00:00Hey guys, as promised, I got in the LG C5 OLED TV to review right here in this video.
00:06And spoiler, it might just be the TV to beat in 2025. It's sleek, it's powerful,
00:11and it's filled with features that make movies, games, and shows look better than ever.
00:16But is it worth the $2,700 price tag for this 65-inch OLED? Let's break it down.
00:24So usually I bury performance for a little bit later on in TV videos,
00:28but I'm just going to come right out and say that the picture quality on the LG C5 is really
00:33exceptional. So OLED has always meant deep blacks and rich contrast, but the trade-off used to be
00:39lower brightness. That has completely changed. If you've seen any of our videos lately, we've
00:44talked a lot about this, but the LG C5 is brighter than ever. In fact, it easily beats last year's
00:50C4 in both SDR and HDR brightness. I'll throw those comparisons right here up on the screen
00:55so you can check it out. Likely thanks to upgrades to the brightness booster tech and the new AI-powered
01:00processor, the C5 hits over 1,100 nits in HDR. That means everything from Dune Part 2 to Spider-Man
01:07Across the Spider-Verse pops with vivid color and sharp detail.
01:13Another one of the standout upgrades this year is the anti-reflective screen. LG's new anti-glare
01:19coating on the C5 is drastically cutting down on reflections, making this the ideal TV for bright
01:25living rooms. You guys have seen me talk about glare-free and anti-reflective display treatments
01:30a lot here recently. I think Samsung can still be credited with making it more of a mainstream,
01:37desired, premium TV trait, but you can't really blame the competition for taking notes.
01:42Although we cannot replicate it in the studio, even in the midday sun, expect to get deep contrast
01:48and rich colors without those annoying reflections killing the vibe. It's a massive quality of life
01:53improvement. And although it's never going to surpass LG's G-series OLEDs or flagship level mini LED TVs
02:00in terms of how it looks in ambient lighting, this is easily the best the C-series has ever looked.
02:08LG's smart TV interface has come a long way. And webOS 25 that you see here is the most polished
02:14version yet. It's fast, it's customizable, packed with all of the streaming apps, loaded with features
02:21from LG channels to AirPlay, Google Cast, and even Matter smart home support. You also get a lot of new
02:27AI tools, especially in the personalization department, though some of them arguably feel
02:32more like fluff than game changers. You have AI concierge that suggest new things to watch based on
02:39your viewing habits. Although this is something that most TV operating systems have been doing for
02:44quite a while now. But you also have AI voice recognition that should pick up on who's watching
02:50and change your webOS profile accordingly. And the assistant can now take more action for you,
02:55help you navigate your new OLED TV, help you with settings and getting customer support if you need it.
03:01I do think that this is a lot of things people will skip past. I don't know that we need AI branded
03:15everything. But webOS is still one of the best overall TV software platforms out there right now.
03:22I don't always talk about gaming in my TV reviews, but the LG C5 definitely deserves a little shout out.
03:29This TV is stacked with features for gamers like HDMI 2.1 across all four ports,
03:34a 144Hz variable refresh rate, low input lag, and a game optimizer mode. A few members of my team have
03:41been checking this out across their consoles of choice, and we've all found that the C5 is
03:45delivering buttery smooth gameplay, whether you're on a PS5, Xbox, or PC. Lag clocks in under 10
03:52milliseconds, which is basically instant. Plus, you've got access to a dedicated game bar for
03:57on-the-fly adjustments. In other words, the C5 is a great pick for a gaming monitor,
04:03and even more so since it comes in a lot smaller sizes than this, all the way down to 42 inches.
04:09Though I got to clarify that the 42 and 48 inch sizes of the C5 don't have the anti-glare screen
04:15or the brightness boosters I've mentioned earlier, but that really shouldn't interfere if this is used
04:20in a typical darkroom gaming setup. Before we talk about the downsides of the C5, I want to give a quick
04:26thanks to any returning viewers, but for those of you who are new here, I really appreciate you
04:31checking this review out. Let me know in the comments what you think of the C5 so far.
04:37Now for what I didn't like about the C5, and this is going to be more of a rapid-fire list because I
04:42really did have to nitpick. First up, the redesigned remote. It's smaller, it's flatter, and ditches some
04:48of the classic LG buttons that I've just grown very comfortable with, like the mute and inputs
04:54in favor for these long press shortcuts. That might work for some people, especially if you haven't had
04:59an LG TV before, but anyone who is familiar with the existing Magic remote might find this a little
05:05confusing. Second, this TV does not support HDR10, which may matter if you're into watching specific
05:11content on platforms like Amazon Prime Video. Also, there's no ATSC 3.0 tuner, meaning no over-the-air 4K
05:18broadcasting. And then there's the audio. The 2.2-channel speakers get the job done, but they're really
05:25nothing special. For a set this good, you'll definitely want to pair a proper soundbar with it to match.
05:32So where does that leave us? The LG C5 OLED is a stunner all around. Terrific brightness, incredible color,
05:39approachable software, practically glare-proof, and a dream for gamers, not to mention. Yeah,
05:45the audio is kind of mid and the remote might divide people, but the picture quality alone
05:49makes this one of the best TVs that you can buy this year. If you're shopping for premium performance
05:54without going full flagship, the C5 is your OLED sweet spot in 2025. Even if the C5 isn't objectively
06:01inexpensive, especially in today's economy, it gives you a lot of TV for your money, which makes it a
06:08winner by any measure in my book. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and check out all the latest
06:13deals on the LG C5 OLED in the description below. Thanks for watching. I'll catch you next time.
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