This 48″ LG OLED TV is now a real bargain! It costs only 15 thousand and can handle up to 144 Hz

If you’re looking for a small to medium-sized TV with a quality panel and prefer Korean brands over Chinese ones, you should pay attention. You can now get last year’s 48-inch LG OLED48C57LA TV with code ALZADNY30 for 14,990 CZK instead of 21,414 CZK; at launch, it sold for 23,990 CZK. It features 40W speakers and its refresh rate reaches up to 144 Hz. It is therefore also suitable as a large gaming monitor.

Quick summary:
✅ Worth it if you’re looking for an OLED for a bedroom, smaller room, or as a large monitor for a PC or console.
⚠️ Be aware that it’s last year’s model and that 48 inches will likely be too small for a larger living room from the couch.
💡 For 14,990 CZK, you get C-series features including 144 Hz, four HDMI 2.1 ports, and 40W speakers.

C-series for less than this year’s B6 cost in September

The TV’s price dropped from 21,414 CZK to 14,990 CZK with code ALZADNY30, which is a discount of 6,424 CZK. Compared to the launch price of 23,990 CZK, you save an impressive 9,000 CZK. Alza has the TV in stock, and shipping is free.

More interesting, however, is the comparison with its sibling. In September, we wrote about this year’s 48-inch LG OLED48B6ELC, which cost 15,990 CZK on sale. Last year’s C5 is now a thousand crowns cheaper and yet belongs to a higher series. It offers 144 Hz instead of 120 Hz, 40W speakers instead of 20W, and Wi-Fi 6 instead of Wi-Fi 5. For me, this is one of the few cases where an older model makes more sense than a newer one.

What does the alpha 9 processor do with OLED picture?

The panel has a diagonal of 121 cm and 4K resolution. Each OLED pixel lights up on its own, and when it needs to be black, it simply turns off. This prevents the light halo around subtitles or lights in a night scene that you know from backlit LCD TVs. For movies, there’s Dolby Vision, HDR10, and Ambient FILMMAKER mode, which is designed to keep the picture close to the creators’ intent and adapt it to the room’s light.

Image processing is handled by the alpha 9 AI Gen8 processor, which LG compares to the weaker alpha 7 chip from the same year. According to the manufacturer, it recognizes objects in the frame and upscales lower-resolution video to 4K. The TV also boasts UL Perfect Black and 100% color fidelity certifications, but these are manufacturer claims that we cannot independently verify.

On the desk instead of a monitor, consoles below it

At 48 inches, OLED TVs often move to desks instead of monitors, and the C5 is equipped for this: four HDMI 2.1 ports, so you can connect PlayStation, Xbox, and a gaming PC all at once, and all will run at full capacity. It also supports G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium, and variable refresh rate. The manufacturer also states a 0.1 ms response time, certified by Intertek.

The panel runs natively at 100/120 Hz, but in gaming mode, it can reach up to 144 Hz, if the game or connected computer can handle it. You’ll primarily use the highest frequency with a computer. Without a console, you can play via cloud services like GeForce NOW, Xbox, or Amazon Luna, but expect a subscription and ideally a gamepad.

Sound is provided by 40W speakers in a 2.2 configuration with Dolby Atmos, from which, according to LG, artificial intelligence is supposed to conjure a virtual 11.1.2 system. This is sufficient for a smaller room. For those who want more for movies, Alza offers the LG SC9S soundbar with the TV for a discounted 6,495 CZK. The webOS system includes apps like Oneplay, Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max, and you can cast images from your phone via Google Cast or AirPlay 2. LG also promises four major system updates over five years, but for last year’s model, some of that time has likely already passed.

Where 48 inches won’t be enough for you?

For a living room where you sit far from the screen, a 48-inch screen will likely be too small from the couch, and a larger diagonal will serve better. For those who want the latest, this year’s C6 series is on the market, where LG states a Brightness Booster feature for higher brightness in 48-inch models. Also, be aware of the Gallery+ mode, which turns the TV into a picture when idle: full access to content requires a subscription. And consumption of 64–115 kWh per 1,000 hours places the TV in energy class G.

A hit for gamers and smaller rooms

The LG OLED C5 will be especially appreciated by those looking for an OLED for a bedroom or study, or a large gaming monitor with full equipment for consoles and PCs. For 14,990 CZK, you get C-series features, and at 48 inches, I wouldn’t opt for the B-series for similar money. However, anyone who primarily wants a TV for a larger living room should aim for a size up.

Would you rather go for last year’s C-series, or this year’s entry-level model?