Expert review of the LG C3 OLED EVO TV

LG has improved the OLED Evo technology this year. As a result, the latest OLED TVs display a bright image with vibrant colors. When I first look at the C3, I directly notice the colors are brighter than with the slightly more affordable B3 OLED TV. The green of trees in a landscape is very bright, but not in an unrealistic way. I still see a lot of color details and different shades of green.

The bright image of the OLED Evo technology also ensures a wide color gamut. Because there's an even greater difference between light and dark with this TV, there's more room for subtle color tones. When I watch footage of people skydiving, I can really see this in the blue sky. The image doesn't just contain a couple of shades of blue, but shows a natural transition between all kinds of subtle shades of blue. As a result, the image looks very realistic.

Not all the images you'll watch have a clear blue sky, so dark images have to look realistic too. Thanks to the OLED technology, the contrast is very strong and black really looks black. That's because all the pixels light up and dim individually with this technology. I view an image with a black car driving through a dark tunnel. The black shadows are deep black instead of gray, while the reflecting red lights are very bright. This difference between light and dark really makes dark images look lifelike.

Another advantage of OLED: the viewing angle is always very good. That's because the light sources are located close to the screen surface. When I look at the TV at an angle, I still see vibrant colors and a strong contrast. This is especially useful if you like to watch TV with multiple people, like a soccer game with your friends. Thanks to the high brightness, I barely notice any reflections on the screen.

If the image is great, you want the sound to be great too. Thanks to the 4 speakers and the subwoofer, the C3 has quite a rich sound. During a racing game, I clearly hear the bass tones of the motor, but also the treble of a car that passes me. I do miss the real bass, and the sound doesn't sound very spacious. It's clear the sound is coming from the TV itself. For an immersive viewing experience, I recommend an external soundbar.

Because each pixel is a light source on its own, OLED screens are very thin. The screen of the C3 isn't even 1cm thick. This looks both special and stylish. Yet, the TV doesn't hang tightly against the wall. The back of the TV has a plastic casing in the center. This is where you can find the brain of the TV and all the connectors. Do you prefer to put the TV down? The C3 has a sleek, silver stand in the center of the bottom.

Again, all LG televisions of this year have the Magic Remote. What's so magical about this remote? When you point towards the screen with this device, a cursor will appear. You can use it to navigate through the menu smoothly and easily. You might have to get used to it, but this is quite easy in my opinion. The remote still has many buttons, in case you want to use it the old-fashioned way.

The webOS smart menu looks even sleeker this year. On the home screen, I still see a row of popular apps like Netflix and Disney+. I see something new above. A row of larger tiles with a theme, like home office, game, or sports. These are separate menus with all the useful functions for a specific theme. For example, the gaming menu shows your connected console and settings suitable for your games. That way, you're sure to set up the TV properly.