When we think of premium TVs, OLED TVs are the first to come to mind. They are thin, they are elegant and have incredible picture quality unlike any other. However, one cannot deny they are expensive but prices have dropped recently. An entry-level OLED TV which once cost Rs. 3,00,000 or more, now costs less than Rs. 200,000. This may not have made OLEDs as cheap as LED TVs but they are where premium LED TVs used to be just a few years back.
The LG C9 is a premium OLED TV, which replaces the older C8 model. The new TV is slimmer than its predecessor and with its redesigned TV stand, it stands out. This time, it’s more than just the design. The C9 gets significant OLED panel improvements, such as variable frames rates making it a great option even for gamers. In a market where a premium 55” LED TV costs around Rs. 90,000, does spending twice more for an OLED make sense?
We reviewed the LG C9 OLED TV to find out the answer.
Design and Build
OLED TVs don’t need separate backlit LEDs to produce light, and this makes them slimmer than LED TVs. The LG C9 is just 2.4mm broad towards its thinnest point, making it slimmer than even an iPhone. The TV is thicker at the base near the internal speakers, but it is still significantly slimmer than most LED TVs.
The one we tested was a 55-inch model and we were impressed by its edgeless design. The display nicely blends with the TV’s gun-metal frame, leaving no space for bezels. Even the back of the TV is cleverly designed. The hard plastics provide structural sturdiness and it comes with cut-outs for clean wire management. All the input cables can be passed through these cut-outs.
The LG C9 gets 4 HDMI ports of which, three are placed towards the extreme left for quick access. The TV also has a side-placed USB port, which makes plugging pen drives and hard drives easier. The LG C9 looks elegant, but it also impresses with its build quality. The TV is neatly assembled with no loose ends. Even the brush metal TV stand of the C9 looks fantastic. LG also bundles a wall mounting kit, so you don’t need to worry about buying additional accessories.
Features
The LG C9 is a premium device with a ton of smart features. The TV runs on LG’s updated WebOS 4.0, which offers major improvements over its predecessor. The UI looks a lot fresher, quicker to use and it also includes a dark theme. There are tons of customisation options, which lets you adjust the icons, font and cursors sizes to your preferences.
Speaking about ports, the LG C9 gets minor refinements over its predecessor. All the basic connections such as the three USB ports, composite inputs for older hardware and optical output for audio devices are present. You also get Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 802.11ac along with Apple Airplay for wireless streaming. The real game changer are the C9’s HDMI 2.1 ports. The new HDMI standard supports 4K at 120Hz, delivers an improved HDR experience and handles high-quality audio through Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC).
One of the strongest feature of the LG C9 is its variable refresh rate OLED panel, which is a delight for gamers. The C9 has a 1ms response time which offers smoother gaming, just like a high-end gaming 4K gaming monitor. It lets you connect the PS4 Pro or Xbox S to enjoy 4K gaming titles on the C9’s large OLED display. The LG C9 also supports NVIDIA G-Sync which means even PC gamers can enjoy smoother gaming on the LG C9.
The LG C9 ships with Amazon Prime and Netflix apps along with regional content streaming apps such as Zee5 and ALTBalaji. The TV also has a built-in Alexa voice assistant which lets you take control of your TV using voice commands. The Alexa app also lets you pair smart home devices to your TV, giving you control over your smart bulbs, plugs and other supported devices, straight from your TV.
Performance
The LG C9 55-inch is a premium OLED 4K TV that comes with a screen resolution of 3840 x 2160. The display is extremely impressive in terms of colour reproduction, brightness and contrast levels. Picture quality is natural and accurate even at default settings. We tried streaming The Witcher on Netflix in 4K and were impressed by the C9’s image quality. The colours were vibrant with deep contrast and this might be one of the best 4K HDR content experiences of the year.
We adjusted the picture mode from dynamic to standard, for a more natural picture but we feel we could be nit picking here. The TV has ambient sensors to adjust brightness automatically under changing lighting conditions. There are a bunch of AI features such as Noise Reduction, Motion Smoothing and Image Upscaling which also works great. The LG C9 also has great viewing angles and the screen doesn’t fade out, even when viewed from a 180-degree angle.
The LG C9 runs on LG’s Alpha 9 Gen 2 processor which flawlessly handles 4K image processing. Apps load in no time and the UI runs smoothly. All the smart features are easily accessible and you can easily navigate them using LG’s Magic remote. We really like the LG’s Magic remote for its sleek and clean design.
The LG C9 sports a pair of 40W speakers, which are loud enough for a large size room. The TV also boasts a 20W woofer which adds good bass to the sound. The TV also supports Dolby Atmos.
Conclusion
Some may find Rs. 1,85,000 too much for an OLED TV, especially when there are cheaper LED TVs available. These LED TVs may have larger screen sizes, may even have 4K and appear premium too. However, the picture quality of an OLED TV far surpasses that of a LED TV. OLED TVs produce remarkable contrast, deep vibrant colours along with true blacks and the LG C9 is a great example of it.
This TV has a great picture quality, ample smart features which make it a great package. Moreover, the LG C9 is presently among the most affordable and premium OLED TVs in the market. If you are an LED TV user wanting to get your first premium OLED TV, the LG C9 is a great option.
