See what you can do with Alexa on your Smart TV
NOTE: LG recently released a firmware update to the LG C2 that substantially reduces the ABL auto-dimming! This makes it much more competitive to the PG4*UQ and other OLEDs without opening the service menu to disable those features.
I hear a lot of issues people have with using a TV as a monitor, especially this one, but I haven't had any such issues. After setting it up properly, the only problem is the RWBG subpixel layout and having to turn it on along with my computer. But as someone that grew up with CRT monitors, having to press an extra button in addition to the power button is not even the slightest bit inconvenient. The thing that really kills this as a monitor is the subpixel layout.
RWBG adds noticeable fringing and bleed on text on OSes calibrated for RGB subpixels. Turning subpixel rendering compensation off makes it tolerable, but it's still much harder to read than on a normal monitor, and some games use it regardless of OS settings with no obvious way to adjust it. For visual content like movies and games it isn't noticeable at all, however.
As long as you aren't planning to read a whole bunch, or if you sit further back and make your text bigger so the subpixels don't mess with the text as much, there isn't a single issue with using this as a computer monitor.
I originally purchased the PG42UQ and PG48UQ instead, and got 2 dead 42's and one 48 that only survived for a few weeks before it spontaneously died. I'd like to compare some points on the C2 vs PG4*UQ:
- The box on the C2 is thicker, the Styrofoam completely protects the screen unlike on the PG4*UQ where there are tons of gaps, the Styrofoam on the corners is also much thicker preventing drops from affecting the corners like what happened to BOTH of my PG42UQs, and the accessories and feet are placed in sane location unlike the strange Styrofoam origami that was both the PG42UQ and PG48UQ.
- On both, the panel quality is fantastic. But on the C2, you can really tweak the settings until everything is perfect, especially if you have the service remote or other way to get into the service menu. This TV in particular can easily be color calibrated to make it shine in whatever environment you put it in with 22 point white balance adjustment, gamma curves, and multiple black/white level boosts and compensations.
- The glossy screen is a boon as it leaves the blacks completely dark, vs. a matte screen like on the PG4*UQ where there is significant light bleed and blooming.
- The C2's panel is much thicker and doesn't feel fragile compared to the dangerously paper-thin, basically unprotected edges on the PG4*UQ
- The power button housing on the bottom doesn't bend easily and feel like it's going to snap off like on the PG4*UQ. It's also much thinner and less obnoxious to look at. Man, I hate "gamer" stuff.
- In general, the design on the C2 is much more sleek, simple, and modern, allowing it to fit into the room better than the eye-catching "gamer" aesthetic on the PG4*UQ.
- Due to the thicker panel backplate and rear cover design, the C2 is easier to lift safely without feeling like you're going to damage it.
- All the cable managing on the C2 is in one spot on one side only, instead of top, right, and bottom.
- With the right settings in Game Optimizer mode, the C2 can reach the same point-for-point performance metrics as the PG4*UQ, with only the peak brightness not being as good (but that doesn't matter as it dips substantially for both the second a scene starts getting bright, after which the difference is negligible).
- The subpixel layout on the PG4*UQ is better for reading text. This is the only praise I have for it over the C2.
- The refresh rate can be overclocked on the PG4*UQ to a staggering 138Hz! Wow, how impressive. Unfortunately, the difference visually between 120Hz and 138Hz is basically nonexistent, as someone that has compared the C2 at 120Hz and PG48UQ at 138Hz. The response time is still fantastic on both units regardless of mode.
Overall, highly recommend this as both a TV and a monitor. I don't use the smart features and leave it disconnected from the network, and unlike with other smart TV platforms, the C2 doesn't annoy you and simply lets you use it without the smart feature bloat impeding you. And if I want to consume content and use the motion smoothing etc. features, they're there at a press of the button. I don't think all the massive number of problems with the ASUS units make the overclocking or other small extra features worth it; and at the same time, the C2 offers some nice features of its own that the PG4*UQ doesn't have. I would highly recommend it as a multimon replacement as I am, if you're willing to live with the subpixel layout and having to turn the TV on and off separately to the connected PC; do note there is a Windows-only, community-maintained companion app, which I can't use as I don't use Windows.
| Brand Name | LG |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 20.5 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 6.7 x 36.7 x 22.7 inches |
| Item model number | OLED42C2PUA |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Output Wattage | 20 Watts |
| Special Features | Nvidia G Sync, Intelligent Voice Recognition, Amd freesync, Browser |
| Speaker Type | 2.0 Channel |
| Item Weight | 9.3 Kilograms |
| Standing screen display size | 42 Inches |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Wattage | 20 watts |
