As someone who tests TVs and recommends them for a living, I can tell you that we’re in one of the most fruitful times of the year for deals. Why? Because all of the best and most popular TVs from last year are cratering in price ahead of the release of new models.
These discounted TVs didn’t suddenly lose their luster at midnight on January 1 — they’re every bit as good now as they were when they first hit shelves. Case in point? The 65-inch LG C5 is just $1,299 at Amazon right now. Not only is this the only TV we awarded a 5-star rating in 2025, it’s also one of my favorite sets ever made.
For one thing, the C5 comes with pedigree. This OLED comes from a long line of mid-range OLED TVs whose value is almost as impressive as its picture quality. It’s not the brand’s brightest and most-colorful OLED TVs, but even at its original price of $2,699, the C5 offered up a ton of value.
If you’re not hip to OLED technology, let me get you up to speed. On TVs like the C5, there is no separate, LED-based backlight. Instead, every individual pixel is self-lit. This leads to all sorts of fantastic, performance-related perks.
An OLED TV is capable of perfect black levels, so you won’t be distracted by the hazy, bluish glow associated with LED light bloom. Self-lit pixels also allow the C5 to drive a ton of brightness to very tiny areas of the picture. The result is an unparalleled sense of depth when compared to run-of-the-mill LED TVs.
As mentioned, the C5 isn’t as bright and colorful as higher-end OLEDs (like the flagship-level LG G5, which also debuted last year). But unless you’re chasing the brightest possible picture, you oughtn’t worry about this. The C5 is plenty bright for most viewing environments. And, when movie night rolls around and the lights go off, you’re in for a tremendous presentation — especially during 4K flicks mastered for HDR.
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Right now, the C6 is sitting at its original asking price of $2,699. For half of that price, the C5 is a much better deal.
The discounted C5 also arrives with just about every feature you could want for gaming, streaming and beyond. In fact, when it comes to enhancements, it’s almost identical to the higher-end LG G5.
Beyond the C5’s built-in smart platform, it supports for 4K gaming at 120Hz on current-gen consoles (the top 4K spec for these systems), and up to 144Hz with VRR enabled for PC gamers. LG’s Game Optimizer mode puts all of the handiest gaming settings in a convenient quick menu.
Look, I get it: The C5’s successor, the all-new C6 OLED, is tempting. But if you’re choosing between a 2025 and 2026 TV right now, I am firmly in the 2025 camp.
The LG C6 is only marginally brighter than the LG C5. And, as far as features go, they’re nearly identical in all of the ways that matter to the average viewer. Right now, the C6 is sitting at its original asking price of $2,699. For half of that price, the C5 is a much better deal.
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