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

Even a twelvemonth aft its release, LG's C4 OLED TV is inactive a beauty. The 65-inch exemplary I reviewed rapidly transformed into the centerpiece of my surviving room. Its deep, affluent achromatic levels and vibrant colors drew my roommates and maine to much game-playing and movie-watching than we've done each year.

The TV comes successful respective sizes, ranging from 42 inches astatine the bottommost to a whopping 83 inches astatine the top. The 65-inch exemplary is often connected merchantability for $1,500 oregon less, which is simply a coagulated woody for a midrange OLED. It's besides a batch little than the caller 2025 mentation of this TV, the C5.

The C5 has an upgraded processor for improved 4K upscaling, and it delivers somewhat higher brightness, but astir radical would beryllium hard-pressed to announcement a immense quality betwixt the two. The C5 is technically a amended TV, but the C4 offers much worth portion it remains successful stock.

However, that's not to accidental that the C4 is perfect. Good representation prime is heavy babelike connected utilizing the close settings, and its webOS interface is cluttered and occasionally dysfunctional. But if you brace it with a coagulated streaming instrumentality and instrumentality with the close representation presets, you'll beryllium near with 1 of the best 4K TVs successful this terms range.

Setup is simple, and determination are plentifulness of connections

Setting the C4 up is simply a beauteous elemental process — conscionable 4 screws to connect its stand, though you'll request a person to assistance you lug it into spot if your surface is 55 inches oregon larger. However, the basal lone raises the TV astir 2.25 inches, which could beryllium an contented if you ain a ample soundbar, and its pedestal plan means you'll request to spot your soundbar straight successful beforehand of the basal alternatively than close underneath the screen.

Once booted up, the TV guides you done immoderate modular housekeeping tasks similar mounting up WiFi and accepting assorted presumption and services. The C4 supports Ethernet (via 1 larboard connected the side) and WiFi 5, which is connected the slower broadside for a modern TV. You'll chiefly consciousness that erstwhile your acceptable is downloading larger bundle and app updates, but you shouldn't person immoderate issues streaming 4K content.

Like each modern TVs, the acceptable besides has a integer over-the-air (OTA) tuner port, which is large if you want to plug successful an antenna to entree free, section signals without paying a luck to a cablegram provider. That said, the C4's tuner lone supports receiving HD broadcasts alternatively than 4K Ultra HD. This isn't a large woody since the bulk of OTA contented is constricted to HD successful astir areas. You tin besides bargain a 4K tuner separately if you ever privation to upgrade.

The C4 has plentifulness of ports for connecting outer devices similar a streaming player, AV receiver, soundbar, oregon gaming console. The acceptable has 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs with enactment for 48Gbps, enabling the bandwidth needed for 4K/120Hz signals.

Setting up the C4's built-in Universal Control feature, a fancy mode of saying "use 1 distant to power everything," requires astir nary effort astatine all. I conscionable had to prime my connected AV receiver's shaper and tally done a speedy trial of the powerfulness button. Coupled with the HDMI-CEC capabilities, I could past usage the Magic Remote's buttons to rise and little my receiver's measurement successful summation to the galore options connected its setup screen. Though not arsenic full-featured arsenic a existent cosmopolitan remote, it's inactive super-convenient for basal operations crossed galore devices.

You tin summon LG's integer adjunct by saying "Hi, LG" to your TV, erstwhile you've acceptable it up, oregon by holding down the associated fastener connected LG's Magic Remote. It's amazingly good, capable to motorboat apps, leap to antithetic networks wrong LG's Channels app, and adjacent propulsion up your settings whenever you privation (in summation to telling you the weather). I was really amazed by the dependable assistant's versatility, and often recovered myself talking to the TV to powerfulness it up whenever I walked into the surviving room.

LG besides offers the enactment to acceptable up respective AI-powered modes to automatically set the brightness of scenes, amended the prime of the TV's speakers, and, arsenic acold arsenic I tin tell, upscale lower-resolution video for the TV's 4K screen. None of the ocular features had immoderate noticeable interaction connected my investigating erstwhile enabled. I repeatedly turned them connected and disconnected during a assortment of movies, and their "benefits" were minimal, astatine best. My advice? You don't request them.

The azygous AI audio enhancement enactment seemed to normalize the TV's measurement and marque everything dependable adjacent and annoyingly louder, removing each the acoustic joyousness from scenes similar the large spice harvester onslaught successful "Dune: Part Two." The TV's calibration-like AI Acoustic Tuning didn't springiness maine noticeably antithetic audio prime erstwhile connected oregon off, prevention for erstwhile I switched the diagnostic to bass- oregon treble-boosting mode. Again, the LG C4 performs amended without these additions.

The C4 has large representation quality, arsenic agelong arsenic you usage the close settings

LG's C4 uses a WOLED panel, giving you pixel-perfect dimming that doesn't make immoderate annoying halos oregon different artifacts erstwhile agleam images are blasted crossed an different acheronian country — a fireball connected an Arrakis nighttime successful "Dune," for example. This instantly gives the C4 a limb up connected competing QLED TVs that trust connected backlights arranged into zones to power the brightness of assorted parts of your picture. When it comes to contrast, OLED is simply superior, afloat stop. The C4's OLED surface besides offers wider viewing angles than a QLED, though immoderate flimsy shifts successful colour tint tin beryllium visible. Visit our QLED vs. OLED comparison for much details connected the pros and cons of some show types.

The C4 does halt abbreviated of utilizing the much precocious sheet that LG uses connected its pricier G Series OLED TVs. Samsung and Sony besides usage much precocious OLED screens that incorporated quantum dots successful their flagship sets. In practice, this means the C4 can't get rather arsenic agleam oregon colorful arsenic those models, but the TV inactive performs good for its class.

I evaluated the C4's representation prime by utilizing Portrait Displays' Calman software to measurement each 1 of the TV's video presets crossed some SDR and HDR. The TV's default "Standard" preset is not precise good. That's to beryllium expected connected astir TVs, but its inaccuracies successful some grayscales and colors were bigger than thing I've seen successful immoderate time. Even earlier I busted retired my colorimeter, thing astir the TV's default representation seemed mode excessively bluish and cool-toned. My tests wholly confirmed that — and past some.

Thankfully, this is easy corrected by switching to 1 of the TV's overmuch much close presets. If you power to Filmmaker, ISF Expert, oregon Cinema mode, it's similar you're looking astatine a wholly antithetic set. I expected the Filmmaker oregon ISF Expert modes to person the champion representation quality, fixed that they thin to minimize immoderate benignant of unnecessary processing, but the TV's Cinema mode was really the astir close for grayscale and colors. Filmmaker and ISF Expert (both its "light" and "dark space" modes) were inactive great, and I'd beryllium good utilizing immoderate of the 3 if 1 happened to drawback my oculus much than another.

The TV's HDR (high dynamic range) mode provides much presets to prime from, and again, I highly urge ignoring the Standard and Vivid presets successful favour of Filmmaker oregon Cinema modes. Cinema was again the preset to beat, delivering grayscale and colour errors truthful debased that they're not perceptible to the eye. Switching to it besides automatically turns disconnected the TV's unspeakable TruMotion option, a motion-smoothing diagnostic that makes each your movies and TV shows look similar they were changeable arsenic soap operas. Gross.

When it comes to brightness, the C4 performs good for a midrange OLED, but it's not astatine the apical of its class. Using 10% windows, I measured a maximum brightness of 355.3 nits and 998.6 nits connected the TV's Cinema mode for SDR and HDR, respectively. For comparison, LG's caller C5 tin get somewhat brighter astatine 1,174 nits successful HDR, and Samsung's likewise priced S90D tin get deed astir 1,200 nits successful HDR. Meanwhile, the brightest OLED disposable close now, LG's high-end G5, tin deed 2,400 nits successful HDR.

Higher luminance helps high-contrast scenes popular with much intensity, similar the extended infrared warring series successful "Dune: Part Two." That said, I wasn't bothered by immoderate brightness issues erstwhile watching astir HDR movies and TV shows. A batch of HDR contented is mastered for a max of 1,000 nits, truthful the C4 presents that worldly without immoderate issues. As you'd expect, super-dark moments successful scenes blended close into a movie's achromatic letterboxing — the powerfulness of OLED — and movies similar "Tron: Legacy" had a pleasing, cyberpunk glow.

Studios bash maestro immoderate HDR contented for higher brightness levels that max retired astatine 2,000, 4,000, and adjacent 10,000 nits, truthful the C4 does autumn abbreviated erstwhile displaying that benignant of material. If you had a C4 side-by-side with an OLED that tin deed 1,500+ nits, you would spot specular highlights (like explosions oregon shimmering reflections) look much impactful connected the different TV. In that sense, large location theatre enthusiasts should see paying apical dollar for an LG G Series OLED. But I'd lone beryllium annoyed by the C4's limitations if LG was positioning it arsenic a top-shelf TV. For its price, the C4 wows.

The TV is besides well-equipped for gaming connected current-gen consoles. The set's autochthonal refresh complaint of 120Hz is simply a beauteous modular inclusion nowadays. This tin spell up to 144Hz erstwhile you've connected a compatible gaming PC, and it tin usage Nvidia G-Sync oregon AMD FreeSync Premium to dynamically set the refresh rates during gameplay to springiness you a buttery-smooth picture. (Only a fewer TVs, similar LG's G5, spell immoderate higher, supporting a maximum gaming refresh complaint of 165Hz.)

In this class, the C4's biggest rival is the Samsung S90D. The 55-, 65-, and 77-inch S90D TVs integrate quantum dots into their OLED screens, giving them somewhat brighter show with higher colour volume. However, the 42-, 48-, and 83-inch models don't person quantum dots, truthful they don't connection immoderate large representation benefits implicit the C4.

It's besides worthy mentioning that the S90D doesn't enactment Dolby Vision, portion the C4 does. Dolby Vision isn't a must-have feature, but it is simply a bully perk. Dolby Vision is supported by galore streaming apps and 4K Blu-ray discs, and it helps the C4 optimize HDR contented to amended lucifer the TV's circumstantial capabilities. Without Dolby Vision, immoderate HDR videos tin look a spot blown retired oregon dimmer than intended. Check retired our HDR guide for much details.

LG's webOS isn't my favourite astute TV platform, but it works good enough

Like each LG TVs, the C4 uses the brand's webOS astute TV interface. It's a decent capable platform, but I'm not a immense instrumentality for 2 cardinal reasons: LG takes an "everything and the room sink" attack to features, which makes it a slog to navigate immoderate of the menus, and LG inactive can't defy filling its homepage with unnecessary apps, recommendations, and advertising.

LG isn't unsocial successful those drawbacks, arsenic plentifulness of streaming boxes and TVs are packed afloat of promos and ads nowadays. But different systems similar Google TV, Roku OS, and Apple's tvOS are much intuitive. The TV's default settings contiguous a large advertisement banner that takes up astir one-third of the apical of the C4's homepage. This advertisement tin beryllium disabled successful the TV's menu, which is nice, but this relation is buried respective layers deep. You request to navigate to the C4's General Settings, past System Settings, past Additional Settings, and past yet Home Settings to spot the option.

Even with the apical advertisement deactivated, the homepage is excessively focused connected promos. Scrolling down beneath the apical enactment of apps instantly presents you with screen-wide highlights for LG's "featured channels." After that, there's a enactment of boxes highlighting each the random worldly you tin acquisition via LG's integrated Shoptime app. The OS besides lags a spot compared to the best streaming devices similar the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K.

To beryllium clear, adjacent with those issues, webOS gets the occupation done. It supports each of the large streaming services you'll apt request and it does person a fewer useful features — including enactment for GeForce Now crippled streaming, a built-in astute location bundle hub for controlling connected IoT devices (which worked large with my Philips Hue lights, but not my TP-Link Tapo information cameras), and reasonably casual streaming from a Windows oregon Mac computer. I conscionable privation LG would chopped backmost connected the promotions and optimize its enactment a bit.

A impermanent bug caused issues with the TV's software, but I recovered a fix

Not to harp connected webOS excessively much, but I besides encountered a frustrating contented that temporarily made it intolerable to usage astir of the TV's apps. Out of the box, the LG C4 worked perfectly; I could instal and motorboat streaming services, sojourn the assorted contented hubs, and marque ample usage of the TV's dependable recognition. As portion of my regular use, I made definite to instal immoderate disposable bundle updates, and I acceptable the TV to automatically download aboriginal updates.

At immoderate constituent during my period oregon truthful with the TV, 1 update went haywire. I couldn't entree astir of LG's apps oregon related content, oregon adjacent usage its dependable assistant, without getting a "couldn't connect" mistake message. This sent maine down the rabbit spread of troubleshooting my location web portion scouring web forums for imaginable solutions. I yet recovered a workaround: switching the TV's determination from the US to Canada, and past switching it back, which triggered the C4 to marque maine re-sign its assorted idiosyncratic agreements.

Somehow, arsenic portion of the bundle update, the TV seemed to hide this captious portion of the setup process that grants you afloat entree to LG's apps and services. Several different users with antithetic LG TVs seemed to beryllium affected by akin errors, arsenic evidenced by assorted Reddit posts. I haven't encountered this benignant of work shutdown glitch connected immoderate different TV oregon streaming instrumentality I've reviewed, but since a hole was found, I don't see it a dealbreaker. Likewise, chap Insider Reviews testers who person covered different LG TV models person not tally into this error.

Should you bargain the LG C4 OLED 4K TV?

LG's C4 has large representation prime for its price, particularly present that it's often discounted. The newer C5 offers a fewer improvements, but I don't deliberation the upgrade is worthy the important terms leap for astir people. For now, the C4 remains a fantastic value.

When it comes to nonstop competitors, Samsung's S90D OLED does person an borderline erstwhile displaying particularly agleam colors, but lone if you're looking astatine the 55-, 65-, oregon 77-inch sizes. Otherwise, the C4 and S90D are cervix and neck. Though the S90D remains the apical prime successful our usher to the best TVs, the C4 is simply a beardown runner-up. So it truly comes down to which marque you similar and whether you see Dolby Vision to beryllium an important feature.

But if you bash bargain the C4, conscionable retrieve to enactment distant from its default representation mode. The Filmmaker oregon Cinema presets are the ones to usage for the astir close image. I besides highly urge pairing the acceptable with a stand-alone streaming instrumentality if webOS gives you immoderate issues. As agelong arsenic you support those cardinal caveats successful mind, the C4's show is fantabulous for its price.