It’s no secret: I love the LG C1. This 2021 model does almost everything on a 4K TV that can, succumb only to the problems inherent in OLED. That is, we thought so. With Samsung’s new QD OLED technology coming to market this year, we suddenly see the next generation of what to expect from technology: better color and, most importantly, more brightness.
As if they could feel Samsung’s breath on the back of their necks, LG C2 engineers were forced to find a way to add more brightness to the OLED panel itself, and even though they did, it’s not until to such an extent that no one notices unless they have both. panels side by side, something basically no consumer can ever do.
LG C2 – Photos
That said, no matter how small an upgrade over its predecessor, the LG C2 is still a star TV.
LG C2 – Design and construction
As has been the case for at least the last few years, LG’s OLEDs look absolutely stunning and the C2 is no different. The almost bezeless design and gorgeous flat panel make the C2 look like an uninterrupted giant screen.
The stand is a little different from last year, especially if you go with the smaller 42-inch C2 we had for our review. Last year, the C1 had a large, wide base with excellent cable management hidden behind it. This year, that base is much less wide on 55-inch and larger models, which can make it feel a little precarious. In the 42-inch variant, LG changed things and opted for a wide dual-foot design with weak cable management built into each. It’s an interesting option, as larger TVs would feel more stable with this dual-foot design, while smaller models wouldn’t suffer from the balance issues of a single center stand design.
As happened last year, the port options of the C2 are excellent: it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support up to 120 Hz (one of which is eARC), three USB ports, ethernet, coaxial cable, a socket headphones and optics. . Wirelessly, the C2 supports Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 6, an update on the C1’s WiFi 5.
One small thing I’m not a fan of is the non-removable power cord. LG did the same with the C1, and while it may not be a problem for many users, if something were to remove this cable and remove it from the case, the TV would have to be professionally repaired.
LG C2: Remote Control
Holding the C2 command feels identical to the C1 experience. As has been the case for a number of years, LG has been left alone in the industry by offering a remote control with gyroscopic motion control, similar to Nintendo Wii or Switch controllers. You don’t need to use it and it can be quickly discarded just by pressing any navigation button on the driver, but by default it looks like LG wants you to move the knob like a Harry Potter wand to go through menus and settings.
With that in mind, the LG remote is a bit thicker than you’d expect from a modern TV controller and has good finger rest. So while it’s a bit of a robust driver, it’s also one of the most comfortable to hold.
There aren’t too many buttons on the C2 remote, especially compared to something like a Sony controller, but it has a lot more than you’ll find on a Roku remote or a Samsung remote. Like almost all current TV controllers, it has preset shortcut buttons. My review unit included Netflix, Prime Video, Disney +, LG Channels, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa.
LG C2: Software and User Interface
The C1 uses LG’s WebOS smart TV interface and I don’t see much, at least, that has changed compared to last year. As I said before, I find it harmless but it is not my favorite either. It has a good selection of apps and while it is neither the fastest nor the fastest on the market, it is fine and most will be perfectly satisfied with it.
Personally, I find that WebOS is just trying to do too much. In addition to being a TV, it wants to be a hub for your smart home (hence the Google Home and Alexa shortcuts at the helm) and also provide access to social media. That’s honestly a lot more than what I’m looking for on my TV. I have my phone or computer for social networking, and if I use Google Home or Alexa, I already have the devices to support it. LG seems to want their device to be a one-stop shop for all things connected, and for me, this is in contrast to how people use their smart devices and what they expect from their TVs.
For games, the C2 has the same C1 game optimization menu as last year and is still excellent. The first time you detect a game console, this special menu automatically appears when you press the gear icon on the remote control. With it, you can create four presets for different types of games (like an RPG or an FPS), adjust the black levels, and customize the color of the menu itself. It also shows the current frame rate of the content on the TV, which is great.
This amount of information about your games is not yet standard on TVs and makes the C2 work great for console or PC games where you want to make sure you get all the frames they promise you.
LG C2 – Image Quality
LG OLED panels are famous for their fast pixel response time, great color accuracy and exceptional contrast, but they have historically reached these highs at the expense of brightness. LG has designed a way to allow the C2 to become brighter while keeping the risk of burns low by changing the way it sinks the heat required by the brightness away from the screen.
Burning is a risk that runs with OLED panels. Burn-in, or at least what we colloquially call burn-in, occurs when the organic matter that makes up the pixels wears out. The hotter and brighter you run these pixels, the faster it passes. LG managed to increase the brightness by sinking the heat away from the panel itself, which in theory should prevent the panel from having any life problems that are different from what we have seen in previous LG OLEDs, but only time will tell if really. this is the case.
LG C2: Color Range Tests
Fortunately, most people will never experience burn-in if they use the TV for movies, television, and video games. It is more likely to happen if you deploy the C2 as a computer monitor, as there are many more static elements on the screen, but most people will never have any problems with the expected life of the TV.
The result of this extra pixel boost is a panel that achieves a modest increase in maximum HDR brightness to over 800 nights, which is about 200 nights longer than the C1. One of my few complaints about last year’s model is that it didn’t feel particularly bright, and that’s not so much a problem at C2. No, it won’t make you shiny, but this year’s OLED is more capable of fighting ambient light, and I’ve been able to play comfortably with the shutters open in my office.
While it still has some significant glare issues, a problem I also had with the C1, the increased brightness helps the TV to better display HDR content and the magic that LG engineers did here deserves some praise.
Color accuracy results
While the C2 is capable of a fairly accurate color, even to the extent that professional colorists could use it as a monitor, it doesn’t come out of the box that way. Since most people will not calibrate their TVs, let alone pay for professional calibration, we are just looking at what you can expect the TV to do directly from the factory.
C2 nails 100% sRGB, 88.8% Adobe RGB and 96% DCI P3 color ranges with a Delta E average of 3.33. Honestly, I was surprised by the lack of color accuracy of this panel, considering how good OLED can be. For me, the white balance felt more unpleasant, which, thankfully, is one of the easiest things to fix. It is disappointing that it is not better directly from LG, as very few people take the time to fix it. If you do, however, other reviewers have managed to calibrate it to a Delta E of less than one.
Screen uniformity results
I would like to point out that the average person will not notice any problems with color unless they are sitting next to a different TV or another C2 that has been color calibrated. A Delta E under four is fine and most people can’t see the difference unless it’s over six. So while I wish it was better, the performance of the C2’s box is acceptable.
Considering the uniformity of the panel, it is quite consistent and received a nominal or recommended full screen tolerance, which is great to see.
OLEDs can achieve perfect black levels thanks to the ability not only to dim the pixels, but to turn them off directly. This means that deep and rich blacks are achieved here and the contrast with the brightness makes the TV a pleasure to watch movies and enjoy HDR games. I love this panel and LG made an extra effort to make it a little brighter to boot, which I can only applaud.
LG C2: Gaming Performance
Since it has changed very little from last year and the bar was already so high, it should come as no surprise that this TV works exceptionally well for video games. I tried it mainly with Destiny 2, Deep Rock Galactic and Horizon: Forbidden West and in all three cases they offered me a spectacular visual experience.
Game Optimizer allows you to set different black levels depending on the type of content you are playing. I may not want these deep, rich, tinted blacks in Destiny 2’s Crucible competitive mode or Deep Rock Galactic, for example, but I’d like them to be really present for the Horizon: Forbidden West visual show. With C2, I can set these preferences in the Optimizer and switch to different presets depending on the game.
As expected, the response time feels excellent and smooth, especially in the competitive content of players against players like Destiny 2 ….