LG C2 55-Inch OLED TV Review: A Premium Experience with Some Surprising Caveats

When investing a substantial amount in a television, it’s understandable that you’d want to conduct thorough research to ensure you’re making the right choice. However, the decision-making process has become more intricate in recent years, particularly with the emergence of new display technologies like Mini-LED, which have shifted the dynamics within the premium TV market. Nonetheless, OLED TVs continue to hold their ground as high-end options, offering superior features that justify their elevated price points.

The television under review is from a series that has consistently been a favorite among OLED options in India. The LG C2 line is the next generation after the successful C1 and CX series, boasting enhanced performance and features, along with the advantages associated with OLED display technology. Is this the top premium 55-inch television (priced around Rs. 2,00,000) available in India currently? This review will provide the answers.

The LG C2 OLED TV comes in multiple sizes, including the 55-inch model currently under review

 

Design and Specifications of the LG C2 55-inch OLED TV (OLED55C2PSC)

The LG C2 series offers several size options, ranging from 42 inches (priced at Rs. 1,39,990) to 83 inches (priced at Rs. 11,74,990). The model reviewed here is the 55-inch version, which has an official price of Rs. 2,19,990. All models in this series, regardless of size, are Ultra-HD (3840×2160 pixels) OLED televisions with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, featuring mostly identical specifications and functionalities. This TV supports Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos.

Typically, LG’s C-series is not recognized for extravagant designs, and the 55-inch C2 is not as eye-catching as the similarly priced Samsung 55QN95B. However, it is a well-constructed television with a slender edge profile, easy-access ports and connectors, and slim bezels around the screen that allow for an immersive viewing experience.

There are no branding elements on the front, not even an LG logo. At the bottom, there’s merely the power button, located on a module that houses the status light and IR receiver. All ports and connectors are conveniently located to the left of the screen, ensuring easy access even when the TV is wall-mounted. The speakers are positioned downward, and overall, the design is straightforward.

The LG C2 55-inch TV has a weight of 12.7kg without the stand and 14.4kg with the included center stand. This stand design allows for placement on small tables without occupying significant space. For my review, I wall-mounted the television using a VESA-standard low-profile mount; a compatible wall-mount kit isn’t included in the box but can be requested during the brand’s complimentary installation service.

Ports on the LG C2 55-inch TV comprise four HDMI ports (all supporting 4K at 120Hz, including one with eARC), three USB Type-A ports, LAN, Optical Digital Audio-out, a single AV-in slot for an adapter, antenna and cable connections, and an analogue socket for an IR blaster. Notably, wired headphone connectivity is absent from this model.

Moreover, the television supports NVIDIA G-sync, variable refresh rate (VRR), and AMD FreeSync for gaming. The LG C2 connects via dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5, delivering a sound output of 40W through its 2.2-channel speaker system. It is powered by LG’s a9 Gen 5 AI processor 4K, which facilitates various AI-driven features purporting to enhance the viewing experience.

Remote and Features of the LG C2 55-inch OLED TV (OLED55C2PSC)

LG’s innovative magic remote concept has gained popularity, and the C2 55-inch TV features this distinctive remote. It is a full-sized unit, designed to be bottom-heavy for enhanced grip and maneuverability, essential for its wand-like functionalities. The remote generates a floating cursor on the TV screen, allowing you to navigate by waving it around. Alternatively, traditional d-pad, scroll wheel, and button controls are available for those who prefer them; regardless, the remote is user-friendly and provides quick access to the interface.

The magic remote from LG employs ‘wand-like’ gestures for seamless navigation, while retaining traditional controls for convenience

 

The remote includes quick-access buttons for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar, along with dedicated keys for Google Assistant and Alexa. Notably, the TV can utilize both voice assistants simultaneously—a rare feature in the market. The remainder of the remote contains standard buttons for power, volume, source selection, and direct access to the settings menu from anywhere in the UI, even while content is playing.

Additional features of the LG C2 TV encompass support for Apple AirPlay and HomeKit, hands-free voice control, and LG’s AI ThinQ suite, which can detect surrounding conditions such as daylight to optimize picture and sound settings. The TV can also be linked with the LG ThinQ app on smartphones, allowing users to control the TV and modify certain settings from their devices.

Software and Interface of the LG C2 55-inch OLED TV (OLED55C2PSC)

LG’s webOS has evolved significantly over the years, transitioning from its original design for Palm smartphones to its current role as the standard OS for LG TVs. It has also undergone changes within the past year, with a greater emphasis on content curation and recommendations. While some interface components still appear as overlays, such as the Settings and Source menus, much of the interface now occupies the entire screen.

This transformation includes the Home Dashboard, which displays a mosaic of connected devices, facilitating quick access to AirPlay and IoT devices linked through the LG ThinQ app. The primary smart TV interface is now fully expanded, showcasing tiles for weather, content suggestions, applications, and a web browser; pressing the home button will pause any ongoing program unlike in previous versions.

The LG C2 OLED TV supports Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos

 

Many of the popular streaming applications you would expect on a smart TV come pre-installed, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar. Others can be downloaded from the app library, which has been tailored for the large screen. Various gaming and social media applications are also available. Although the app library is not quite as comprehensive and user-friendly as the Google Play store for Android TV, it is sufficiently good, with apps functioning well on this platform.

I found the overall software experience to be somewhat cluttered and inconsistent at times, with loading times being a bit lengthy. However, there were no major issues, and webOS remains fully functional in its current state.

Performance of the LG C2 55-inch OLED TV (OLED55C2PSC)

With a price exceeding Rs. 2,00,000, the LG C2 55-inch TV is certainly positioned in the premium segment, and one would naturally anticipate performance that justifies such an investment. Historically, LG’s OLED TVs have excelled in this regard, and the C2 holds true to that legacy; it ranks among the leading televisions in this category for picture quality and overall performance.

In terms of specifications, the LG C2 55-inch TV is well-equipped to handle a variety of content, supporting various HDR formats, including Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby Atmos audio, and the pixel-level dimming capabilities provided by OLED technology. What particularly distinguished the C2’s picture quality was its seemingly intuitive response to the content and lighting within the room, making nearly everything I viewed look exceptional.

I began with Ultra-HD Dolby Vision content, watching a range of shows and films such as Obi Wan Kenobi, The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals, Uncharted, and Man Vs Bee. Throughout various genres, the LG television showcased outstanding performance, especially concerning contrast.

The authentic pixel-level blacks associated with OLED technology ensure virtually limitless contrast, though achieving this can often be tricky. The LG C2 excels in this aspect, presenting a picture that appears not overly forced, in contrast to many budget-friendly OLED televisions that struggle with deep blacks.

The LG 55C2 OLED TV maintains excellent color and black level accuracy, without appearing overdone

 

The colors appeared more subdued, emphasizing accuracy and realism over the overly bright and sometimes excessively vivid displays found in many mid-range and high-end TVs. The LG C2 55-inch TV greatly enhanced Dolby Vision’s ability to handle colors, especially with the visually breathtaking settings seen in The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals.

Brightness levels were generally well-calibrated to match the room’s lighting, with LG’s AI ThinQ feature adept at recognizing content and ambient light to appropriately fine-tune picture settings, excelling during dark, nuanced scenes in Obi Wan Kenobi. However, there were instances where the television took a few moments to adjust to lighting changes (like when turning on a light), but when it did, the picture quality shone through.

OLED TVs are typically not known for their high brightness levels, and although LG asserts that the C2 model is brighter than its predecessors, it doesn’t quite reach that threshold. This wasn’t usually problematic for me since I often viewed content at night in a dim room, but during daylight attempts, it proved to be a challenge.

In contrast to the very bright Samsung QN95B Mini LED TV, the LG C2 struggled even in cloudy daylight conditions, requiring me to close the curtains for a satisfactory viewing experience. This might be an issue in spaces with abundant natural light, so it is worth considering if ambient light can’t be easily managed.

While viewing Dolby Vision and HDR10 content in well-lit rooms was feasible due to automatic brightness adjustments, non-HDR content became increasingly difficult to enjoy outside dim environments. Episodes of Better Call Saul showcased clear visuals thanks to Ultra-HD resolution, but darker scenes proved to be somewhat challenging to follow. The black levels were well managed, yet skin tones and the plain suburban ambiance sometimes lacked depth and character.

Despite some brightness challenges, the LG C2 55-inch OLED TV rarely encountered issues with sharpness and motion control. The TV demonstrated its intuitive capacity for adjusting the picture based on the content. In slower scenes of Man Vs Bee, it maintained focus on Rowan Atkinson’s priceless facial expressions, while fast-paced action sequences of Uncharted displayed clean, smooth motion with minimal blur and artifacts.

As anticipated from an OLED model, the LG 55C2 excels in black levels

 

With lower-resolution content, the LG C2 did reasonably well with bright, colorful visuals. However, the brightness limitations impacted the quality of darker content. Watching The Batman on Amazon Prime Video was occasionally disappointing due to the low quality of the stream. However, it outperformed the lower-priced Philips Ambilight 7900 series TV, indicating that the LG C2 is more capable of upscaling and processing lower-quality content.

Audio quality on the LG C2 55-inch TV was adequate under certain aspects; Dolby Atmos provided a respectable sound environment, and even standard audio was sufficiently clear at higher volumes. However, this proved troublesome for me; I frequently needed to raise the volume to 90 percent to hear comfortably in a quiet room, preventing me from experiencing the impactful sound that movies like Uncharted and The Batman warranted. A soundbar or external speaker system might be advisable to enhance audio output.

Conclusion

High-end televisions come with elevated expectations, and the Rs. 2,19,990 LG C2 55-inch TV predominantly lives up to the flagship experience anticipated. With superb colors, contrast, black levels, sharpness, and fluid motion, this television offers an exceptionally gratifying viewing experience with quality content.

However, it does have notable drawbacks, and if these aspects conflict with your needs and viewing environment, it could be worthwhile to explore alternative options. Key issues include lower brightness levels, inconsistent performance with lower-resolution content, and a built-in audio system that may lack sufficient volume. Consideration of the Samsung QN95B could be a viable alternative.

Nevertheless, its solid design and features, coupled with respectable software, make the LG C2 55-inch OLED a strong contender in the current market. If you are in the market for a new premium television, this should certainly be on your list.

---