LG’s C Sequence has been the corporate’s best-selling TV vary for numerous years now – to not point out one of many best 4K TVs you can purchase. By balancing worth and efficiency it has made itself a straightforward suggestion as the best LG TV to purchase – fairly unusually taking the limelight off of the flagship G Sequence within the course of.
In 2023 although, it looks like LG has made an effort to shift that focus again to its flagship vary, with solely pretty incremental enhancements to the C Sequence in comparison with large strides forwards with the LG G3.
With the technological hole getting wider, does the C Sequence nonetheless do sufficient to stay a prime suggestion – significantly with a worth rise that sees it dearer than the LG C2 at launch? This is our full evaluate.
LG/Pocket-lint
LG C3 OLED
Really useful
The LG C3 is an excellent OLED TV that delivers photos which are as cinematic, detailed and refined as ever. Nevertheless, with solely small enhancements from the now closely discounted C2 and its competitors getting stronger, there are extra inquiries to ask of the C3 than earlier than.
- Refined, detailed image efficiency
- Unbelievable upscaling
- Nice gaming options
- Good good TV interface
- Lacks some punch – significantly in vibrant rooms
- Poor built-in 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, in contrast with the C2. Which means a light-weight composite fibre building with silver trim, an nearly bezel-free display and a super-slim profile – although issues aren’t fairly as uniformly slender right here as you will discover on the G3, with its Zero Hole design.
As an alternative, there is a extra seen 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), three 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 you have to to purchase a bracket individually.
What you will get with the C3 is an aluminium central stand that is good but minimalistic. It isn’t fairly as easy to suit as Samsung’s stands – which merely slot in – but it surely does not take lengthy to get the 4 screws in place.
The LG C3 is accessible in six display sizes – we’re testing the 65 inch model right here, however they go as little as 42 inches and all the way in which as much as 83 inches. All screens include LG’s Magic Distant, which is exclusive in its design and can be utilized in 3 ways – as an on-screen pointer, utilizing the wheel at its centre to scroll by means of menus, or utilizing the D-pad that surrounds it as a substitute.
It is probably the most versatile distant that we have used and discover it is useful to have the choice in use when coping with totally different menus – although it is a disgrace it is not backlit for night-time watching.
As we’re used to seeing from most producers there are shortcut buttons on it to standard apps, like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Rakuten and Alexa – plus LG Channels, LG’s personal content material service streaming over 100 channels over the online.
Options
- Alpha 9 Gen 6 processor
- 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM help
- Dolby Imaginative and prescient Gaming to 4K/120Hz
- Simplified webOS good TV system
The LG C3 makes use of the identical panel know-how because the LG C2, which is LG’s OLED Evo panel with Brightness Booster know-how. This know-how is right down to software program tweaks run by the brand new Alpha 9 Gen 6 processor, fairly than any {hardware} doing the heavy lifting. There’s not one of the built-in warmth sink or micro lens array know-how of the LG G3 right here.
The brand new Alpha 9 Gen 6 processor does convey with it some image processing enhancements although. These embody LG’s AI Tremendous Upscaling Professional for decreasing noise in decrease high quality content material, Object Enhancer, which higher sharpens objects within the foreground of a picture, and Dynamic Tone Mapping Professional, which breaks a picture into 20,000 zones as a substitute of 5,000 for higher a greater, extra correct HDR outcome.
Players have a fairly full suite of options, together with help for 4K/120Hz throughout all 4 HDMI ports, VRR and ALLM (together with help for AMD Freesync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync), and Dolby Imaginative and prescient Gaming all the way in which as much as 4K/120Hz. With enter lag coming in beneath 10ms with Sport mode activated, there ought to be no grumbles right here if getting used as a gaming monitor too.
LG’s WebOS good TV platform has had a shake up this 12 months, to make it less complicated to navigate. It is now been condensed to only two pages, with the primary web page internet hosting a brand new Fast Card system for grouping collectively apps and options into totally different subjects – like Sport, Music, Sport and House Hub, the place you may join and management your good residence gadgets.
There’s additionally a rail of all of the accessible apps – you may anticipate all the massive names, together with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount Plus, Peacock, YouTube and, for these within the UK, Freeview Play.
On the following web page you will discover extra content material solutions, although it looks like at the very least a few of this might’ve been squeezed onto the primary web page if there wasn’t an enormous promoting area taking on half of the primary web page.
Nonetheless, it is easy sufficient to navigate, significantly with the LG Magic Distant, and the Fast Settings menu, that pops as much as the left hand facet can also be useful for tweaking image and sound modes, altering display brightness or switching on options like Multi View – the place you may have totally different screens working subsequent to at least one one other – or Sport Optimiser.
From a connectivity standpoint, it is bought plenty of the specs you’d wish to see, together with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, AirPlay 2 and Alexa voice management – which might be fingers free in the event you select to.
Image efficiency
- 4K, 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Assist for Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ, HDR10 Professional, HLG
- Filmmaker Mode
With so many nods to the LG C2 within the C3 to date, it might appear impolite to not embody a hat tip to it within the efficiency part too – particularly as a result of plenty of the nice stuff you will see within the C3 you could find to nearly the identical diploma within the C2 as nicely.
That is not a nasty factor. The LG C2 did take a good step ahead on the C1 final 12 months, and there is nonetheless lots to like, however in attempting to provide the G3 the limelight this 12 months, it has taken a little bit of a shine off of the C3, in a market that’s transferring ahead on a regular basis.
What you’d anticipate from an LG OLED is all current and proper. Color steadiness is supremely pure, with simply the correct amount of pop accessible when it is wanted, element is nice, movement dealing with very good.
Filmmaker Mode is – as its title would recommend – a one-click image setting that does away with additional processing and presents the image because the director might need deliberate for it to look.
It is our selection for HDR10, SDR and TV content material, however Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material seems greatest with Dolby Imaginative and prescient Cinema House, which provides in a smidge extra brightness to the general image than the usual Dolby Imaginative and prescient Cinema mode.
We would hasten a guess that the latter might be the extra correct mode, however for anybody not in a devoted cinema room, the brighter image helps to provide it a bit extra dynamism with out affecting the general steadiness.
Netflix
Watching Luther The Fallen Solar on Netflix in 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient, the LG C3 comes into its personal, gripping on to all of the element it may possibly discover and guaranteeing nothing is left unnoticed. From sweeping snowy landscapes in Norway to the feel in Luther’s tweed jacket, all the pieces is offered with unbelievable depth and subtlety.
The result’s a really cinematic image that we have develop into accustomed to 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 excellent information certainly. Even within the darkest of scenes, the LG manages to pick extra delicate particulars from the depths, and naturally, when black is required, the C3 can ship depth in absolute phrases.
Vivid highlights sit brightly and exactly towards these darkish scenes, doubtlessly a contact brighter than they did on C2, although we’ve got seen these components – the headlights from a automobile, the neon indicators of Soho or the fireplace that consumes the mansion with the captured youngsters – pack a bit extra punch in brighter screens just like the G3 and the S90C.
It is honest to say the LG C3 does its best possible work in darker rooms too, and we did discover ourselves having to attract blinds for one of the best expertise with darkish scenes, on account of some reflectiveness from the home windows behind our viewing place. A bit extra brightness behind the panel would have the ability to give these scenes a contact extra power and dynamism in vibrant rooms – that is achievable by choosing the Vivid preset, however this comes on the detriment of accuracy throughout the board.
As we talked about, color dealing with is extremely nicely managed – pores and skin tones specifically are supremely reasonable and nothing ever seems pushed or overdone, regardless of having loads of “pop” when required.
Samsung’s S90C would possibly push this vibrancy a contact more durable for a richer, higher impression however in isolation, there’s nothing to complain about right here. Colors are each saturated and delicate if you’d need them to be – and that is the case throughout HDR and SDR content material.
With Filmmaker Mode on, watching Drive on Blu-ray exhibits simply how nicely the LG C3 handles upscaling. There’s next-to-no noise, edges are explicitly drawn and element retrieval is implausible – you’d nearly wrestle to know you were not watching a 4K image for probably the most half.
DVDs do not honest fairly as nicely but it surely’s nonetheless not a nasty displaying in any respect, and about what you’d anticipate when the C3 is having to make up a good quantity of the knowledge. You will have to just accept extra noise with some fuzzier edges and a little bit of smoothed-out element, but it surely’s definitely not unwatchable.
Understandably, normal definition broadcast fares the worst right here – attempt to hold to HD channels and above and also you should not discover a lot purpose to grouse.
Movement is fairly nicely dealt with out of the field, although we discovered choosing the Cinematic Motion preset helped with smoothing out any remaining judder in film content material. Easy Motion is way too aggressive and introduces the cleaning soap opera impact so, except that is your desire, we might undoubtedly suggest avoiding that.
Sound efficiency
- 2.2-channel
- 40W output
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding – 9.1.2 nearly
LG’s C Sequence has lengthy been on the receiving finish of a less-than-stellar built-in audio system, most likely with the expectation that you’ll improve your sound system with at the very least a soundbar. That appears to be a theme that continues with the LG C3, which sadly doesn’t have lots to jot down residence about within the sound division.
The two.2-channel 40W system can decode Dolby Atmos and DTS:X nearly, 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 delivering any actual sense of Atmos impact although. Whereas a number of the sound modes may give the pretty fragile out-of-the-box sound some physique and depth, the general efficiency of the C3 is fairly 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 honest quantity of distortion within the low finish it tries to champion if you try any type of quantity. Strive AI Sound Professional and it sounds surprisingly laborious and skinny – dialogue is evident and the soundstage is giant, however that fragility is carrying after some time.
Normal loses a few of that breadth of sound, and a number of the sharpness, however you’ll hear some distortion creep again in now and again. Nonetheless, it is perhaps one of the best – on steadiness – possibility of the lot, but it surely means the price of a soundbar ought to completely enter into your sums when deciding whether or not to go 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 mounted
This won’t solely make higher sense of the sound out of your TV exhibits and flicks, however it may possibly additionally reap the benefits of LG’s WOW Orchestra performance. This groups the sound from a suitable LG soundbar and TV collectively to create a fair greater, extra stable audio efficiency.
When it is working nicely, it sounds nice, and does an amazing job of elevating the sound to the TV panel fairly than localised to the soundbar.
It is not fairly as straightforward as choosing the WOW Orchestra mode and letting the know-how do its factor although – we skilled a really annoying echo the place the 2 weren’t fairly in sync, and needed to go delving into the menus to rectify it.
Let’s additionally not neglect that this soundbar itself prices £999/$999, so removed from an inexpensive add-on, however we predict to see bundle offers at a reduction, so it is perhaps value conserving an eye fixed out. We’ll have a full evaluate of the USC9S quickly.
Verdict
The LG OLED65C3 is a implausible TV, that gives the entire issues we cherished concerning the C2 with just a few delicate enhancements in issues like brightness and element retrieval.
Nevertheless, these enhancements wrestle to make sense when you may choose the LG C2 up for £1000/$1000 much less now – whereas shares final – and revel in at the very least 90 per cent of the identical expertise.
We all know that LG TVs are a number of the first to come back down in worth, however whereas they continue to be near (a now greater) RRP, the competitors from the mid-range OLED and QD-OLED market is starting to shut in on it somewhat too.
There are compelling choices from Samsung and Sony on the market to contemplate now, the place maybe there weren’t in earlier years. You may’t knock the LG C3 for its element and upscaling capabilities, however these with brighter rooms would possibly discover a contact extra punch and dynamism elsewhere. Sound can also be not one of the best, however the C3 shouldn’t be alone there.
Players shall be glad at how nicely they’re attended to right here, and people with darker rooms will nonetheless discover the cinematic image on supply top-of-the-line, however LG’s C Sequence has additionally been overshadowed by the strides forwards that the G3 has made in all of the issues it could fall somewhat quick on.
If LG has accomplished this to lastly shift consideration to its flagship vary, it could nicely have succeeded.
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