LG OLED TVs have consistently been among the most popular and best-performing TVs over the past few years, combining a full stock of smart and gaming features with excellent picture quality, usually for cheaper than LG’s OLED rivals.
LG’s OLED TV lineup has impressed me throughout 2025. I awarded the LG C5 five stars and the step-down LG B5 four-and-a-half stars. The LG G5, meanwhile, earned a five-star rating from TechRadar’s Senior Editor Al Griffin.
But, in all my side-by-side testing of various TV combinations throughout the year, I’ve never put all three of LG’s OLEDs alongside each other while playing the same content – until now, that is.
Brightness
The biggest difference between LG’s three OLEDs is their brightness. When we measured them, the G5’s peak brightness was 2,268 nits, the C5’s was 1,180 nits and the B5’s was 688 nits. Unsurprisingly, during my comparative viewing tests of the three TVs, the G5 had the brightest highlights, and bright scenes, such as those featuring snow, looked the most striking on the G5. The C5 still had a nice punch to it, while the B5 looked a bit dim in comparison.
The G5’s measured fullscreen brightness in our measurements was also the highest of the three at 331 nits, with the C5 hitting 199 nits and the B5 172 nits. Consequently, content such as sports, where fullscreen brightness is important, looked most impactful on the G5, while the C5 and B5 were closer than expected. Despite their brightness differences, all three sets did struggle with mirror-like reflections due to their glossy screens, which is something to bear in mind if you watch in a bright room.
Color
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Color reproduction on all three OLEDs is outstanding. Watching The Sound of Music, a scene in the market with red and yellow fruit and vegetables popped on every screen. The G5 had the richest, boldest colors, but surprisingly, I found the C5 to be very close. It was almost as vibrant as the G5, delivering that same vibrancy with reds and yellows, and also with the green grass of the fields and trees throughout the movie. The B5’s colors weren’t quite as vibrant as the other two, but still looked accurate and punchy.
Switching to The Mask, the G5 again had the most punch. The Mask’s yellow suit looked the brightest and most colorful on the G5, but again, the C5 demonstrated rich, yet natural colors that easily competed. The B5 again had excellent color, but it just didn’t look as punchy as on the other two.
In terms of color accuracy, the G5 and C5 had the most natural-looking colors, with skin tones looking consistently true-to-life. I found that the B5 had good accuracy overall, but there was a green tint that did affect some scenes, such as in the opening of The Sound of Music. The G5 and C5 easily revealed the various green and brown hues of the grass, whereas the grass on the B5 appeared as a more uniform green.
Contrast and dark room viewing
All three LG OLEDs displayed powerful contrast, with deep, inky blacks in high contrast scenes with lamps set against dark walls and hallways in Dark City. The G5 had the strongest contrast due to its higher peak brightness, but both the C5 and G5 weren’t far behind.
With its low overall brightness level, The Batman proved to be an interesting test for these TVs in dark room viewing conditions. As Batman explored the crime scene at Mayor Mitchell’s house, I noticed deep blacks took on more of a gray tone on the G5, but looked more accurate on the C5 and B5. Of the three, I found the C5 to be the most accurate, rendering the high-contrast scenes in the manner I expect.
Gaming features
All three LG OLEDs earn a spot on TechRadar’s best gaming TVs list. Each has four HDMI ports and supports 4K 120Hz (and up to 144Hz on the C5 and 165Hz on the G5), AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG, ALLM and Dolby Vision. Each also has a measured 9.2ms input lag time and features LG’s Game Optimizer with customizable gaming settings. I tested Battlefield V on all three, and it played smoothly on each.
All three sets support webOS 25 and its array of AI features such as AI Concierge and AI Search for content discovery. They also support the new AI Sound Wizard, which lets you create a custom sound profile using prompts, similar to the AI Picture Wizard. However, with its more advanced Alpha 11 processor, the G5 provides more AI upgrades, including Brightness Booster Ultimate and a full 11.1.2 channel upmix in AI Sound Pro mode (which I ended up using). Both the C5 and B5 boast AI upgrades, but the B5 doesn’t have AI Sound Pro.
The G5 and C5 certainly benefit from AI Sound Pro mode, which added better accuracy and immersion during my testing, particularly during the Batmobile chase from The Batman. The B5’s sound is a weak point, and while fine for day-to-day viewing, it doesn’t match its picture quality for movies.
Which LG OLED TV should you buy?
Which LG OLED is best for you will depend on your budget, although you’re not likely to be disappointed with any of them. For my money, however, the LG C5 is the best overall pick. It has solid brightness, more than enough smart and gaming features and picture quality that comes close to the G5.
For the 55-inch models, you’ll be looking to pay $1,899 / £1,799 / AU$3,299 for the G5, $1,199 / £1,299 / AU$2,899 for the C5 and $899 / £1,099 / AU$1,799 for the B5. If you’re looking for the best value TV of the three, the C5 is it.
The best TVs for all budgets
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james.davidson@futurenet.com (James Davidson)
