LG 65-inch class OLED Evo C2 Series Review in 2023

Features of LG 65-inch class OLED Evo c2 series

• WebOS smart platform
• Game Optimizer
• Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support

At the heart of the C2 is the up-to-the-minute iteration of LG's webOS platform. It's well served with all the streaming services you'd want, containing Netflix, Now, Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Disney+, and comes neatly incorporated with Freeview Play so all the mainstream catch-up players (BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, My5, and UKTV Play) are within easy reach. There's also provision for AirPlay 2, making it really simple to acquire content off of your iPhone and onto the big screen. You won't speedily run out of things to watch.

From a smart home perspective, the C2 is well-matched with AI assistants, like LG's own ThinQ, but it will also work with Google Assistant, Apple Homekit or Alexa, so it doesn't require to stand solo, it can be incorporated into your smart home.

For gamer's there's the Game Optimizer, a enthusiastic consumer interface which gathers composed assorted relevant info, containing selectable game genre image presets. Latency is reassuringly low - we measured input lag at 13.1ms with 1080/60 content.

Design

• Screen sizes: 42in, 48in, 55in, 65in, 77in, 83in
• 4x HDMI 2.1, 3x USB
• Revised ultra-slim design

The LG c2 series 65-inch class OLED Evo is accessible in an extensive range of sizes, from 42 up to 83 inches. While the precursor to this model - the LG C1 OLED - started at 48 inches, the new lesser size possibly shows that there's an augmented appetite for this level of quality on a smaller screen.

It's characterized by LG as an Evo display, and syndicates the company's powerful new Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor with LG Display's latest OLED panel design. This comprises the rather novel Brightness Boosting technology, which is encompassed in all C2 TVs over 55 inches (more on that later). The C2 is almost alarmingly slim. It utilizes a newly developed compound backing material which meaningfully decreases overall weight that is good news if you need to wall mount. It also comes with an applied central pedestal stand.

Connectivity is class leading. All four HDMI inputs are 4K 120fps ready, and HDMI 2 is eARC/ARC enabled, for routing audio to an exterior soundbar. That would be a worthy idea, as the C2's built-in audio provision is best described as routine, with a downward firing stereo speaker array.

There's also an optical digital audio output, a trio of USBs, plus Ethernet, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. VRR support covers HDMI VRR, NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, and there is ALLM (Auto Low Latency mode) is standard. LG's individual Magic Remote control has been downsized here, making it an easier wand top to wield. It works the same way as before, guiding an on screen cursor, and features devoted buttons for Netflix, Disney+, Rakuten TV and Prime Video. There are also shortcuts for Google Assistant.

Performance

• 3840 x 2160 pixels, Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby Atmos, HDR10 Pro, HLG, Filmmaker Mode
• A9 Gen 5 AI processor
• Brightness boosting technology
• 4K 120fps compatible

The LG c2 series 65-inch class OLED Evo smart TV OLED65C2PUA Brightness Booster feature helps the C2 carry the brightness that OLED tech is commonly lacking, is really algorithm based, and works hand in glove with LG's a9 Gen 5 processor. By smartly investigating images in real time, the C2 is able to through surplus energy away from the darker zones of the picture to any bright highlights that might advantage - and it works. In specific, it really aids to lift scenes which feature features of high brightness set against a dark background.

Recall, the two smaller C2 screen sizes, 48 and 42-inches, do not value from this brightness bump. That's because the pixel pitch on these sets is too minor to create a comparable uplift.

The screen's HDR performance is good enough, though it's not in the same ballpark as some of its rivals. We dignified HDR highlights at around 810 nits that is an improvement on last year's C1 model. Disputably more prominently, the set appears to like a higher average picture level, which aids all types of content. Whites commonly look brighter, blues are more glowing and those HDR peaks have patent sparkle.

Picture presets are the normal mixed bag. Both Natural and Eco work well with most types of telly, while Sports and Vivid are correspondingly unwatchable; they oversaturate with impunity. The set looks its best with Cinema Home that is triggered by Dolby Vision content. It's cinematic without being excessively dull. You can also choose for Filmmaker Mode which lifts mid-tone luminance without forgoing shadow detail, but is flatter in contrast.

One area where LG has obviously improved is motion handling. New to the brand's TruMotion smoothing choices is Cinematic Movement, which utilizes exclamation techniques that don't curse movies with the dreaded 'soap opera' effect. It's excellent. Cinematic Movement cunningly uses content exploration and frame-merging to combat judder. The ratio between actual and inserted frames is biased toward the original frames, thereby evading that over-processed look.

HDR compatibility covers Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10 and HLG, and HGiG gaming standard. There's no HDR10+ support, as used by Prime Video. This may not be much of a negotiation, as even Amazon appears to be moving away from it with Netflix full embracing Dolby Vision as customary.

Sound

LG c2 series 65-inch class OLED Evo gallery edition has slightly kicked to foray the right balance with the sound of its C-series TVs but the C2, while still not seamless, is definitely a step in the right direction. Last year’s sets were level but bland, and the C2’s pithier, more attacking supply is a definite improvement. It creates the TV a more appealing and exciting listen.

Awkwardly, there’s a slight rattle from the speaker cabinet when the set is dared by the loud bassy thumps at the opening of Blade Runner 2049 and throughout the flight into LA at the start of the second chapter. This is far less marked than it was with 2020’s CX TV, but it’s an issue that 2021’s C1 didn’t have, signifying LG is yet to find evenness between enthusiasm and easy listening.

C2 is still a sound upgrade on last year’s LG OLEDs, offering a more dependable sound with better projected voices. It’s commonly smoother and cleaner but with more punch and vitality than before, and there’s more weight, too, but with undoubted incorporation with the rest of the distribution rather than a lump of bass that appears from nowhere as it does with many TVs like Sony X95K 85 inch.

Picture

C2 is truly even better in picture footings than last year’s outstanding G1. The improvements are most obvious when playing Dolby Vision content, which is clearly optimistic on the new C2. There’s strikingly more punch to the whole image, which pops much more efficiently, and there’s provocatively greater contrast and dark detail. Crucially, there’s no down side, either. There’s nothing artificial to the image – it’s lifted, but obviously, with no detriment to the colours or black depth.

These changes are most marked in the Dolby Vision Bright mode, that is the one to use if there’s ambient light in the room or if you simply escalate the punchier approach but the C2 is also the better TV when the even truer Dolby Vision Dark preset is selected, upholding the authenticity of the image while skimpy more shadow detail and providing brighter highlights.

Watching No Time to Die in HDR10, the good news remains. While less understandable than with Dolby Vision content, the C2 is still an even better performer than the G1, with the degree of the upgrades varying somewhat founded on the particular preset. You can compare it with Samsung QN90B 85 inch TV.

Conclusion

The LG 65-inch class OLED Evo c2 series is an epic of an OLED screen. The new brighter panel makes for a dependably rewarding watch, even in rooms with comparatively high ambient light, and its dynamics and colour subtleties are stress-free to appreciate. Where the C2 really bargains a march on its competitors is its gaming prowess. With a complete complement of high spec HDMI inputs, and exceptional High Frame Rate performance, this is the OLED panel to weary if you need a 4K HDR TV for next-gen gaming. Generally, the LG C2 can be measured a top-flight 4K TV, and a good choice for both movie lovers and gamers. It comes highly suggested. You can also find 85 inch TV black Friday deals on Walmart.