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  • About the LG C8

  • What We Like

  • What We Don't Like

  • Should You Buy It?

  • About the LG C8
  • What We Like
  • What We Don't Like
  • Should You Buy It?

Last year, LG unveiled a pretty substantive line of "7" branded 4K/HDR OLEDs, such as the W7 flagship, E7, C7 (our #1 TV right now), and B7/B7A. What we discovered after a year of testing various models was that all that really differentiated them were design elements and audio compatibility/power. The picture quality of the cheapest B7 was roughly identical to the much pricier W7.

That's what makes the C8 so exciting—it's essentially the same TV as the "signature" flagship W8 OLED, but going off last year's pricing scheme, will be multiple thousands of dollars less expensive while still delivering roughly all of the same core features.

About the LG C8

LG's C8 series will be available in three screen sizes this year:

• 55-inch (LG OLED55C8), pricing not yet confirmed • 65-inch (LG OLED65C8), pricing not yet confirmed • 77-inch (LG OLED77C8), pricing not yet confirmed

Obviously, the biggest change compared to last year's C7 series is the addition of the humongous 77-inch size. This is LG's response to consumers who wanted a bigger OLED, but didn't want to pay premiums for the higher-end series just to get things like included soundbars or fancier stands.

LG C8 OLED TV
Credit: Reviewed.com / Lee Neikirk

Each of the C8 TVs features these specs:

• 4K resolution • Support for four major HDR formats • webOS smart platform (with ThinQ/Google Assistant) • Dolby Atmos playback support • Likely 4 HDMI, 3 USB, standard connectivity • A9 picture processing engine

The Alpha 9 processor is what primarily separates the C8 series from the more affordable B8 series, though the latter also likely will not offer a 77-inch size.

What We Like

Simply good picture

The C8 is LG's entry-level OLED, meaning it strips out most of the "bells and whistles" to just deliver amazing picture quality. LG didn't even have the poor C8 on display at its CES booth, but had relegated it to the screen docked in one of the company's new soundbars for a sound demo. So the pictures in this review aren't entirely design accurate: the C8 will ship with a plain tabletop stand, like last year's C7.

LG C8 OLED TV
Credit: Reviewed.com / Lee Neikirk

But design elements aside, there's no denying that the 4K/HDR picture on display here looks just as good as every other OLED at LG's booth this year. Last year's sets ratcheted up the HDR impact, hitting around 700 nits of brightness (which is a ton when your relative black level is liker 0.0005 nits). Much of the HDR-appointed wide "DCI-P3" color space was covered as well.

Unfortunately, it's pretty hard to get a good look at this TV or any of its features right now. It's blasted with light and reflecting sources in the LG audio booth, and most of the time isn't even playing images, serving instead as a stand-in for Dolby Atmos content.

LG C8 OLED TV
Credit: Reviewed.com / Lee Neikirk

Even through the horrific lighting and reflectivity on the show floor, Tyrion Lannister has rarely looked so vivid

But horrible conditions or not, I could tell the C8 looks every bit as good as LG's other 4K/HDR OLEDs for 2018.

webOS, Alpha 9, ThinQ—all of it is welcome

As I said, I have barely gotten the chance to use or interact with the C8, other than watching a few minutes of Game of Thrones and some snippets from other Dolby Vision/Dolby Atmos content during its demo at the LG booth.

But judging from LG's coverage of the A9 processor's advantages during our time with the flagship W8, the "AI TV" aspect of the 2018 lineup and the new picture-perfecting A9 processor are only boons to a TV like the C8, which we'd recommend even if it had no smart features at all.

We'd recommend the C8 based on picture quality alone.

What We Don't Like

Under construction

It's impossible to observe or try out enough of this TV to commentate on flaws right now. I'm really hoping it comes out cheaper than last year's excellent C7 (despite being improved in almost every way), but we won't know more until we get one into our lab and LG confirms pricing.

Should You Buy It?

Almost definitely

While we can't make a definitive recommendation until we get this TV in for testing, if you didn't buy a 2017 OLED, the 2018 C8 is going to be one of the best if not the best options this year.

It's the most affordable of LG's Alpha 9 processor-equipped 4K/HDR OLED line, meaning you're not paying extras for fancy stands or included soundbars if you don't want them, getting the distilled "flagship" picture in a simple and more affordable package.

Check back in a few months when we update this review with full lab results and evaluations.

Meet the tester

Lee Neikirk

Lee Neikirk

Former Editor, Home Theater

@Koanshark

Lee was Reviewed's point person for most television and home theater products from 2012 until early 2022. Lee received Level II certification in TV calibration from the Imaging Science Foundation in 2013. As Editor of the Home Theater vertical, Lee oversaw reviews of TVs, monitors, soundbars, and Bluetooth speakers. He also reviewed headphones, and has a background in music performance.

See all of Lee Neikirk's reviews

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