Every time I have something complimentary to say about a television set , I challenge myself to find a fresh , unique room to pay off that compliment in a merriment , punchy way . I constitute myself wrestling with what to say about the LG C4 OLED . I mean , it ’s a swell idiot box . In fact , it ’s one of the best you’re able to grease one’s palms .
Then , while chatting with my videographer , Zeke , it just came out : “ Man , ya sleep together … I just wish everyone could have this video . ”
Is this goggle box perfect ? Nope . No TV is or will ever be , and I have a few gripes to apportion . Is the LG C4 the right TV for everyone ? No . There are several ground you might not need to corrupt the LG C4 .
But , with all of that said , I really do wish well everyone could have this video in their home . I opine that ’s one of the best compliments I can ante up a TV . But first permit ’s take a look at what this idiot box put up , what it costs , what TVs it vie with , and how well it performs .
Video review
The specs
All the OLED most folks need …
The LG C4 is the secondly - good OLED boob tube LG makes . As an OLED , it ’s have a stage up on mini - moderate TVs in footing of contrast , black levels , and coloration richness . It used to be that OLEDs had a toughened time contend in terms of raw luminousness superpower . But with each class that passes , that is less and less of a concern . Today , an OLED TV like the C4 is plenty promising enough for most viewing billet .
The LG C4 is available in a broad orbit of size , including 42 , 48 , 55 , 65 , 77 , and 83 inches . As a premium OLED TV , the C4 is get going to be a trivial expensive , but not near as expensive as the overachievingGallery Series G4 OLED . The C4 here competes most straight with two other OLED television receiver , the Sony Bravia 8 and the Samsung S90C. In terms of cost , it ’s on par with the Samsung S90C and , like the Samsung S90C , is a bit less expensive than Sony ’s Bravia 8 .
The top portion of the C4 is superthin — thin than your phone — and there ’s a little bump - out toward the bottom to house some of the bulkier grit like the big businessman supply and processing components . The goggle box has a centralized pedestal stand that comes in two pieces and is put together and attach to the goggle box with eight turnkey .
You get four HDMI 2.1 inputs with this tv set , one of which is an eARC port . Around the front , you have very effective anti - glare and anti - reflection treatment , but the CRT screen still has a glossy luster when lit up and evince a picture .
I ’m surefooted all but the most hard-core gamers need not occupy about play - trigger burn - in .
The C4 comes with LG ’s Magic Remote , which is load with push and motion control — you’re able to just point and wave at the TV to move things around . I ’m not a rooter of the movement mastery that most apps use to make it very promiscuous to lumber in using your phone . However , LG offer this kind of family - office interface where not only can you range webpages , but you could regard your e-mail , Google Docs , courier , calendar , etc . And if you use that stuff on your TV , the motion control is essential for moving the on - screen cursor , as click your mode around would be a hurting .
you could easily access free net TV — orFAST channels , as they ’re called — as well as all of your common apps . I just do n’t wish the layout . It ’s a bit too busy and fill with poppycock I ’ll never apply and ca n’t remove . I just wish I could clean this mess up , but outside of run apps out of the way , I ca n’t really do that .
The LG C4 has a with child robotlike secret plan way that engage when take on cabinet or PC games . It supports all the variable refresh rate ( VRR ) formats , has super - abject input lag , and is otherwise an awe-inspiring selection for gaming . If you ’re worried about burn - in , LG has operation built in to mitigate that jeopardy . And while LG does n’t offer a cut - in - specific warranty for this goggle box like it does for the G4 , I ’m confident all but the most hardcore gamers need not occupy about gambling - triggered burn - in .
A quick watchword on the heavy tone : It ’s not as honest as I desire it to be for a telecasting at this cost . TheRoku Pro Seriesis a TV that prove it does n’t take a ton of blank space to fit in a unanimous levelheaded organisation . The sound on this boob tube is not poor , it ’s just not as awesome as I want it to be .
Dialogue is reasonably clear , but phonation seem disjointed from the icon . There ’s enough bass to round out the sound , but it acquit piffling system of weights . The sound also gets a niggling compressed at gamy volume . LG does provide an AI sound Pro feature film that shoot for to pad the audio , but I ’ve never been a lover and the C4 does n’t commute my posture .
One more thing to mention even though I totally do not think this ask to swing anyone ’s decision on a TV leverage : LG does n’t do ATSC 3.0 tuners right now . So , if for some understanding you have to have that — even though I would indicate it is of picayune to zero benefit to anyone , at least right now — just experience you ’d need an external box to do ATSC 3.0 over the melodic phrase ( OTA ) broadcast .
For the nit nerds …
OK , now it ’s prison term to let the cat out of the bag picture calibre . This is a discussion section where we get into some technical measurements , so if you do n’t care what the crown brightness level , electro - ocular transfer function ( EOTF ) , and BT.2020 coverage specs are for this telecasting , feel complimentary to skip to the next section where I ’ll talk all about the real - world mental picture quality capabilities for this TV .
Here ’s the tea : dead zero surprise , no genuine disappointments , and there ’s even a slight measurable boost in light .
In Fillmmaker mode , SDR brightness level peak at just shy of 300 nit for me . you may , of class , drive the television much heavily to brighten it up . Two - point white balance and grayscale are excellent — perhaps not as perfect as the G4 measured , but I am still mightily impressed . I have in mind , I ’d pink a few head off the red channel across the grayscale and this would tighten right up .
Color performance is splendid . You mislay a bit of chroma in the dimmest color , but establish on the measuring , these readings are great .
For all but the brightest , most Sunday - soaked rooms , this is blend in to be just hunky-dory .
And that vogue continues in HDR , where I got just over 1,000 nits visor from a 2 % window up to 25 % before it drops down . We know to expect this from non - micro lens array ( MLA ) organic light-emitting diode , where full - screen gabardine fare in at around 200 nits . So , if you find out a lot of ice hockey or a lot of snow - filled conniption and you want your eyeballs seared , well , you may wanna go elsewhere . For all but the brightest , most sunshine - inebriate rooms , this is pass to be just hunky-dory , give thanks you very much .
The TV tracks EOTF perfectly here . Gamma is square .
HDR colour matching was top - level . P3 color was right at about 100 % and BT.2020 at 75 % .
Like I said , zero surprises .
The bottom line
I will note that HDR mode is not quite as shiny as some of the other characterisation modes . Not once did it ever bother me , but I ’m not gaming with sunlight pouring in here . The lighting in here is always moderate , so while the measurements do n’t dwell , it was tough to notice any abjection in brightness during actual gameplay .
So the picture timber takeaway for this TV ? It ’s outstanding . This is the OLED TV tier up most masses should purchase . The processing is very good . It ’s maybe not as pristine as Sony ’s , but most folks wo n’t notice the conflict on - screen like they ’ll mark the difference in their camber account should they choose the Sony Bravia 8 alternatively .
The only ground you should pay off more is if you thirst the very , very better there is and you ’re unforced to pay handsomely for it .
I also feel like the processing here is good than Samsung ’s in a couple of orbit based on prior experience with the S95D , but I ’m going to curb off on making a final call until I ’ve reviewed the S90D QD - OLED TV . Really , if you buy the Samsung S90D QD - OLED , you ’re doing it because you want the gamy color chroma at the brighter end of the spectrum . It ’s a miserly , blind drunk slipstream , phratry . I ’d say if you have preexisting mark trueness to LG , just buy the C4 .
The double-dyed blacks , the splendid color , the instant pixel reply sentence , the powerful processing , the strong upscaling , the splendid gambling carrying out ? The only reason you should pay off more is if you crave the very , very best there is and you ’re unforced to give handsomely for it .
Most of the difference of opinion between the C4 here and the G4 is break down to be in the HDR highlights . It ’s a difference you’re able to see when we look at prospect like this one inMad Max , where the LG G4 makes those flaming searingly brilliant , rather than just sparkling on the C4 .
Now , if you do watch TV in a super - undimmed room fairly often ? I recall you need to count at a more powerful mini - direct around the same toll . And if you really want an organic light-emitting diode , you ’ll need to step up to something like the LG G4 , the Sony A95L , or the Samsung S95D.
But if you ’re coming from an LED TV from four or five years ago , or any mid - tier television receiver from that time period , the LG C4 is pass away to be a serious upgrade in picture caliber .
I ’m severalize ya , this is your TV correctly here . Get it .
If you were expecting a longer , more imbibe - out review — hey , I ’m sorry . The matter is that there ’s very piddling this TV does that is n’t awful . Get yourself a nice soundbar , get a Roku or an Apple TV , and get this TV .
The C4 is just careen - solid , reliable , and impressive . It ’s gorgeous . I wish everyone could have one . It ’s just that good .
