The LG OLED C1 is the TV maker’s 2021 OLED honeypot. Positive, the LG OLED G1 Gallery stablemate has a brighter Evo panel (extra on that later), nevertheless it’s a high-falutin’-interiors pleasant display, moderately than a show aimed instantly at being the perfect gaming TV – we kinda assume an evening taking part in Resident Evil Village would freak it out, not to mention us.
The C1 is the extra life like selection, maybe. Obtainable in a spread of display sizes, together with a 48-incher appropriate for close-quarter viewing, it’s powered by a razor-sharp AI image engine and sports activities LG’s freshly baked Recreation Optimizer menu, a one-stop-shop for all points of gaming sound and imaginative and prescient.
The C1 additionally makes use of the all-new LG webOS v6.0, full with full-screen show, has an OTT larder overflowing with streaming apps, and comes with complete catch-up TV companies and apps too.
So is that this the perfect OLED TV dream display next-gen avid gamers have been ready for?
Options & Design
It’ll shock nobody to study that the C1 is wondrously skinny in its design. The panel expands solely to accommodate electronics, sound system, and enter board, and even then it isn’t by a lot. The panel sits on a central pedestal. Nevertheless, this requires a three-quarter extensive trim to maintain it standing upright. It appears good sufficient, however you’ll not wish to sit a soundbar proper in entrance of it, even purely from an aesthetic viewpoint.
HDMI connectivity is vanguard as all 4 HDMIs are v2.1, which implies they’re suitable with a 4K at 120Hz show output by the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Collection X. There’s help for VRR (Variable Refresh Charge), NVIDIA G-Sync, and AMD Freesync, in addition to ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). Naturally, we get eARC too, used to route audio from the TV to a soundbar or finest encompass sound system.
Extra connections embrace three USB ports, a digital optical audio output, and Ethernet, whereas wi-fi connectivity comes by way of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirPlay 2.
The C1 ships with LG’s slimmed-down Magic Distant management. Functionally it’s the identical cursor pointer we have used earlier than; nevertheless it simply sits a bit extra comfortably within the hand. There are devoted buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Rakuten TV, so a binge is barely ever a button press away.
Naturally, we made a beeline for the brand new Recreation Optimizer menu. This enables easy accessibility to gaming-specific options, so you may simply handle brightness and VRR settings. We significantly just like the Recreation Style selector. This is applicable particular image processing to go well with completely different sport types, successfully optimising the TV for FPS, RTS, and RPG titles. Mix this with the HDMI 2.1 connectivity, and game-focused options and this actually is pushing for the mantle of finest TV for PS5 and Xbox Collection X and finest 120Hz 4K TV.
It’s significantly useful on fast-moving motion video games, lifting gamma so that you’re much less prone to be sniped unseen from the shadows. With the RPG mode chosen, you get a extra ‘contrast-y’ image, whereas RPG simply lifts the common image stage for higher readability. The C1’s latency efficiency can also be excellent: we measured enter lag at 12.6ms (1080/60) with Recreation Mode on.
Efficiency
So simply how properly does the glass within the C1 examine to LG’s flagship Evo panel? Because it occurs, remarkably properly. There’s actually not an enormous gulf between the 2 in terms of HDR peak brightness and for essentially the most half, the screens look very related.
The driving drive right here is LG’s 4th Gen Alpha 9 picture processor, which does an exceptional job. AI has an enormous position within the C1’s image armory as simply switching off AI picture enhancement ends in a major drop in texture and element. Color banding has been largely eradicated by AI. Enhancements in Dynamic Tone mapping have additionally led to a lot smoother gradations, which makes all image content material look extra ‘filmic’.
Customary, Vivid (maybe surprisingly), and Cinema Dwelling with Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material are our favorite presets when watching TV and flicks. They mix a practical common image stage, with splendid color saturation and punchy distinction that may simply rival the perfect QLED TV contenders.
Cinema Dwelling is definitely a Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ setting. This implies the TV’s ambient mild sensor is being employed to watch lighting ranges in your viewing room, and it adjusts Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material appropriately, to forestall over-darkening.
The set’s HDR efficiency is on the appropriate aspect of spectacular. We measured peak brightness at round 750 nits utilizing the Customary picture current, and a 5 p.c measurement window. HDR help covers Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10, HGiG, and HLG. There’s no help for HDR10+, although it stays the popular dynamic metadata customary for Amazon Prime Video.
AI processing additionally performs a task in terms of audio. The C1’s AI Sound Professional mode upscales stereo and 5.1 content material, leading to a surprisingly wealthy efficiency. The set has a Dolby Atmos decoder, though there’s not lots it could possibly do with the immersive codec. Whole energy output is rated at 40W, which implies the set isn’t wanting shouty quantity.
Total – do you have to purchase it?
The LG OLED C1 arrived with lots to dwell as much as. Its predecessor, the CX from 2020, turned a scorching purchase for avid gamers and we predict the C1 might be simply as standard. Certainly, the addition of the Recreation Optimiser mode, alongside ALLM and VRR, takes the extent of customisation obtainable on this TV to a different stage. So, if you would like an OLED telly that takes gameplay critically and boasts class-leading console help, then the reply to the above query needs to be a convincing ‘sure’.
The supply of 4 HDMI 4K 120fps inputs, to benefit from these PS5 and Xbox Collection X titles that help the show format, offers the display an edge over rival 2021 modules that restrict the variety of suitable inputs.
In the end although, it is the display’s picture high quality that actually sells it: the LG C1 is just a phenomenal-looking 4K TV.