LG C3 vs. QNED TVs: Which is the Better TV?

Choosing an ideal television for your home has become quite a daunting task. Beyond just the offerings of manufacturers, there are multiple display technologies to be aware of. These all vary in how they depict colors, handle latency, and how bright they are. LG’s C3 OLED display made quite the splash at CES 2023 this year. How does this OLED television stack up against their QNED line?

The C3 looks to be a promising upgrade to the critically acclaimed C2. The QNED line of televisions occupies a lower price point but a similar niche. Let’s take a critical look at both of these televisions to find out which is worth the investment for your household.

LG C3 vs QNED: Side-By-Side Comparison

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09/27/2023 04:35 pm GMT

LG C3 vs. QNED: What’s the Difference?

On paper, both of these televisions have quite a few similarities. Being from the same manufacturer, that is to be expected. Where the differences arise, however, makes for a rather stark contrast between the two televisions. Currently, the C3 is only available for preorder, so any features are speculative and cannot be exhaustively tested until it hits store shelves. Given its direct lineage from the C2, one can infer some key aspects of its performance, however.

Picture Quality

Both the C3 and the QNED85 are 4K displays. They have a full range of support for lesser HD resolutions like 720p and 1080p, and there is support for AI upscaling. In practice, the upscaling is less than ideal solution, but it works in a pinch. The visual quality between the picture of both is stark, however. QNEDs are a great mid-range visual solution, but they pale in comparison to the OLED panels used by the LG C3.

The QNED85 doesn’t have true color reproduction, although the color it produces is quite accurate for the medium. Uniformity isn’t present across the entire panel, with corners being a bit darker than the center of the screen itself. Contrast this to the LG C3, which when presented at CES 2023 had a stunning color display. Vibrant whites, uniform grays, and dark black could be seen during LG’s presentation. This comes as little surprise, as the C2 was also excellent at reproducing colors.

The LG C3 is a brighter panel overall, whereas the QNED85 does suffer a bit from not being nearly bright enough in HDR mode. LG’s latest line of televisions announced at CES 2023 did tout higher brightness across the board, so this comes as no surprise. Latency is uniform between both televisions, with LG having automatic low latency modes on both televisions. This works well on the QNED85, and gaming was responsive and swift.

Audio Quality

For those who haven’t delved into sound bars and surround sound setups, the audio quality of a television’s built-in speakers can be a crucial consideration. Details aren’t known about the performance of the speakers on board the C3, so it is difficult to judge properly.

The QNED85 on the other hand is prone to harmonic distortion at higher volume levels. This is of course mitigated by turning down the volume, but the speakers packaged in the QNED85 seem to lack the power or conditioning to handle higher volumes without sounding awful. External sound systems do away with this issue entirely, but the audio quality of the QNED85 is a major drawback considering all the wonderful things about the picture quality.

Given the C3’s higher price, one can imagine there are somewhat more expensive speakers in LG’s latest OLED television.

Warranty

Both televisions have a limited one-year warranty. LG’s warranty for both televisions isn’t stellar overall but handles any defects or production issues that may arise in your television. Terms and conditions are fairly clear and it doesn’t cover any wear, tear, or breakages that might occur from misuse. If the product is defective, however, or if there is a component failure, then the warranty kicks in. Given how sizable of an investment either of these televisions can be, it would be nice to see a three or five-year warranty.

User Interface

Both televisions are driven by LG’s webOS as the primary interface. These come with a host of streaming apps from major providers like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video. There isn’t an explicit requirement for a streaming device, as the functionality is already built into the television. The operating system is quite easy to navigate and is well-designed. The inclusion of mandatory ads is a severe drawback. These thankfully aren’t super intrusive, but it is disappointing given the large sum you’re spending to get one of these televisions.

LG C3 vs. QNED: 5 Must-Know Facts

• The LG QNED uses AI for upscaling and tone mapping, but the LG C3 has more robust AI Upscaling
• The C3 has a personalized picture wizard for fast color and contrast configuration
• LG QNED is smart home compatible
• The LG C3 webOS 23 has UI upgrades and now shows two display pages as opposed to three
• LG QNED supports HDMI 2.1

LG C3 vs. QNED: Which One is Better? Which One Should You Choose?

The LG C3 presents some great tech in a somewhat pricier package. It isn’t readily available at retailers just yet, so how it truly performs in the real world is still a mystery. Going off the performance of the LG C2, it will be yet another stellar OLED display from the renowned manufacturer. The price difference between both televisions is quite steep, and as such it will really come down to budgetary concerns.

If you’re looking for a solid mid-range television with great color and picture quality, then the LG QNED85 is a great choice. The audio isn’t the best, but it is easily rectified by the installation of a soundbar or other sound system.

If budget isn’t a concern, then certainly wait for the LG C3. It is an iterative upgrade over the already stellar LG C2. While the price is higher than the QNED85, the picture quality is overall sharper and the colors are far more vibrant and accurate.

Recent Updates to the LG C3 OLED and LG QNED85

LG has continued to innovate their products to bring their consumers state-of-the-art TVs. Since February 2023, we have seen improvements to firmware for better picture quality and overall performance. Both the LG C3 OLED and LG QNED85 have also been enrolled in longevity burn-in testing to ensure the lasting quality and performance of their TVs.

The LG C3 OLED and LG QNED85: Looking Forward

As technology develops, we can expect to see even more updates to the LG C3 OLED and LG QNED85. In the next six to 18 months, we may see support for 8k resolution, as well as improved overall image processing. We could also see new gaming features to support HDMI 2.1. And as the popularity of OLED TVs trend upward, we may see prices start to fall.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©PradeepGaurs/Shutterstock.com.