Compare: LG OLED G4 vs LG OLED C4

LG G4 is a strong contender for being the best television of 2024. Thanks to the combination of OLED black and MLA technology, we will get an incredibly dynamic and vibrant image that will surely captivate us completely. LG G4 is also proof that televisions equipped with an OLED panel supported by MLA technology are indeed suitable for viewing in bright rooms. The operating system, while not as open as the competition, allows for many possibilities. Its greatest advantage is the well-known remote with a cursor, which makes controlling the unit (in our opinion) one of the most convenient on the market. Factory colour reproduction, although not at a high level, after undergoing calibration, can be considered almost reference-quality, providing a truly cinematic image. No wonder post-production studios choose televisions from this manufacturer. They uniquely offer such a deep capability to adjust the image, thanks to 3D LUT calibration. It seems that the biggest (and perhaps only) drawback of this television is the tonal transitions, which, while far from perfect, cannot be said to detract from the viewing experience. The remedy is provided by the manufacturer themselves, and enabling the "Smooth Gradation" function will remove the vast majority of any choppiness. LG G4 also performs exceptionally well when watching all kinds of sports or other dynamic scenes. The motion smoother is incredibly advanced and allows for adjustment of smoothness to suit individual needs. Thanks to HDMI 2.1 ports with full functionality and the manufacturer's attention, the tested television will find its place in the homes of many passionate gamers. Each of the essential features works flawlessly, and the low input lag in every mode is very pleasing. In summary, LG G4 is an incredibly versatile television, allowing for entertainment in excellent quality both at night and during the day.

LG C4 is a television that will likely have no competition in its price range for many users. Thanks to the wide options for purchase, it will appeal to those looking for a TV strictly for movies and series, as well as for gaming. The advanced WebOS system and a remote that works like a mouse will certainly make everyday use much easier and ensure that we will likely stick with this brand for a much longer time. The OLED panel implemented by the manufacturer, resulting from over 10 years of history, shows that it has not yet said its last word. Brightness results in HDR material are very solid and can display an incredibly dynamic and deep image. Here, it’s worth mentioning the excellently implemented dynamic tone mapping feature, which makes HDR10 images look almost as good as Dolby Vision. And if we’re talking about fidelity to artistic vision, we can't forget about how calibratable LG TVs are, allowing for a great deal of freedom for the calibrator and classic calibration for home users, as well as 3D LUT for professionals. However, if we are looking for a gaming TV, then the LG C4, like most of the manufacturer’s OLED TVs, will be the ideal choice. With the implementation of HDMI 2.1 ports and the full use of their potential, we can enjoy extremely smooth gameplay with all the benefits, such as VRR, ALLM, FreeSync, or G-Sync. Of course, the panel, which has a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz and an advanced smoothing technology, will also allow for very smooth and sharp images during broadcasts of various sporting events. It’s hard not to give a high rating to LG OLED C4, as it's difficult to find a TV in a similar price range with such advanced features among the competition.

LG G4, with its OLED panels produced for over 10 years, delivers perfect contrast, black levels, and detail reproduction in the darkest scenes. It's worth noting that the panel itself is equipped with MLA (Micro Lens Array) technology, which LG showcased just a year ago with the launch of its predecessor. The use of an organic panel not only allows for achieving pitch-black blacks but also provides extraordinary immersion and a three-dimensional effect in the image, which is hard to find even in the best Mini LED TVs. Such image quality is closely linked to OLED panel technology, as each pixel is controlled by an electrical impulse rather than shading filters on the panel. Therefore, if we want to achieve black, the pixel is simply turned off. This is very evident in test images, where the spotlight provides high brightness while being perfectly separated from each other. The situation remains unchanged in the challenging scene from "Sicario 2," where no imperfections from zone dimming can be seen, which we might encounter in LCD TVs.

LG OLED C4, as the name suggests, uses an organic panel of its own production. This series definitely belongs to one of the most recognisable on the market. Over 10 years of experience in building self-emissive panels has allowed for the refinement of each subsequent design, with the models from the 2024 range being the quintessence of this process. Of course, the use of this type of screen enables the achievement of flawless contrast and blacks, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the world created by the director. This is possible thanks to the OLED panel, characterised by the absence of conventional backlighting, which instead allows current to pass through organic pixels. This permits super-accurate image control, thereby eliminating issues such as dimming of delicate fine details or the halo/blooming effect. Looking at both of our test scenes, we can notice two things: perfect light separation and a plethora of details in the movie "Sicario 2".

LG G4 guarantees an incredibly vibrant HDR effect, placing the television firmly at the top of the rankings. The highest model in the manufacturer's 2024 portfolio, equipped with the second generation of microlens technology (MLA), has achieved a maximum brightness level of 1474 nits in real scenes. The only area where the product of the Korean manufacturer may fall short compared to LCD televisions with Mini LED backlighting is during a full-screen scene featuring a lot of white. If we were to disregard the latter scene, the average result would be even higher. It's also worth mentioning scenes with very fine details, where each one shone at full intensity, which is not as evident in non-OLED televisions. The combination of such brightness and wide coverage of the DCI-P3 color space ensures that HDR materials are more engaging than ever before.

The results of HDR materials are definitely among the better ones. Practically every film significantly exceeds the 700 nits barrier, which allows for a very realistic image. Of course, none of them surpasses the magical thousand, however, the combination of such results along with unlimited contrast and black effectively boosts the visual outcome. The last of the scenes, featuring a fullscreen sun burst, is indeed less bright than the others, although it still represents a respectable level. It's also worth mentioning the excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette, which will enable the achievement of exceptionally vivid colours.

The best factory mode in terms of colour reproduction was "Filmmaker". This is the one we used during our tests. Let's check how its characteristics looked before the calibration process. Taking a closer look at the white balance first, we can notice a significant dominance of red and green colour. As a result, the image had a warm yellow tint. This is the kind of characteristic we usually observe in "Cinema", "Filmmaker", or similarly named modes. The effect of such a colour balance was clearly visible in both SDR and HDR content, which, after switching from "Standard" mode, was distinctly yellowed. Now let's move on to two graphs that are responsible for brightness characteristics, and consequently, image contrast. The first one (Gamma), representing materials with a standard colour palette, performed decently. For most of the time, the midtones and bright whites were represented very accurately, however, it noticeably lost the darkest details which blended into a black patch. On the other hand, HDR materials, represented by the EOTF curve graph, exhibited a significant drop in contrast due to a strong boost in brightness. There was also an issue with the colours themselves as seen on the "ColorChecker" graph since they were noticeably undersaturated.

The best factory mode implemented in the tested television was "Filmmaker". That was the one we used during all tests. This mode, in terms of colour reproduction, turned out to be quite decent, although other flaws effectively detracted from the enjoyment of the viewing experience. Starting with the most basic one, which is white balance, it was easy to notice that this was marked by a dominance of red, which completely altered the characteristics of the picture. We could see a strong yellowing of the whites and a shift of all colours to warmer tones. The gamma, which is a graph as equally important, if not more so, was quite severely reduced, resulting in a significant drop in contrast, except for the start of the graph, where the television insidiously lost details. That’s all regarding SDR materials. Looking closely at films with a wide dynamic range, we can observe exactly the same phenomenon of white balance yellowing as in films with a standard colour palette. The EOTF curve, which replaces the gamma chart for us, is practically perfect and cannot be faulted.

The manufacturer has been implementing extensive support for the calibration process in their LG televisions for many years. Therefore, we used 2- and 20-point grey scale adjustments along with an advanced CMS (Color Management System) and got to work. As you can see, thanks to the procedure carried out, each of the parameters has significantly improved. The use of tools has resulted in extremely beneficial effects, which include: studio colour reproduction, recovery of details in dark areas of the image, appropriate brightness characteristics, and proper colour saturation. Thus, we have maximised our approach to the reference image, or the one that the film director saw on the preview monitor. It is worth noting that the LG G4 televisions are the only ones that allow for even deeper intervention in image quality due to the capability to calibrate with 3D LUT matrices. However, this solution is recommended only for post-production or graphic studios.

As we mentioned earlier, LG televisions are equipped with advanced tools for carrying out the calibration process. We used them to model the picture in line with what the director envisioned. And without modesty, we must admit that we achieved this phenomenally. Both SDR and HDR materials present a level that clearly indicates this is how a film should look. It's worth taking a look at the colour errors on the "ColorChecker" palette, where practically none of them exceed "1", except for two samples.

The tonal transitions presented on LG G4 are not among the top performers. Each scene played from a BluRay disc with 10-bit HDR exhibited noticeable choppiness in the colour transitions. This was particularly evident in the case of the film "The Green Knight," where issues related to posterisation were especially pronounced. This effect could also be observed in films with moderate to high brightness, such as "The Martian" or "Kingsman," which is rarely seen in televisions (especially of this class), which took us by surprise. Such results suggest that in scenes with low luminance and a lot of black, this issue will be troublesome, even for a layman.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in LG televisions has always been a rather sensitive issue, as the manufacturer, despite impeccable performance in other areas, has almost always struggled to get this right. The evaluation results for the fluidity of tonal transitions in the tested television were quite good, with issues mainly visible in darker scenes, such as the last two scenes. Interestingly, this is a significantly better result than the highest model from the manufacturer, namely the LG G4.

The tested television did not perform well with content rich in tonal transitions, resulting in a strong posterisation effect. However, there is a partial remedy for this ailment. The manufacturer has equipped the LG G4 with a smoothing system called "Gentle Gradation," which we can apply at three levels: Low, Medium, and High. Each of these options guarantees quite high smoothing effectiveness on bright colours, though low on darker ones. We recommend primarily using the first one due to the fact that the other two interfere with directorial intentions, removing film grain.

When watching lower-quality content, the efficiency of the television during upscaling is extremely important. The image from the tested television is sharp and clear. However, attention should be paid to the jagged edges of fine details and minor issues around characters, such as the creation of a halo effect, which occurs due to the sharpening imposed by the LG G4 even when the slider is set to the lowest value, which is 0. It is worth noting that this is a change in relation to the LG G3, which did not impose such strong image sharpening, even when the appropriate slider was set to position 0.

Once again, we will take a look at the feature responsible for gentle gradation, but we will also address the one that aims to enhance the quality of lower-quality materials. The default smoothing of tonal transitions, as we could see, was not the worst, but it can be improved further. The function has a slider that allows us to adjust its intensity. We recommend using the former, as it produces very good results and does not blur important details.

Image scaling on LG C4 is quite good, however, it cannot be said to be without flaws. The image is slightly sharper by default, although not in a very noticeable way. While jagged edges of trees can be seen, it is not a major issue when compared to other manufacturers.

The maximum refresh rate that we can set on the LG G4 is 144 Hz. Naturally, this is only possible by connecting the LG G4 to a very powerful PC. Otherwise, we will be operating at a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is recommended if we primarily want to watch sports or content with high motion dynamics. For those who require high fluidity of image, the manufacturer has implemented a multi-level motion smoother called "TrueMotion". It has been divided into two separate sliders that adjust the sharpness of moving images (De-Blur) and judder (De-Judder). Both sliders can be set in the range from 0 to 10, with each increment affecting the degree of smoothing, so everyone can find their sweet spot.

The LG OLED G4 panel features an average response time of 0.78 ms (which directly results from our measurements), allowing for an incredibly clear image, unattainable by LCD televisions, which have response times of even several milliseconds. This is clearly visible in the "UFO Test" images, showing the absence of any trailing blur behind the object. Furthermore, the LG OLED G4 test showed that the television offers the ability to precisely adjust motion smoothing functionality, allowing users to choose the ideal level of image interpolation. We particularly appreciated this during fast-paced action in video games, where the LG G4 performed exceptionally well, minimising any blurriness. Thanks to OLED technology, this model eliminates so-called ghosting, ensuring that the image remains sharp even in the most dynamic sports or movie scenes.

The maximum refresh rate we can set on the LG G4 is 144 Hz. Naturally, this is only possible when connecting the TV to a very powerful PC. Otherwise, we will operate at a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is recommended if we primarily want to watch sports or content with a lot of motion dynamics. For those who require high fluidity of the image, the manufacturer has implemented a multi-level motion smoother called "TrueMotion". It has been divided into two separate sliders that adjust the sharpness of moving images (De-Blur) and judder (De-Judder). Both sliders can be set in the range of 0 to 10, with each degree affecting the level of smoothing, allowing everyone to find their sweet spot.

The panel of the LG OLED C4 features an average response time of less than 1 ms (which directly results from our measurements), enabling the achievement of an extremely clear image, unattainable for LCD TVs, which can have response times of up to several milliseconds. This is clearly evident in the images from the "UFO Test," which show no trailing blur behind the object.

The LG G4 television supports all features that make up the HDMI 2.1 standard. During testing, each feature activated without any issues, which allows us to consider the television as designed for gaming. Its performance will certainly be appreciated by both console users and those connecting the LG G4 to a computer. It’s also worth mentioning the proper implementation of the HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) mode, which ensures that games mastered to brightness levels beyond the maximum luminance of the LG G4 will correctly map tones, keeping the game image true to the original.

A nice touch is the presence of a special GameBar that we can bring up at any moment to check game parameters, but most importantly, to change them quickly. More importantly, turning on VRR technology does not degrade contrast, which is often a problem in televisions with local dimming or Mini LED backlighting. Of course, this is thanks to the OLED panel itself, characterised by pixel self-emissiveness. As a journalistic note, we will only mention a slight grey flicker, which, however, is somewhat normal when VRR is enabled.

In summary, the LG G4, like practically all OLED televisions, is an ideal product for all kinds of gaming and online competitions. With full HDMI 2.1 ports with a complete bandwidth of 48 Gbit, features such as VRR, ALLM, G-Sync, FreeSync, or HDR Dolby Vision gameplay will bring a lot of joy.

We can now say that LG C4, like practically every OLED television from the manufacturer, is exceptionally good in terms of cooperation with consoles and PCs. Thanks to the implementation of four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports at 48 Gbps, the manufacturer has embedded all the features that enhance gaming comfort, including simultaneous support for FreeSync and G-Sync technologies. With such a tandem, players with graphics cards from AMD or nVidia can safely choose C4. However, what should please gamers demanding the highest possible quality the most is the simultaneous implementation of HDR Dolby Vision and HGIG mode. The former is particularly important as it operates with extremely low input lag in all settings.

A standard feature in televisions from the Korean manufacturer is also the implementation of GameBar, allowing for quick adjustments of settings "on the fly," without the need to exit the game. It also allows for image adjustments for people with visual impairments, which is an incredibly nice touch. Another important piece of information is that when VRR technology is enabled, we won’t experience a drop in contrast. This is, of course, due to the design of the panel and the absence of conventional backlighting. It is, however, normal for shades of grey to flicker slightly, although this is a characteristic feature of this function regardless of the manufacturer and television.

In summary: LG C4, just like all the manufacturer's OLEDs equipped with high-refresh-rate panels and HDMI 2.1 connections, creates a harmonious whole with consoles. In practice, it is a complete television, and if we expect the highest possible efficiency in gaming, C4 will be an ideal choice.

The input lag of the LG G4 is impressively low in every scenario. Even the most dedicated gamers will surely appreciate the very low input lag at demanding 4K 120 Hz settings with HDR, which is just 5 ms. It's also worth noting that the lag at the same settings, but with Dolby Vision HDR enabled, remains unchanged, which is not as obvious with the competition. Therefore, it deserves the highest rating and recommendation.

The latency time of LG C4 is remarkably low in every scenario. Even the most avid gamers will surely appreciate the very low input lag at demanding 4K 120 Hz settings with HDR, which is only 5 ms. It's also worth noting that the lag at these same settings, but with Dolby Vision HDR enabled, remains unchanged, which is not so obvious with the competition. Therefore, it deserves the highest rating and recommendation.

LG G4 paired with a PC performs excellently, thanks to an incredibly low latency of just 5 ms, which is practically instantaneous response between the mouse, eye, and screen. A crucial aspect while working on the screen is the readability of text, which is very good in the case of the tested television.

The RWBG pixel arrangement has no significant impact on the display of fonts or letters, which is a considerable advantage over Samsung's QD-OLED matrices. Users of both Windows-based PCs and macOS will surely be pleased with the performance on the tested LG G4 television.

LG C4 combined with a PC works wonderfully, thanks to its very low latency of just 13.5 ms, which is practically instantaneous feedback between the mouse, eye, and screen. An extremely important aspect when working on a screen is the readability of text, which in the case of the tested TV is very good. However, it is worth noting that to achieve sharp fonts, you need to enable the passthrough option in the settings.

The RWBG pixel layout does not significantly affect the display of fonts or letters, which is a significant advantage over Samsung's QD-OLED panels. Users of both Windows-based PCs and macOS will surely be pleased with their experience on the tested TV screen.

The undisputed advantage of OLED screens equipped with MLA technology is their performance when viewing from various angles. To the naked eye, there are no noticeable changes, regardless of where we are watching from. This type of screen maintains consistent brightness, saturation, and white hue, unlike LCD matrices or OLEDs without micro-lens technology (MLA). The only matrices that can match them are those produced by Samsung Displays, using quantum dots, namely QD-OLED.

The undisputed advantage of OLED panels is their efficiency in the context of group viewing, meaning from various angles. LG C4 maintains very good contrast, colour saturation, and fidelity. Although this isn't a result of organic TVs supported by MLA technology, it's fair to say that anyone who purchased the device was satisfied with the results obtained. However, it should be noted that at sharp angles a slight greenish tint can be observed. This is a characteristic feature of WRGB panels from LG, without the aforementioned micro-lens technology, and unfortunately, there's nothing that can be done about it.

The glossy coating of the display in LG G4, although it may sound like a downside, is actually quite the opposite. Thanks to it, the LG G4 television maintains very high efficiency and effectively suppresses all reflections, "holding" them only at their source. It's also worth mentioning the quality of black during the day, which in the case of WRGB displays produced by LG Displays is outstanding. OLED MLA displays, despite their many advantages, are somewhat inferior in this case, but still better in the context of competition from Samsung, whose QD-OLED displays fade under light. The combination of brightness at around 500 nits and the glossy coating allows for daytime viewing of the television, unless the user has a living room with large glazing.

The maximum brightness of the television in SDR materials is 367 nits. For an OLED television, this is a very good result and allows for quite comfortable viewing during the day. It's worth noting two things. Thanks to the glossy coating of the panel, the light reflections are well held in place and do not spill over the rest of the panel. The second issue is the brightness of the screen when fully filled with white, oscillating around 220 nits, which is a remarkable result, as until recently, OLED televisions in this category could only boast brightness half as much. As a result, the conditions for watching, for example, winter sports will be very good.

LG uses the well-known proprietary system WebOS, which has been around for many years. The system offers virtually all the essential applications, and those that are missing can be counted on one hand, such as CDA or KODI.

WebOS also provides the highly valued ability to perform operations using a cursor that appears when the remote control is moved. The convenience of such a feature is invaluable when entering queries or passwords for portals. WebOS, like most systems, also supports functions such as screen mirroring, AirPlay, voice search in Polish, and the ability to connect headphones via Bluetooth. On a more practical note, WebOS allows us to use both headphones and the TV speaker LG G4 simultaneously, which will certainly be a significant advantage for those with hearing disabilities. Among the more interesting features, particularly appreciated by sports fans, is the option to enable an alert for upcoming matches, ensuring that we never miss a broadcast. The home panel also deserves praise, allowing for control of all smart devices connected to the home network. For example, the end of a laundry cycle will be signalled by a notification in the top right corner.

In summary, the WebOS system, although less known and with some limitations compared to Android TV, offers stable and fast operation and supports most features that users might need. It is a solid solution for those looking for a simple and effective operating system in a television.

LG uses the well-known proprietary WebOS system that has been around for many years. The system offers virtually all the major apps, and the few that are missing can be counted on one hand, such as CDA or KODI. It's also worth noting that the modern web browser and the remote with a built-in mouse allow for convenient access to streaming services in this way, if there isn't a built-in app.

WebOS also features a highly praised ability to perform operations using a cursor that appears when the remote is moved. The convenience of this function is invaluable when entering queries or passwords for portals. WebOS, like most systems, also supports features such as screen mirroring, AirPlay, voice searching in Polish, and the ability to connect headphones via Bluetooth. On a more practical note, WebOS allows simultaneous use of headphones and the television speaker, which will certainly be a significant help for those with hearing impairments. One of the more interesting features, particularly appreciated by sports fans, is the ability to turn on an alert for an upcoming match, ensuring that we never miss a broadcast. The home panel also deserves praise, allowing for control of all smart devices connected to the home network. For example, the end of a wash cycle will be signalled by a notification in the top right corner.

In summary, the WebOS system, although less known and with certain limitations compared to Android TV, offers stable and quick performance and supports most functions that users may need. It is a solid solution for those looking for a simple and effective operating system in their television.

The default file player on the LG G4 performs quite well with most photos, although it's surprising to find a lack of several equally popular ones. It can successfully play videos recorded in virtually all the most popular formats, including Dolby Vision. The only codec that the G4 cannot play is H.266 VVC, although this is currently quite rarely used. However, it's important to note the supported photo formats, of which there are only two: JPEG and PNG. Users of Apple phones may feel disappointed by the lack of support for the HEIC format, which is the default format when taking photos. The remedy for this is to use the built-in AirPlay feature. Lastly, we should also mention the lack of support for TXT subtitles.

The default file player on LG C4 handles all photo resolutions exceptionally well. It successfully plays videos recorded in practically all the most popular formats, including Dolby Vision. The only codec that the C4 won't play is H.266 VVC, although this is currently rather uncommon. It's a pity that subtitles in .txt format are not supported. Attention should be paid to the supported photo formats, of which there are only three: JPEG, PNG, and, importantly for Apple phone users - HEIC. However, the tested television cannot be faulted for a lack of variety in audio files, which can be played without a compatibility warning.

The assessment of sound quality is always subjective. However, we must give credit to LG G4 for maintaining a fairly good level of sound clarity. The biggest drawback of the built-in audio system in the television is the low bass range. However, it’s important to look at this from a different perspective — anyone opting for this television will likely have a home theatre system. The key in this case will be broad support for audio codecs, including DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos.

The audio system implemented in LG C4 is very well tuned, allowing us to experience strong bass as well as balanced mid and high tones. We can confidently say that in its price range, it's one of the better sounding televisions. However, we believe that those deciding to purchase the C4 will already have a dedicated audio set. The presence of DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos codecs will also be significant.

LG OLED G4 vs LG OLED C4

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound