LG’s C Sequence has been the corporate’s best-selling TV differ for a variety of years now – to not point out some of the best 4K TVs you should purchase. Via balancing value and function it has made itself a very easy advice as the best LG TV to shop for – somewhat strangely taking the limelight off of the flagship G Sequence within the procedure.
In 2023 although, it appears like LG has made an effort to shift that focal point again to its flagship differ, with handiest moderately incremental enhancements to the C Sequence in comparison to large strides forwards with the LG G3.
With the technological hole getting wider, does the C Sequence nonetheless do sufficient to stay a most sensible advice – specifically with a worth upward thrust that sees it costlier than the LG C2 at release? Here is our complete overview.
LG/Pocket-lint
LG C3 OLED
Advisable
The LG C3 is a wonderful OLED TV that delivers photos which might be as cinematic, detailed and delicate as ever. Then again, with handiest small enhancements from the now closely discounted C2 and its pageant getting more potent, there are extra questions to invite of the C3 than ahead of.
- Delicate, detailed image efficiency
- Improbable upscaling
- Nice gaming options
- Just right good TV interface
- Lacks some punch – specifically in vibrant rooms
- Deficient integrated sound
Design
- Display screen sizes: 42in, 48in, 55in, 65in, 77in, 83in
- 4x HDMI 2.1, 3x USB
- Extremely-slim design
Issues have remained just about unchanged within the design division, when compared with the C2. That implies a light-weight composite fibre development with silver trim, a virtually bezel-free display and a super-slim profile – although issues are not moderately as uniformly narrow right here as you can to find at the G3, with its 0 Hole design.
As an alternative, there is a extra visual bump out the again right here that holds the TV’s connections. This covers off 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs (one in all which is eARC), 3 USB ports, two RF aerial inputs and an ethernet port.
At 45mm thick, it does not make the C3 a no-go for wall mounting, however it is important to purchase a bracket one by one.
What you can get with the C3 is an aluminium central stand that is good but minimalistic. It isn’t moderately as easy to suit as Samsung’s stands – which merely fit in – however it does not take lengthy to get the 4 screws in position.
The LG C3 is to be had in six display sizes – we are checking out the 65 inch model right here, however they move as little as 42 inches and the entire method as much as 83 inches. All monitors include LG’s Magic Far flung, which is exclusive in its design and can be utilized in 3 ways – as an on-screen pointer, the usage of the wheel at its centre to scroll thru menus, or the usage of the D-pad that surrounds it as a substitute.
It is the maximum flexible far off that now we have used and to find it turns out to be useful to give you the option in use when coping with other menus – although it is a disgrace it’s not backlit for night-time gazing.
As we are used to seeing from maximum producers there are shortcut buttons on it to fashionable apps, like Netflix, Top Video, Disney+, Rakuten and Alexa – plus LG Channels, LG’s personal content material carrier streaming over 100 channels over the internet.
Options
- Alpha 9 Gen 6 processor
- 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM improve
- Dolby Imaginative and prescient Gaming to 4K/120Hz
- Simplified webOS good TV gadget
The LG C3 makes use of the similar panel generation because the LG C2, which is LG’s OLED Evo panel with Brightness Booster generation. This generation is right down to instrument tweaks run via the brand new Alpha 9 Gen 6 processor, somewhat than any {hardware} doing the heavy lifting. There is not one of the integrated warmth sink or micro lens array generation of the LG G3 right here.
The brand new Alpha 9 Gen 6 processor does convey with it some image processing enhancements although. Those come with LG’s AI Tremendous Upscaling Professional for lowering noise in decrease high quality content material, Object Enhancer, which higher sharpens items within the foreground of a picture, and Dynamic Tone Mapping Professional, which breaks a picture into 20,000 zones as a substitute of five,000 for higher a greater, extra correct HDR consequence.
Avid gamers have a sexy complete suite of options, together with improve for 4K/120Hz throughout all 4 HDMI ports, VRR and ALLM (together with improve for AMD Freesync Top rate and Nvidia G-Sync), and Dolby Imaginative and prescient Gaming the entire method as much as 4K/120Hz. With enter lag coming in underneath 10ms with Recreation mode activated, there will have to be no grumbles right here if getting used as a gaming track too.
LG’s WebOS good TV platform has had a shake up this yr, to make it more practical to navigate. It is now been condensed to simply two pages, with the primary web page internet hosting a brand new Fast Card gadget for grouping in combination apps and lines into other subjects – like Recreation, Track, Game and House Hub, the place you’ll attach and keep an eye on your good house gadgets.
There is additionally a rail of the entire to be had apps – you’ll be expecting the entire large names, together with Netflix, Amazon Top Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount Plus, Peacock, YouTube and, for the ones in the United Kingdom, Freeview Play.
At the subsequent web page you can to find extra content material ideas, although it appears like no less than a few of this might’ve been squeezed onto the primary web page if there wasn’t an enormous promoting house taking on part of the primary web page.
Nonetheless, it is simple sufficient to navigate, specifically with the LG Magic Far flung, and the Fast Settings menu, that pops as much as the left hand facet could also be useful for tweaking image and sound modes, converting display brightness or switching on options like Multi View – the place you’ll have other monitors working subsequent to each other – or Recreation Optimiser.
From a connectivity standpoint, it has got a large number of the specifications you would need to see, together with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, AirPlay 2 and Alexa voice keep an eye on – which can also be fingers unfastened if you select to.
Image efficiency
- 4K, 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Enhance for Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ, HDR10 Professional, HLG
- Filmmaker Mode
With such a lot of nods to the LG C2 within the C3 to this point, it could appear impolite to not come with a hat tip to it within the efficiency phase too – particularly as a result of a large number of the good stuff you can see within the C3 you’ll to find to just about the similar level within the C2 as smartly.
That isn’t a nasty factor. The LG C2 did take a good step ahead at the C1 closing yr, and there is nonetheless so much to like, however in seeking to give the G3 the limelight this yr, it has taken a little bit of a shine off of the C3, in a market this is shifting ahead at all times.
What you would be expecting from an LG OLED is all provide and right kind. Color steadiness is supremely herbal, with simply the correct amount of father to be had when it is wanted, element is excellent, movement dealing with excellent.
Filmmaker Mode is – as its identify would recommend – a one-click image environment that does away with additional processing and items the image because the director may have deliberate for it to appear.
It is our selection for HDR10, SDR and TV content material, however Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material seems to be ideally suited with Dolby Imaginative and prescient Cinema House, which provides in a smidge extra brightness to the entire image than the usual Dolby Imaginative and prescient Cinema mode.
We would hasten a wager that the latter is almost definitely the extra correct mode, however for any individual no longer in a devoted cinema room, the brighter image is helping to present it a little bit extra dynamism with out affecting the entire steadiness.
Netflix
Gazing Luther The Fallen Solar on Netflix in 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient, the LG C3 comes into its personal, gripping directly to the entire element it will probably to find and making sure not anything is left not noted. From sweeping snowy landscapes in Norway to the feel in Luther’s tweed jacket, the whole lot is gifted with implausible intensity and subtlety.
The result’s a actually cinematic image that now we have transform acquainted with experiencing with LG’s OLED TVs.
There are many moody scenes right here to check the LG C3’s dealing with of black ranges and shadow element too, and unsurprisingly, it’s superb information certainly. Even within the darkest of scenes, the LG manages to pick extra refined main points from the depths, and naturally, when black is wanted, the C3 can ship intensity in absolute phrases.
Brilliant highlights sit down brightly and exactly in opposition to those darkish scenes, doubtlessly a slightly brighter than they did on C2, although we’ve observed those parts – the headlights from a automobile, the neon indicators of Soho or the hearth that consumes the mansion with the captured youngsters – pack a little bit extra punch in brighter monitors just like the G3 and the S90C.
It is truthful to mention the LG C3 does its best possible paintings in darker rooms too, and we did to find ourselves having to attract blinds for the most efficient revel in with darkish scenes, because of some reflectiveness from the home windows at the back of our viewing place. A little extra brightness at the back of the panel would have the ability to give those scenes a slightly extra energy and dynamism in vibrant rooms – that is achievable via settling on the Brilliant preset, however this comes on the detriment of accuracy around the board.
As we discussed, color dealing with is extremely smartly controlled – pores and skin tones particularly are supremely sensible and not anything ever seems to be driven or overdone, regardless of having numerous “pop” when required.
Samsung’s S90C may push this vibrancy a slightly tougher for a richer, better have an effect on however in isolation, there is not anything to whinge about right here. Colors are each saturated and refined whilst you’d need them to be – and that is the case throughout HDR and SDR content material.
With Filmmaker Mode on, gazing Power on Blu-ray presentations simply how smartly the LG C3 handles upscaling. There may be next-to-no noise, edges are explicitly drawn and element retrieval is unbelievable – you would virtually battle to grasp you were not gazing a 4K image for probably the most phase.
DVDs do not truthful moderately as smartly however it is nonetheless no longer a nasty appearing in any respect, and about what you would be expecting when the C3 is having to make up a good quantity of the ideas. You will have to settle for extra noise with some fuzzier edges and a little bit of smoothed-out element, however it is in no way unwatchable.
Understandably, same old definition broadcast fares the worst right here – attempt to stay to HD channels and above and you should not to find a lot explanation why to grouse.
Movement is lovely smartly treated out of the field, although we discovered settling on the Cinematic Motion preset helped with smoothing out any closing judder in film content material. Easy Motion is a ways too competitive and introduces the cleaning soap opera impact so, except that is your choice, we would for sure counsel averting that.
Sound efficiency
- 2.2-channel
- 40W output
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X deciphering – 9.1.2 just about
LG’s C Sequence has lengthy been on the receiving finish of a less-than-stellar integrated audio gadget, almost definitely with the expectancy that you’re going to improve your sound gadget with no less than a soundbar. That appears to be a theme that continues with the LG C3, which unfortunately doesn’t have so much to jot down house about within the sound division.
The two.2-channel 40W gadget can decode Dolby Atmos and DTS:X just about, with a quoted improve to 9.1.2 channels from the 7.1.2 channels digital efficiency of the C2.
We would not depend on this setup turning in any actual sense of Atmos impact although. Whilst probably the most sound modes can provide the moderately fragile out-of-the-box sound some frame and intensity, the entire efficiency of the C3 is lovely small scale – and struggles to sound comfy or completely balanced with any of the modes.
Cinema mode – predictably – tries to ship the beefiest sound, however there is a truthful quantity of distortion within the low finish it tries to champion whilst you try any type of quantity. Take a look at AI Sound Professional and it sounds unusually onerous and skinny – discussion is apparent and the soundstage is huge, however that fragility is dressed in after some time.
Same old loses a few of that breadth of sound, and probably the most sharpness, however you are going to pay attention some distortion creep again in from time to time. Nonetheless, it could be the most efficient – on steadiness – choice of the lot, however it method the price of a soundbar will have to completely input into your sums when deciding whether or not to move for the C3.
Handily, LG has made one with the C3 particularly in thoughts – the USC9S, which comes packaged with a stand to sit down it completely beneath when wall fixed
This is not going to handiest make higher sense of the sound out of your TV presentations and films, however it will probably additionally profit from LG’s WOW Orchestra capability. This groups the sound from a suitable LG soundbar and TV in combination to create a good larger, extra forged audio efficiency.
When it is operating smartly, it sounds nice, and does a perfect task of elevating the sound to the TV panel somewhat than localised to the soundbar.
It’s not moderately as simple as settling on the WOW Orchestra mode and letting the generation do its factor although – we skilled an excessively irritating echo the place the 2 were not moderately in sync, and needed to move delving into the menus to rectify it.
Let’s additionally no longer omit that this soundbar itself prices £999/$999, to this point from an affordable add-on, however we predict to peer package offers at a cut price, so it could be price holding an eye fixed out. We will have a complete overview of the USC9S quickly.
Verdict
The LG OLED65C3 is an incredible TV, that gives the entire issues we cherished in regards to the C2 with a couple of refined enhancements in such things as brightness and element retrieval.
Then again, those enhancements battle to make sense when you’ll pick out the LG C2 up for £1000/$1000 much less now – whilst shares closing – and experience no less than 90 in line with cent of the similar revel in.
We all know that LG TVs are probably the most first to return down in value, however whilst they continue to be as regards to (a now upper) RRP, the contest from the mid-range OLED and QD-OLED marketplace is starting to shut in on it a bit too.
There are compelling choices from Samsung and Sony in the market to believe now, the place in all probability there were not in earlier years. You’ll’t knock the LG C3 for its element and upscaling features, however the ones with brighter rooms may discover a contact extra punch and dynamism somewhere else. Sound could also be no longer the most efficient, however the C3 isn’t by myself there.
Avid gamers will likely be glad at how smartly they’re attended to right here, and the ones with darker rooms will nonetheless to find the cinematic image on be offering some of the ideally suited, however LG’s C Sequence has additionally been overshadowed via the strides forwards that the G3 has made in the entire issues it is going to fall a bit quick on.
If LG has performed this to in the end shift consideration to its flagship differ, it is going to smartly have succeeded.