LG C8 OLED Smart TV First Impressions: Smartest smart TV around

Crisp and Vibrant OLED panel

Pictures and videos won't do justice to the stunning OLED TV and I recommend you must experience it in person to understand the picture quality. But if I have to summarize the display's performance, the C8 is a gorgeous OLED panel that makes everything on screen just brilliant to look at. The colors were vibrant and the dynamic range is impressive. The C8 comes in two different sizes- 65-inch and 77-inch and feature pixel-level luminance that beats every LCD-TV in the market in terms of brightness and lighting by margins. The TV supports the full palette of HDR, including Dolby Vision, advanced HDR by Technicolor, HDR10 Pro, HLG Pro, creating a true cinematic experience at home. In short, LG C8 OLED TV can completely revamp your TV-viewing experience.

 

Hardware and Software: Intelligent Alpha 9 Processor

LG C8 OLED TV is powered by company's latest Alpha 9 chip that as per LG excels in reducing noise and delivers unmatched sharpness and color reproduction. The same is achieved by a four-step process that drastically reduces grain and banding noise. The improved color correction algorithm allows for more natural colors by expanding the reference color coordinates seven-fold. The α9 processor is designed to support high frame rate (HFR) for producing smoother and clearer motion images at 120 frames per second for better rendering of fast-action content such as sports and action movies. Besides, you also get Dynamic Tone Mapping, Advanced HDR, and a lot more that enables mind-blowing detailing in shadows and vibrant colors. The TV also has Dolby Atmos which provides object-based 360-degree surround sound to deliver a cinematic experience in the living room.

WebOS is feature-rich and fun to use

Software can make or break a smart TV and I must say that LG has done a great job here. The thoughtfully coded WebOS offers a streamlined and easy-to-use interface that when combined with the Magic controller, makes it a breeze to interact with TV. The remote supports point, click, scroll and voice commands.

The main menu basically looks like a bunch of cards, which are basically different apps, your favorite channels, and various inputs. The TV comes with a streamlined setup process to connect gaming consoles and external sound bars. You also get Mobile Connection Overlay that allows you to view both the mobile and television screens simultaneously.

Interestingly, you can also control your smartphone with the bundled smart controller while using screen mirroring on LG's OLED TVs. Moreover, you can also access Google photos, and Google Drive on LG TV with help of cloud photos and videos App. The TV also comes equipped with 2-way Bluetooth feature that allows users to listen to the TV audio wirelessly on the compatible audio device and connect the mobile with LG TV in order to enjoy music.

Power of Artificial Intelligence

Machine learning also plays a vital role in LG's new OLED TVs. The TVs are injected with the power of ‘Artificial Intelligence' that will allow you to directly speak into the smart remote to control TV functions and look for new content. LG says that the new TVs doesn't only work on fixed voice commands, but also understand the intent of query before providing a search result. Additionally there are set of 800+ commands which work even without internet connection. We did not get the chance to test such features during the launch event, but we will surely test LG's claims while reviewing the LG C8 OLED TV. The AI functions are offered across the range of smart televisions.

Other important launches

Just to give you a brief of other launches, LG also unveiled their 2018 range of premium 4k SuperUHDTVs. The highlight of these TV sets includes ThinQ AI, α (Alpha) 7 processor, Dolby Atmos and Full Array Dimming technology. By combining these technologies and hardware, LG's 2018 SUPER UHD TV are said to offer deeper blacks, enhanced image rendering, improved shadow details and accurate color from wide viewing angles.

LG AI TV is available in OLED, Super UHD, UHD and smart TV segment. The range starts at 32,500 and goes up to a whopping 29,49,990 across sizes starting from 32-inches till 77-inches.