LG C1 OLED TV Review

The LG C1 OLED TV is a mid-range 4K HDR OLED TV released in February 2021. Thanks to its organic LED display, it can deliver better black levels and contrast than LCD, Quantum Dot, and even mini LED TVs. It also has a near-instantaneous response time. Even though the C1 OLED doesn’t feature LG’s Evo panel, it is very well positioned for gamers because of the low input lag. It also boasts LG’s WebOS UI for a fluid experience. If you want to learn more about reviewers’ opinions, continue reading our LG C1 OLED review below, and see how it holds up compared to the highest-rated TVs available today.

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LG C1 OLED TV Review Test Notes

PICTURE QUALITY

4K

• Most experts were highly impressed by how the LG C1 OLED TV handles native 4K content. Reviewers also liked the 1080P upscaling of this LG TV, calling it almost as good as native 4K output. For another TV with 4K, read our Konka U5 Android TV. And it delivers good picture quality in lower resolution content as well, without any upscaling artifacts. It is on par with some of the highest-ranked 4K TVs in this regard.

Color

• The LG C1 OLED TV comes with a 10-bit panel, and according to RTings, it fully covers the DCI P3 color space. They also calculated the Rec. 2020 coverage at 77%, which is very useful for HDR content.
• One tester found the out-of-the-box color accuracy and mapping to be poor.

Black

• Certified reviewers adore the perfect inky black levels of the LG C1 OLED TV. Like most other LG OLED TVs, the LG C1 also comes with an organic LED display, where each pixel is a light-emitting source. And they can turn themselves off from achieving perfect black levels.

Brightness

• Unfortunately, the LG C1 OLED TV doesn’t feature LG’s Evo panel. According to testers, the Evo panel would’ve helped with the peak brightness. But as it stands, Digital Trends only managed to get 750 nits in a 25% window.

Contrast

• Top experts applauded the contrast ratio of the LG C1 OLED TV, which is technically infinite. Like other LG OLED TVs, such as the LG CX OLED, it’s perfect for media consumption in a dark room.
• One reviewer noted inconsistencies with the contrast ratio in the “Game Optimizer” mode.

Dimming

• OLED TVs (like the LG C1 OLED) don’t come with any separate backlight, as each pixel illuminates on its own. As a result, the LG C1 OLED TV doesn’t have (or need) any local dimming feature, and we couldn’t evaluate this aspect. Moreover, according to TV reviewers, OLED TVs are even better in this regard than LCDs with hundreds of dimming zones.

Gaming

• Just like its cousin, the LG G1 OLED, critics love the LG C1 OLED TV for gaming. It comes with full HDMI 2.1 support with ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel). On top of that, it is also AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G Sync compatible.

HDR

• The LG C1 OLED supports HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Vision HDR standards. Product experts did point out the omission of HDR 10+, but that will most likely not be a problem for most users. In addition, WhatHi-Fi noted that it produces much less banding in movies like Thor Ragnarok than the older LG BX OLED.

Motion

• Testers laud the fantastic motion handling of the LG C1 OLED. The Motion interpolation feature is present, and it provides added smoothness with very few artifacts.
• Reviewers also said that 24FPS content might appear to stutter for sensitive users.

Refresh

• The LG C1 OLED features a 120Hz panel. It also sports VRR, which according to top experts, can go as low as 20Hz in 1080P, 1440P, and 4K. That means your game’s frame rate can dip as low as 20 FPS before you start to notice the lag.

Response

• Most experts like the fantastic response time the LG C1 OLED has, which is terrific for gaming. And the input lag is below 10ms with the game optimizer setting turned on.
• One tester noted that the fast response time is why 24 FPS content appears to stutter.

Viewing Angle

• Like other OLED TVs and IPS LCDs, the viewing angles are fantastic on the LG C1 OLED. The screen doesn’t look muted, even from extreme viewing angles. Critics could go as wide as 70° before the colors started to shift.

Burn-In

• All vetted reviewers agree that there is a small risk of display burn-in with the C1 OLED TV. But they also noted that LG’s settings include a ton of features to mitigate that. So overall, most users won’t face any permanent display burn-in.

DESIGN

Stand

• The LG C1 OLED comes with a pretty wide stand, and the TV sits pretty low on the table. According to critics, it holds the TV well without much wobble. However, they also noted that you might need a large table if you’re not using a wall mount.

Back

• Critics appreciated the side positioning of most of the HDMI ports, which makes them easy to access once wall mounted. According to reviewers, the top half of the back of the LG C1 OLED TV is metallic. However, the bottom half is textured plastic, and it houses the ports. Testers also noted a cable management section in the back and holes for a 300×200 VESA wall mount.

Borders

• The bezels of the LG C1 OLED are about 0.9cm wide. Top experts mentioned that their narrowness gives the TV a distinctly modern look.

Thickness

• Experts were delighted by the slimness of the LG C1 OLED, and they calculated the maximum thickness at 4.7cm. They also said that once you wall-mount it, it sits flush to the wall.

FEATURES

Tuner

• The LG C1 OLED TV features a standard built-in RF tuner. Reviewers reported that it functions correctly when in use.

Input

• Unlike the Sony X90J, the LG C1 OLED TV has four HDMI 2.1 ports. HDMI 2.1 is necessary for compatible devices to display 4K at 120Hz, with VRR. In addition, there are three USB ports and one ethernet port.

Remote

• Reviewers praised the LG C1 OLED’s magic remote, mainly because of its fantastic motion control features. They noted that it might remind gamers of the Wiimote, and it works just as well. The remote has an ergonomic body that feels nice to hold. And the motion control features more than makeup for the lack of any backlighting.

SMART TV

Applications

• The WebOS store of the LG C1 OLED has improved a lot in terms of the app library. But testers noted that it’s still not as massive as the app library of the Google Play Store. However, you can always use a separate streaming stick/box to access more apps.

Streaming

• Streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, etc., come preinstalled with the LG C1 OLED TV. Moreover, 4K HDR playback on these streaming apps is smooth and lag-free, according to experts.
• If you’re trying to access a streaming app that is not available in your region, you’ll have problems sideloading on LG’s WebOS.

Menu

• Experts were glad to report that LG’s WebOS menu runs smoothly on the LG C1 OLED TV. The apps launch fast, and they run very well. They also noted that the user interface is bug-free. You can also use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to navigate the UI.

SOUND QUALITY

Audio

• The built-in audio solution of the LG C1 OLED TV consists of 40W speakers with Dolby Atmos. Reviewers praised the AI sound feature for producing an excellent virtual surround sound experience. However, they also noted that the sound leveling settings mess up the audio.

Bass

• Critics were disappointed that the bass of the built-in speakers of the LG C1 OLED is worse compared to the older LG CX. Still, the sound output mostly delivers clean dialogues, and it can get pretty loud to fill a large room. But, to get better bass output, you can always connect an external sound system. Also, you can get the LG BX OLED review that comes with a better sound bass.

Sound Stage

• The sound stage of the LG C1 OLED is pretty broad, and it can get even more expansive with Dolby Atmos. Once again, external sound systems can help in this regard.
• One reviewer noted a fair bit of audio distortion at higher volumes.

Frequency

• Testers reported the frequency response of the LG C1 OLED’s built-in speakers to be decent. It works perfectly fine to its spec.