LG C3, convinced me in every respect but (to date) is difficult to recommend | Review

LG C3 arrived on the scene amid great expectations, succeeding its widely acclaimed predecessor. With a plethora of sizes available, they range from 42 to 83 inches, and a corresponding range of prices, the C3 is aimed at an audience with different needs. However, a significant dilemma arises when compared to the price of the previous model, which is currently significantly cheaper. This situation may lead consumers to wonder whether i incremental progress justify the premium associated with the current model.

I make a necessary premise: I’ve been waiting for the right time for years to purchase an OLED from LG’s C series, a range of products that I find particularly pleasant and suitable for my needs, and this experience served as a definitive test for me to also guide my purchasing decisions. I tried the da variant for you 55″the largest diagonal manageable in my small two-room apartment, to understand if the LG C3 is up to date a valid choice for those who want a product with advanced features without necessarily relying on premium-range televisions with a decidedly higher cost.

Build quality and doors

The LG C3 convinces with its robust construction. The feeling of quality is evident, with a unique fabric-like texture on the back that adds a nice tactile element. The TV is solid, with minimal flex even at the thinnest part. Although the stand is compact and takes up little space, there is a bit of wobble when the TV is placed on it. However, the problem is resolved quickly and is not a significant problem during regular use. Overall, the LG C3 is really well built. At first glance, the LG C3 looks a lot like its predecessor, with an elegant design and minimalist aesthetic.

Beneath the surface lies a subtle but impactful technological evolution. Equipped with the processor Alpha 9 Gen 6the C3 boasts more processing power, which allows for higher quality upscaling.

Furthermore, the integration of four HDMI 2.1 ports ensures compatibility with the latest living room consoles, offering immersive gaming experiences with 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) and refresh rate of 120Hz. The 3 USB 2.0 ports they are fast enough for playback of 4K HDR content from external memories and to power accessories such as Chromecast or similar.

One of the best OLEDs around

The hallmark of any OLED TV is picture quality, and the LG C3 doesn’t disappoint. Whether you dedicate yourself to cinematic masterpieces or intense gaming sessions, the C3 offers unparalleled visual fidelity. Thanks to the support at Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG and OLED’s inherent ability to achieve infinite contrast ratios, the C3 reproduces scenes with remarkable depth and clarity. This result is particularly evident in a dimly lit environment, where the TV reaches its maximum expression.

Furthermore, his upscaling quality ensures that even standard definition content is presented in a resolution that is not at all distracting, demonstrating the TV’s versatility in playing different media formats. Living in a fairly small apartment, my distance from the TV was only 1.5-2 meters. Despite this every single video content was perfectly enjoyable.

Compared to the predecessor LG C2 OLED, LG C3 presents a noticeable improvement in HDR peak brightness. However, it is important to underline that, as often happens with OLED displays, extremely bright scenes can appear significantly darker than those with smaller bright areas, due to the so-called Automatic Backlight Limiter (ABL), the brightness limiter which prevents premature aging of the panel. This effect can be slightly annoying if you use the TV as a PC monitor, but during normal use for viewing multimedia content, the brightness transition is generally smooth and minimally invasive.

One aspect worth noting is the management of reflections, which represents a notable improvement over previous models. LG C3 manages to largely avoid the typical purple reflection thanks to improved anti-glare technology, making the TV good for bright environments without incurring annoying color distortions. I have never encountered problems in use despite a French door positioned next to the TV, however I would avoid positioning the C3 with a large window behind the sofa.

Moving on to color rendering, the LG C3 ranks among the best on the market. Its wide range of colors it covers the DCI-P3 color space almost perfectly, used by most current HDR content. However, it should be highlighted that in extremely bright images, color accuracy can suffer, with a tendency towards general undersaturation, especially in green tones.

The situation improves slightly with the Rec. 2020 color space, but the TV still struggles to show the full range of greens and cyan, maintaining limited saturation and showing difficulty managing desaturated colors. Therefore, although the color quality is generally high, LG C3 It may not be the ideal choice for particularly demanding users in terms of HDR color accuracy.

Another aspect that deserves attention is the pixel response time, which is extremely fast thanks to OLED technology. This translates into a reduced motion blur, but it’s important to note that there is still a slight visual persistence, especially in near-black scenes. In any case, the TV offers a function of insertion of black frames (BFI) which can mitigate this effect, although it reduces the perceived brightness of the TV.

From a gaming point of view, the LG C3 performs excellently, although with some flaws. In mode Game Mode TV presents slightly lower brightness compared to other modes, although it is still sufficient to ensure an enjoyable HDR gaming experience. It supports FreeSync, G-Sync, VRR and has a claimed response time of less than 0.1ms.

Finally, it is important to mention the presence of stuttering with low frame rate content, due to the speed of response of the pixels. This phenomenon is especially noticeable in slow panning scenes in movies, although it can vary between individuals. BFI and motion interpolation can help reduce this effect, but both have tradeoffs that need to be considered. This is something I first noticed with the LG C3, as this is the first OLED TV I’ve used extensively.

With a soundbar everything is better

Although the LG C3 OLED excels in the field of visual immersion, its audio performance leaves something to be desired. While the volume and spatial presence are commendable, the built-in speakers fail to deliver a truly captivating audio experience. AI Sound Pro’s implementation, while promising in theory, falls short in practice, often producing distorted or artificial soundscapes. To exploit the full potential of the C3’s audio capabilities, we recommend investing in a high-quality soundbarlike the LG SC9S that the manufacturer gave us for the best possible integration with its television.

Once the WoW Orchestra functionality has been set, which allows you to use the speakers from the TV in harmony with the soundbar and subwoofer, the diving experience has definitely improved!

Operating system and remote control

The operating system webOS by LG is an essential component of the LG C3, offering a intuitive navigation and easy access to a wide range of streaming services and applications. However, for users who prefer external devices to use as a complete entertainment hub, the importance of webOS may be less.

The interface is fast and user-friendly, it also supports user profiles which allows customization of the home page for different users. Unfortunately, as often happens with smart TVs, There are advertisements within the interface, and it is not possible to turn them off completely. The home ads and content recommendations settings in the settings menu can remove some ads, but those on the apps page cannot be removed.

The remote control Magic Remote used with LG C3 is the same one already seen on the LG C1 and LG C2 models. This remote control offers the possibility of using a pointer Nintendo Wii style, if you prefer to navigate the menus this way rather than using traditional buttons. Additionally, there are microphones on the TV and remote, allowing for voice control. The LG C3’s voice commands aren’t up to par with those on the LG C2; some features, like changing the backlight or opening specific applications, are not available (or didn’t work in my case). Fortunately, you can still ask to open applications and search within them via voice command, and you can install the Alexa app for better integration into your smart home.

Has LG C3 convinced me?

Satisfied with my choice and pleasantly impressed by the quality of this TV, most likely I’ll wait a while for this exact model to drop in price to be able to fit within the budget I have set for myself. Alternatively, if I ever decide that I can’t wait any longer and increase my budget, then it will make more sense to opt for the latest generation model which promises an even better overall experience.

For consumers looking for alternative options, the Samsung S95C offers a brighter QD-OLED display, suitable for those who prioritize visibility in well-lit environments. Alternatively, the Sony A80L represents an interesting alternative, thanks to its superior audio quality and equally intelligent image processing. Ultimately, choosing between these formidable contenders comes down to individual preferences and priorities, as each offers a unique blend of features and performance.