a smart hub menu or scroll through the homepage and find the input you like on screen. Second, there's no mute button. You can still activate mute by holding the remote's volume down button, but this means there's no way to rapidly lower the volume instead of fully muting it. These are small complaints, but they just strike me as strange choices. The G5 delivers a new benchmark for premium image quality The G5 is the first consumer TV to use LG's new four-stack OLED panel design. This type of screen has key benefits over the standard WOLED panel used on LG's cheaper C and B series TVs. A four-stack design optimizes how an OLED produces color and light, allowing for higher brightness and a wider color gamut — all while maintaining the pixel-level contrast, deep black levels, and wide viewing angles that the best OLED TVs are known for. You can learn more in our QLED vs. OLED comparison. The results are spectacular, and the TV offers a big leap in brightness over last year's G4 model. In fact, the G5 is now the brightest OLED TV available, dethroning the Samsung S95F. Using the TV's Filmmaker mode with a 10% HDR test pattern (a white box that takes up 10% of the screen against a black background), I measured a peak brightness of 2,410 nits. That's nearly 1,000 nits more than last year's G4, which is a substantial bump. It's also about 240 nits more than the S95F, which is a more subtle but still noteworthy jump. While such high brightness is impressive, it's important to remember that it's only beneficial in certain circumstances. For example, high brightness gives you more headroom to pump up luminance to help overcome glare in rooms with a lot of ambient light. It also allows the G5 to produce more impactful and accurate high dynamic range (HDR) images with highlights (like explosions) that pop from the screen. But the G5's full brightness capabilities only get unleashed when watching movies and TV shows mastered for above 1,000 nits. You can learn more about HDR mastering and how it relates to content and TVs in our HDR guide. Raw brightness is only a part of what makes the G5's image quality so noteworthy. What makes this TV shine is how it's able to precisely harness its brightness and combine it with pixel-level contrast control, inky black levels, and rich colors. I watched a wide range of movies and TV shows across several weeks with the G5, and I've never seen a consumer TV that matches its picture capabilities. Some of its benefits over other high-end sets are subtle, and it has some flaws that a few rivals handle better, but overall, the G5 rises above the competition. Fiery explosions in high-brightness HDR movies like "Mad Max: Fury Road" radiate from the screen with rich saturation, while deep shadows in the opening sequence of "The Matrix" remain perfectly dark without any halos around lighter elements of the picture. Tricky sequences in movies like "1917" and shows like "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" that trip up the local dimming backlights on many QLED TVs I've tested are displayed with perfect, uniform contrast. And image quality barely shifts if you're off to the side of the screen, so everyone gets a good viewing experience no matter where they sit. LG's picture processing continues to improve year after year, and the G5 is able to hold its own against high-end Sony TVs. Lower-quality content like compressed HD YouTube streams and cable TV upscale nicely on the G5. To be clear, they still don't look as good as native 4K sources, but the TV does a good job of minimizing imperfections without introducing an unnatural look. But as phenomenal as the G5 is, the TV's image quality isn't flawless. When it first hit stores, the G5 had issues with color banding, also called posterization or false contouring. This caused some gradations of colors and dark shades to look blocky rather than smooth. This problem initially appeared in some Dolby Vision and HDR10 content, but during my testing, LG released a firmware update that corrected Dolby Vision playback. However, some banding still popped up in isolated scenes when watching a small selection of HDR10 videos. But throughout my weeks with the TV, this flaw was very subtle and only appeared in a couple of movies I sampled out of more than a dozen. After my evaluation period ended, LG released another firmware update in June. This latest version reportedly corrects those lingering problems with HDR10 so long as you use the TV's Filmmaker preset. With all that in mind, I don't consider this to be a major drawback. Another small imperfection I encountered involved some slight over-brightening in near-black content, which caused dark shades to faintly glow. I noticed this a bit when watching some dim sequences in the Amazon Prime series "The Wheel of Time," but it was never too distracting. This issue is common on OLED displays like this, and the G5 performs about on par with what's expected. Finally, it's also worth noting that while the G5 rises above competing flagship OLEDs in nearly every way, there is one area where top models from Samsung and Sony still have a slight edge: color volume. High-end OLEDs from those brands use quantum dots, which is a feature the G5 is missing. This allows those TVs to maintain high saturation a bit better when displaying especially bright colors. The G5 improves upon the G4 in this area, but it still can't quite match OLEDs that have quantum dots. Gamers get cool features like a 165Hz refresh rate and support for Xbox streaming The G5 is one of the most advanced gaming TVs there is. It supports ALLM (auto low latency mode), VRR (variable refresh rate), and a dedicated Game Optimizer menu that lets you easily adjust settings. The G5 sets itself apart from most competing TVs with its support for up to a 165Hz refresh rate. Most high-end TVs max out at 144Hz. This is only useful for PC gamers with high-end hardware, but it's still a cool perk. LG is also one of two brands (Samsung is the other) that supports the Xbox app directly through the TV's interface. If you have a Game Pass membership, this app lets you stream Xbox games so you can play them without needing a console. The quality isn't as good as playing a game directly through a system, and playability is heavily reliant on the stability of your internet connection, but it works well enough for casual gaming. I also tested the G5 with a PS5 using a 4K/120Hz connection, and it delivered excellent image quality and smooth motion. I didn't see any flicker or ghosting with VRR active, which is something I've seen on some QLED TVs. Some flicker did show up when I pulled up the TV's settings menu while playing games, but this went away as soon as I closed the window. However, I've seen some user reports of banding in certain games when using the TV's HDR Game mode, even after the latest firmware update released in June. But outside some subtle bands in the sky when playing "Cyberpunk 2077" and some slight contouring in menus, I didn't encounter any egregious banding when playing various HDR titles, including "The Last of Us Part 1," "Spider-Man," "No Man's Sky," "Dragon's Dogma 2," and "Baldur's Gate 3." LG's webOS adds some new AI features, but they're mostly unnecessary Like all LG TVs, the G5 uses the webOS smart TV system. The platform is easy to set up, as LG guides you through some basic housekeeping items. The interface has access to all of the best streaming services, though it's missing a few niche apps that some other platforms support, like the Criterion Channel. General navigation is smooth, and I didn't encounter any major lag when moving through services. That said, the interface's design could annoy some users. By default, webOS displays a banner ad at the top of the homepage, and the screen prominently features a row for shopping recommendations. You can deactivate the banner ad if you navigate through some buried menu options, but this leaves that space unutilized. You can also turn off the shopping recommendations, but this deactivates all of the platform's content suggestions, leading to a barebones interface. It's great that LG offers the option to fully deactivate the ads, but I wish there was a better balance to begin with, so it could display content recommendations while demphasizing some of the sponsored material. For 2025, LG is touting a lot of new AI features, but most of these functions are just improved iterations of features that have already been available on past-generation TVs. For instance, there are AI picture modes that are meant to enhance the image, especially with lower-quality content, but the adjustments these modes make are unnecessary. The company has also brought back its AI Picture Wizard and added a new AI Audio Wizard. These features present you with various sample images and audio clips. Based on which ones you select, the wizard learns what kind of picture and sound settings you like the most, and then creates custom modes for you. Again, I highly recommend just using the TV's Filmmaker mode and Standard audio mode to get the most accurate playback, but if you're unhappy with how the G5 looks or sounds, this is worth playing around with. LG's remote also emphasizes AI more this year, as the microphone button has been rebranded as the AI button. Pressing it pulls up LG's AI concierge. This is supposed to present smart content recommendations based on your viewing habits, but I didn't find them to be all that useful. Holding down the AI button allows you to search with your voice or speak commands to control the TV. The G5 also supports hands-free voice search. I'm not sure what the issue was, but during my first week or so with the TV, I ran into a lot of server errors and "voice not recognized" messages when using the G5's voice search. Over time, these glitches stopped popping up, and voice search worked consistently. That said, I found the TV's voice recognition to be less accurate and slower than some competing systems, like Roku and Google TV. On the plus side, the G5 does have a new voice feature that's actually pretty cool. It's called AI voice recognition, and it automatically switches user profiles based on who speaks to the TV. So, if your spouse was using the set and you both have different profiles, once you speak to the TV, it will switch to your personalized home screen with your preferences and recommendations. Should you buy the LG G5 TV? Few TVs have left me as utterly impressed as the LG G5. Some competing high-end sets from Sony and Samsung offer better performance in certain aspects, but when looking at picture quality as a whole, the G5 is the best premium display I've seen. Panasonic is set to release a similar TV later this year, called the Z95B, so I'm curious to see how it stacks up. But for now, the G5 is the reigning king of premium TVs. Though picture performance isn't flawless, the TV's combination of pixel-level contrast and high brightness is unmatched and outweighs any shortcomings. LG's webOS interface isn't my favorite, and I did run into some software issues that ironed out over time, but it gets the job done. The new AI voice recognition feature is also a cool addition. The G5 is expensive, so it's only suited for big picture quality enthusiasts and those willing to spend extra for high-end design flourishes that you can't get on cheaper TVs. But if you fit that bill, the LG G5 TV earns my highest recommendation.
