LG C2 OLED TV review: Premium TV sweet spot

While we reviewed the 65-inch 65C2PUA model, our review also applies to the other models.

When I took delivery of the 65-inch C2 review sample at my testing lab, I was nothing short of shocked — concerned, even — by how light the box was. Is it possible I’d been shipped an empty cardboard box? (For the record, LG lists the shipping weight at about 57 pounds.)

My concern was abated when I found the C2 and its redesigned tabletop stand inside the box along with LG’s Magic Motion remote and some batteries, but my shock was exacerbated when I learned how much of the product’s shipping weight turned out to be the packaging and how little of the heft was accounted for by the TV.

Folks, the C2 is scary light. As a child of the 1980s, I’m still trying to overcome the heavy-means-quality axiom long held in the tech space, so it just seems weird to me that a TV could tip the scales like a featherweight, yet manage to land a punch like Mike Tyson after having water bottles thrown at him on an airline flight. The tale of the tape? A mere 37 pounds with the stand, and 32.6 without.

But here we are. LG’s composite fiber (not carbon fiber) is strong enough to cradle the delicate WRGB OLED panel securely and, according to LG, is more environmentally friendly, thanks to reduced shipping weight and bulk.

The C2 also has essentially no front-facing bezels. A remarkably thin strip of metal borders the edges of the panel, but can only be seen from a profile perspective.

The C2’s redesigned pedestal stands in stark 180-degree contrast to the design from the preceding two years, when it weighed nearly 35 pounds. In addition to being nearly weightless, the new stand is also significantly reduced in width for a smaller footprint, but increased in height, allowing more room for the addition of a soundbar if so desired. There are no worries about stability, though — the panel and stand combo sat securely atop my media stand for the duration of this review without causing any concern.

I’ve been among the first to see next-gen display technologies this year, including the Sony A95K QD-OLED and the Samsung Q95B OLED, and while I found those competing TVs quite impressive and could easily have been ruined by them, the LG C2 still made me say “wow!”

If I can convey only one message with this review, it’s that the LG C2 really delivers the “wow.” And it isn’t just the picture quality — which is excellent — it’s the whole package: the attractive design, the lightweight enclosure, the on-screen interface, the surprisingly decent sound quality. But, yes, also the dazzling picture quality.

From a measurements perspective, I think some folks were hoping for some higher numbers in the peak brightness field. Indeed, the LG C2 does get a bit brighter than its predecessor, the C1. But the measurements don’t really tell that story. Side by side, the numbers look very similar, but the pictures look very different. That’s because true to LG’s word, the C2’s advantages really do come down to a combination of display panel and processing. Before I offer some perspective, here’s a little bit of measurement info. Feel free to skip to the next section if you’d like.

Numbers for nit nerds

When I measured the peak white brightness in HDR on the LG C2, it came in at about 820 nits. The same measurement on the LG C1 came in at about 765. You don’t need to be a nerd for nits to know that’s not a big difference in numbers. Yet, when you view the C2, it does offer higher perceptual brightness than the C1. And I think that may be because LG’s Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor is placing max brightness power where it needs it most in real-life content. In other words, LG’s processor doesn’t give a hoot about my pattern generator’s 10-percent white window pattern and isn’t going to bother to do its best work.

I should also note the LG C2 was able to max out at 314 nits in SDR with a 10 percent window in ISF bright mode, which should be adequate for all but those who watch a lot of TV in a bright room. With a 50-percent window (half the screen lit up), the LG C2 maxed out at 260 nits. Higher brightness is available in Standard and Vivid modes, though the latter looks atrocious and the former sacrifices color accuracy.

Undeterred by the LG C2’s indifference to my testing needs, I pressed on with measuring using a Spectracal C2 colorimeter profiled to an Xrite i1Pro Spectroradiometer in conjunction with Calman Ultimate software and found the LG C2’s color accuracy in Filmmaker, ISF Bright and ISF Dark modes to be very good without any adjustment to the 2-point white balance, while color gamut coverage reached 99 percent of DCI-P3 colorspace, and 72 percent of Rec. 2020. Whites did tend to have a somewhat green cast to them, as has long been the case with LG’s WRGB OLED panel, but I was able to get that adequately corrected with adjustment to the 2-point white balance. For those who would like their TV professionally adjusted, I’d suggest enlisting the services of an accredited professional calibrator.

Pure black levels were of course perfect (it’s OLED) and near-black shadow detail was very good thanks to LG’s dynamic tone mapping, though that same dynamic tone mapping also raised mid-tones as it assisted in revealing shadow detail. Given the way WRGB OLED panels behave, I think this trade-off is both unavoidable and in most viewers’ best interests since most folks would never know it was happening.

Real-life picture quality

The LG C2 offers incredibly impressive picture quality. Colors are vivid (to a point) and accurate, the TV offers dazzling HDR punch in all the right places, the resolution was sharp with minimal artifacts, and black levels and overall contrast are excellent, yielding a deep, rich picture.

LG’s Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor did an excellent job deciding when to exert max brightness muscle while maintaining brightness details, and when to expose shadow details without sacrificing deep, rich black levels. The resulting picture is extremely enjoyable, even to those who don’t consider themselves video enthusiasts. You can just tell the LG C2 puts out a luscious image.

I was concerned the LG C2’s sound quality would take a hit given the cabinet has been slimmed down, is made of high-tech plastic, and the down-firing speakers no longer have a metal scoop to direct sound at the listener, as was the case with the C1 OLED and its much wider, brushed metal stand. Fortunately, however, the C2 manages to produce respectable sound, despite its light and thin chassis.

To be clear, if I was purchasing this TV, I would make sure to pair it with a soundbar or some other premium audio solution. The TV deserves it and so do your ears. But if a premium audio purchase isn’t in the cards for now, know that the LG C2’s onboard audio will do the trick just fine for the time being.

LG has some serious competition from Samsung in the gaming realm this year, now that Samsung is including four HDMI 2.1 inputs on many of its TVs, and offering exceptionally low input lag and a gaming dashboard of its own. For that reason, confidently claiming the LG C2 as the absolute best gaming TV on the market doesn’t come so easily. However, I will say it offers both Nvidia G-Sync and Dolby Vision (not necessarily at the same time) for gaming while Samsung TVs offer neither, so it is safe to say that the C2 is the most advanced gamer-friendly TV you can buy short of the LG G2 OLED.

The LG C2 is an exceptionally good TV that offers real benefits over the prior-year C1 model it replaces. Moreover, it’s just a straight-up excellent TV that produces a picture that will gobsmack most viewers, and it does so at a reasonable, if still premium, price.

Is there a better alternative?

Not exactly, no. The LG C2 offers the best combination of picture quality, user experience, and gaming features. To get a better/different picture quality experience, you’ll have to spend at least $500 more on the Samsung S95B and be limited to a 55- or 65-inch size options. Also, the Samsung S95B, while more vivid and engaging, doesn’t appear to be as accurate as the LG C2. The Sony A95K may be more vivid and accurate, but it is significantly more expensive and also limited to 55- and 65-inch size variants. Given all of those qualifications and requirements, the LG C2 remains the best premium TV choice for most buyers.

How long will it last?

Given LG’s OLED TV track record over the past decade and the rich list of next-gen features with which the C2 is equipped, the TV should last well into the future.