Priced at Rs 2,19,990, the LG C2 55-inch TV delivers the kind of flagship experience you would expect from it.
Highlights
LG C2 55-inch TV delivers a flagship experience
The focus here is more on color accuracy rather than showing off bright colors.
There is no compromise on the sharpness and motion handling of the TV.
If you're going to spend a lot of money on a television, you'll naturally do thorough research to ensure you get the best product. However, the choice has become more complex than it was a few years ago, especially since TVs with new screen technologies like Mini LED have entered the market. OLED TVs still constitute a distinct premium segment in terms of performance and price range.
The TV I'm going to review is part of a series that has been the most popular OLED TV series in India. The LG C2 series is the successor to the C1 and CX series that came before it. This series promises improved performance and performance, and brings the benefits of OLED screen technology to TVs. Is this the best 55-inch premium TV you can buy under Rs 2 lakh? This review will find out.
LG C2 55-inch OLED TV (OLED55C2PSC) design and specifications
The LG C2 series comes in a variety of sizes. TVs range from 42 inches (₹1,39,990) to 83 inches (₹11,74,990). The 55-inch unit I received for review was priced at ₹2,19,990. All sizes in this range are Ultra HD (3840x2160 pixels) OLED TVs with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and offer similar specifications. The series also supports Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos.
LG's C series TVs aren't known for flashy, premium designs. Even this 55-inch C2 TV isn't as visually appealing as the Samsung 55QN95B. Nevertheless, the company has designed it with a slim profile, with narrow bezels, easy access to ports and sockets, and a thin border around the screen, allowing you to focus more on the screen.
The front of the TV is devoid of any markings, not even the LG logo. The bottom features only the power button, housed in a module that also houses the status light and IR receiver. All ports and sockets are located to the left of the screen and are easily accessible, even when the TV is mounted on a wall. The speakers are bottom-firing. Overall, the TV's design is quite straightforward.
The LG C2 55-inch TV weighs 12.7 kg without the stand and 14.4 kg with the center stand included in the box. The stand's design allows the TV to be placed on a small table. For the review, I mounted the TV on a wall. A wall mount kit is not included with the TV, but one can be provided upon request during free installation.
Regarding the TV's ports and sockets, it has four HDMI ports. All support 4K at 120Hz. One of these supports eARC. The TV has three USB Type-A ports, LAN, optical digital audio-out, single-socket AV-in, antenna, and cable sockets. It also has an analog socket for the IR blaster. The TV does not have any wired headphone connectivity.
Additionally, it supports NVIDIA G-sync, variable refresh rate (VRR), and AMD FreeSync for gaming. The LG C2 supports dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 for connectivity, and comes with a 2.2-channel speaker system with a 40W rated sound output. The television is powered by LG's a9 Gen 5 AI processor and supports a variety of AI features.
LG C2 55-inch OLED TV (OLED55C2PSC) remote and features
LG's Magic Remote concept has been quite popular. The C2 55-inch also comes with the same remote. It's a full-size unit, weighted at the bottom for better grip. The remote displays a floating cursor on the screen. You can hover the remote in front of the TV to point the cursor at any point and then click. It also features a scroll wheel and button controls. The remote is easy to use, and the interface quickly becomes user-friendly.
The TV remote features hotkeys for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar. Separate buttons are provided for Google Assistant and Alexa. This allows you to use both features simultaneously on the TV, a feature not commonly found on TVs. The rest of the remote is standard, with buttons for power, volume, source selection, and opening the settings menu. You can access these at any time.
Other features include Apple AirPlay and HomeKit support. It also supports hands-free voice control and LG's AI ThinQ suite, which can sense ambient light to adjust the picture and sound accordingly. The TV can be connected to the LG ThinQ app via your smartphone, allowing you to use your phone as a TV remote and change various settings.
LG C2 55-inch OLED TV (OLED55C2PSC) software and interface
LG's WebOS platform has been around for years, originally designed for Palm smartphones. It now comes as the default operating system on TVs. It has been updated over the years, including content recommendations. Some elements, such as the settings and source selection menus, now span the entire screen. Most of the interface takes up the entire screen.
It features a home dashboard that displays connected devices in a tiled display. From here, you can quickly access AirPlay and any IoT devices you've connected via the LG ThinQ app. The smart TV's main interface appears full-screen, showing weather, content recommendations, apps, and a web browser. Pressing the home button now pauses any content currently playing, which wasn't possible previously.
Popular apps you'll want to watch on a smart TV come pre-installed, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar. You can install other apps from the library. The TV also comes with a variety of games and social media apps. The webOS app library is quite good, and apps work similarly to those on other TV platforms.
Overall, I found the software experience a bit clunky, with some lagging load times. Other than that, I didn't encounter any significant issues and found webOS useful.
LG C2-inch OLED TV (OLED55C2PSC) performance
Priced at over ₹200,000, the LG C2 55-inch TV is clearly a premium option. Considering its price, it's natural to expect similar performance. LG's OLED televisions typically deliver on this standard, and the C2 is no different. In terms of picture quality and overall performance, it's currently one of the best TVs in its segment.
Looking at its specifications, the TV is ready for all types of content. It supports various HDR formats, along with features like Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby Atmos audio, and pixel-level dimming. One of the most notable aspects of its picture performance is that it adjusts the picture quality based on the lighting and conditions in the room. This allows it to display content in the best picture quality, ensuring that whatever is displayed on the screen appears at its best.
Ultra-HD Dolby Vision content topped this list for me. I watched a number of shows and movies on the TV, including titles like Obi Wan Kenobi, The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals, Uncharted, and Man Vs Bee. The TV performed exceptionally well, especially when it came to contrast levels.
The true pixel level of OLED TVs means that contrast is virtually infinite, but maintaining it at the right level can be challenging. The LG C2 excels here, delivering picture quality that doesn't feel like it's struggling too much to highlight deep blacks, as is often the case with affordable OLED TVs.
Colors were decent, with a focus on color accuracy rather than bright colors. The impact of Dolby Vision's ability to handle color is clearly visible here, especially when it comes to the stunning locations depicted in The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals.
Brightness was spot-on for the room's lighting. LG's AI ThinQ function came into play here, setting the picture appropriately. Picture collage was accurate in detailed scenes like Obi Wan Kenobi. While the TV sometimes took a few moments to react to changes in light conditions, once it did, the picture quality was excellent.
OLEDs aren't known for high brightness levels. The company claims to make the C2 brighter than previous models. This wasn't a problem for me, as I mostly watch TV at night in dim rooms. However, during the day, it did have some issues.
Unlike the Samsung QN95B Mini LED TV, the LG TV seemed to struggle adjusting the picture to brighter daylight conditions. I had to draw the curtains to correct this. This can be a challenge in brighter rooms. Dolby Vision and HDR10 content was enjoyable in a brightly lit room, thanks to the TV's brightness. Non-HDR content was a bit more difficult to watch in such a room. Episodes of Better Call Saul were quite detailed, thanks to the TV's Ultra HD resolution. However, dull nighttime scenes made this wonderful show difficult to watch. Black levels were handled well, but the show's suburban setting sometimes lacked character and feel.
While I experienced slight issues with brightness, the TV's sharpness and motion handling weren't lacking. In slow scenes like "Man Vs Bee," the TV kept Rowan Atkinson's facial expressions in focus. Meanwhile, fast, exciting action scenes from "Uncharted" looked quite clean, with accurate blur levels and hardly any artifacts.
The TV performed well with lower-resolution content, delivering decent brightness and color levels. Watching "The Batman" on Amazon Prime Video was disappointing at times. The TV wasn't able to do much with the low resolution, and the streaming picture often appeared poor quality. However, the Philips Ambilight 7900 series TV delivered better results in this regard. This suggests the LG C2 needs significant improvement in processing low-quality content.
The LG C2 55-inch's sound quality was quite good in many areas. Thanks to Dolby Atmos, sound remained clear even on standard content, even at high volumes. However, this was a problem for me. I often tend to set the TV volume to 90 percent to hear things better. However, when watching movies like Uncharted and The Batman, I didn't get that level of loudness on this TV. You may need to add a soundbar or speaker system.
Our decision
Premium televisions come with high expectations, and the LG C2 55-inch TV, priced at ₹219,990, delivers the kind of flagship experience you'd expect. Maintaining vibrant colors, contrast levels, black levels, sharpness, and motion, the TV offers an excellent viewing experience with high-quality content.
It does have some drawbacks. If these shortcomings align with your needs and viewing conditions, you might want to consider a competitor. These drawbacks include weak brightness, poor performance with low-resolution content, and a built-in speaker system with a weak sound. In this case, the Samsung QN95B could also be your choice.
Despite this, the TV's excellent design, features, and software make it a great choice overall. If you're considering purchasing a premium TV, you should definitely consider it.
