The LG OLED TV I’d Actually Buy on Black Friday
▼ Summary
– LG’s OLED TV range is among the strongest in 2025, with the C5 and G5 models excelling in features, picture quality, and overall performance.
– The LG B5 is recommended as the best budget OLED option to watch for Black Friday deals, offering significant savings and strong value.
– The LG B5 delivers impressive picture quality with vibrant, authentic colors and excellent contrast, performing well in both animated and real-world movies.
– It excels as a gaming TV with features like 4K 120Hz, VRR, and low input lag, providing sharp visuals and smooth performance in fast-paced games.
– The B5 includes LG’s webOS smart TV platform, praised for its responsiveness and intuitive layout, making it a top choice for an affordable OLED TV.
After testing numerous televisions this year, LG’s OLED lineup consistently stands out for delivering exceptional picture quality and features, with the C5 model emerging as a particularly well-rounded option that balances performance and cost. The flagship G5 also impressed in competitive comparisons, holding its own against premium offerings from Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic. Both the C5 and G5 rank among 2025’s top televisions, and with Black Friday approaching, they are expected to see significant price reductions following earlier record lows during Prime Day events.
However, my personal recommendation for Black Friday shopping shifts toward LG’s most accessible OLED model: the B5 series. This television represents one of the best values in the OLED market this year.
Current Top LG B5 Promotion
Best Buy’s early Black Friday offering features the 48-inch LG B5 4K OLED TV at an unprecedented $529.99, down from its original $1,299.99 price point. This $770 discount makes the B5 an extraordinary bargain for an OLED display. The set delivers rich contrast and vibrant colors alongside comprehensive gaming capabilities including 4K 120Hz support, Variable Refresh Rate, Dolby Vision gaming compatibility, and LG’s user-friendly smart TV interface. Particularly for gaming applications, this 48-inch model provides outstanding performance at what amounts to a remarkably low price point.
Premium OLED Performance Without the Premium Price
Choosing a budget-friendly OLED might suggest significant compromises, but the B5 defies this expectation with its impressive feature set and reliable picture performance. During evaluation, the television produced vibrant, authentic colors across various content types from animated features to live-action films. While brightness levels remain moderate, color reproduction maintains striking accuracy and depth that makes on-screen imagery pop.
The B5’s contrast performance meets expectations for OLED technology, rendering deep blacks with refined shadow detail. Challenging dark scenes from films like The Batman displayed excellent tonal balance, accurately preserving both highlight and shadow information without sacrificing detail in darker sequences.
Exceptional Gaming Capabilities
As a gaming display, the B5 ranks among the best values tested this year. Its comprehensive gaming feature set includes 4K 120Hz support, VRR compatibility with both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG, Auto Low Latency Mode, and Dolby Vision gaming. LG’s Game Optimizer interface provides convenient access to gaming settings, including a boost function that reduces input lag to an impressively low 9.1 milliseconds.
These technical specifications translate to superb real-world gaming performance. During testing with fast-paced titles like Battlefield V, the television handled rapid movement and intense action sequences without noticeable lag or artifacts. The combination of responsive gameplay and the B5’s inherent OLED picture quality creates an immersive gaming experience with sharp, detailed visuals.
Beyond its core strengths in picture quality and gaming, the B5 utilizes LG’s webOS smart platform, widely regarded as one of the most intuitive and responsive systems available. While some may find the AI features unnecessary, the platform’s streamlined menus, logical layout, and quick operation provide an excellent user experience.
The Ultimate Value Proposition
The B5’s appeal extends beyond performance to its pricing strategy. While the C5 typically receives more attention during major sales events, the B5 frequently sees substantial discounts that enhance its value proposition. Current pricing shows the B5 typically retailing for approximately $999, while the step-up C5 model commands around $1,199 for the 55-inch version. This initial price difference of several hundred dollars often expands during Black Friday promotions.
Side-by-side comparisons confirm the C5’s technical superiority, but the B5 remains an excellent television in its own right with potential for even deeper discounts during holiday sales. The 48-inch version presents particular value for gamers seeking a high-performance display at an accessible price point.
While the C5 represents a fantastic choice when available at a good price, the B5 emerges as the smarter purchase for budget-conscious consumers seeking authentic OLED quality without premium pricing. For those wanting to experience OLED technology while maximizing savings, the B5 stands as the clear recommendation for Black Friday shopping.
(Source: techradar)
