LG's C-series OLEDs have never been the flashiest on the CES show floor, and they certainly don't have any gimmicks such as becoming transparent. However, they tend to be dependable TVs thanks to their superb feature sets and excellent picture quality, and that's what counts.
The C5 is the latest in the lineup, and considering how much we liked last year's C4, it has a lot to live up to. While that might sound like cause for LG to take a punt at revolutionising the C5 with a flashier panel, or crazy new design, instead it's taken the "if it ain't broke..." approach.
Standing before the C5 gives us a sense of déjà vu, but considering how brilliant the C4 was, that might not be the worst thing in the world. We were treated to a brief run-through of the new LG 2025 OLED TV lineup, and saw two sizes of the C5 in action; so, what do we think so far?
As always with these hands-on previews, we're not passing final judgement on this TV quite yet, as we'll await its arrival in our dedicated TV and AV testing facility. Until then, you can ponder what we thought of the C5 in our brief hands-on demo.
Price
As is the case with many of the new TVs, soundbars and projectors at CES 2025, pricing is yet to be revealed for this latest generation model. LG is aiming for a Spring launch for its OLED lineup, with pricing to be revealed closer to that time.
However, we can take a trip down memory lane to see what the previous generation models have cost at launch to gauge a rough estimate of how much the C5 might set you back. The 65-inch model launched at £2700 / $2699 / AU$4299, which was a decrease from the C3 in the UK (by £200), and an increase in the US (by $99) and Australia (by a mere AU$5).
While we're hoping to see pricing for the C5 remain the same as the C4 (or ideally drop, though that might be wishful thinking), we're also prepared to see some price increases. Only time will tell, and we'll pay close attention to the C5 and share pricing once it becomes available.
Build
The C5 looks practically identical to the C4 from nearly every angle, which is no great shame as the C4 was a good looking TV. However, its the same design that's been recycled since the C2, so a refresh would have been appreciated. That being said, it remains a razor-thin TV with slim borders around the screen, with the bulkier back that houses the main electronics of the system confined to a reasonably compact bulge.
It also comes in the same six screen size options as its predecessors: 42-, 48-, 55-, 65-, 77-, and 83-inches. So is there anything new regarding the C5's design?
Yes, there is, and it's something we've been requesting for quite some time. LG has finally developed a new Magic Remote, which looks and feels much better in the hand. It's slimmed down, longer and features most of the essential buttons; though it looks to us like the input button has been removed in the process, which is a shame. It also doesn't appear to be backlit, but as we were shown this TV in a lit room, it was hard to tell if the remote's buttons lit up or not.
Features
The LG C5 is building upon a TV to which we already awarded full marks for features, so it should come as no surprise that this latest model continues the trend. We'll get panel technology out of the way first, as LG is sticking with a regular WOLED panel (albeit a brighter one than that found on the C4), and not an MLA-OLED panel as we'd hoped. In fact, LG has dropped MLA entirely, using a new Four Stack OLED panel to drive higher brightness on its flagship G5 OLED TV.
However, LG is sticking to its guns with a "traditional" OLED panel here on the C5, backed with its Brightness Booster engine to pump up the luminance. It features a 4K/144Hz panel, though LG are being secretive about how much brighter this new model is over its predecessor and no specific number concerning nits has been shared. It's also worth noting that, like previous generations, the smaller screen sizes won't see the same brightness benefit, and LG actually removed mention of the Brightness Booster feature on the display tags at the CES demo, meaning the 42- and 48-inch versions likely do not have this feature.
From that 144Hz refresh rate, you can gather that this TV is well-suited to gaming. Only those with a capable gaming PC can reach the maximum refresh rate (which is accompanied by Nvidia G-Sync), while PS5 and Xbox Series X users can plug into one of the four HDMI 2.1 sockets to access 4K/120Hz gaming with VRR and ALLM.
The C5 also utilises the latest LG Alpha 9 AI Processor Gen8, which brings a suite of AI features (as the name may suggest). Voice recognition to switch user profiles was demonstrated (and worked very well), while the new AI chatbot feature will help you troubleshoot issues with your TV, or even change settings with a voice command.
That upgraded chipset also powers the latest version of webOS, which doesn't appear to be a radical departure from the previous version (aside from the aforementioned AI features). App support should remain solid, and LG has partnered with Xbox to bring Game Pass streaming to its TVs, meaning you can play console-quality games without requiring a physical console to be hooked up to the TV itself.
The C5 supports the expected HDR format combination as seen on LG's previous OLED TV roster. HDR10, Dolby Vision HDR and HLG all make the cut, while HDR10+ is nowhere to be seen (considering it was developed by LG's biggest rival, Samsung, we understand why). It also supports Dolby Atmos via the HDMI eARC connection when paired with a capable soundbar or home cinema receiver.
Picture
We'll take this opportunity to remind you that these are not our conclusive thoughts on the C5's picture performance, as we'll need to wait until our review sample arrives to evaluate the full potential of this new OLED TV. That being said, we did see two sizes of the C5 in action – 48 inches and 77 inches – and have a few early thoughts to share regarding picture quality.
Ultimately, the C5 looks like a brighter C4. Sorry, we know that's not the most interesting or shocking revelation, but that's what we took away from our hands-on session. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as the C4 was a top-notch performer, but watching the trailers for Apple TV's Wolfs and the upcoming F1 film, we felt that sense of déjà vu creep back in.
Having spent a considerable amount of time with the 65-inch and 48-inch C4s, it is apparent that much of the picture characteristics have returned; including the punchy colours, sharp details and excellent contrast. While we can't say for certain, it also looked as though the TVs weren't in their best picture modes, as motion seemed a bit too smooth and colours looked a bit too rich; we're confident that Filmmaker Mode would amend this.
Sound
Both versions of the LG C5 that we saw were hooked up to soundbars, so we cannot comment on how the built-in speakers sound. We can refer back to the C4, however, as it notably had a greatly improved sound system over the C3. We awarded it four for sound thanks to this upgrade, so we hope LG has been inspired by that to continue improving its built-in speakers on the C5.
Early verdict
We're looking forward to getting the C5 into our TV testing space to ascertain exactly how much of an upgrade it is over the C4. Signs are pointing in the right direction, with its brighter panel and excellent feature set, but we're also concerned that the C5 is an incremental upgrade, much as the C3 was to the C2.
Only time will tell if that's the case, and you can expect a full review of the C5 OLED when it launches later this year.
MORE:
Read our full LG OLED 65-inch review
And our LG C4 48-inch review
And find the full LG OLED 2025 TV lineup