TECHWEEK
Should I buy LG C3, or without waiting for the start of sales, buy LG C2 OLED at a cheaper price? What is the difference between LG C3 and LG C2 OLED? What’s new in LG C3 TVs? According to LG, the C series is the most popular of LG’s OLED TVs year after year. The LG C1 OLED was the best-selling OLED TV of 2021, and last year’s LG C2 OLED was LG’s best-selling OLED TV of 2022.
If you’re planning to buy an LG OLED TV in 2023, there’s a good chance you’re looking at the new LG C3. However, before shelling out a hefty sum of money for the latest and greatest OLED, it’s worth knowing the differences between the LG C3 and C2 first.
That is, last year’s TV and its 2023 receiver. After the CES 2023 exhibition, it became known that there are definitely differences between these two series. But the question is different. How important is this difference between the LG C3 and C2 to most buyers? Below is a list of similarities and major differences.
LG C3 and C2 – differences
webOS 23 vs webOS 22
Although the latest version of webOS is not much different from the one we saw in last year’s LG TV series, this version has several exclusive advantages. One of these benefits is a new picture mode tailored to the user’s preferences.
When a user activates webOS 23 for the first time, they will be shown a series of images with varying brightness, color saturation, and contrast. The user himself will choose which of these images he likes best.
The processor will then create its own picture mode to reflect this choice. Other improvements relate to user profiles, which LG showcased in 2022. They are designed to improve recommendations and allow you to have accounts for children.
Alpha a9 Gen 6 vs Alpha a9 Gen 5
The software changes slightly, but the hardware of 2023 TVs will be greatly improved thanks to the new Alpha a9 Gen 6 processor for video processing. The new processor not only provides improved scaling and motion processing.
It delivers a noticeable boost in brightness with its smart ability to separate the foreground and background of images and make adjustments on the fly based on where your eye is focused. In addition, the processor allows you to use the AI Sound Pro mode, which converts the TV’s basic 40W 2.2-channel sound system into virtual 9.1.2 surround sound.
Such a transformation existed in last year’s series. But there was 7.1.2 virtual surround sound. In other words, the AI Sound Pro technology featured in the C3 is a nice addition, but it’s limited by the built-in speakers. This good news will be appreciated only by those who do not use an external surround sound solution .
Price
So far, LG has not released any pricing information for the new LG C3 OLED series. Most likely, C3 will appear on the shelves of European stores at the beginning of the second quarter. However, based on previous years, there is a very strong possibility that the LG C3 OLED will be sold at the same prices as the LG C2 , which launched almost a year ago.
Prices for LG C2 have already been reduced, and by the summer, based on previous experience, they may become even lower. If price is the most important factor, then the C2 OLED will be the best buy in 2023, no matter how good the new processor and webOS 23 are.
OLED panel
In this section, things start to lean in favor of not upgrading to the LG C3 OLED if the user has already bought the LG C2. First, both TVs use the same OLED panel. The new 3rd generation OLED panels from LG Display with OLED MLA panel will not be used in the new LG C3. While LG says the new lighting algorithm changes create perceptual brightness changes, the maximum peak brightness is still the same for both TVs.
Design and dimensions
In terms of design, the C3 is very similar to the C2. Both TVs are really very thin and look great. To improve the built-in sound of the new LG C3, LG offers the soundbar to be flush with the wall. It will look like a stylish addition. Since both the LG C2 OLED and LG C3 OLED have almost the same design, both series will have the same dimensions.
Namely, there will be 42-inch, 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch and 83-inch versions. LG has said that a 93-inch LG 93OLEDC3 could be coming in 2023. If it does appear, it will not happen until spring, when smaller models will appear.
Game Mode
When it comes to gaming, LG TVs consistently perform well. We already know that the C3 will have a lightning-fast 0.1ms response time, extremely low input lag, and 4x HDMI 2.1 ports. This is all, of course, good news. On the other hand, its predecessor LG C2 is equipped with almost the same.
The LG C3 will once again feature a 120Hz refresh rate, which is perfect for current generation TVs and consoles. However, PC monitors are slowly moving to 240Hz, which TVs don’t have.
LG C3 vs C2. So what’s better
C3 has a slightly more updated version of webOS. This won’t result in any particularly drastic changes, but will allow you to quickly and easily create your own picture mode once you’ve adjusted it. The main performance difference comes from the upgraded C3 hardware.
The new LG Alpha a9 Gen 6 processor means improved scaling and motion processing. In addition, the all-new AI Sound Pro is capable of converting a basic 40W 2.2-channel TV sound system into impressive 9.1.2 virtual surround sound.
Considering how limited the differences between the two models are and how much their price tags differ at launch, we can conclude that it is most likely not worth switching to the LG C3 OLED at launch. The price of the LG C3 may drop on Cyber Monday or Black Friday 2023.
It is then that the original judgment can change. In other words, the LG C3 is undeniably an improvement on its C2 predecessor, but its improvements are not so significant that the C2 is no longer a viable purchase option.
