The LG C4 OLED TV, the successor to the hugely popular LG C3, is one of the most anticipated OLED TVs of 2024 and now that LG has unveiled its full 2024 OLED TV lineup, not only do we have info about this model, but we were even able write our LG C4 first impressions after seeing it in person, and can confirm it is indeed brighter, with improved highlights and has even more gaming features than before.
The LG C4 replaces the LG C3, which was one of our best OLED TVs of 2023. With HDR-improving picture processing, a nice aesthetic, a smart TV interface overhaul, and a wealth of features to appeal to both gamers and movie fans, it was a fantastic TV… though it did lose out on our TV of the Year Award to its direct rival, the Samsung S90C due some notable shortcomings, including brightness and audio power.
Below, you'll find everything we've seen and everything we know so far about the LG C4 and it's looking like it could be a real hit for LG.
LG C4 OLED TV: Possible release date and pricing
We may have seen the LG C4 at CES and even got our eyes on it, but there is still no official release date or pricing from LG yet, so we can only make assumptions based on the LG C3.
With that in mind, the 2023 OLED TV was released in March 2023 after being announced at CES in January 2023, and it was the same story with the LG C2 the year before… and the LG C1 the year before that. That means we can likely expect the LG C4 to follow a similar pattern and be with us in around March 2024.
LG's C-series TVs are the company’s mid-tier 4K OLED TV model, slotting in between the flagship G-series and entry-level B-series. The US and UK pricing for the LG C3 looked like this:
- OLED83C3: $5,299 / £6,499 / around AU$7,900
- OLED77C3: $3,599 / £3,999 / around AU$5,370
- OLED65C3: $2,600 / £2,899 / around AU$3,900
- OLED55C3: $1,899 / £2,099 / around AU$2,830
- OLED48C3 $1,499 / £1,599 / around AU$2,240
- OLED42C3: $1,399 / £1,499 / around AU$2,100
Some TV analysts have said that LG really needs to keep the prices of its TVs low to stay competitive, but there's no getting around the fact OLED tech is pricey to make, which means we wouldn't be surprised if the price of the LG C4 is the same as the list above in 2024, or if there's a slight price increase on the OLED TV to keep pace with inflation.
However, useful information we now know is that the tech used to make the screen brighter shouldn't add any significant cost, so there's a good change it will arrive at more or less the same price as last year.
LG C4 OLED TV: what we know
LG has confirmed several upgrades that will be coming to the LG C4, including new gaming features, an improved chip (the Alpha 9) which LG says will improve performance, and higher brightness, even in the smaller 42-inch and 48-inch models, which didn't get the brightness boost that the LG C2 delivered compared to the C1 at 55 inches and up.
The first major upgrade is the improved Alpha 9 AI chip which LG says will not only improve processing power, but improve peak brightness levels compared to the C3, thanks to vastly improved power management. Having now seen the C4 in person, we can confirm the brightness boost is very much real, with HDR highlights looking particularly brighter. We even saw it next to the more premium LG G4 and although the G4 was clearly brighter (as expected), it was a lot closer than anticipated.
Although not confirmed or official, we thought the LG C4 (in 55-inch sizes and up) looked capable of hitting 900-1,000 nits, LG indicated this is the right ballpark. That means it would be nearly 200 nits brighter than the LG C3.
The 42-inch and 48-inch LG C4 sizes won't be as bright as that, but based on our conversation with LG, we suspect that we're looking at around 750-800 nits for those models. Again, this is unconfirmed.
The C4 will also support the AI Picture Pro and AI Sound Pro technologies found in the more premium G4 and M4 models, but it will be missing some of the newer features such as 'Director Tone' which adjusts the picture to look "as the director intended", according to LG.
Another exciting upgrade, thanks to the new processor, is the ability for the LG C4 to pair with a compatible LG soundbar and get wireless, lossless Dolby Atmos audio, which is a huge deal. This means you can connect an LG TV and soundbar without the need for wires, but still get uncompressed audio over Wi-Fi.
Unfortunately, we didn't hear the C4's built-in sound, which was one of the weaker parts of the C3, and LG's demo to us was with the SC9S connected, which it recommended connecting the C4, so that doesn't bode well for the C4's built-in sound being a big upgrade.
The LG C4 will also support 4K 144Hz refresh rate (compared to 120Hz in the LG C3), and is AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync certified, again the same as the G4 and M4. Although not much of a concern for console gamers (consoles max out at 120Hz), PC gamers will happy to know that 4K 144Hz is supported by the C4. The C4 will also again feature LG's Game Optimizer menu for gamers to adjust settings to get the most out of their games.
As for sizes, the C4 won't come in the large 97-inch size that the G4 and M4 come in, but it will still feature a wide array of sizes as expected, ranging from 42 inches to 83 inches.
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