LG OLED C4 evo TV Review (OLED48C45)

I got this LG TV before Christmas to future-proof my viewing for several years. I was reliably recommended it by the brand manager of another TV company as the best value at its price point.

My key takeaway for you is that the hardware is excellent.

However, despite LG’s webOS software looking good enough, it works poorly and significantly limits the experience. Eventually, I will plug this smart TV into the next generation of Apple TV 4K and won’t have to deal with the awful LG software. Until then, I’m just annoyed by it on a daily basis.

LG OLED C4 evo TV Review in more detail

Picture Quality

I can’t fault the picture quality. You’ll read other reviews talking about deep blacks and vibrant colours; all that is true. LG’s α9 AI Processor Gen7 is supposed to improve picture quality by optimising brightness and sharpness.

Design

The TV is thin. It’s easily thin enough to wall mount, but I used the built-in stand and have it on a cabinet. The frame has virtually no edges, so all you see is side-to-side picture awesomeness.

With the 48″ model, you must be very careful when moving it to avoid bending and breaking the screen. The problem will be more acute with larger screens.

Smart Features

It’s a smart TV. This means that it can receive regular old-fashioned TV or satellite signals via an aerial, and you can download other apps and get other digital content and channels via a regular network connection -either WiFi or wired. Those apps can be from streaming services like Apple TV+, Disney and Netflix – they all work.

The app store adds broader functionalities – you can have weather and speed test apps, control your smart home, and more. However, you rely on LG’s webOS, a proprietary app ecosystem that is different from Apple’s app store or Google Play. Consequently, the choice of apps is limited.

The latest update turns the TV into a Matter Hub for your smart home. Matter is the new standard that lets all smart home devices work together and is the way to go for the future of home automation – at least, it would be if you could get it to work. I spent an hour trying before I gave in. A Matter Hub controls key communication between the smart devices in your house; I have another one, so everything in my smart home still works fine; I just can’t use the TV feature I paid for. The issue relates to the authentication of some non-US Samsung-verified accounts.

Also handy is voice control. As the years have progressed, I have increasingly started using voice control. If you use Amazon Alexa, this TV is the one for you. I have a mixed home using Apple Siri and Google Assistant, so there’s no way I will also add Alexa into the mix. The super annoying thing is that Alexa is the only true voice control option available. You will read other sites saying the TV is compatible with Google Assistant and Siri. It’s not truly compatible.

Audio Performance

I would rank the audio performance on par with an Apple Homepod, maybe better, as there are four decent built-in speakers (2+2). It’s pretty good, but not audiophile quality by a long mark. Add a sound bar or better speakers if that’s your thing. The sound is good enough for me. All I miss is deep bass sounds during films that vibrate the room – if I’m honest, I don’t miss them that much, and the neighbours certainly don’t.

Usability

The remote and screen are pretty intuitive to figure out how to use. I come from Apple TV 4K, which has a more streamlined interface, is better designed, and is a doddle to set up within 30 seconds. I must have spent over 3 hours fiddling with the LG configuration. Everything with LG’s webOS takes extra clicks and can’t be configured or modified how you’d like. I’m unhappy with the usability and screen appearance of the various menus.

The pretty interface disguises poor usability

There used to be ways to overwrite the webOS software, but a quick search suggested that LG has disabled that.

Setup

My TV is plugged straight into a 1,000Mbs network switch, which then goes directly to my fibre broadband ONT (router). Streaming anything is fluid and seamless once started, but the TV’s response to any initial request is not instant by any means. I also have a WiFi connection to the same network which I’m guessing the TV will sometimes use (Matter/Thread?).

I have an old-school, indoor digital aerial attached with a coaxial connection. It usually gives a reasonable picture.

My Apple TV 4K uses one of the HDMI ports. TV 4K will only send 60Hz/fps signals thus cannot maximise the TV’s potential at 120fps.

I also have a PC linked to the LG by HDMI. It has a high-spec NVIDIA RTX 3080 graphics card connected via an 8K cable. I’ve streamed video with that to 4K and 120fps, and all is good. Getting the source video to be such high quality is often hard.

In 2025, it’s hard to push the capabilities of this TV video to the limit.

Sometimes, someone links a game to the TV by HDMI, and all seems good. I also have a Google Chromecast dongle linked for testing purposes, but I haven’t used it much. The TV has Chromecast built-in in any case.

What does the LG OLED Product Code mean?

There are many similar models, including those from previous years, and you have to be quite savvy to be sure you get the latest, most up-to-date product. LG seems to control prices tightly, so if you see a bargain at $200 less than the others, it will be from a subtly different, older or inferior model.

Let’s decipher this product code OLED48C45LA, which fully describes an LG OLED48C45LA 48-inch OLED Evo 4K UHD Smart TV.

• OLED – This indicates that the TV uses OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology, which is known for its self-lighting pixels that offer superior contrast and colour accuracy.
• 48 -This refers to the screen size of the TV in inches. In this case, it is a 48-inch screen, measured from corner to corner.
• C – This typically refers to the series or model line within the OLED category. LG uses letters to differentiate between the various model lines in their OLED range. The C usually denotes the OLED C-series, a mid-to-high-range model that balances features and price.
• 45 – This is part of the model identifier, which usually corresponds to a particular year or specific generation of the TV. In this case, it likely refers to a model released in 2024.
• L – This refers to a regional designation or specific market for which the TV is intended, such as the country or region where the TV is sold. L is a UK-specific or EU model.
• A – The final letter is often used to denote minor model variations or specific configurations. In my case, I think A relates to the colour of the stand.

Thus a OLED77C4PUA is functionally effectively identical to my TV but larger with a 77″ screen and tweaked for the American market

LG OLED C4 evo TV Detailed technical specifications (LG OLED48C45LA 48-inch OLED Evo 4K UHD Smart TV)

Display:

• Screen Size: 48 inches
• Panel Type: OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode)
• Resolution: 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels)
• OLED Evo Technology: Improves brightness and contrast compared to traditional OLED, delivering enhanced picture quality.
• Brightness: Up to 800 nits peak brightness (varies based on content and settings).
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz (ideal for fast-moving content such as sports and gaming)
• Pixel Pitch: Self-lighting OLED pixels (each pixel produces its light)
• HDR Support: It supports multiple HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma).

Processor:

• Processor: α9 AI Processor Gen7 – AI-based image processing (hmmm) that enhances sharpness, brightness, and overall picture quality. Optimises picture and sound performance based on content type using machine learning.

Audio:

• Audio System: 2.2 Channel Sound (2 speakers + 2 woofers)
• Audio Technologies:
  • Dolby Atmos: For immersive, multi-dimensional sound.
  • AI Sound Pro: Automatically adjusts the audio based on content type and environmental conditions. (AI, really?)
• Output Power: 40W (2 x 10W + 2 x 10W for woofers)

Smart Features:

• Operating System: webOS 23
  • Supports popular streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Freeview Play.
• Voice Assistants: Built-in Amazon Alexa for hands-free control and smart home integration.
• Magic Remote: Includes motion control, voice command support, and shortcut buttons for quick service access.
• App Store: Access a wide range of apps, games, and content on the LG Content Store.
• Web Browser: Built-in web browser for browsing the internet directly from the TV.

Connectivity:

• HDMI Ports: 4 x HDMI 2.1 (supports 4K at 120Hz, Dolby Vision, and variable refresh rate for gaming)
• USB Ports: 3 x USB 2.0
• Ethernet: 1 x RJ45 (for wired internet connection)
• WiFi: Built-in WiFi 5 (802.11ac) for wireless connectivity
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0 for pairing with wireless headphones, speakers, or other devices.
• Digital Audio Out: 1 x Optical

Gaming Features:

• Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM): Automatically adjusts the TV to the lowest latency for gaming.
• Game Mode: Special picture and audio settings optimised for gaming.
• 120Hz (120fps) Refresh Rate: Smooth, fluid gameplay for fast-paced action.
• G-Sync Compatibility: While not explicitly stated, the 120Hz and HDMI 2.1 support suggest compatibility with some Nvidia G-Sync features.

Energy and Power:

• Energy Efficiency Class: A+
• Power Consumption (Typical): 145W
• Standby Power: 0.5W
• Voltage: 100-240V, 50/60Hz

Dimensions and Weight:

• TV Dimensions (with Stand):
  • Width: 107.8 cm (42.4 inches)
  • Height: 68.5 cm (27 inches)
  • Depth: 22.5 cm (8.9 inches)
• TV Dimensions (without Stand):
  • Width: 107.8 cm (42.4 inches)
  • Height: 62.3 cm (24.5 inches)
  • Depth: 4.8 cm (1.9 inches)
• Weight (with Stand): 17.3 kg (38 lbs)
• Weight (without Stand): 15.8 kg (34.8 lbs)

Additional Features:

• Freeview Play: Integrated free-to-air digital TV service with on-demand content from channels like BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5.
• Dolby Vision IQ: Automatically adjusts the picture quality based on the ambient light in your room, delivering optimised visuals at all times.
• HDMI 2.1 Features: Supports eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and ALLM for gaming

Price and Availability

This is widely available, including from Amazon. Prices vary according to the size chosen, with the list price for the 48″ model being £1000 or $926. As you can see, below, this model is now being discounted significantly, including at the time of writing £819.

Take Out

Some modern tech inside this audio-visual beast puts it ahead of cheaper options like Hisense or Panasonic and perhaps on par with similarly specified but more expensive Sony alternatives. If the Sony were the same price, I would have gone for that just for the Google TV side. As it is, I’m left with excellent audio-visual hardware that I’m slightly annoyed with because of LG’s webOS and inbuilt Amazon Alexa. If you’re upgrading from an older LG and love Alexa…fill your boots. This is the one for you.

If this is your first OLED TV, be mindful that your viewing enjoyment will be spoiled by glare and reflections from any windows you have. This could be a great option if you have a small cinema room.

For those of you, like me, looking for something that will adapt to future boosts in commonly available video quality, then the 120fps and 4K screen will go some way to achieving that. However, you will not get HDR10+, WiFi 6/6e, or ATSC 3.0 Tuner support.

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