LG OLED evo C3: 65" 4K Smart TV LG - Review 🏆

LG has long been known for producing some of the best OLED TVs on the market. OLED (organic light emitting diode) displays offer superior picture quality compared to standard LED displays, with perfect black levels, vibrant colors, and wide viewing angles.

The LG OLED evo C3 is LG's latest iteration of its C-Series OLED TVs for 2023. As an "evo" model, it incorporates LG's newest OLED panel technology for increased brightness and improved color accuracy. The 65-inch LG OLED65C3PUK continues LG's trend of offering premium OLED TVs that don't break the bank. While not as affordable as LG's entry-level OLEDs, the C3 still hits a reasonable price point for a mid-range 65-inch 4K OLED TV.

Design

The LG OLED evo C3 has an elegant design with an incredibly thin profile and slim bezels. The TV is only about 4mm thick, making it one of the slimmest OLED TVs available. Despite the thin design, it still has powerful internal components and speakers built-in.

The bezels around the display are extremely narrow, just a sliver of black frame around the edges so your content takes center stage. LG calls this an "Infinity Screen" design. With such little bezel, the picture appears to go right to the edge of the TV.

Overall, the thin and minimalist aesthetic looks impressive in any living room or home theater setup. The TV doesn't dominate the space with a large, bulky frame or body. The slim form factor and tiny bezels allow the beautiful OLED display to shine.

Display Quality

The LG OLED evo C3 has an exceptional display that delivers an immersive viewing experience. The OLED panel produces perfect blacks and infinite contrast since each pixel can turn on and off independently. This results in stunning image depth and realism.

The C3 model has been upgraded this year with LG's new OLED evo technology, providing higher brightness compared to last year's C2. LG claims the 65" C3 can reach up to 1000 nits peak brightness on a 10% window, a sizable increase over the C2's 770 nits. This boost in brightness helps HDR content really pop and appear more vibrant.

In SDR mode, the C3 hits around 180 nits which is great for well-lit rooms. The TV has no issues with glare and reflections thanks to the anti-reflective screen.

Viewing angles are also a strong point of OLED. Colors and brightness remain accurate even when viewing the screen off-axis. So the picture quality stays consistent no matter where you're sitting.

Overall, the LG C3 delivers exceptional contrast and brightness for OLED, with the new evo panel enhancing HDR highlights. The color reproduction is highly accurate and the viewing angles are nearly unlimited. It's a fantastic display that really brings entertainment to life.

Smart TV Features

The LG C3 comes loaded with LG's intuitive webOS platform, providing quick access to popular streaming apps and easy device connectivity. The 2023 webOS update includes personalized profiles, Next Pick recommendations based on viewing history, and sports alerts.

The webOS interface is smooth and responsive. You can easily switch between apps, inputs, and settings menus. The Launcher bar at the bottom provides one-click access to your favorite apps. webOS supports all the major streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, YouTube and more. Apps launch fast with no lag.

For voice control, the C3 works with LG's Magic Remote as well as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa devices. Use your voice to launch apps, search for content, control smart home devices, and more. The TV responds quickly and accurately to voice commands. You can also use the mic button on the remote.

Overall, the C3's smart platform offers a great user experience with fast performance, robust app support, and multiple voice control options. webOS continues to be one of the best smart TV systems available today.

Gaming Performance

The LG C3 is an excellent gaming TV thanks to its impressive gaming features. It has an ultra-low input lag of around 5ms, ensuring a responsive gaming experience with no noticeable delay between your controller and on-screen actions.

The C3 supports variable refresh rate (VRR) including Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. VRR matches the TV's refresh rate to the frame rate output of your console or PC. This eliminates screen tearing and stuttering for smoother gameplay.

For next-gen gaming, the C3 can do 4K resolution at 120Hz refresh rate when connected to PS5, Xbox Series X or a PC with HDMI 2.1. This enables you to game in 4K with a super smooth 120fps frame rate, ideal for fast paced action games. The faster refresh rate reduces motion blur for crisper visuals when gaming.

With its stellar combination of low input lag, VRR support and 4K 120Hz capability, the LG C3 is designed to deliver an exceptional gaming experience. It brings out the full potential of modern consoles and PCs, enabling you to game in 4K with buttery smooth frame rates.

Audio Quality

The LG C3 OLED TV delivers an immersive audio experience thanks to its built-in 60W 4.2 channel speakers. The speakers provide clear and detailed sound, with decent bass for a flat panel TV.

The TV supports Dolby Atmos, which creates a surround sound effect and makes audio seem like it's coming from all directions. This provides a cinematic audio experience, especially for movies that have an Atmos soundtrack. The soundstage feels wide and spacious.

While the speakers can't match a dedicated soundbar or speaker system, they provide good audio quality right out of the box. Dialogue in movies and TV shows sounds clear and understandable. The TV can get plenty loud to fill a medium to large room.

Overall, the C3 provides a very good audio experience for a slim TV. The combination of the 4.2 channel speakers and Dolby Atmos support immerses you in the action on screen. For most users the built-in speakers will be sufficient, but home theater enthusiasts may still want to pair the TV with a soundbar to get true surround sound.

Ports and Connectivity

The LG OLED evo C3 TV offers ample ports and connectivity options. It has 4 HDMI ports, with HDMI 2.1 support on ports 1-3. This allows you to connect the latest gaming consoles and devices and take advantage of 4K 120Hz gaming, Variable Refresh Rate, and Auto Low Latency Mode. The HDMI ports also support advanced audio formats like Dolby Atmos.

For USB connectivity, there are 3 USB 2.0 ports. This allows you to connect USB drives to play media files, or use the ports for software updates. One nice touch is that USB port 3 supports USB recording to record TV content onto a connected USB drive.

For wired connectivity, there is an ethernet port to connect directly to your home network. This ensures a stable and reliable internet connection for streaming apps and smart TV features. WiFi is also built-in if you prefer going wireless.

Overall, the port selection covers everything most users will need. Gamers will appreciate full HDMI 2.1 support, while the USB ports provide convenient ways to play media or record shows. The ethernet port rounds it out with a hardwired network option.

Remote Control

One of the highlights of the LG C3 OLED TV is the included Magic Remote. This unique remote allows you to control the TV through pointing, gestures and voice commands.

The Magic Remote has a minimalist design that fits comfortably in your hand. It connects to the TV via Bluetooth so you don't have to point it directly at the TV. You can simply move the remote and the cursor follows on screen. There's also a scroll wheel to quickly navigate through menus and apps.

For text input, the remote has an onscreen keyboard that you can navigate using the pointer. This makes entering passwords and searches much easier compared to using directional buttons. Voice commands through the built-in microphone also work well for launching apps, searching for content, and controlling playback.

The Magic Remote really enhances the user experience and makes controlling the LG C3 extremely intuitive. It's much better than a standard TV remote. The pointer functionality in particular makes navigating the smart TV interface smooth and natural.

AI Picture Pro

One of the standout features of the LG C3 OLED is the AI Picture Pro technology. This uses deep learning algorithms to analyze and optimize every frame of content for the best picture quality.

The AI Upscaling allows lower resolution content like HD to be scaled up to 4K resolution. It uses machine learning to add extra detail and sharpness, resulting in a much clearer and more detailed image compared to normal upscaling. This is great for watching older content.

The TV also has Precision Dimming Pro, which divides the screen into nearly 5,000 dimming zones. This allows bright parts of an image to be shown at full brightness, while dark areas are dimmed for perfect black levels and contrast. This dimming happens at a very granular, pixel-level, avoiding halo effects or blooming you see on TVs with fewer dimming zones.

Overall, the AI Picture Pro tech offers a significant boost to picture quality, especially for upscaled and HDR content. It's one of the best implementations of AI for display optimization.

Conclusion

The LG OLED evo C3 is one of the best 4K OLED TVs you can buy in 2023. It combines exceptional picture quality with LG's user-friendly webOS smart platform and a sleek, minimalist design.

Pros:

• Stunning OLED display with perfect blacks and vibrant colors
• Incredible contrast and infinite viewing angles
• Bright enough for well-lit rooms
• Fast 120Hz refresh rate for smooth motion
• Supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG HDR formats
• Excellent low input lag for gaming
• webOS smart platform is fast and intuitive
• Built-in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
• Sleek and stylish design

Cons:

• Risk of permanent burn-in, especially with static content
• Not as bright as some LED/QLED TVs
• Mediocre built-in speakers
• No HDR10+ support

Overall, the LG OLED evo C3 delivers phenomenal picture quality and is highly recommended for movie buffs, gamers, and anyone wanting the best 4K OLED TV. While the risk of burn-in is a concern, LG's pixel-shift tech helps minimize it. For flawless blacks, vibrant colors, and incredible contrast, the C3 is hard to beat.