LG OLED C2: 48" 4K Smart TV LG - Review 🏆

The LG OLED C2 is LG's 2022 model of its premium 4K OLED TV lineup. As an OLED TV, it uses self-illuminating pixels that can turn on and off individually for perfect black levels and infinite contrast. The C2 builds on the strengths of LG's previous OLED models, offering an ultra-thin design, wide viewing angles, and excellent picture quality.

Some of the standout features of the C2 include its α9 Gen5 AI Processor for optimizing picture and sound, webOS smart platform with access to popular streaming apps, and gaming performance features like low input lag, HDMI 2.1 ports, and support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).

Overall, the LG C2 OLED TV provides premium 4K picture quality and an excellent smart TV experience in an ultra-thin and stylish design. It's a great option for home theater enthusiasts, gamers, and anyone looking for a top-tier 4K OLED TV.

Design

The LG OLED C2 48" has a beautiful, minimalist design that will blend seamlessly into any living room. The TV is incredibly slim, measuring just 1.3 inches thick, allowing it to sit nearly flush to the wall or entertainment center. The bezels surrounding the screen are tiny, just 0.1 inches thick on the sides and 0.3 inches at the bottom. This creates a stunning, near edge-to-edge display that makes the picture really pop.

The stand has an elegant, curved shape with a slim, metallic finish that matches nicely with the TV's thin profile. Cable management is easy, with a channel built into the stand to neatly guide cords out of sight. The overall aesthetic is very clean and modern. Those looking to mount it will appreciate the low profile and lack of protruding elements on the back.

Display Quality

The LG OLED C2 features a stunning OLED display that delivers perfect blacks and infinite contrast thanks to self-lit pixels. OLED stands for organic light emitting diode, which means each pixel in the display emits its own light when activated, while remaining totally dark when deactivated. This enables incredibly deep blacks, since black areas of the screen do not emit any light.

When combined with LG's ability to achieve high peak brightness levels, the OLED panel delivers an exceptionally high contrast ratio. Dark scenes look beautiful with inky blacks, while bright highlights pop with vivid specular detail. The display can make bright objects stand out against dark backgrounds without losing shadow detail. Overall, the OLED display provides an exceptionally immersive viewing experience whether you're watching movies in a dark room or brightly lit content during the day.

HDR and Color

The LG C2 OLED TV delivers an exceptional high dynamic range (HDR) experience with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG formats. OLED pixels can turn on and off individually, allowing for infinite contrast and perfect blacks. This results in incredible depth and realism for HDR content.

The self-lit OLED panel produces vibrant, accurate colors. It covers over 99% of the DCI-P3 color space, used in cinema and HDR content. Colors stay true and avoid washing out, even when viewed at an angle. You'll see rich, lifelike color in nature documentaries, HDR movies, and shows. The TV renders colors naturally without exaggerating saturation. Skin tones appear realistic, and small details stand out in dark shadows and bright highlights. Overall, the C2 OLED handles both standard and HDR content excellently.

Smart TV Features

The LG C2 runs on LG's user-friendly webOS platform. It provides quick access to popular streaming apps and services. The home screen shows rows of your favorite apps, inputs, and recommendations.

Some of the pre-installed apps include:

• Netflix - Watch Netflix originals, movies, and TV shows.

• Prime Video - Stream movies and shows from Amazon Prime.

• Disney+ - Enjoy Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more.

• Apple TV - Access Apple TV+ originals and iTunes movies/TV shows.

• YouTube - Watch videos and vlogs from YouTube creators.

• LG Channels - Free live TV with over 300 channels.

webOS makes it easy to find new shows and movies quickly with universal search and personalized recommendations. The Magic Remote lets you easily navigate and enter text through point, click, scroll and voice commands.

Overall, the C2 offers a smooth smart TV experience with quick access to the most popular streaming services. The intuitive interface and Magic Remote controller make webOS a pleasure to use.

Gaming Performance

The LG C2 OLED is an excellent gaming TV, thanks to its impressive gaming features. It has an extremely low input lag of around 5ms, ensuring your gameplay feels responsive with little delay between your controller and on-screen action.

The C2 supports variable refresh rate (VRR) technology including Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. This matches the TV's refresh rate to your console's graphical output, preventing screen tearing and stutter for smooth gameplay.

With 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, you can take full advantage of your PS5, Xbox Series X or high-end PC's capabilities. All ports support 4K 120Hz, allowing you to game in 4K resolution at up to 120 frames per second for ultra-fluid motion clarity. Auto low latency mode also automatically optimizes settings for lag-free gaming whenever it detects a game console connected.

Overall, the stellar combination of extremely low input lag, VRR support and HDMI 2.1 ports make the LG C2 OLED an excellent choice for gaming. It delivers an incredibly responsive, tear-free and immersive big-screen gaming experience.

Audio Quality

The LG C2 has decent audio quality overall, but lacks strong bass. The TV has a 2.2 channel speaker system with 40W of total power. While dialogue comes through clearly, the small built-in speakers struggle to produce a full, rich sound.

Explosions and action sequences won't have quite the impact you'd hope for without the addition of a soundbar or external speakers. The bass is lacking punch and can sound thin at high volumes. Voices in the mid-range fare better. But the audio presentation doesn't match the stellar visuals of the OLED display.

For a slim TV, the C2 produces decent audio that will suit casual TV watching. But cinephiles and audio enthusiasts should invest in a soundbar or speaker system to unlock the TV's full potential. The weak bass and compressed dynamics mean the C2's built-in speakers can't do justice to today's immersive, cinematic content. Overall, the audio quality gets the job done but leaves room for improvement.

Connectivity

The LG C2 OLED comes with a great selection of connectivity options to cover your needs. It has 4 HDMI ports, with HDMI 2.1 support on all ports. This allows you to connect the latest gaming consoles and devices and take advantage of 4K 120Hz gaming, as well as advanced gaming features like VRR and ALLM.

For wireless connectivity, the C2 has built-in WiFi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0. The WiFi is dual band and supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. Setting up on your home WiFi is quick and easy during initial setup. Bluetooth allows you to connect wireless headphones, speakers, or other accessories directly to the TV.

The C2 also includes 3 USB 2.0 ports, with one on the side and two on the back. These allow you to connect hard drives, flash drives, keyboards, and other USB devices. An optical audio out port is also provided for connecting an external sound system. Finally, there is an ethernet LAN port, composite video input, and RS-232C mini jack for integration into more complex AV setups.

Overall, the connectivity options on the LG C2 OLED are very complete. With multiple HDMI 2.1 ports and both WiFi and Bluetooth support, it can handle all of your modern device connections and streaming needs.

Pros

The LG C2 OLED TV offers an absolutely stunning picture quality that's perfect for watching movies or playing games. The OLED panel delivers infinite contrast with pixels that can turn completely off to produce true blacks. This creates an exceptional level of depth and realism to images. When combined with the TV's 4K resolution and advanced image processing, the C2 OLED produces crisp, detailed visuals with vibrant and accurate colors.

For gaming, the C2 really shines. It has a fast 120Hz refresh rate, low input lag, and support for HDMI 2.1 features like 4K/120fps and variable refresh rate. These capabilities make gameplay incredibly smooth and responsive. The OLED panel's fast response time also eliminates motion blur. Overall, the C2's picture performance is excellent for movies, shows, sports and gaming. It's easy to get lost in the immersive images this TV can produce.

Cons

• The OLED panel technology carries a risk of permanent burn-in if static images are left on screen for extended periods. This is something to be aware of if you plan to use the TV for long gaming sessions or have static logos on screen.

• While the audio quality is decent, it lacks real bass punch and depth. The built-in speakers sound thin, so you'll want to pair the TV with a soundbar or speakers to get an immersive audio experience. The lack of bass is a common limitation of slim TV designs.