The LG C5 OLED TV, available in sizes from 42 to 83 inches, continues to be an excellent value in 2026. It offers solid brightness, accurate colors, and deep black levels, enhanced by AI features and a redesigned remote.
The LG C5 OLED TV remains a top choice for consumers seeking a high-quality midrange television due to its excellent picture performance, comprehensive features, and value proposition, despite minor drawbacks in its remote design.
The LG C5 OLED TV continues LG's tradition of producing high-quality, midrange OLED televisions, offering excellent value even over a year after its initial release. Available in sizes ranging from 42 to 83 inches, the C5 delivers impressive picture quality characterized by solid brightness, excellent color accuracy, and the deep, inky black levels synonymous with OLED technology. The TV also incorporates AI features and a significantly redesigned Magic Remote, which aims for a more comfortable and streamlined user experience.
The C5's design is familiar, with most sizes featuring an angled pedestal stand, while the 42-inch model uses two widely spaced feet. Connectivity options are robust, including four HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eARC), three USB 2.0 ports, LAN, optical audio out, RS-232C, RF antenna, and an IR blaster port, alongside support for Bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi 6E. The rear panel features a textured marble-like finish.
A notable change is the new Magic Remote, which adopts a more traditional rectangular design, removing numeric buttons and aiming for better ergonomics. While an improvement over previous iterations, it lacks backlighting and dedicated mute and input select buttons, requiring navigation through the Home menu for input selection. The motion control feature, while retained, remains a divisive element with no option for complete disabling.
In terms of picture quality, the C5 performs exceptionally well for its class. Testing revealed that the default Auto Power Save mode exhibits color inaccuracies and over-brightens midtones. For optimal viewing, users are advised to switch to Filmmaker or Cinema mode. The TV's OLED technology ensures perfect black levels at the pixel level and generally high color accuracy.