In this new review, we are going to tell you about the LG OLED evo C2. It is undoubtedly a very versatile and well-balanced TV that will meet the expectations of users who want the best picture quality. As we will see throughout the review, this C2 is one of the best you can buy right now, bearing in mind that its 2023 replacement is going to be available very soon. This means you can save a lot of money if you don’t want all that new stuff.
The C series is LG’s best-selling OLED model, thanks to its value for money. As we will explain in more detail in the review, it comes with the evo OLED panel, which uses deuterium in the panel’s manufacturing layer and this translates into an increase in brightness, a reduction in consumption and, in theory, also adds greater protection to any marked screen. It is also a very complete gaming TV with four HDMI 2.1 ports, Dolby Vision in 4K and 120 Hz and VRR via G-Sync and Freesync Premium.
For the first time, the LG C2 is available in sizes from 42 to 83 inches, so you can buy it whether you’re short on space or have room to spare.
To find out what we think of the LG OLED evo C2 and whether it’s worth buying, read on.
LG OLED evo C2 review
- Infinite black level
- Evo panel offering more brightness
- Great shadow detail
- Excellent color gamut
- Stunning HDR image
- Good picture processing
- Excellent viewing angle
- Gaming display performance
- Dolby Vision in 4K at 120 Hz
- Fast operating system
- More streamlined design than the previous generation
- Brightness slightly lower than QD-OLED models
- Direct rivals offer better sound
Features LG OLED evo C2
 LG OLED evo C2 | |
|---|---|
| Panel | OLED evo |
| Resolution | 4K |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz |
| Image Processor | Alpha 9 5th generation |
| Brightness | Approx. 830 nits max (except on 42″ and 48″). |
| HDR formats | Dolby Vision IQ, HLG, HDR10 |
| Filmmaker Mode | Yes |
| HDMI 2.1 | Yes, four ports |
| VRR | G-Sync and FreeSync |
| Sound | 2.2 with 40W power |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes |
| Operating system | WebOS 22 |
| Magic Control | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.0 |
| Connections | 4 HDMI, 3 USB, optical output, Ethernet, Antenna and Satellite. |
| Available inches | 42, 48, 55, 65, 77 y 83 |
- LG OLED C24LA: 42OLEDC24LA, 48OLEDC24LA, 55OLEDC24LA, 65OLEDC24LA, 77OLEDC24LA, 83OLEDC24LA
- LG OLED C25LB: 42OLEDC25LAB, 48OLEDC25LB, 55OLEDC25LB, 65OLEDC25LB, 77OLEDC25LB, 83OLEDC25LB
- LG OLED C26LD: 42OLEDC26LD, 48OLEDC26LD, 55OLEDC26LD, 65OLEDC26LD, 77OLEDC26LD, 83OLEDC26LD
Design
The design of the C2 series has undergone a slight change in comparison to last year. Firstly, the stand is still central, but now takes up less space. It is worth noting that the stand is different for the 42″ and 48″ versions. In the 42″ version, it consists of two legs at the sides and in the 48″ version, it retains the design of the C1 stand with a wider central leg.
Stand design LG 65OLEDC24LA
The centre stand on the larger versions still leaves the TV very close to the furniture. This makes it very difficult to fit a soundbar underneath. You need to have some space in front of it to fit it in, which was already the case with the previous C1 model.
Furthermore, the bezels around the screen have become even thinner, from 1.1 cm on the C1 to 0.7cm on the C2. The same applies to the thickness, which has been reduced slightly from 4.7 cm on the C1 to 4.4 cm on the new C2. From our point of view, the back is now more elegant and the wider part now takes up less of the space and is more in the middle. There are still some covers which serve to hide the cables and keep the environment cleaner.
65OLEDC24LA stand
In terms of weight, the new LG C2 is 47% lighter than its predecessor. According to the brand, this is due to the use of thin fibres.
The look of the remote control is unchanged and its shape makes it very comfortable to use. Unlike brands such as Samsung and Sony, LG has retained the numeric buttons on its new remote control (although it has added another one with numbers), which are useful for changing channels when watching DTT or cable TV services. Not only that, but they can also be programmed as shortcuts to your favourite applications. In this way, for example, you can store the HBO Max application on the number 8 key and access it directly without having to go into the menu.
Magic Control Remote LG OLED C2 evo
At the bottom, you’ll find four shortcuts for Netflix, Prime Video, Rakuten TV and Disney+, as well as the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice assistants. The NFC tag (logo below the buttons) allows you to quickly and easily connect your smartphone to the TV to stream audio or mirror your smartphone screen on the TV.
Connections
The C2 series is well equipped in terms of connectivity, with four full HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is also eARC. There is also an optical audio output and three USB ports for playing multimedia files, one of which is also a recorder. There are also the usual Ethernet, aerial and satellite connections.
If you want to connect a wireless headset, you can, as there is a Bluetooth connection. There is also a dedicated button on the remote control for using the Google and Amazon Alexa voice assistants.
Smart TV
The operating system is still WebOS, but in a more updated version and with some aesthetic changes to the interface. As we have already seen with Google TV, it is now based more on content recommendations. There are therefore several tabs dedicated to recommending the main streaming applications.
The performance is exceptional and everything is handled with ease, so it is a fast operating system that does not make you wait. In terms of apps, it comes with all the major ones, such as Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
Smart TV – webOS22 operating system
One of the most popular features for moving through menus and applications is the Magic Control remote pointer. You can adjust the speed of the pointer to suit your personal preference. It also has a scroll wheel, which makes navigation and other applications a lot easier.
Finally, there is the multiscreen function, which allows you to view two screens at the same time. The downside is that it is rather limited and you cannot see what you want on both screens. You can watch an aerial or HDMI source on one and YouTube or your phone’s screen on the other. Hopefully LG will release an update in the future to allow more options.
Sound
Regarding the sound system, we have to say that it differs depending on the model. The smaller 42″ has a 2.0 channel 20 watt system, while the larger models have a 2.2 channel 40 watt system. This includes 2 woofers of 10W each plus two full-range speakers of 10W each.
The sound is not the highlight of this TV, although with a few adjustments it is quite acceptable. There are several customisation options, which is appreciated. The first thing to say is that there is no lack of volume and there is plenty of it in large rooms. The weak point is that the sound comes out very low, unlike its rivals, the Sony A80K or A90K, which emit sound directly from the screen thanks to the Acoustic Surface system. Even the Samsung S95B also delivers a more direct sound not at the level of the Sony, but certainly superior to the LG C2.
But don’t let that stop you from buying this TV, because as we’re about to tell you, the sound can be improved quite a lot by tweaking certain parameters. As it comes from the factory in the artificial intelligence mode, the sound is very flat and even a little annoying. It tries to recreate a surround sound and background sounds are better perceived, but they are really too emphasised and distracting. To fix this, follow the steps below:
Firstly, run the Acoustic Tuning with AI using the Magic Control remote, sit in your usual viewing position and follow the steps it gives you. The remote’s microphone picks up the sound emitted by the TV and, using artificial intelligence, makes a series of calculations to adjust the sound to the conditions in the room. Once the measurement is complete, you will hear the result and be able to compare before and after.
At the bottom you will see a drop-down menu with three options, we recommend you select ‘Bass Boost’. Next, go to the sound menu and select Standard mode. Disable the Dolby Atmos sound and enter the equaliser by frequency band to increase the values from 100 Hz to + 3, 300 Hz to + 2, 3 kHz to + 3 and 10 kHz to + 4.
Try it out as we tell you, but feel free to make your own personal settings and reset them whenever you like.
However, the best way to improve audio quality is to add a soundbar. This is especially true if you subscribe to streaming platforms or have a Dolby Atmos compatible Blu-ray player.
Here are the best soundbar options to give you more immersive audio with better definition.
See recommended soundbars
Picture quality
Before we look at the picture performance of the LG OLED C2, we leave you with a picture configuration that will give you a higher quality than the factory default. We leave you with a configuration for both SDR and HDR content.
First of all, you need to turn off the power saving features. Make sure to disable automatic brightness in General / AI Brightness Control.
- Image mode: Expert (Clear space, daytime)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 / Scanning only: Power on
Brightness
- OLED pixel brightness: 70 (lower if viewed in dark or dimly lit rooms).
- Adjust Contrast: 85
- Black level: 50
- Automatic dynamic contrast: Off
- Maximum brightness: High
- Gamma (Adjust brightness): 2.2
- Video range: Limited
- Vision protection to motion: Off
Color
- Color depth: 50
- Dye: 0
- Color range: Auto detect.
- White balance: Warm 50
Clarity
- Adjust sharpness: 20
- Super Resolution: Off
- Noise reduction: Low
- MPEG noise reduction: Low
- Smooth gradation: Low
- Cinema screen: Power on
- TruMotion: Kinematic motion
First of all, you need to turn off the power saving features. Make sure to disable automatic brightness in General / AI Brightness Control.
- Image mode: Filmmaker Mode (User)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 / Scanning only: Power on
Brightness
- OLED pixel brightness: 100
- Adjust Contrast: 100
- Black level: 50
- Automatic dynamic contrast: Off
- Dynamic tone map: Power on
- Maximum brightness: High
- Gamma (Adjust brightness): 2.2
- Video range: Limited
- Vision protection to motion: Off
Color
- Color depth: 50
- Dye: 0
- Color range: Auto detect.
- White balance: Warm 50
Clarity
- Adjust sharpness: 20
- Super Resolution: Off
- Noise reduction: Off
- MPEG noise reduction: Off
- Smooth gradation: Low
- Cinema screen: Power on
- TruMotion: Kinematic motion
- OLED Motion: Off
For use with video games, we recommend you follow the following configuration:
- Image mode: Game optimizer
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 / Scanning only: Power on
Brightness
- OLED pixel brightness: 100
- Adjust Contrast: 100
- Black level: 50
- Automatic dynamic contrast: Off
- Maximum brightness: High
- Gamma (Adjust brightness): 2.2
- Video range: Limited
- Vision protection to motion: Off
Color
- Color depth: 50
- Dye: 0
- Color range: Auto detect.
- White balance: Color temperature: Warm 1
Clarity
- Adjust sharpness: 25
- Super Resolution: Off
- Noise reduction: Off
- MPEG noise reduction: Off
- Smooth gradation: Off
- Cinema screen: Power on
- TruMotion: Off
- OLED Motion: Off
Now, go to the General menu and enable the Game Optimizer and turn it on to have additional features and see the game panel, which shows you in real time, the frame rate, if VRR is enabled, etc.
Black Level
The most remarkable aspect of any OLED TV is its ability to display pure black, because it is a self-emitting technology. In an OLED panel, each pixel is responsible for generating light and can be turned on and off individually. This means that there is no clouding or light leakage that can occur with an LED TV.
In LED TVs, it is necessary to use a backlight with bulbs that cannot reproduce the pure black that an OLED TV can. It is true that in recent years, with the introduction of mini-LED TVs, high-end LED models have been able to achieve very deep blacks that are very close to those of an OLED TV. However, because they do not have such precise control, some light always escapes, causing halos to form around complicated scenes with stars in the sky or small light elements on a dark background, such as subtitles.
Black level of the LG OLED evo C2
In addition, many LED TVs reduce the overall brightness in order to produce purer blacks, which means that in some scenes, the bright areas are very dark. In complicated scenes, such as a starry sky, the LG C2 manages to show a completely dark background, maintaining the brightness of the stars without dimming their brightness.
Shadow detail is much improved in this new generation and it is remarkable how it retains information in the dark areas.
Another difference that WOLED panels like this C2 have is that they have a polarization filter, an element that has been eliminated in the new QD OLED TVs such as the Samsung S95B/S95C or the Sony A95K/A95L. This means that in bright rooms with windows directly facing the screen, blacks are still perceived as completely black, whereas the QD-OLEDs’ blacks are slightly lifted and look greyer. It’s not very noticeable, but it’s there.
Brightness
There is currently a war going on to offer the brightest OLED TV, and LG came out last year with its revamped evo OLED panel, which increased brightness among other improvements. This OLED C2 panel has been implemented and as a result the brightness is up to 20% higher than the A2 and B2 series. This has been achieved by making changes such as replacing one of the organic light emitting elements, hydrogen, with deuterium.
The advantage of using deuterium is that it is more stable and more resistant to heat. This means it can absorb more energy to increase brightness.
The C2 supports Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10 and HLG, but not HDR10+, although content in the latter format is very limited. The former offers the highest quality by using dynamic metadata and adjusting the luminance curve in each scene.
The LG C2’s maximum brightness in HDR mode is 830 nits in a 10% window, 570 nits in an 18% window and full screen remains at 165 nits. In Fimmaker mode, it reaches 770 nits in a 10% window and stays at 160 nits at full screen. The 42″ and 48″ models are a little lower. This is better than we expected and represents an increase in brightness compared to the 2021 LG C1, especially at full screen.
Brightness in HDR LG 65OLEDC24 with evo panel
As we’ve seen on LG’s recent OLED models, this C2 series implements dynamic tone mapping, which changes the luminance curve scene by scene. LG claims that this feature is a perfect replacement for HDR 10 Plus, turning HDR 10 standard content into a kind of HDR 10 Plus by adjusting the luminance curve on a shot-by-shot basis.
You can enable or disable this option from the Image menu. When enabled, tone mapping will allow you to see more detail in the highlights, although in some scenes it will deviate slightly from the reference, making scenes a little darker or brighter where it is not necessary.
When this is enabled, the TV plays the scene at the maximum brightness of the panel and when we see a scene that exceeds the nits that the TV can reproduce, the dynamic range is compressed to match this maximum brightness of the panel. So if we are talking about a maximum peak of around 770 nits in Filmmaker mode and the scene has a brightness of 4000 nits, the luminance curve will change to match the brightness capacity of the screen. As we said, there are scenes where the EOTF curve does not work as well as it should, but in general it works quite well.
Dynamic tone map turned on OLED C2
Dynamic tone map off OLED C2
If you turn it off, it will follow the EOTF curve perfectly, but the whites will be clipped and look clipped. The purists will tell you to turn it off, but in our opinion we like to leave it on as it generally gives a better picture.
Color
As well as improving brightness, the C2 has also improved colour. A new green OLED layer and new red and green materials have been added to increase the wavelength of these colours, resulting in purer and more accurate colours.
The DCI-P3 colour spectrum coverage is 97% and the colour volume has also been increased with this new panel. WOLED panels had a somewhat poor colour volume when they were first introduced, but this has improved and has been increased with the refinement of this Evo panel. However, the new QD OLEDs are slightly better here as they retain colour better in the brighter areas. WOLED panels use a white sub-pixel and a colour filter, which means that some colour is lost in the highlights. In HDR images with areas above 500 nits, the colours are slightly washed out.
Either way, the colours are excellent and very natural, and in calibrated modes the difference from QD OLED panels is not that noticeable.
Vibrant Colors of the LG OLED evo C2
Another big advantage of LG’s models is the Smooth Gradation feature, which applies a filter that reduces banding. It does this by analysing adjacent pixels of the same colour and applying a gradual gradation mask so that the colour on one side gradually and seamlessly transitions to the other. However, it is best to leave it in Low mode, otherwise it can blur the details of textures and give an unnatural appearance, especially with Dolby Vision content.
Sharpness
Superior scaling and excellent noise and artefact reduction are delivered by the 5th generation Alpha 9 processor. The Smooth Gradation function preserves fine detail in low-resolution images and eliminates annoying banding. The MPEG noise filter is only used in cases of severe blocking, but in most cases it produces excellent results.
The 5th generation Alpha 9 image processor does a good job of scaling, and you will see all content in HD and above well defined. You have the option of turning on the artificial intelligence processing, but we suggest you turn it off as it may produce a more artificial picture.
HD DVB-T rescaling Alpha 9 5th generation HDTV processor
The picture is very natural and noise and artefacts are kept to a minimum, so that broadcasts via aerial or with a lot of compression look crisp and clean. It also does well with the SD channels that are still broadcast via aerial, and manages to show enough detail, although the pixel limitation is obviously what it is.
Good DTT rescaling in SD Alpha 9 processor
Motion picture
You can also expect good motion handling from this C2 series. For movies, we recommend using the Cinematic Motion mode, as turning TruMotion off completely will result in too much jittery motion in 24 fps movies. If you really don’t want to see any stuttering, you can choose the ‘Smooth’ option, but we don’t recommend it as it produces too much soap opera effect.
OLED C2 no longer has Black Frame Insertion (BFI) at 120Hz. OLED Motion now works at 60 Hz, and you only need to toggle it on or off. As it produces visible flickering and even false outlines, it’s best to leave it off.
When tested alongside the Samsung S95B, we found the Samsung’s motion to be smoother and less soap opera-like when the noise and blur reduction settings were turned up.
In any case, although in our opinion the motion worked better on the Samsung, there is little to complain about in this respect on the LG, which you can see is continuing to polish things up from generation to generation.
Gaming
The LG OLED evo C2 is an excellent gaming TV. It is packed with gaming-oriented features and has a very low input lag. In this case, we are talking about an input lag of just 5.7 ms at 120 Hz and just 10 ms at 4K at 60 Hz.
The four HDMI 2.1 ports offer ALLM and VRR (both HDMI VRR and Nvidia G-Sync and AMD Freesync Premium) and 4K 120 Hz. Where it beats all its rivals is in its support for Dolby Vision 4K and 120Hz gaming. The C2 Series really does have a lot going for it for demanding gamers. With Game Optimizer, you can view key game information such as frame rate and adjust specific image values to suit the game. You can improve shadow detail and smooth motion.
LG OLED C2 supports Dolby Vision in 4K at 120 Hz and VRR
Viewing Angle
One of the most obvious benefits of OLED technology is its near-perfect viewing angle. If you need to watch the TV from the side, you will have no problem as there will be no loss of contrast or colour. If you have to watch from the side as a family, you will still appreciate the great quality of this TV.
Outstanding viewing angle of OLED C2 series.
The Astra Glass coating on Samsung and Sony’s new QD OLED panels gives a very slight advantage in viewing angle, but when you actually look at one and the other, the difference is minimal.
Reflections
The C2 series performs well in bright environments and you should have no problems, as the increased brightness reduces the perception of reflections. In addition, the built-in filter darkens the screen, making reflections less visible.
LG C2 OLED Screen Reflections
It doesn’t come with the new Vanta Black filter, which has been added to the new C3. This filter does a better job of reducing reflections. Nor can the C2 match the performance of the Samsung S95B, which has the most effective glare-reduction filter on the market, although unlike the S95B, the C2 is equipped with the polarizer filter described above. This means that even in bright rooms where the light from the windows hits the screen directly, the blacks are still pure black. The Samsung’s lack of a polarizing filter means that the blacks are a little brighter.
Opinion LG OLED evo C2: Is it worth it?
LG OLED C2 review – Is it worth it?
As a TV for watching movies, the LG OLED C2 offers excellent and very accurate images. OLED TVs typically offer the most impressive HDR, thanks to pixel-level luminance control that highlights bright spots while maintaining absolute blacks. This results in very high contrast and image depth.
Ultimately, LG is the company that has been working with this technology in televisions for the longest time and knows how to get great performance from its panels. The C2 series is a great example of this, and we found it to be an excellent TV in every respect.
Thanks to the new Evo panel, which introduces deuterium and new OLED elements, this C2 goes one step further and offers a higher level of brightness than the previous generation. Although it is true that it is not as big a step as we thought. LG has left the big increase in brightness to its top model, the G2, which incorporates a heat sink and approaches the magical figure of 1000 nits.
Although it was not very noticeable on the previous model, the C1, the C2 overcomes the slight problems of red and orange oversaturation that affected faces in particular, as well as the C1’s tendency to cast shadows.
In terms of image processing, there is little to complain about, as it does a very good job with any source, and the channels compressed via the aerial look very good, with no noticeable noise or posterisation.
The truth is that there are few details to improve on, as LG has released a fairly complete product, but there are some aspects that could be improved. For example, the sound, without being bad, is a little below that of its closest rivals. It is also worth mentioning that, as is the case with many models, the smaller screen sizes, such as the 42″ and 48″, do not come with the Brightness Booster, so the peak brightness is a little lower than that of the 55″ and above.
In short, the LG OLED C2 is a highly recommended option that will give you great picture quality and great performance if you want to use it as a gaming screen. Its price makes it a very competitive TV compared to other brands such as Sony, Philips or Panasonic, which are a little more expensive, so it is a TV with excellent value for money.
You can already buy the new OLED C3, which comes with a new processor version and a few more extras, but without any major changes. The good news is that LG is offering a free SC9S soundbar and a 10% discount on your first purchase.
See LG OLED evo C2 TV price
Alternatives LG OLED evo C2
Frequently Asked Questions
In terms of picture quality, they’re exactly the same, with the differences coming down to design and WiSA support. The C26 supports WiSA, which could be important if you want to place an audio system next to your TV in the future. WiSA allows you to connect compatible speakers wirelessly. You can opt for a stereo system or a full surround system.
The C24 has a black rear panel, while the C25 and C26 have a white rear panel. Otherwise, as we said, they are identical in terms of image.
As well as the differences in design that we have already mentioned, there are also differences in the picture and sound. Firstly, the 42-inch version has a lower 2.0-channel sound system instead of 2.2-channel. The power output is 20 W instead of 40 W.
On the other hand, the 42-inch and 48-inch versions have slightly lower brightness levels due to the lack of a brightness booster.
