Review: LG C3 OLED

I had a miserable time setting up LG’s 65-inch C3 OLED TV. The long and short of it is that LG TVs don’t play nicely with networks like mine by default. It was a frustrating situation, but maybe the biggest lesson learned is that when a TV looks this great, I’m terrible at holding a grudge.

Like the C2 before it, the C3 uses LG’s Evo panel technology to help it get a lot brighter than OLED TVs from just a few years back. It’s still not the brightest OLED in its price class—that title goes to Samsung’s impressive S90C—but that doesn’t take away from its sensational performance. With sparkling HDR highlights, dashing contrast and shadow detail, and rich, naturalistic colors, the C3 won my heart.

I’m still not in love with its webOS smart system, and my setup woes didn’t help, but LG’s second-tier OLED remains one of the best in the business. With performance so good, this TV is worth some hassle.

From TVs to smart speakers, today’s modern network devices make setup a relative breeze, letting you skip the headaches and move on to the good stuff. LG’s C3 brought me back to the bad old days of miscues and missed connections, fumbling through a litany of setup failures.

Through four resets and power cycles, the TV continuously claimed it was connected to my network. Yet, when I tried to launch apps or open the app store, the connection failed and/or told me to log in to my account, creating a feedback loop of system errors.

Finally, after a video call with LG, we were able to get the TV properly connected by changing its DNS IP Address from my network’s default address to Google’s (8.8.8.8). LG said my DNS IP address being the same as my Gateway IP address caused the issue, though I’ve had no such network trouble outside of LG TVs.

Doing some more research online, it appears this is a rare but not wholly uncommon LG issue that can occur when everything is set to automatic, so if you come across it, you may need to manually change your TV’s DNS server. I’ve reached out to LG for more info about why this is the case, and will update this review when possible.

It was relatively smooth sailing after that, but webOS still lags behind my favorite TV interfaces from Roku and Google TV, and even Samsung’s Tizen in some ways. The setup engine, even when working properly, is clunky. The home screen is as loaded with junk ads as anything out there. The app store is similarly crowded and difficult to navigate, and apps seem to require more updates than other systems.

I do appreciate webOS’s advances over the years, including conveniences added to keep up with the competition, like the ability to log in to apps on your phone and arrange them by most recently used. The response is also a fair bit snappier than my LG C1 and other TVs I’ve evaluated, and settings are easier to locate than Samsung’s Tizen, making it a decent enough daily driver. Of course, if you don’t love it, you can always add a streaming stick or box.

Assembling the C3’s hardware is relatively simple. While it took a while to get all the screws in place, I love the look of its pedestal stand. The main panel is slightly thicker than that of rivals like the S90C and Sony’s A80L, but I actually prefer the more robust build. Unlike those models, I was never worried about bending the display when moving it or hoisting it on my console. The panel’s backside sports a distinctive, uniform design with soft ridges and a slick punch-out cabinet for the circuitry.

You’ll find slightly fancier designs in flagships like Samsung’s S95C (8/10, WIRED Recommends), which offers slimmer bezels and a uniform design thanks to the One Connect box that harbors all the inputs and connects over a single cable. But make no mistake: The C3 is a premium display that looks the part.

One spot still in need of updating is the remote. Where Samsung has redesigned its tiny remote for intuitive control, even adding solar power with a USB-C backup for its top models, LG’s bulky magic remote has remained essentially unchanged for years. It works well enough, but it would be nice to see some evolution there.

When it comes to usability, the C3’s strong mix of gaming and home theater features equates to a stellar entertainment centerpiece, whatever you’re into.

On the gaming side, all four HDMI 2.1 inputs support 4K content at up to 120-Hz frame rates, as well as gaming extras like VRR (variable refresh rate) and ALLM (auto low latency mode) with next-gen consoles. Switching on the Game Optimizer makes it easy for serious gamers to control settings on the fly, while the gaming hub offers built-in cloud gaming from services like Amazon Luna and GeForce Now.

Samsung’s S90C provides a few more gaming options, including frame rates up to 144 Hz and, for Xbox fans, direct access to Xbox cloud gaming over Game Pass, but its feature list still falls short in one key area: Dolby Vision.

Unlike Samsung TVs, the C3 supports all the main flavors of HDR (High Dynamic Range) content, including HLG, HDR10, and Dolby Vision. That makes it more versatile for 4K content, especially streaming titles. In place of Dolby Vision, Samsung TVs support the other premium HDR version, HDR10+, which uses similar metadata to adjust on the fly. However, it’s not as widely used as Dolby’s format.

The C3 naturally includes HDMI eARC/ARC to pass high-resolution audio from connected devices to your TV, and unlike the C2, it supports DTS audio, making it a great pick for those with a hefty Blu-ray collection.

With different picture modes for SDR (Standard Dynamic Range), HDR, and Dolby Vision content, and dozens of different settings within each, locking in your favorite picture settings for modern 4K TVs can be daunting. Luckily, the C3 makes things relatively simple with easy access to settings and cinema modes that look great right out of the box.

As someone who mostly watches in moderate lighting, I settled with the Expert Daytime mode for SDR (the same as I use with my LG C1) and Cinema Mode for HDR. For Dolby Vision content I used Cinema Home mode, which is slightly brighter than Cinema, and digs up more shadow detail. I made a few tweaks to each mode, including turning off all noise reduction settings and adjusting the contrast for SDR, but I didn’t have to do much.

Refined, artistic, confident, just plain gorgeous. All these apply to the C3’s picture quality, which is crafted with impressive perfectionism to squeeze the best out of everything you watch. Prized for its perfect black levels and incredible contrast thanks to the ability to turn on or off each pixel individually, OLED is the preferred display format for videophiles, and the C3 once again proves LG’s prowess there.

OLED’s biggest knock has long been its lack of brightness when compared to premium LED TVs that use a separate backlight, but an array of new technologies helps even the playing field. Samsung’s S90C uses a layer of quantum dots (dubbed QD-OLED), which improves both the brightness and color volume, while LG’s Evo panel tech has similarly brightened the picture for both SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) and HDR content. Both options are punchier overall than Sony’s rival A80L.

The C3’s peak brightness can’t quite match the S90C (let alone pricier flagships), but the difference is minimal, only noticeable in the sharpest HDR highlights like sunlight sparkling on the water. Colors are also a bit less showy, but still lovely, and the C3 revealed better shadow detail than both the S90C and the A80L in my testing, excelling in even the dimmest scenes like The Mandalorian’s “Mines of Mandalor” episode. When combined with the C3’s anti-reflective screen, you get a brilliant picture in any light.

The TV is also adept at motion handling even with the most challenging content, thanks in part to its Cinematic Movement setting. While I usually can’t stand motion smoothing due to the dreaded “soap opera” effect it can create, LG’s setting is mild yet effective, helping it avoid much of the stuttering that can affect OLED displays in certain shots.

Tech aside, I found myself smitten with the TV from the moment I first cued up Stranger Things in 4K Dolby Vision. From the golden highlights of Max’s red locks to the enameled glint of her brother’s electric-blue Trans Am, I was mesmerized by the C3’s rich glow right out of the gate.

Samsung’s S90C is a fantastic TV that provides slightly better brightness and gaming spoils, while last year’s subtly inferior C2 could potentially save you some cash. Otherwise, if you’re looking for one of the best premium screens for your money, the C3 is tough to beat.