LG C8 Review
Steve Scott
Updated on
When you aim for an LG TV, you can rest assured that each new model will be better than the last. And it’s the same with LG C8 OLED, which undoubtedly deserves its spot among the best TVs around.
It’s not that it looks all that better than the rest, or that it performs so much better. LG C8 OLED is simply a well-rounded model that offers the best value for money.
Seeing that LG’s OLED technology started to dominate the market, it’s safe to say that their experiment fully paid off. And with every new model, they aim to improve it, even just a little bit.
Therefore, C8 isn’t all that different from its predecessor LG OLED C7. Nevertheless, with an integrated Alpha 9 processor, some additional picture features and some design changes, we can say that this model is an improvement.
Check out our guide and learn more about what makes LG C8 OLED great. By the end of it, you’ll know more about its upsides and downsides, and whether you could consider getting one or not.
Note that this model comes in three sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, and 77-inch.
Specifications
- Size: 9.1 x 48.3 x 29.8 inches (55-inch), 9.1 x 57 x 34.7 inches (65-inch), 10 x 67.8 x 41.4 inches (77-inch)
- Weight: 42.1 lbs (55-inch), 56 lbs (65-inch), 80.5 lbs (77-inch)
- Screen: 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch
Key Features
- Alpha 9 processor
- HFR content supported
- Satellite and Freeview tuner
- WebOS
- Quick access to apps like Netflix or Amazon
- AI integration
- Magic Remote
- 4 x HDMI, 3 x USB, digital audio output, WiFI, Bluetooth
PROS
CONS
Overview
Design
Just by looking at it, you can see that C8 is a major success of the design department. All in all, it kind of feels and looks minimalist and elegant, without all the unnecessary details.
Three different screen sizes are available: 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch. All of those are just a couple of millimeters thick (around 6 to 8 mm).
They do, however, widen down at the bottom. That’s where all the connection ports, speakers, and the rest of the electronic gear are stored.
When you look at it from the front, it seems like it’s all glass, since it stretches almost from edge to edge. There’s virtually no bezel, just enough to keep it in place. Around the screen, there’s a black metal trim.
Wide TV Stand
The TV sits on a wide, curved central stand, that adds to the aesthetic pleasure. And it also helps redirect the sound waves from the speakers in the viewers’ direction.
As far as the designers’ approach to connectivity, they decided to take on a more broad approach, since there are many options available. There are four HDMI inputs, all easily accessible. And all of them can support 4K or HDR.
Three of those are placed at the side, while the fourth one is facing the back of the TV. Aside from those, there are three USB ports, a LAN port, digital audio output, WiFi and Bluetooth support, a headphone jack, etc.
Another excellent design feature is the “Magic Remote.” It is a truly precise controller option that allows you to browse through the menus and navigate the TV much more quickly.
It is so user-friendly and a delight to use, that you would ask yourself how could you ever do without it. All the other standard remotes might seem obsolete in comparison.
Performance
To put it simply - LG C8 is a beautiful TV. There’s just no going around it.
Although it is not a drastic change compared to previous models like C7 or B7, it provides a gorgeous output, which is hard not to like. But it is an improvement where it matters the most. It is definitely brighter and offers more details.
Fantastic HDR and SDR Performance
When it comes to HDR or SDR performance, it would be hard to find something better out there. The shadows have great depth, the saturation feels just right, and the screen uniformity is on top.
It seems as though C8 eliminated some of the problems the other OLEDs had in the past. This model has no issues like discoloration or reduced black levels.
Alpha 9 processor is one of the best things about this TV. It takes HD images and upscales them to make them work with the 4K resolution of the TV. And it works exceptionally well if the HD source is a solid one because then none of the details will be lost in the process.
Then again, it will work well other, not so good HD images. It will refine them and clean them up to an extent while making them look as natural as possible. Take a look at our top HD projector picks.
Doesn't Support HDR10+
LGC8 supports most of HDR formats on the market, but not all. HDR10, HLG, or Dolby Vision are all included. Unfortunately, the only one not on this list is HDR10+.
Luckily, there are still more services that support Dolby Vision as opposed to HDR10+ (like Netflix or iTunes).
If we take a look at C8’s brightness, at 820 nits, it is as bright or brighter than other OLEDs. But, it is still not on the same level as LCD TVs. As a related topic, check out our guide on LCD technology in projectors.
Thus, C8 might struggle in situations where scenes are brighter. For example, with scenes where there’s a lot of snow.
But, when it comes to brightness, generally speaking, OLED TVs are known for not performing so well, or at least being just decent. However, C8 is perfectly capable of providing some detailed highlights without ever oversaturating the image. Compared to other older OLED TVs, it puts out better results.
Dynamic Tone Mapping
As a way to battle this problem, guys at LG included Dynamic tone Mapping. Its purpose is to inspect every frame and to fine-tune the brightness properly.
When it comes to luminance, this model is like all other standard OLED television sets. It has luminance on a pixel level, which provides more precision in the lighting department.
This means that each and every pixel can switch on and off by itself. You can enjoy the combination of light and dark pixels without any overflow of the lighter elements.
In other words, LG C8 is one of the best models if you want to get perfect blacks. Or something closest to them.
Then again, perfect blacks are not a novelty when it comes to OLED. But, C8 still manages to thrill with its performance in this field.
And with the Alpha 9 built-in chip, there’s almost no noise. So, with such black level details and the amount of light noise, this model would do very well in a darker environment.
Crisp and Sharp Image
Sharpness is as good as it gets with OLED models. That’s where Alpha 9 chip does its wonders. The result is a splendidly crisp image.
With 4K resolution, you’d be hard-pressed to find a sharper picture on any other LG OLED. But this sharpness remains intact even when watching different resolutions. The edges seem well-defined without traces of noise. On a related matter, learn more about some of the best performing 4K projectors out there.
Struggles With Motion Handling
One area where LG falls behind on is motion handling. It has never been a strong suit for LG, at least when compared to competitors.
Although some improvements are noticeable, they can still be significantly better.
Where other models offer a smooth, uninterrupted motion, C8 has a slightly noticeable image shaking. To get the best results in fast-paced movies or sports events, you should fiddle around with TruMotion mode.
It should solve the problem and make the picture flow naturally. However, it might take you some time to adjust it, so make sure you have the time and the will to deal with that.
But, to be fair, things have improved with this model, so you could be satisfied with what C8 has to offer in this field.
Low Input Lag in Game Mode
On the other hand, C8 works exceptionally well with video games. It is still one of the best options if you’re seriously into gaming.
When you are in standard mode, input lag won’t be good enough for you to play serious games (91.7 ms). So, don’t even consider that mode!
However, if you try the Game mode out, you’ll be shocked how far down the input lag can go. Its 21.1 ms prove to be fabulous for gaming, without any glitches.
Speaking of modes, there’s a plethora of those available. For almost any purpose and occasion.
Standard and Cinema Mode - Your Best Options
If you want to get better contrast, maybe your best option would be Standard or Vivid modes. To be honest, in most cases, your primary choice will be Standard mode.
The vivid mode works really well and looks truly captivating with HDR content. This mode employs most of the brightness and contrasts this TV has to offer.
Then there’s Cinema mode, which lowers both contrast and brightness. Actually, there are three modes: Cinema, Cinema Home and Technicolor Expert.
Of those three, the second one is probably the most enjoyable.
However, in the end, you could not only get by but also get great results with just two modes: Standard and Cinema. In fact, you could switch between the two, depending on the time of the day.
You could use Standard during the day, or with the lights on, while you could use the Cinema mode when it’s dark. Standard mode offers more brightness, while on the other hand, Cinema mode adds warmth.
Features
One of the great things about this TV is that it is packed with a variety of features that make it an enhanced version of the previous model.
In fact, the LG C8 is so filled with features that it sometimes can be a bit too much. The webOS can be overstuffed with some features that are not so essential for the user, which can prove to be inconvenient.
LG has been responsible for its own software and its development over the years. This means they had full control over the improvement of the WebOS, making it more user-friendly and intuitive with each new product.
Now the WebOS is one of the best TV operating systems on the market.
Freeview Tuner
The LG C8 OLED has a couple of tuners inside it: Freeview and satellite. Also, there’s a variety of catch-up TV available, like BBC iPlayer, Now TV, ITV Player, and Rakuten TV.
At the bottom of the screen, some tabs allow you to use some of the most in-demand apps, like Amazon or Netflix.
ThinQ AI
One of the coolest features this TV has to offer is its artificial intelligence - ThinQ AI. It is an advanced system that lets you manage your TV with the help of voice commands.
Granted, it won’t bring anything spectacular to the TV watching experience. You could maybe browse the channels or adjust some of the settings with your voice. You can use an integrated microphone in the Magic remote to activate picture settings by voice command.
But for now, it’s likely you won’t use this option that much. Then again, it’s nice to have such a choice and to see that TV manufacturers are moving in that direction.
Sound
When you have such a thin TV, you simply cannot expect to fit any large speakers into it. Likewise, it’s hard to get it to deliver a decent sound output.
The engineers at LG managed to work around that. By installing a wide, curved stand, they succeeded in redirecting the sound to the viewer.
Fairly Decent Audio
By doing that, they managed to get the C8 to perform much better in audio terms than most of the other slim TVs. When we talk about the bass, it would be best not to expect too much from it, since it is fairly diminished and limited.
LG decided to include Dolby Atmos to most of its high-quality models, which helps in creating a much more engaging audio experience. However, keep in mind that the C8’s built-in speakers can get you only so far.
If you want to get a more immersive sound, you might want to consider investing in a set of speakers or a quality home theater system.
In Conclusion
What LG does exceptionally well is building upon the structure of previous models. They don’t want to change just for the sake of changing.
That’s why the LG C8 OLED does not differ too much from its predecessor. But, it’s undoubtedly an improvement.
This model is able to produce some astonishing results, with beautiful details, rich 4K imagery, and overall smooth and flawless performance.
Undeniably, this is one of the best OLED TVs available out there.
My name is Steve Scott. Father of 2 and owner of Outdoor Movie HQ. I’ve been involved in the A/V industry for most of my life and built this blog to help people better understand projector technology. Please leave a comment if you have any questions.