LG OLED evo AI C5 OLED83C5PUA 83.5"

The LG C5 delivers jaw-dropping OLED picture quality and elite gaming chops, but the remote is a joke. If you want the best big-screen experience for the money, snag it on sale and replace that remote.

The LG C5 is everything you love about OLED: perfect inky blacks, vibrant colors, and a viewing angle that shames any LED. This 83-inch monster is a home theater centerpiece that makes movies and games look spectacular. But LG made one baffling decision, the remote is a plasticky afterthought with no mute button. If you can look past that and a few minor bugs, you're in for a treat.

Our benchmark placed its picture quality at just the 36th percentile, which surprised us given the gushing user reviews. Here's the thing: OLED's contrast ratio is infinite, so in a dark room it's unbeatable. But peak brightness for HDR highlights can't touch mini-LED rivals like the Sony Bravia 9. Gaming, though, is best-in-class. With 120Hz native, 0.1ms response, and all four HDMI 2.1 ports fully loaded with VRR and ALLM, this is one of the best gaming TVs we've tested. The Alpha 9 Gen8 processor handles motion beautifully, and webOS 25 is snappy, though some users report occasional software hiccups after updates.

Pricing is all over the place. We've seen it as low as $2,100 and as high as $4,000+. At the lower end, this is a superb value for an 83-inch OLED. At the higher end, you're overpaying. Shop around, and if you find it near $2,100, don't hesitate.

The Samsung QN990F 85-inch Neo QLED 8K is the brighter, sharper competitor. It hits way higher peak brightness and throws in 8K resolution, but it lacks Dolby Vision and can't match OLED's pixel-level contrast. The Sony Bravia 9 K-85XR90 mini-LED splits the difference, with excellent contrast and brightness, but costs a premium. For pure movie and gaming immersion in a dark room, the C5's OLED panel still wins. And with four HDMI 2.1 ports, it's more gamer-friendly than the Sony.

If you're sensitive to near-black banding or want a remote that doesn't feel like a Happy Meal toy, look elsewhere. Go for the Sony Bravia 9 if you need brighter HDR and better out-of-box accuracy, or the Samsung QN990F if you want the brightest 8K experience.

The LG C5 is a brilliant OLED TV with a couple of irritating flaws. If you're building a home theater or a next-gen gaming hub, it's an easy recommendation. The picture is breathtaking, gaming performance is top-tier, and the 83-inch size is cinematic. Just budget for a universal remote and maybe a soundbar to avoid the audio bugs. For the price, when you find a deal, it's an absolute steal.