As a TV reviewer, two of the products I’m most excited to test every year are LG’s C-series and G-series OLED TVs. I look forward to advising interested shoppers about whether an LG OLED TV is right for them, and if so, which one.
Usually, the C-series ranks as our favorite here at Tom’s Guide, striking the ultimate balance of form and function for a fair price. The LG C2 OLED TV was so good that several of my colleagues bought it for themselves when the set went on sale.
That’s not to say the LG G2 OLED TV was anything short of excellent. In fact, it shined as the brightest OLED LG TV yet thanks to a new heat dissipation system that allowed the self-emissive pixels to output a brighter picture without causing burn-in or image sticking. But when you compared the prices, size options and breadth of features between the LG C2 vs LG G2 OLED TVs, the C2 emerged as the best value.
I think that the LG 2023 TV lineup could be different, though. Ahead of the LG G3 OLED TV and LG C3 OLED TV becoming available this month, I took a close-up look at the incoming upgrades for both sets. And I suspect that the G3 will be the one to buy this year.
Of course, I must clarify that I'm not giving either TV an official endorsement. We haven't run our benchmarks on this year's LG OLED TVs yet, so I can't yet determine the impact of the upgrades. I also need to spend several hours watching a variety of content before deciding which is the best TV between the two.
The LG G3 OLED TV shines bright
The LG G3 OLED TV features a new micro lenses that dramatically increase not just luminance, but picture uniformity. When I observed a blank white screen on the LG G3 off-angle, neither overall brightness nor color volume suffered. On last year’s LG G2, the same picture lost luminance off-angle, and some areas of white turned a very subtle gray. I probably wouldn’t have had a problem with the G2’s off-angle viewing had I not seen the improvements side-by-side with the G3.
Meanwhile, the LG C3 OLED TV didn’t receive any physical performance upgrades as far as picture quality is concerned.
Meanwhile, the LG C3 OLED TV didn’t receive any physical performance upgrades as far as picture quality is concerned. Like the G3, the C3 is powered by the Alpha 9 Gen 6 processor, so it’s certainly possible we’ll see AI-based improvements for casual viewing. Plus the new personalized picture wizard in Web OS 23 (the latest version of LG’s TV software) automatically tailors the image to a user’s preferences. Still, there’s not much to say about the upgrades between the LG C3 OLED vs LG C2 OLED.
It was difficult to distinguish for myself in the demo, but the C3 could also suffer from the same glare my colleague found to be an issue with the LG C2 OLED. Meanwhile, the G3 has what LG calls "Super Anti Reflective technology," promising to reduce light glare and other annoying reflections. Again, this is something I'll have to look for during in-depth testing.
Should you buy the LG G3 OLED or C3 OLED?
If you're in the market for a new LG OLED TV in 2023, and happen to see the LG C3 vs. LG G3 OLED side-by-side, you'll have a hard time pulling your eyes away from the G3. I will once again advise waiting for a full LG G3 OLED TV review; but, if you simply cannot wait a few weeks and have the budget, I think you'll be blown away by the G3.
Actually having the budget could be difficult — the LG G3 OLED TV is more expensive than last year's G2, starting at $2,499 for the 55-inch model. That will make it one of the most expensive TVs we test in 2023, hands down. For premium features, you'll have to pay a premium price.
That said, if spending less is your priority, and you don't mind getting a TV that's a year old, you can find some cheap TV deals on both the C2 and G2 right now.
