Since its announcement at CES 2022, there has been a lot of interest around the LG C2 OLED – especially how it stacks up against its predecessor, the LG C1 OLED.
The C1 won the 2021 Best TV Awards in technology releases (including Docrador), but many were reluctant to do so once the new model caught the wind. March was coming.
The LG C2 OLED is a bit brighter than the LG C1 OLED (it does) and the LG C2 OLED is slightly brighter and has a new processor inside (again, all true) but now the LG C2 OLED is here, however, and finally both can be put in a fair fight against each other .
To help you decide which one is best for you, we have compiled our thoughts on both TVs so that you can decide what is best for you in terms of price and performance.
LG C2 VS LG C1: Prices and Sizes
Considering that C2 is a direct successor to C1 OLED, you will notice a lot of similarities in terms of price and size. For example, the only big difference in terms of size between the two TVs is that the C2 OLED is now 42 inches smaller than the 48-inch OLED TV we saw last year.
It is worth noting that smaller sizes of LG C2 OLED this year use panels from last year, not the new Evo panels. That will change by the end of June when LG says it will reach its production targets – but you should avoid the low-level C2 OLED until Evo panels are available now.
Here is the breakdown between the two models in terms of price:
- 42-inch OLED42C2PUA $ 1,399 / £ 1,399 (approximately AU $ 1,800)
- 48-inch OLED48C2PUA $ 1,499 / £ 1,399 (approximately AU $ 1,960)
- 55-inch OLED55C2PUA $ 1,799 / £ 1,898 (approximately AU $ 2,350)
- 65-inch OLED65C2PUA $ 2,499 / £ 2,699 (approximately AU $ 3,270)
- 77-inch OLED77C1PUA $ 3,499 / £ 3,699 (approximately AU $ 4,590)
- 83-inch OLED83C2PUA $ 5,499 / £ 5,499 (approximately AU $ 7,200)
Price for C1 OLED here:
- The 48-inch OLED48C1PUA is currently priced at $ 999 / £ 999 (approximately AU $ 1,960).
- The 55-inch OLED55C1PUA is currently priced at $ 1,099 / £ 1,199 (approximately AU $ 2,350)
- The 65-inch OLED65C1PUA is currently priced at $ 1,699 / £ 1,599 (approximately AU $ 3,270).
- The 77-inch OLED77C1PUA is currently priced at $ 2,699 / £ 2,699 (approximately AU $ 4,590)
- The 83-inch OLED83C2PUA is currently priced at $ 4,499 / 4,499 (approximately AU $ 7,200).
So what’s there to take here? The LG C1 OLED is a very cheap TV. You can usually save hundreds in C1 on an equivalent C2 OLED model – this will give you a bit of a perspective when we talk about the differences between the two screens below.
LG C2 VS LG G2: Design and Specifications
There are two main differences in terms of design between last year’s LG C1 OLED and this year’s new C2 model: the C2 uses the newer OLED Evo panels, which have a higher peak brightness – 20% higher than the C1 models – and it’s lighter, too. Brilliantly, this year’s 65-inch LG C2 model is 50% lighter than last year’s LG C1.
In our review of the C2 OLED, we argued that the extra brightness of the OLED Evo panel makes a big difference, and we stand in favor of it. Extra brightness means more vibrant colors and better HDR playback. In Filmmaker mode, you actually get more cinematic experience compared to C1.
However, when you look at the wider specifications of the two TVs, you will find that they are very similar. Both have excellent black levels and infinite variation, and each has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K / 120 input. For gamers, both have an input delay of less than 10ms, and both support key variants of VRR, including G-Sync and FreeSync Pro.
If you prefer a larger monitor-sized TV, the C2 comes in a smaller 42-inch size – perfect for a dorm or home office that wants to connect the best TV with a great gaming monitor. . The smallest size for the C1 is the 48-inch model, which is certainly not terrible, but saves an extra six inches of space.
Slightly different silicone inside the TVs. LG C2 uses the upgraded Alpha a9 Gen 5 processor, while last year’s C1 OLED used the Alpha a9 Gen 4. According to LG, Gen 5 makes it better to focus on the title of the film. The background, compared to the Gen 4 processor, and it uses a slightly different upgrade process, the company claims to perform better with less processing.
In practice, we can not say that we noticed a big improvement in performance between the two processors, so if you choose the older C1 model, you will not lose much.
LG C2 vs LG C1 OLED: Results
Since there are so many similarities between OLED TVs, it can be a bit difficult to determine in your mind which model is right for you. The good news, though, is that both C2 and C1 OLED are excellent TVs, so you can not go wrong. The two share similar features – and although the LG C2 is newer and has slightly better performance, they are more similar than different.
That is to say, we would say that the C2 is a great TV for perfect cinephils – those who truly care about the overall picture quality and want the best performance on the market. Extra brightness can make a big difference especially in HDR content and overall color vibrations.
The LG C1 OLED is still the best TV (otherwise we would not have given it a five star rating last year) but it is not perfect. It has a tough time dealing with direct sunlight due to its reflective glass screen, and it performs better in light-controlled rooms than a lot of ambient light – which means you don’t have to worry too much about C2.
If you do not care about the brightness level of your room and are not deeply concerned about performance specifications such as peak brightness, we consider it safe to save a little money for you by purchasing the LG C1 OLED without fear of losing too much. We do not advise against C2 OLED – but we would love to see some of the money you save on C1 go to a good soundbar.