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Should I buy an LG OLED C3?

Hey everyone, I've had an LG OLED CX model for more than a year and while it has incredible clarity and picture quality I hate the colours on it or just feel like they are too washed out compared to my previous LG LED TV UJ model which is the best TV I've ever owned,with incredible colour reproduction.

My question now is...for those of you who've had both the CX and C3.Is there a big difference between them? Is it worth the upgrade? I want to get the 43 inch version as its pretty cheap right now but I'm on the fence whether or not the brightness and colour reproduction improved compared to the CX or what other improvements have been made.

Thanks in advance.
Your TV is perfectly fine. You won’t notice much of a difference, if any.

I went from an LG C9 to Sony a95k (qd-OLED) and if I wasn’t trying to find the differences, I wouldn’t even notice. The LG OLED is just that good.
 
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Nothing justifies the difference in price between Sony TVs and what LG, Samsung and Panasonic have to offer.
I don’t understand why Sony’s TVs are 30% more than others. If my Sony A95K wasn‘t on sale for $1500 off, bringing it to the same price range as LG and Samsung, I would have never bothered. Anyone paying the current asking prices of an A95L must have money to burn.

That said, Sony’s sub-4K image processing is quite literally unbelievable. I don’t know what magic they are using to make my Nintendo Switch games look so good, but it works. It makes my LG C9 & C1 look like shit in comparison.
 
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Xbox and Geforce Now streaming services apparently work in 4k with a C3, don‘t know how good it is though. Once the infrastructure is fully developed I‘d upgrade from my 77“ CX, but as long as it‘s not fully there yet I‘d just stick with my CX, picture quality is not that much of an upgrade in the new OLEDs.
 
C3 is a great tv but so is the cx, just set it up correctly. My friend has one and it looks superb, nothing washed out about it.
 

Bojji

Member
You will only see upgrade going QD-OLED or G3. All C lineup tvs are very close to each other.

I don't get this washed out colors, for HDR content you have to increase colors (I have 65-70 on B2) anyway because many games have fucked up HDR implementation.
 

Senua

Gold Member
Always said I'd get a 65 when the price was right...well the price was right. HYPED

AZ39rsu.png
 

GHG

Member
I have a CX hooked up to my PC and have no such issues with colours. You might want to check your settings as other people have suggested instead of throwing more money at it.

I also have a 65" philips OLED which uses the same panel that is in the C2/3 and minus the obvious brightness boost compared to the CX it is pretty similar.
 

Shtef

Member
I just bought lg c3 and i have noticed that when the background is gray there is one line going from top to bottom on the right side of the screen. Is that normal?
 

Bojji

Member
I just bought lg c3 and i have noticed that when the background is gray there is one line going from top to bottom on the right side of the screen. Is that normal?

Nope.

Run something like this and check this in more details:

 

saintjules

Gold Member
So I ended up pulling the trigger on a 77" B3 as it was on sale for $1699. I have a 65" C9 so the only real reason to upgrade was due to size. C9 will now go to the bedroom and the TV in there will go to my studio space to act as a 3rd monitor.

My Living Room is only semi bright during the day so I feel like I'll be fine with the peak brightness on the B3. Went to go pick it up at the warehouse tonight and it didn't fit in my HR-V so now have to wait until Thursday for it.

So yeah anyone reading, get the C3 if you watch in a bright room.
 

Bojji

Member
So I ended up pulling the trigger on a 77" B3 as it was on sale for $1699. I have a 65" C9 so the only real reason to upgrade was due to size. C9 will now go to the bedroom and the TV in there will go to my studio space to act as a 3rd monitor.

My Living Room is only semi bright during the day so I feel like I'll be fine with the peak brightness on the B3. Went to go pick it up at the warehouse tonight and it didn't fit in my HR-V so now have to wait until Thursday for it.

So yeah anyone reading, get the C3 if you watch in a bright room.

b3

GUqwt9D.jpg


b2

a4W4mmj.png



They fucking nerfed B series this time, B2 (that I own) wasn't much dimmer than C2 but this time difference is bigger. Fucking LG...
 

Pimpbaa

Member
Nope.

Run something like this and check this in more details:

No not nope, a quick google search will show you that. Faint vertical lines grey screens are quite common on LG OLEDs. It’s not a problem since it’s only really visible on dark grey screen. The problem can lessen with a full pixel refresh. Some people got it much worse with more lines and dark patches. I got a vertical line and a faint dark patch on mine, compared to a lot of people that’s pretty good. Some people are so picky they go through multiple replacements trying to find the perfect oled panel. All for some shit you only see on a dark grey screen.
 

saintjules

Gold Member
b3

GUqwt9D.jpg


b2

a4W4mmj.png



They fucking nerfed B series this time, B2 (that I own) wasn't much dimmer than C2 but this time difference is bigger. Fucking LG...

I just came across the RTings discussions section. It seems that about 2 weeks ago, users were reporting that there was an FW 03.20.50 update that raised the brightness by about 50 nits.

RTings recently mentioned on there that they pushed update on their test unit and will update if that's true.

Certainly worth a look now to consider the B3. The C3 is about $700USD more, so I opted for the B3 in this case. Though I ended up buying a HDMI switch so all of my HDMI 2.1 devices can utilize the speeds. Only 2 ports run HDMI 2.1.
 
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phant0m

Member
What, I still have a C8 and the picture/colors are stunning. I'd check your calibration or picture mode.

If you must have something new and want a real upgrade get a Sony A95L.

Don't buy Samsung if you use built-in apps, Tizen is pure garbage compared to WebOS or GoogleTV -- I have a 2022 Frame for non-gaming purposes and I fucking hate it for everything other than showing nice art above my fireplace.
 
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Bojji

Member
No not nope, a quick google search will show you that. Faint vertical lines grey screens are quite common on LG OLEDs. It’s not a problem since it’s only really visible on dark grey screen. The problem can lessen with a full pixel refresh. Some people got it much worse with more lines and dark patches. I got a vertical line and a faint dark patch on mine, compared to a lot of people that’s pretty good. Some people are so picky they go through multiple replacements trying to find the perfect oled panel. All for some shit you only see on a dark grey screen.

Maybe that's true but I wouldn't like to have panel like that (mine doesn't have it as far as I know). At least there is option to replace it.

I just came across the RTings discussions section. It seems that about 2 weeks ago, users were reporting that there was an FW 03.20.50 update that raised the brightness by about 50 nits.

RTings recently mentioned on there that they pushed update on their test unit and will update if that's true.

Certainly worth a look now to consider the B3. The C3 is about $700USD more, so I opted for the B3 in this case. Though I ended up buying a HDMI switch so all of my HDMI 2.1 devices can utilize the speeds. Only 2 ports run HDMI 2.1.

It's a great tv, I myself had too choose between B2 and C2 and cheaper B2 seemed to not be that much worse compared to price difference (biggest difference is number of HDMI 2.1 ports). But I'm surprised that for some reason they reduced brightness compared to B2, usually next model is pure upgrade in way way or the other.
 

Imtjnotu

Member
For the same price get the Sammy s90c.

I just upgraded my C9 to the s90c this past weekend. Didn't belive the hype on QD Oled till now...
 

saintjules

Gold Member
It's a great tv, I myself had too choose between B2 and C2 and cheaper B2 seemed to not be that much worse compared to price difference (biggest difference is number of HDMI 2.1 ports). But I'm surprised that for some reason they reduced brightness compared to B2, usually next model is pure upgrade in way way or the other.

I actually noticed that RTings commented on their review page recently in response to several people claiming the brightness levels increased on the B3. They said they did not see the change on their test unit. So I am not sure if it's the test unit that's unable to benefit versus retail...or people are just in denial thinking something happened in the FW.

In any event, definitely happy with it so far. I am actually going to get it mounted tomorrow so will see how it all feels with it then.
 

Pimpbaa

Member
Maybe that's true but I wouldn't like to have panel like that (mine doesn't have it as far as I know). At least there is option to replace it.

Imperfections you see only at a very limited range of dark grey and never see during actual movie or gaming content. Why the fuck does it matter? I mean fuck you really have to look for it to see it, like in a dark room and sitting very closely. And replacing it can be pointless because you could get another tv that has the same or worse problems. I just don’t want that guy to panic over something that is very common (as long as it only shows up during a grey test screen).
 

Bojji

Member
Imperfections you see only at a very limited range of dark grey and never see during actual movie or gaming content. Why the fuck does it matter? I mean fuck you really have to look for it to see it, like in a dark room and sitting very closely. And replacing it can be pointless because you could get another tv that has the same or worse problems. I just don’t want that guy to panic over something that is very common (as long as it only shows up during a grey test screen).

Yeah I think it's non issue in the end. I didn't even know about this stuff and did ton of research on OLED before buying one.
 

GrouchyGamer

Neo Member
Another CX user here, do you by chance have it in an energy saving mode? When energy saving modes are OFF you should have zero issue with lack of color saturatiom. You shouldn't even need to get it calibrated as you can get them pretty close to reference out of the box (depending on picture mode).

Are you running console/pc direct to the set or going through an AV receiver first? Make sure your receiver will at least pass HDMI 2.0a or HDR signals will look washed out because the AVR won't pass the signal correctly if it's less than HDMI 2.0a capable. Also might want to check your cable as I believe some older ones might not pass the bandwidth necessary for 10bit HDR.

Other than that, I got nothing. CX is a great set and shouldn't leave anyone wanting for better colors if everything is set up correctly.
 
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Thanks for the replies guys. I'll try to calibrate it some more until i find the sweet spot.I was hoping there would be a bigger difference between them honestly.Hopefully QD Oled tech gets cheaper in a few years so i van upgrade to that.

Also need to do a pixel refresh on the thing as it hasnt done it in a while from what i noticed....should improve it a bit.
Don’t do a manual pixel refresh. It’s putting wear and tear on the tv for no reason. It’s on an automatic cycle. Running pixel refresh will not improve the picture unless you have bad unnevenness or burn in.
 
I bought an LG C3 as a Christmas present, in large part because of this thread. It's the best TV I've ever owned, and the first monitor I've bought in years where buyer's remorse hasn't set in after the first week.

Quick question: I'm using it as a PC monitor, and I'm getting random flashes where the entire screen's colors malfunction. Like it flashes in simple RGB only or like the colors are inverted.

Is this the OLED burn-in prevention? Or could it be the HDMI cable I'm using causing it?
 

Bojji

Member
I bought an LG C3 as a Christmas present, in large part because of this thread. It's the best TV I've ever owned, and the first monitor I've bought in years where buyer's remorse hasn't set in after the first week.

Quick question: I'm using it as a PC monitor, and I'm getting random flashes where the entire screen's colors malfunction. Like it flashes in simple RGB only or like the colors are inverted.

Is this the OLED burn-in prevention? Or could it be the HDMI cable I'm using causing it?

Nvidia? Nvidia cards aren't that stable with HDMI cables for some reason, AMD is better in this regard. I get handshake issues few times a week in SDR 4K/120Hz signal (black screen for one second), what is weird that HDR signal is super stable.

I think you should get some higher quality HDMI cable that is as short as possible.
 
Nvidia? Nvidia cards aren't that stable with HDMI cables for some reason, AMD is better in this regard. I get handshake issues few times a week in SDR 4K/120Hz signal (black screen for one second), what is weird that HDR signal is super stable.

I think you should get some higher quality HDMI cable that is as short as possible.
Yes, Nvidia. The C3 doesn't glitch with my PS5, so I'll start by trying the PS5's HDMI with my PC.
 

Jayjayhd34

Member
Nvidia? Nvidia cards aren't that stable with HDMI cables for some reason, AMD is better in this regard. I get handshake issues few times a week in SDR 4K/120Hz signal (black screen for one second), what is weird that HDR signal is super stable.

I think you should get some higher quality HDMI cable that is as short as possible.
Never heard this and I've been using hdmi cables for like decade gtx 1080 rtx 2080 rtx 3080 rtx4080 and probably more than that.
 

Bojji

Member
Yes, Nvidia. The C3 doesn't glitch with my PS5, so I'll start by trying the PS5's HDMI with my PC.

Fun thing is that I tried that and still saw those problems (but much less compared to mediocre cable). PS5 is using 32Gb/s of BW, most cables will be fine for that. Nvidia cards are using full 48Gb/s and only the best cables will be problem free with this. You can try lowering refresh to 100Hz to lower bandwidth needs and if the problem continues then maybe it's not HDMI related.

Never heard this and I've been using hdmi cables for like decade gtx 1080 rtx 2080 rtx 3080 rtx4080 and probably more than that.

I never had this problem before going 120Hz/4K. RDNA2 GPUs are using 40Gb/s HDMI 2.1 BW (like Xbox) and I didn't have ANY problems with 6800.

 
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Jayjayhd34

Member
Fun thing is that I tried that and still saw those problems (but much less compared to mediocre cable). PS5 is using 32Gb/s of BW, most cables will be fine for that. Nvidia cards are using full 48Gb/s and only the best cables will be problem free with this. You can try lowering refresh to 100Hz to lower bandwidth needs and if the problem continues then maybe it's not HDMI related.



I never had this problem before going 120Hz/4K. RDNA2 GPUs are using 40Gb/s HDMI 2.1 BW (like Xbox) and I didn't have ANY problems with 6800.




I'm using it at 4k 120hz gsync on cx the only time it black-out is when I'm updating the drivers anyone who tells me they have funny colours I would put it on the gpu bad overclock poor cooling etc.


I use bundled cables too nothing fancy either. I've always said hdmi is digital as long bandwidth matches the input device you should of no issues. There is nothing special about 80 pound cable and 5 pound cable unless where talking about 20ft cables then that's diffeent story.
 
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Bojji

Member
I'm using it at 4k 120hz gsync on cx the only time it black-out is when I'm updating the drivers anyone who tells me they have funny colours I would put it on the gpu bad overclock poor cooling etc.


I use bundled cables too nothing fancy either. I've always said hdmi is digital as long bandwidth matches the input device you should of no issues. There is nothing special about 80 pound cable and 5 pound cable unless where talking about 20ft cables then that's diffeent story.

I don't know about funny colours but black screen flashes are quite common. HDMI should't show worse image quality like analog cables but when signal is not strong enough it will show problems like mentioned by me. I tried 7, 5, 2 and 1 meter cables and on Nvidia this problem is still present on 3060ti, 4070 and 4070ti. Only common denominator is tv BUT it didn't have ANY problems XSX, PS5 and AMD GPU.

10 bit/4K/120Hz/4:4:4 (RGB) signal doesn't need 48Gb/s so I don't know why NVIDIA is forcing this high bandwidth (even in 8 bit SDR mode).
 

JohnnyPhats

Member
I got a 77 C3 about a month ago to replace a 65 B2. Not washed out at all. Something is up with the set up, as others have mentioned.

Cool thing is I now have a 65” OLED in my home office lol.
 

RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
I have a 55 CX and just recently bought a 48 C3 for the other room and whilst I have no idea what your are talking about regarding washed out colours on the CX, my picture looks phenomenal tbh, the C3 looks to my eyes just slightly better, much deeper contrast and brighter highlights but nowhere near enough to justify upgrading the CX
 

Bojji

Member
I have a 55 CX and just recently bought a 48 C3 for the other room and whilst I have no idea what your are talking about regarding washed out colours on the CX, my picture looks phenomenal tbh, the C3 looks to my eyes just slightly better, much deeper contrast and brighter highlights but nowhere near enough to justify upgrading the CX

From technical perspective C3 is slighty brighter, not that much else is different.

CX
n6P6o7j.jpg
C3
tKh3yfu.jpg


So I guess something was just set up in a wrong way.
 
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Fun thing is that I tried that and still saw those problems (but much less compared to mediocre cable). PS5 is using 32Gb/s of BW, most cables will be fine for that. Nvidia cards are using full 48Gb/s and only the best cables will be problem free with this. You can try lowering refresh to 100Hz to lower bandwidth needs and if the problem continues then maybe it's not HDMI related.



I never had this problem before going 120Hz/4K. RDNA2 GPUs are using 40Gb/s HDMI 2.1 BW (like Xbox) and I didn't have ANY problems with 6800.


I booted up Dead Space Remake for the first time in a year just now to check out that sweet HDR on a dark game, and, coincidentally, the title menu screen was making the TV glitch more than ever. Switched the cable out to one that is explicitly rated for 4K/120hz / 48Gbps, and no issues yet. Thanks for the help!
 
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RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
From technical perspective C3 is slighty brighter, not that much else is different.

CX
n6P6o7j.jpg
C3
tKh3yfu.jpg


So I guess something was just set up in a wrong way.
As I said it's just slighter better, it's definitely more contrasty but nowhere near enough upgrade the CX, same with the new line of QD OLEDs, the picture quality is only distinguishable to professionals us normies won't notice it
 
Quick question: I'm using it as a PC monitor, and I'm getting random flashes where the entire screen's colors malfunction. Like it flashes in simple RGB only or like the colors are inverted
I get this on my monitor and both Sony and LG OLED TVs when running at 120hz from my 3060 via hdmi. It’s frustrating. I’ve tried multiple “certified” cables, even some explicitly listed on the HDMI forum database. I assume it’s just an Nvidia thing.
 
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Edgelord79

Gold Member
If you have the CX and hoping the C3 is a dramatic upgrade its not

I am in the smaller camp that a good mini LED TV will pop and blow you away more than anything OLED has to offer and I have OLED and mini LED displays

Take a look at the Samsung QN90C and especially if its a store that you live close to and can return easy the best way to tell is get it home and play with it a few days

Looking at sites like Best Buy seems the QN90C is about the same price as the C3 in 43"
I just bought a Q90C. Not as black as my C3 but damn close. Overall I prefer the Q90C as I have kids and don’t have to worry about YouTube and Netflix burn in (last OLED I had succumbed to burn in).
 

Jayjayhd34

Member
I get this on my monitor and both Sony and LG OLED TVs when running at 120hz from my 3060 via hdmi. It’s frustrating. I’ve tried multiple “certified” cables, even some explicitly listed on the HDMI forum database. I assume it’s just an Nvidia thing.

Doesn't that tell you its not hdmi cables that's the problem if this was nvidia thing everyone connected to hdmi would having this issue and they would probably fix within days. As ive said not had any problems like described across 4-5 generations and three tvs in last 10 years hisense sony lg cx.



Pcs are so complicated at times sometimes easy to get hooked on idea. For years I was trying to get real surround sound through Logitech Z905 I google and Google I still this never figured it out I just gave up them.
 

Mercador

Member
I got a C3 three days ago as well as my old LCD just died on the 26th... Installed Moonshine today, it runs pretty well but there's a 65mbps limitation on the TV, any ideas how to boost that? Everything is wired on my setup.
 

Jayjayhd34

Member
I got a C3 three days ago as well as my old LCD just died on the 26th... Installed Moonshine today, it runs pretty well but there's a 65mbps limitation on the TV, any ideas how to boost that? Everything is wired on my setup.

Lg are known to skimp on Ethernet port its max 100meg but no streaming requires anything higher than that accept from streaming full 4k rips across the network even then not 100,% that push limit.

If really need the extra speed I'm sure I remember that really good tv reviewer going usb ethernet adapters working
 
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jonnyp

Member
Hey everyone, I've had an LG OLED CX model for more than a year and while it has incredible clarity and picture quality I hate the colours on it or just feel like they are too washed out compared to my previous LG LED TV UJ model which is the best TV I've ever owned,with incredible colour reproduction.

My question now is...for those of you who've had both the CX and C3.Is there a big difference between them? Is it worth the upgrade? I want to get the 43 inch version as its pretty cheap right now but I'm on the fence whether or not the brightness and colour reproduction improved compared to the CX or what other improvements have been made.

Thanks in advance.

I didn't have the CX but got a C3 recently and the colors were great out of the box.
 

Mercador

Member
Lg are known to skimp on Ethernet port its max 100meg but no streaming requires anything higher than that accept from streaming full 4k rips across the network even then not 100,% that push limit.

If really need the extra speed I'm sure I remember that really good tv reviewer going usb ethernet adapters working
Well, the idea was that I could probably stream games at 4K@120hz with HDR. I didn't calculate but I guess it's higher than 65mbps. So I wonder if I purchase a mini PC with an HDMI 2.1 port instead.
 

Bojji

Member
Doesn't that tell you its not hdmi cables that's the problem if this was nvidia thing everyone connected to hdmi would having this issue and they would probably fix within days. As ive said not had any problems like described across 4-5 generations and three tvs in last 10 years hisense sony lg cx.



Pcs are so complicated at times sometimes easy to get hooked on idea. For years I was trying to get real surround sound through Logitech Z905 I google and Google I still this never figured it out I just gave up them.

In my experience it's Nvidia + HDMI cable problem. I had nothing like this on any consoles or AMD GPU.

Lg are known to skimp on Ethernet port its max 100meg but no streaming requires anything higher than that accept from streaming full 4k rips across the network even then not 100,% that push limit.

If really need the extra speed I'm sure I remember that really good tv reviewer going usb ethernet adapters working

Majority of tv producers use 100Mb connectors. It's a fucking joke in 2023/2024.

Well, the idea was that I could probably stream games at 4K@120hz with HDR. I didn't calculate but I guess it's higher than 65mbps. So I wonder if I purchase a mini PC with an HDMI 2.1 port instead.

You can use 5GHz WiFi. On my LG I'm limited to 100Mb/s on cable but can get ~250Mb using WiFi.
 

Jayjayhd34

Member
Well, the idea was that I could probably stream games at 4K@120hz with HDR. I didn't calculate but I guess it's higher than 65mbps. So I wonder if I purchase a mini PC with an HDMI 2.1 port instead.
You need 45 meg to stream 4k 120hz geforce now.
 
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