Tom's Guide
  • 2 months ago
We are reviewing the LG C4 Oled TV
Transcript
00:00Here's a big question. Has LG, the company that basically put OLED TVs on the map,
00:05done enough with this 2024 C4 OLED to justify spending thousands of dollars for what isn't
00:11even really LG's flagship model anymore? There was a time where LG's C-series OLED TVs broke
00:17all sorts of testing records, but in the last 2-3 years, the company started reserving its
00:22best tech for the G-series and even the newer wireless M-series. Still, the C is what most
00:27people associate with LG. The C4 is available now from 42-inches all the way up to 83-inches,
00:33though it's very important to know that only the sizes 55-inches and up have the picture
00:38and audio technology that'll compare performance-wise to the 65-inch size I have here.
00:43You're looking at a $2,700 price tag for this configuration, but you could go well past $5,000
00:50for the biggest size. If you like your TVs ultra-thin, the LG C4 OLED won't disappoint.
00:56With a screen that's barely a quarter-inch thick at its narrowest,
00:59it has a sleek appearance highlighted by the shiny metal lining on the bezel.
01:03But you gotta check out the back. There's this grey watercolor pattern effect that
01:07does look cool, but chances are no one's ever gonna see it, so what's the point? You'll either
01:12set this up close to a wall on this central stand or wall-mount it, which I do typically
01:17recommend when you're getting any big, expensive TV. All of the C4's ports are easy enough to
01:23access located on the left edge of the control box mounted on the back. You get a full array
01:28of HDMI 2.1 inputs, plus some USB Type-A ports and the other usual suspects.
01:33Now let's dig into the performance. We're working with the Alpha 9 Gen 7 processor,
01:37powering LG's webOS interface compatible with all the major streaming apps to download,
01:42plus a few that'll launch automatically with this magic remote right here.
01:45The platform uses this quick card setup aimed at making the most relevant information
01:50easy to access, you have suggestions of what to watch, and more.
01:54It's fairly intuitive, and what's pretty cool is that LG is one of the only TV manufacturers
01:59that's promised to release newer software versions to older TVs. Usually, besides, like,
02:04firmware and security updates, you're stuck with the software version your TVs shift with.
02:08But now, LG OLED TVs dating back to 2022 will eventually get this exact webOS version.
02:14Although the C4 isn't the leader of every category of picture quality,
02:18it still is a step up from its predecessor, the C3. We tested approximately a 30% increase in HDR
02:24brightness, with the C4 passing 1000 nits, which is a big milestone for the C series.
02:30We've seen cutie OLED TVs like the Samsung S95D and ones from Sony change the standard
02:35for OLED brightness, but this right here won't disappoint. The Delta E and Rec. 709 coverage
02:40scores were also pretty much the best you can get for a 4K OLED TV.
02:44But what does that all actually mean? You pop in a Blu-ray, turn on a movie,
02:48you're going to see vibrant yet lifelike colors, deep contrast, and really complex shades of black
02:53since the self-emissive pixels can turn off entirely in the darkest parts of the picture.
02:58Wow, that looks good. Even with the shadows, you can see so much detail. And then the trees here
03:05too. The reason you can actually see each individual tree is because of the contrast.
03:10What's great about OLED is that you also benefit from great off-angle viewing,
03:14meaning the picture holds up even past 40 degrees off-axis.
03:18Format-wise, the C4 supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, though oddly not HDR10+.
03:23Not a deal-breaker considering a certain major competitor, Samsung, doesn't support Dolby Vision,
03:28which a lot of shoppers really love and are probably more familiar with than HDR10+.
03:33Considering how good the C4's picture is, you would think that the sound would match,
03:38but the C4's audio is at best passable.
03:41Okay, so this is 50, and it's not very loud at all. You shouldn't have to bring it all the way up.
03:4775 is what it should sound like at 50, so not very loud.
03:52The TV doesn't get super loud, and it rumbles a bit even at the lower volume levels.
03:56It's not that it sounds bad, especially if you're not someone with a sharp ear for speaker quality,
04:01but even with Dolby Atmos support, the downward-firing 40-watt speakers fall a little flat.
04:07Definitely, definitely, definitely invest in a soundbar here. If you get one from LG directly,
04:12you'll get this cool feature called Wow Orchestra that blends the soundbar speaker
04:16with the TV's built-in speakers so certain frequencies sound like they're coming from
04:20a more precise location on screen. I do recommend it if you have the space and budget.
04:25At face value, the LG C4 OLED is an outstanding TV, and it bears all the hallmarks of a product
04:31whose company was intent on getting all of the details just right. But it's higher than
04:35average price, performance numbers that aren't quite class-leading, and a lack of killer sound
04:40also do hold it back. LG is also still holding out on ATSC 3.0 tuners for next-gen TVs,
04:46so this TV isn't the most future-proofed one that you can get for the price.
04:50If you want to save some money, the LG C3 OLED carries a lot of the same features and only a
04:55few minor performance setbacks for quite a bit less. Or maybe you can wait a few months for
05:01the price of the LG C4 OLED to drop. For reference, the 65-inch LG C3 eventually
05:06fell about $1,000. That's to say, I might not spend my own money on the C4 at full price,
05:11though luckily I think there are already some discounts that I've linked down in the description.
05:15Let me know if the C4 ends up being your next purchase or what TV you might be considering
05:20instead. You can check out an unboxing video and spec check on social everywhere at Tom's Guide.
05:26And as always, I'm at Kate Kocic. Thanks for watching, I'll catch you next time.