Reviews on LG C1 OLED TV (OLED65C1)

Reviews on LG C1 OLED TV (OLED65C1)

Two minute exam

The LG C1 OLED follows TechRadar's best TV of 2020, the LG CX OLED. So you can see why our expectations for the OLED C1 were huge, and yet it managed to deliver on all of them. This is because LG made a number of small changes to the model last year. Now using the LG Alpha a9 Gen 4 processor for better upscaling and virtual surround sound, and with four separate HDMI 2.1 ports, it's ready for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and everything else next-gen consoles have to offer. It. Gamers will also appreciate the new Game Optimization menu, which gives you the ability to quickly adjust Brightness, Contrast, and VRR on the fly. As with the previous model, you'll find support for both Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa, which can be invoked using the buttons on the remote, and a nearly complete repository of Google Assistant services. Streaming including Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and many more. The LG C1 isn't perfect, as we had issues with how the new Alpha a9 Gen.4 scales up and the reflectivity of the glass display in daylight, but issues are rare. There are of course higher resolution TVs such as the LG Z1 OLED which offers 8K resolution and the new LG G1 Gallery series which uses the coveted evo OLED panels which provide better brightness. However, we think the LG C1 OLED offers the best mix of price and performance and should be high on your list of potential TVs to buy in 2021 and beyond.

Price and release date

The LG C1 OLED is part of the 2021 LG TV lineup that includes the new LG A1 OLED, LG G1 OLED, and LG Z1 OLED, as well as new QNED TVs like QNED99, QNED95, QNED90, and QNED85. The LG C1 is the cheapest OLED in the lineup that uses the new Alpha a9 Gen.4 processor (the A1 OLED will be cheaper but uses the a7 processor), but that's not exactly what we're considering cheap: Price and date launch in the United States UK price and release date Price and launch date in Australia If you compare those prices to last year, the LG C1 OLED costs exactly the same as the LG CX OLED when it first launched last year, though you can now find the latter at a bit of a discount now that the LG C1 is out. coming to the stores. Since there isn't a significant difference between the two other than the processor, it's probably worth buying last year's model at a deep discount if you can find one. It makes sense that last year's TV is now cheaper, but How does the price of the C1 OLED compare to other OLED TVs? Compared to the new Sony A80J OLED, which costs €2,799 for the 65-inch version, the C1 OLED is slightly cheaper for US buyers, but UK buyers will pay €4199 for the 80-inch Sony A65J, hence the €2,499 OLED C1. compared. LG C1 OLED (Image credit: LG) There are cheaper alternatives, though, like the Vizio OLED TV that starts at just €1199 for a 55-inch model or the Panasonic HZ980 that costs just €1098 from Currys. Both TVs have a few drawbacks (starting with the lack of HDMI 2.1 ports), but they're cheaper and offer similarly deep black levels.  

Integrated

It may seem silly to talk about the external appearance of a TV (after all, it's the picture that matters most) but you can't ignore how attractive the LG C1 OLED is in terms of design. The front of the TV is pure minimalism: there's a long silver stand that holds the TV upright and only a millimeter or two between the picture and the edge of the screen. If I were to mount it, pretty much all I'd see is the screen, but putting it on its (quite heavy) stand still looks amazing. This additional weight prevents the TV from rocking and gives the C1 a low center of gravity. LG C1 OLED (Image credit: LG) Turn the TV on its side and you will see the ultra-thin OLED display; it is thinner than your cell phone and looks much nicer too. Towards the bottom of the TV, near where the stand screws in, the TV is a bit thicker to accommodate components and speakers, but even this section isn't taller than most LED TVs. In fact, the only real problem with the C1's design is that the glass front screen is quite reflective. Place it in a moderately lit room with incoming light streams and it's easy to catch glare. Of course, that glow disappears when you have bright, colorful content on your screen, but any night or space scene will have a glow if you can't close the blinds. Aside from that sore point, however, the rest of the design gets all of its notes. In terms of ports, the C1 has four full HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K at 144Hz, as well as three USB ports, an RF tuner, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and optical digital audio output. Finally, one of the HDMI ports supports eARC/ARC, which is great for people with an AVR or soundbar who don't like using more than one remote. LG C1 OLED (Image credit: LG) Speaking of remote controls, the LG C1 OLED comes with the wonderful LG Magic Remote which is Bluetooth enabled and has a built-in microphone for voice searches. The remote feels great in the hand and is powered by two AA batteries. What we like best is that the user interface can be controlled using Wii-style motion controls or the directional pad, or you can use the four quick-launch buttons at the bottom to access the most popular apps.

Smart television

If you've used an LG TV in the last decade, you'll know what to expect with the OLED C1, yes, it's WebOS. What makes WebOS a staple of LG TVs is its flexibility to add new channels as they emerge and support for multiple partners. Simply put, because it's not loyal to Google, Amazon, or Apple, WebOS supports all of the above simultaneously with a dynamic user interface and a robust customization system. The only major change this year is to focus more on the current ThinQ AI home screen, which you'll see every time you press the home button. Here you'll find the apps you use most often, as well as any devices you've connected to ThinQ AI. Speaking of apps, almost every major app is featured and considered, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Vudu, Sling TV, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, and Apple TV. For music streaming, your options are a bit more limited, but you can still choose from Spotify, Plex, Pandora, Amazon Music, and more. While WebOS hasn't added many new features this year, apart from the new home screen with more lines, there are still some interesting additions from last year that deserve some attention. The main one is sports integration, where if you tell C1 what your favorite sports teams are, WebOS will give you score updates and remind you when your teams are playing. More useful, however, is the compatibility with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant built right into the TV, accessed by pressing the corresponding buttons on the remote, as well as AirPlay compatibility and streaming from your TV, phone or tablet. We had some trouble getting AirPlay to work properly during our tests, but streaming worked perfectly.

Image quality

LG's 2021 OLED TV lineup falls into two categories this year: OLED TVs with LG's new evo OLED panels and those that don't. For those wondering, the LG C1 doesn't have it, and yet even without the new panel it's still one of the best OLED TVs we've seen. What the evo OLED panel adds is extra brightness thanks to a new lighting element on the self-emitting pixels. It's missing from the LG C1 OLED, but we found it wasn't really lacking in brightness. In our moderately bright (meaning a little ambient light) living room, the image looked beautiful. Sure, reflective glare ate up the inky black levels, but we found the screen's brightness compensated for ambient light well. The reason the C1 can do this is because the TV's built-in light sensor measures ambient light levels and calibrates the picture accordingly. If the TV sees that there is more light in the room, it adds extra brightness to the screen. That peak brightness still isn't quite as high as, say, the peak brightness of the new Samsung QN900A QLED, but it's close to the 1,000-nit mark that rival LED-LCD TVs aim for. Speaking of brightness and contrast, the C1 OLED supports most of the major flavors of HDR, including HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG, with the minor exception of HDR10+. That last means you won't see Amazon Prime shows that live up to their potential, but services like Netflix, Vudu, and Disney will have all Dolby Vision content enabled.  

You might also be interested ...