The LG G5 OLED Evo represents a landmark achievement in television engineering, introducing the industry's first primary RGB tandem OLED panel to consumer displays. This flagship model from LG's 2025 lineup reaches peak brightness levels of 2,268 nits, rivalling premium mini-LED televisions while maintaining the perfect black levels that define OLED technology. Powered by the Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 2, the G5 supports 4K resolution at 165Hz across all four HDMI 2.1 ports, making it a formidable choice for gaming enthusiasts. Professional reviewers consistently praise its exceptional picture quality, improved anti-reflection coating, and sophisticated AI-driven features through webOS 25. However, the television's premium positioning brings compromises, including the removal of DTS audio support and a minimalist remote that frustrates some users. Consumer feedback reveals that while the display technology impresses, Filmmaker Mode can render Dolby Vision content uncomfortably dark, requiring manual adjustment from factory settings. The G5's flush-wall design and striking visual performance make it a centrepiece television, but its substantial investment demands careful alignment with viewing environments and content consumption patterns.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Design and Build Quality

The LG G5 OLED Evo establishes its flagship credentials through a distinctive Gallery design philosophy that prioritizes wall-mounted installation. The television's ultra-thin profile eliminates the gap between screen and wall, creating a picture-frame aesthetic that consumer reviews consistently praise as elegant and space-efficient. This flush-mounting approach requires LG's proprietary wall bracket, which comes included with the television and routes connections through an external box positioned lower on the wall. The design choice reflects LG's positioning of the G5 as statement furniture rather than traditional electronics, though it does constrain placement flexibility for users preferring stand-based installation.^[4][3]

Build quality meets premium expectations with attention to material selection and assembly precision. The OLED panel integrates a new anti-reflection coating that professional reviewers note performs substantially better than previous generations, reducing distracting glare in bright environments. However, the minimalist remote control represents a significant step backward in tactile quality and functionality. Multiple verified purchasers describe the remote as "absolutely terrible" and "very generic for a TV at this level," citing the removal of dedicated input selection buttons and reduced button count. The Magic Remote retains gesture control and voice command capabilities, but the simplified button layout frustrates users accustomed to direct hardware controls.^{[10][4][1][3]}

Panel Technology and Brightness Performance

The G5 introduces primary RGB tandem OLED technology to consumer televisions, marking a fundamental shift from the micro-lens array approach used in the previous G4 model. This four-stack panel architecture layers separate OLED elements for red, green, and blue primary colors, supplemented by a white subpixel for brightness enhancement. Professional testing by TechRadar measured peak brightness of 2,268 nits on a 10% HDR window in Filmmaker Mode, representing a 40-50% increase over the G4 and substantially exceeding Samsung's QD-OLED competition. RTINGS confirmed "amazing HDR brightness in all scenes," with fullscreen measurements reaching 331 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 419 nits in Vivid mode.^[4][1]

This brightness revolution transforms OLED viability for daytime viewing and bright-room installations. The G5's ability to reach mini-LED brightness levels while maintaining perfect per-pixel black levels creates exceptional contrast that professional reviewers describe as "striking" and "spectacular". Consumer feedback confirms these measurements translate to visible improvements, with verified purchasers noting the display can appear "TOO BRIGHT" at maximum settings. The enhanced brightness combines with improved color purity from the tandem structure, delivering more saturated and separated primary colors compared to traditional WOLED panels, though QD-OLED technology still maintains advantages in absolute color volume.^{[10][7][4][1][3]}

Gaming Performance

Gaming represents a core strength of the G5, with hardware specifications that satisfy competitive and enthusiast players. All four HDMI ports support full 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, enabling simultaneous connection of PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and high-end PC hardware without input compromise. The television supports 4K resolution at refresh rates up to 165Hz when connected to compatible PC graphics cards, positioning it among the fastest gaming displays available. Input lag measurements by RTINGS confirm 9.7ms at 60Hz, dropping to 5.1ms at 120Hz and 4ms at 165Hz in Game Optimizer mode, providing response times that competitive players require.^[6][1]

OLED's near-instantaneous pixel transition times eliminate motion blur across the refresh rate range, creating sharp motion clarity during fast-paced gameplay. The G5 supports variable refresh rate technologies including NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync, and HDMI Forum VRR, preventing screen tearing across all gaming platforms. Consumer reviews from gaming-focused purchasers consistently praise the experience, with one verified buyer stating "the fps for gaming is absolutely amazing" while another noted "after owning this TV for a couple days, i have zero need or desire to go with a mini led". LG's Game Optimizer interface consolidates gaming settings into a dedicated overlay, though some users report the HDR menus appear uncomfortably bright during adjustment.^[6][1][3]

Picture Quality and Color Accuracy

Professional calibration testing reveals exceptional out-of-box accuracy that respects content creator intent. RTINGS measured "outstanding SDR color accuracy before calibration" with gamma tracking incredibly close to the 2.2 reference and color temperature near the 6500K standard. The G5's primary RGB tandem OLED structure enhances color separation compared to previous WOLED implementations, delivering more vibrant and lifelike color reproduction that consumer reviews describe as making "every movie look incredible". TechRadar testing confirmed "vivid, lifelike, and accurate" colors in both SDR and HDR content, with the television maintaining accuracy across brightness ranges.^[1][3]

HDR performance benefits dramatically from the panel's exceptional peak brightness capabilities. RTINGS noted the G5's PQ EOTF tracking demonstrates "amazing" adherence to the standard, ensuring highlights reach intended luminance levels without clipping. Consumer feedback reveals complications with Filmmaker Mode's Dolby Vision implementation, however, with multiple users reporting content appears "overly dark, sometimes to the extent that it becomes distracting". One purchaser described a frustrating experience where "each time I turn the TV I find trying to convince myself that the picture quality is good rather than simply relaxing and enjoying it". Cinema Home mode and manual brightness adjustments resolve these issues, though the requirement for user intervention contradicts expectations of premium out-of-box performance.^[5][4][1]

Processing and Upscaling

The Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 2 delivers sophisticated image processing that handles real-world content challenges effectively. RTINGS testing confirmed "excellent processing capabilities" with outstanding upscaling of low-resolution content that leaves viewers with sharp, detailed images from sub-4K sources. The processor excels at artifact removal from heavily compressed streaming feeds, smoothing out blocking and banding without excessive detail destruction. This capability proves particularly valuable for sports broadcasts and live content where bitrate limitations create visible quality degradation.^[6][1]

Professional reviewers note the upscaling performance makes the G5 suitable for mixed content consumption where not all sources reach 4K resolution. The processor's AI-driven scene analysis adjusts processing parameters based on content type, optimizing settings for sports, cinema, gaming, and broadcast material automatically. However, some consumers report persistent banding issues in color gradients, particularly during the television's initial release period, though firmware updates have improved this behavior. The processor also handles color gradient reproduction with only "minor banding that's barely noticeable in real content" according to professional testing.^[8][17][1]

Smart Platform and Interface

The G5 ships with webOS 25, representing LG's latest refinement of their long-running smart television platform. The interface emphasizes AI-driven personalization and family-friendly customization, with the system learning viewing preferences and surfacing relevant content recommendations. App support remains comprehensive, covering major streaming services without notable omissions. LG Channels provides free ad-supported streaming with content ranging from news to classic television series, competing directly with Samsung TV Plus.^[17][4]

Consumer feedback reveals a disconnect between webOS capabilities and initial setup experience. One verified purchaser noted "the initial set up has very much to be desired. TV's I have bought in the past were very intuitive guiding the user step by step. Basically, I had to Google way too many things". This criticism aligns with the broader pattern of LG prioritizing advanced features over user onboarding clarity. The Universal Control feature enables the Magic Remote to control connected devices, consolidating home theater operation into a single controller, though initial configuration requires patience. webOS 25 introduces Filmmaker Ambient Light Mode, which adjusts picture parameters based on room lighting while maintaining color accuracy closer to cinema reference than previous adaptive modes.^[18][4][3]

Audio Performance

The G5 integrates a 60W speaker system with underslung drivers and integrated woofers, delivering audio quality that professional reviewers describe as "quite good" but not exceptional for the premium price category. Dialogue reproduction emerges crisp and clear across content types, with adequate bass response for action sequences and music playback. LB Tech Reviews noted the television "can also play relatively loud without sounding distorted," providing sufficient volume for typical living room environments. AI Sound Pro mode simulates surround effects with reasonable effectiveness, creating wider soundstage perception than the physical speaker placement suggests.^[9]

The decision to eliminate DTS audio format support across LG's entire 2025 OLED lineup represents a significant compatibility regression. Physical media collectors with Blu-ray libraries encoded in DTS formats cannot pass these audio tracks through the television, requiring external processing solutions. LG supported DTS on all 2023 and 2024 models, making the removal particularly frustrating for users upgrading from recent LG OLEDs. The television maintains support for all Dolby Digital variants and can pass through advanced object-based formats to external audio systems via eARC. Professional consensus suggests users investing in the G5's premium picture quality should budget for matching sound system upgrades, with LG offering a slim-profile SG10TY soundbar designed for flush-wall installation compatibility.^[9][1]

Reliability and Long-Term Ownership

Burn-in concerns persist as the primary anxiety factor for prospective OLED buyers, though evidence suggests substantially reduced risk with modern panels. The G5's tandem OLED structure theoretically improves burn-in resistance compared to previous generations by distributing light emission across multiple OLED layers, reducing stress on individual organic compounds. Reddit community consensus indicates users "should be safe from it for a minimum of 3 to 5 years" with mixed content consumption patterns. RTINGS' ongoing torture test confirms every OLED develops burn-in under extreme static image conditions, but notes "with varied content, this won't be an issue" for typical household viewing.^[15][19][14]

Professional longevity testing reveals OLED panels generally outlast edge-lit LCD televisions in comprehensive reliability assessments. TechRadar's three-year testing program demonstrated that unless users "constantly watch content with static logos you're unlikely to encounter any issues with models from 2022 or later". The G5 includes multiple burn-in prevention features including pixel shifting, logo dimming, and screen savers that activate during extended static content display. LG's warranty explicitly excludes burn-in coverage, placing risk entirely on owners, though the practical likelihood remains low for diverse viewing habits. Consumer feedback indicates satisfaction with picture quality longevity, with no widespread reports of early panel degradation or uniformity issues in the G5's first year of availability.^{[20][21][15][3]}