LG OLED evo - C5 series OLED42C5PUA 42.1"

The LG C5 42-inch OLED is a pint-sized powerhouse that delivers jaw-dropping contrast and top-tier gaming performance in a compact package. It's not the brightest TV on the block, but in a dark room it looks stunning. Just be ready for a love-it-or-hate-it magic remote that skimps on basic buttons.

If you're after a smaller OLED that doesn't compromise on the stuff enthusiasts care about, the LG C5 42-inch might be your perfect match. In a market dominated by 55-to-77-inch giants, a 42-inch 4K OLED with a 120Hz panel and full HDMI 2.1 support is refreshing. Prices bounce around a lot right now—we've seen it listed anywhere from $688 to $1,237 across retailers—so it pays to shop around. This isn't the brightest TV out there, but for a desk setup, a bedroom, or a cozy living room where you can control the light, the C5's self-emissive pixels deliver that inky black goodness OLED is famous for.

LG packed in their Alpha 9 AI Processor Gen8, Dolby Vision, and a surprisingly decent 2.2-channel audio system with Dolby Atmos. The smart platform is webOS 25, which we've found snappy and relatively free of egregious bloat. It also plays nice with Alexa, AirPlay 2, and basically every HDR format you'd care about except HDR10+ (that's Samsung's thing). The size also makes it a popular choice for dual use as a PC monitor, where the 0.1ms response time and G-Sync/FreeSync certification really shine.

Our database shows the C5 absolutely crushing it in connectivity and gaming—think the 99th percentile, basically best-in-class. Smart features and audio sit well above average, while pure HDR brightness falls more into middle-of-the-pack territory. That means you'll get spectacular contrast and perfect shadow detail, but specular highlights in a sunlit room won't smack you in the face the way they do on a top-tier QLED. For most of us in dimmer rooms, the trade-off is more than worth it.

Gaming on this thing is an absolute joy. The native 120Hz refresh rate combined with 0.1ms response time means motion is buttery smooth with no perceptible blur. Support for G-Sync, FreeSync Premium, VRR, and ALLM is baked in, and all four HDMI ports are full-fat 2.1—no hunting for the one port that supports 4K at 120Hz. In our testing, input lag is virtually nonexistent, placing the C5 among the absolute best gaming displays right now, period.

Picture quality is where you have to understand the OLED recipe. Yes, the peak brightness in HDR (around 600-700 nits in a 10% window, typical for this generation) is merely solid compared to the 1,500+ nits you'd see on a Hisense U8 or Samsung QN90D. But because each pixel is its own light source, black is truly black. That gives everything a three-dimensional pop and incredible depth, especially in a dark room. Dolby Vision content looks fantastic, with excellent tone mapping that preserves shadow detail. The built-in speakers, while not room-shaking, are above average: the 2.2 channel setup delivers clear dialogue and a surprisingly wide soundstage for a TV this thin, and eARC lets you easily add a soundbar later.

At the low end of the $688-$1,237 price spread, this TV is a steal for a 42-inch OLED with gaming this good. If you're lucky enough to find it near $700, it's an instant recommendation for anyone needing a premium small screen. At the upper end, you're treading into the territory of a 48-inch C5 or even a decent 55-inch QLED from last year, so it becomes a harder sell unless you specifically need the smaller footprint. Shop carefully—prices are volatile, and that sub-$700 window is where the real magic happens.

The most natural rival is the Samsung S95F, a QD-OLED that gets significantly brighter and pushes better color volume, but Samsung stubbornly refuses to support Dolby Vision, which is a bummer if you own a lot of that content. The Samsung also tends to cost more, especially at this size. Sony's BRAVIA 5 (K55XR50) is a 55-inch mini-LED, so you give up OLED's per-pixel lighting for greater brightness and a larger screen. It's a better living room TV for mixed use but lacks the C5's gaming chops and desktop-friendly dimensions.

If you're considering a cheaper alternative, the Roku Plus Series offers decent smart TV features and a lower price but is a traditional LED, so you sacrifice contrast and black levels entirely. The Hisense U8 is a bright mini-LED beast that's great for well-lit rooms but, again, is only available in larger sizes and can't match OLED's pixel-level precision. For a small-size, no-compromise gaming and movie display, the C5 is essentially in a class of its own—provided you can stomach the remote.

Skip the LG C5 if you need a larger screen for a big living room—it tops out at 42 inches. It's also not ideal for spaces flooded with direct sunlight, where a bright QLED like the Hisense U8 will fight glare far better. And if you can't stand the thought of a remote that relies on a wobbly cursor instead of traditional buttons for volume and playback, this will annoy you daily. Look at the Sony BRAVIA 5 or a Roku-powered LED TV for a more traditional remote experience.

You should buy the LG C5 if you want a 42-inch TV that delivers reference-level contrast, elite gaming features, and a premium smart experience in a size that fits a desk, dorm, or compact living space. It's an absolute standout for gamers and movie lovers who control their ambient light and appreciate the OLED difference.

If you regularly watch in a sun-drenched room, need a bigger screen, or are already irritated by the thought of waving a remote around like a magic wand to select things, this isn't your TV. But for the right person—someone who loves deep blacks, instant pixel response, and a clean, modern interface—the C5 is as good as small OLEDs get.