LG C4 42"

LG's C-series remains, by far, the most popular among both our users, and possibly also among those who care about which TVs hang in the living room in much of the West. LG's OLED venture many years ago was a success, and they have grabbed the market by the throat in such an aggressive way that it tends to become universal.

But at the same time, LG has had a habit in recent years of limiting their actual technical innovations to the more expensive G model, which leaves the C in a somewhat curious position. Popular, loved, but also seemingly de-prioritised.

And let's start by saying that there isn't a huge difference between the C4 and C3. We're talking about 10% higher brightness measured in HDR NITS depending on the scene, the new AI version of the Alpha a9 processor, WebOS 24 and a slightly better colour quality in general both in Game Mode, in SDR content and certainly also in 4K HDR content.

However, the C4 is still a fabulous TV when judged purely on product specifics. The TV is still extremely slim, featuring the same four HDMI 2.1 ports, all offering 4K/120Hz for consoles, but 4K/144Hz for computers with VRR and ALLM. The screen edge is extremely thin, it doesn't weigh as much as before thanks to the same slimmer profile, and while the inbuilt speakers are still not at all recommended, they have a little more heft than previous generations.

LG's C-series still lacks HDR10+, which is still a shame. But other than that, it has all the key technologies you'd expect from a flagship. HDR10, Dolby Vision HDR, HLG, Atmos, it's all here, and these technologies work together with LG's now infallible Evo panel quality to produce breathtaking images to say the least. This is also where the increase in brightness comes into its own, as there is approximately 25% difference, according to LG's claims, between this and the C3. Again, it depends on the specific scenario, but the whole concept of LG sacrificing brightness in favour of the deep contrast you get from individually lit LEDs simply no longer holds true.

It's pretty clear that controlling these LEDs in particular, and delivering those images that show no signs of blooming around suddenly bright colours in the picture, such as subtitles on a dark background, has become much better over the years. If you put on Blade Runner 2049, for example, or Dune: Part Two (or just other Denis Villeneuve films) you see this increased contrast in full effect, and there really is a difference in depth compared to a QLED panel for example - it's just there.

LG has also made quite a lot of progress with WebOS 24, which after a bit of back and forth appears to be a more robust OS now than before. There's ready access to many solid apps, they've managed to turn down the sensitivity of the annoying AI-asisstant so you can switch it off but it miraculously always turns itself back on, and the pointer on the remote is as always quite helpful. Not everyone agrees with me on the Magic Remote, so let's just say I desperately want LG to design a slimmer, simpler alternative to this clunky piece of glossy plastic. But it's functional, I'll give it that. No doubt about it.

And with that in mind, LG has actually managed to solve a number of the surrounding challenges that have previously characterised their models. Robust OS, functional remote control, slim profile and then that picture. I really love this TV, and when it comes on some kind of special offer (as LG TVs often do), this is a meaningful upgrade for those with a C1 or older.