LG C1 55 inch 4K Smart OLED TV,2019

Product Information

The C1 doesn’t feature the OLED Evo panel marketing that the G1 does and as such LG claims it is not as bright with HDR and doesn’t feature the slightly wider colour gamut capabilities. Internet rumours have suggested that the C1 does in fact have the same panel as the G1 but it is downgraded via the software in the processor.

The LG OLED55C1 is a superb gaming TV with excellent contrast and dynamic range mixed with very good HDR. The C1 is compatible with VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and has an HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) setting under the Dynamic Tone Mapping sub-menu in the Game Optimiser mode. There is also support for G-Sync validated by NVIDIA and on top of that, there is support for AMD’s FreeSync VRR. LG has partnered with NVIDIA and AMD to make LG OLED TVs the only G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync™ Premium certified TVs available to date. There is also a new Game Optimiser set up menu and there are four HDMI 2.1 (40 Gbps) inputs with support for 4K/120, HFR (High Frame Rate), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and eARC. We also have HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) settings available for HDR gaming. The processor recognises voices, sounds, and frequencies by learning from more than 17 million audio data points, allowing it to adjust sound by genre for a more immersive experience.

Conclusion

AI Picture Pro and AI Sound Pro harness artificial intelligence to stunning effect. AI Picture Pro uses deep-learning algorithms to recognise content, remove noise and optimise the picture. AI Sound Pro leans from more than 17 million audio data points, identifying voices, effects and frequencies. From here, it optimises the sound by genre, giving a more natural sound quality.

Sports Alert sends you notifications prior to, during, and after games. You'll never have to worry about missing any of your favourite teams' big plays, even if you're watching something else.Moving to the video processing of the α9 Gen4 AI-enhanced processor, we found the upscaling was excellent with no issues seen at all from 576i, 1080i and 1080p content scaled to the panel resolution. Lines were straight and clean with no edge enhancement or ringing and there were no artefacts present. The LG produces clean and crisp upscaled images, but at the same time it can’t solve issues with really poor SD channels, but why would you have a 4K TV if you still watch channels like that? Motion blur is reduced by advanced motion handling technology, resulting in smoother action and a crisper viewing experience. Even in a fast-paced sport, notice the minute and subtle details of each play. There is a new motion setting in the TruMotion menu called Cinematic Movement, which replaces Cinema Clear from last year. The purpose of this setting is to add interpolation smoothing in such a way that there is no obvious Soap Opera Effect (SOE), for those who don’t like or see 24fps judder. It aims to create a judder-free image by prioritising as many real frames as possible and blending these with created frames to improve the motion smoothness. I am susceptible to seeing interpolation at any strength, so it is not a setting I could live with day-to-day, but many users will like the smoothing without SOE or motion looking overly processed. With TruMotion switched off I also didn’t notice any frame skipping issues present with 50Hz broadcast material, even those programmes with fast-moving cuts looked smooth with no obvious issues. With the other settings which use more smoothing and SOE, there are obvious artefacts when motion gets fast, with edges breaking up or trailing behind fast-moving objects. The LG C1 is a 4K (3,840 x 2,160) HDR smart TV and is the most affordable OLED from LG to feature the company’s advanced Alpha 9 Gen 4 processor. You can buy the C1 in 48in, 55in, 65in and 77in screen sizes, and a massive 83in screen size is set to join the lineup later this year. For this review, LG sent me the LG C1 65in, also known as the OLED65C16LA.

Upgrading on the more basic LG OLED TVs, this LG 55 inch TV features a premium 100Hz/120Hz panel. Refreshing at twice the rate of standard TVs gives smoother motion, greater detail and much improved game play – especially with the latest games consoles. Dolby Vision IQ intelligently adjusts visual settings based on content genre and ambient surrounds, while Dolby Atmos offers multi-dimensional surround sound, resulting in breathtakingly cinematic effects. The Rec.709 results took a little bit more care to balance out the errors we had without using too much processing power within the corrections. If you push the Colour Management System on any LG too hard, you can get lovely looking graphs, but major posterisation errors and artefacts with actual viewing material onscreen. So some care is required when making adjustments. However, we did manage to get a very accurate looking gamut result with most points at 75% and below where they should be and DeltaE errors well under three, which means there are no visible errors seen. HDR Results The deep-learning algorithm analyses content, reduces noise, and optimises picture quality using a massive library of over one million visual data points. Confusingly, there are three versions of the LG C1 in the UK: the C16LA reviewed here, the C14LB and the C15LA. The latter is exclusive to Currys PC World, while the remaining two will be split between all the other retailers. The C14LB has a dark grey rear panel, with the other two using white, but otherwise, all three TVs are identical in terms of specifications, picture quality and features.

Design, Connection and Control

Widely regarded as one of the best Smart TV platforms, LG’s webOS system continues to set the standard. The latest webOS 22 offers improved personalisation and recommendations. You can create up to six personalised profiles, with individual viewing suggestions, sport alerts and app lists. In terms of gaming, LG has partnered with NVIDIA and AMD to make LG OLED TVs the only G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync™ Premium certified TVs available to date. There is also the new Game Optimiser set up menu and there are four HDMI 2.1 (40Gbps) inputs with support for 4K/120, HFR (High Frame Rate), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and eARC. We also have HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) settings available for HDR gaming. So all in all, the C1 is an excellent choice for gaming, with an input lag measured at 12.5ms in 4K/60 and 9.5ms using the Prevent Input Delay setting (make sure you have Just Scan on in the aspect ratio menu).