LG has delivered a standout product with its new C8 OLED TV. It’s a standout because it is brilliant both in design and the quality of the experience it provides and a standout because it sets itself apart from any other TV on the market.
Just take one look at the TV – even before you’ve pressed the on button on the remote – and you’ll be impressed.
LG has cracked the code on successfully producing OLED TV panels and now supplies the world.
LG Displays actually provides the screens for the other OLED TVs on the market sold by Sony and Panasonic.
And among the many strengths of OLED is the fact that it does not need a backlight.
The result is an incredibly thin screen. In the case of the C8, the display is the thickness of a $2 coin.
At the base of the screen you’ll find the TV gets thicker to fit in the circuitry and inputs (there are four HDMI inputs and three USB ports).
The LG C8 can rest on an entertainment unit using the stand or mounted on the wall.
Either way it makes an impressive addition to the modern home.
The TV has super thin barely noticeable bezels so there’s nothing to distract viewers from the remarkable picture quality.
So even before we turned the C8 on for the first time, we were mesmerized.
And when we did switch on the TV we were blown away.
Another advantage of OLED is its ability to produce unbeatable blacks – a hard task for any flatscreen TV with a backlight.
But because the OLED doesn’t have a backlight displaying true black is even easier. And from true black you can also see a stunning range of colour as well.
In fact, the display can generate more than a billion rich colours.
Yet it’s more than just the OLED format that contributes to the brilliant picture quality viewers will see with the LG C8.
Also sharing the heavy lifting is LG’s brand-new Alpha 9 processor which is responsible for image performance, upscaling and colour refinement.
For our review, we put the C8 through its paces watching 4K on disc and streamed on Netflix as well as YouTube, catch-up TV and Foxtel.
For 4K viewing, the C8 was a knockout.
The best result we had was watching 4K UHD discs which delivered pristine image quality, incredible colour and accuracy and contrast like we’ve never seen on another television.
Also on board is HDR (high dynamic range) with Dolby Vision.
Dolby Vision enhances the various gradations of contrast from bright all the way through the dark.
There’s plenty of Dolby Vision content which can be found on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
4K movies to religious action Apple TV are also Dolby Vision compatible so there’s plenty of choices of content to really showcase what this amazing television can do.
The TV can also handle HDR 10 content as well.
Another function of the Alpha 9 processor is smoothing out the image especially when watching sport or other fast paced action.
The TV passed with flying colours when we were watching action movies and sport on both Foxtel and on free to air TV.
There was virtually no motion blur will able to enjoy the action without interruption.
The Alpha 9 processor is also good at noise reduction which means upscaling the image and reducing the grainy look.
During our review, this was most evident when watching HD free to air TV which looked better than ever.
Even Foxtel Now seem to have added sharpness and brightness while we were watching it on the LG C8 OLED TV.
Bottom line – the picture quality on the LG C8 is second to none.
Another feature worth noting is the audio quality. The TV has 40 W of output through a two-way four speaker (two high-mid range and two woofers) set-up that’s built in to this super thin panel.
On board the C8 is Dolby Atmos sound. And that’s not with the addition of a sound bar – that’s what you get from the television itself.
When watching Dolby Atmos content on 4K disc and on Netflix you’ll hear sounds coming from all directions including above you. And they’re all coming from the TV – it’s just remarkable.
Taking an even deeper look into the TV’s abilities and you’ll find LG’s Artificial Intelligence ThinQ which allows the viewer to interact with the TV using your voice.
Now voice control is nothing new but LG has added Natural Language Processing which means you can talk to the TV as you would a person without having to use designated phrases and commands.
For example, you can ask the TV “do I need an umbrella today” and it will respond with the weather in your area.
Or you might say “I can’t hear the TV” and the TVs volume will increase automatically.
You can even specify a level of volume is well on the TV will adjust itself accordingly.
Viewers can also ask for content.
When we asked to see movies starring Sylvester Stallone – the LG C8 OLED displayed a range of choices that were available through Netflix.
Over time we expect the service to improve and include other streaming services.
Now to use voice control you have to press the button on the remote when you speak and it takes a few seconds to process.
If you wanted to adjust the volume, for example, you’re already holding the remote control and can do it in half the time it would take the ThinQ AI to react.
This reaction time could also have something to do with our own internet connection, which has been spotty of late, and may have played a part in the slower reaction time.
But overall, the ThinQ AI is an exciting addition that is only going to get better with time.
Another great feature of the LG C8 TV is the webOS operating system which is really easy to navigate and put everything within reach including streaming services, all of your inputs and settings.
The last thing a customer wants is a confusing menu system to navigate the TV.
LG has once again delivered with the latest version of webOS which is one of the best TV operating systems we’ve used.
The LG C8 OLED TV is available in three sizes – 77-inch ($14,999), 65-inch ($6,399) and 55-inch ($4,099).
VERDICT
The LG C8 OLED TV is one of the finest TVs money can buy with remarkable picture quality, superb audio and built-in AI. If you are shopping around for a TV that ticks all the boxes and delivers a fantastic experience, you can’t do better than the LG C8.
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