I tested the LG C5 OLED TV, and it gives the flagship G5 model a run for its money

I would argue that the most crucial aspect of any television set is its picture quality. Never mind its smart capabilities, brand prestige, or super-high refresh rate. For human beings, at first glance anyway, the visual stimulus overrides all else.

This is why when you walk into Costco, you are arrested by the exquisite images flashing on a bunch of big-screen TVs set to “Retail Mode,” peacocking their 4K beauty. First impressions are always based on appearance. 

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By that criterion alone — picture quality — LG’s 2025 C5 OLED ranks among the best OLED TVs you can buy today. That sounds like a matter-of-fact statement, but I stand behind it because as soon as I fired up our review unit for testing. It’s that good this year.

The C5 has a unique construction and a futuristic aesthetic. For one thing, it has one of the thinnest screens I’ve ever seen — at a mere 0.25 inches thick. When lifting it out of the box, my colleague and I were wary of handling the edges of the screen because they seemed so delicate. The lower section of the panel is more substantial, something to grab onto while setting it up. 

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It’s as if LG’s engineers were shooting for “more screen, less panel” in this year’s design, an angle they pulled off successfully. It’s almost four times thinner than the trendy Frame TVs on the market, but that only accounts for about two-thirds of the screen’s surface area. 

I’d like to give a shout-out to whoever designed the packaging for this model. When you open the cardboard box top, you immediately find the remote control in its own little sleeve, with batteries preinstalled. The base plate (stand) and all its components are in another styrofoam box, which makes it easy to pull out and get going. (These are things you notice when you unbox a few too many 65-inch TVs.)  

Other fine details distinguish the C5, such as the black marble pattern on the back of the screen, and tiny square silicone pads on the bottom of the base plate that prevent the TV from scooting. 

LG is a pioneer in OLED technology, so we can expect each iteration it produces to improve on the last. While the C5’s image quality alone is a testament to LG’s continuing pursuit of perfection, a number of hardware upgrades account for this year’s progress. 

Also: Why the LG G4 OLED is one of my favorite TVs for picture quality – even in 2025

There’s the Alpha 9 Gen 8 processor, responsible for a deep list of AI features. Everything from AI Super Upscaling — which enhances the quality of lower-resolution content to look more like 4K for streaming services — to AI-assisted Deep Learning, which analyzes and learns your viewing preferences to optimize picture and sound settings just for you. 

I also tested AI Concierge, which pays attention to your viewing preferences and content to provide suggestions for your next binge-worthy show. These features aren’t reasons to upgrade to the latest models per se, but they’re a step in the right direction in terms of AI tools most consumers can make use of.

While I’m admittedly enamored with the C5’s default visuals, it also comes with a host of features that make calibrating your viewing experience ideal. Right away, it offers two options for setting up: using your phone or the remote. Opting for your phone requires downloading the LG ThinQ app. I did this, and it made life easier, initially asking if your TV is resting on a stand or wall-mounted, which might(?) affect performance.

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Humorously, in response to my ThinQ commands, the TV responded with a female voice that was speaking super fast, as if reading the disclaimer at the end of a Micro Machines commercial. That’s okay though, because it made the process go by quicker.

Then the C5 invites you to turn on certain AI functions like AI Picture Pro. This segment shows a brief video clip of a baby (doing baby things) with a left-to-right screen sweep. This real-time upscaling demonstration impressed me so much that I enabled the feature (which can be turned off anytime).

How’s the visual performance?

The LG C5, though a step down from the company’s real flagship, the G5, tested for a visual experience that was high up on our performance list.
Besides putting TVs through various systematized calibrations and stress tests at the ZDNET lab, I test TV performance by scrutinizing certain movie scenes with demanding visuals, like “Avengers: Endgame,” with its explosive battle scenes and CGI spectacle. 

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From the darkest moments (like Tony Stark’s soliloquy at the beginning) to the moment Thanos snaps his fingers, the LG C5 OLED delivers an image quality surpassing my expectations. Colors are stunningly vibrant, the contrast is pure and precise, and the image details are spookily definite.

Even when the C5 is at rest, it manages to impress. With its “Always Ready” function, the TV’s motion sensor displays wallpaper or motion graphics in response to activity in the room. That’s where I noticed the true-black nature of this OLED, which adds an element of depth that approaches 3D, as if you can reach behind the silent, glittering fireworks exploding on-screen waiting for your interaction. 

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I wasn’t as keen on LG’s AI Sound Pro tuning, so I kept that turned off despite it making the TV louder. The feature took the sample music from background to foreground, possibly doubling in decibels but not quality. It was much more tinny and high on treble, although adding a soundbar could easily remedy this.

I emphasize turning any Energy Saver modes off to enjoy the best possible HDR brightness. Energy-saving modes on AI smart TVs are gimmicky and impractical because they “save” only a modicum of electricity usage, impacting the C5’s performance in a bright room. In various lighting conditions, I found the ISF Expert Bright Room setting to be best.

About the Magic Remote

LG still uses its Magic Remote feature to navigate the UX, which I’ve never been a big fan of; I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m using a Wii controller to change settings. Thankfully, the cursor part of navigating with the Magic Remote is now an optional feature (invoked and commanded by the wheel button) rather than the sole means for selecting items. You can also use the directional pad for navigation.

Notably, the remote lacks a very important button on any remote — the Mute button. Streamlined to the Nth degree, the left rocker switch doubles as Mute when you pull it downward, and you must hold down the volume rocker for literally two seconds for the TV to go silent. Further — and this might be peevish of me — I find it disappointing whenever a new TV’s remote is not backlit. All remotes should have illuminated buttons for accessibility’s sake. (And a huge Mute button.)

ZDNET’s buying advice

The LG C5 OLED is an exemplary TV that is quite the looker — whether the screen is turned on or off. At around $2,700, the 65-inch C5 features upgrades from its predecessor that are par for the course, but not necessarily game-changing. For instance, test measurements of the C5 only slightly exceed the 2024 C4 series unit (such as a marginal increase of nits for brightness). 

Similarly, the C5 doesn’t step up over the C4 regarding its refresh rate, which continues to max out at 144Hz instead of 165Hz like we’re seeing on some higher-end (and competing) models. Until that price tag drops, you’ll be just as well off picking up a C4 series unit for half the price of the C5.