Similar in design, the B8 and C8 offer seemingly indistinguishable performance characteristics. To an extent, this is true, as the two are very similar when comparing for general mixed usage.
But, the differences start to show when you dig a bit deeper into the more nuanced characteristics. With this in mind, we’ve done a complete and thorough LG B8 vs C8 comparison to determine all of the differences between these two TVs.
LG B8 vs C8 – Quick Comparison
LG B8
The LG B8 offers the best of both worlds for TV enthusiasts shopping on a budget. It uses the slightly less-capable α7 Intelligent Processor, but this doesn’t stop it from providing superb picture quality, reliable Smart TV features, and good picture quality overall.
Pros:
- Strong Smart TV features
- Sleek and light design
- Flawless deep blacks
- Great price for its quality
Cons:
- Peak brightness fails to impress
- Less powerful processor
LG C8
When it came out in 2018, the C8 undoubtedly set a new OLED standard that all new models would follow. Today, it’s still an excellent TV for its price point. It combines outstanding picture quality with solid performance features and an exquisite smart platform.
Pros:
- Strong Smart TV features
- Exceptional picture quality
- Near instantaneous response time
- Powerful image processor
Cons:
- Peak brightness fails to impress
- Fairly expensive
Features Face to Face
Panel Technology
Like all previous B and C series iterations, the B8 and the C8 use LG’s OLED panel technology. Short for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, this is a flat light emitting technology. It works through a series of organic thin films between two conductors. Because of this, OLED displays don’t require a backlight.
This technology allows OLED TVs to be lighter and more efficient than TVs that require a white backlight. This design provides for better viewing angles, great contrast ratios, and overall improved image quality. In this regard, the B8 and the C8 are equally remarkable when it comes to panel technology.
Image Processor
The B8 employs LG’s α7 Intelligent Processor for all image processing tasks. It’s a compelling piece of hardware that recognizes the quality of the original content and optimizes picture quality by removing noise. In addition, it includes AI brightness control features, AI sound optimizing, and several other nifty features.
In contrast, the C8 uses the more powerful α9 Intelligent Processor. This processor does everything that the α7 does but on a much higher level. It uses quad-step image processing technology to reduce grain and banding and create genuinely exceptional details. Given this, the C8 has a more capable image processor.
Motion Technology
Like all LG’s OLED TVs, the B8 and the C8 have impeccable response times. This makes them great for watching sports or other fast-moving content, as you won’t experience any annoying ghosting or movement trails during fast-action sequences.
Additionally, as both TVs employ OLED technology, they are flicker-free. In contrast to LCD TVs, where duplications can appear with motion, the B8 and the C8 offer smooth motion with minimal persistence blur.
If we were to go into the nitty-gritty, the B8 is a slightly better performer, but the difference is hardly noticeable to the naked eye. It has a 100% response time of just 1.1 ms, compared to the C8’s 1.7 ms.
Picture Quality
Overall picture quality is one of the most critical factors to consider when deciding between TVs. So, of course, one of the first things that come to mind when discussing picture quality is supported resolutions and refresh rate. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the table below for a full rundown of all supported resolutions:
| Resolution | LG B8 | LG C8 |
|---|---|---|
| 4K/120Hz | No | No |
| 4K/60Hz/4:4:4 | Yes | Yes |
| 4K/60Hz | Yes | Yes |
| 1440p/120Hz | No | No |
| 1440p/60Hz | No | No |
| 1080p/120Hz | Yes (Native Support) | Yes (Native Support) |
| 1080p/60Hz/4:4:4 | Yes | Yes |
It’s clear from the table that both TVs can support the most common resolutions without any issues. That said, it’s surprising to see that neither TV supports 1440p, which may be a deal-breaker for some potential buyers.
Contrast Ratio / Black level
Thanks to LG’s in-house panels, the B8 and C8 have infinite contrast ratios. The contrast between black and white is one of the main components of overall picture quality; this guarantees faultless performance when viewing the content in a dark room. Moreover, the infinite contrast ratio makes the two TVs fantastic for movie fans, especially for visually demanding movies and shows, such as Sci-Fi and Horror.
Local Dimming
As we’ve mentioned when discussing panel technology, LG’s OLED panels don’t use backlight technology. The B8 and C8 can turn off pixels individually, so there’s no need for local dimming features. It also means that the two TVs are equally impressive in adapting the picture from scene to scene.
Peak Brightness
Although the B8 and C8 offer some awe-inspiring features, they both fall flat in peak brightness performance. The C8 is better in this category, but its peak brightness numbers certainly won’t leave you impressed. Before discussing the numbers, we should highlight that peak brightness is sustained over a limited time over only a tiny part of the screen.
Comparing SDR peak brightness in a ten percent window, the C8 records around 345 nits while the B8 measures around 310 nits. HDR peak performance is similarly in C8’s favor. It offers a fairly above-average HDR peak brightness of around 915 nits. This is much better than the B8’s mediocre 690 nits.
Color
The two TVs have nearly identical color gamut coverage. The color gamut is perfect, up to a point, but tends to lose performance when it reaches peak brightness. What’s more, the B8 and the C8 also have an impressive color gradient, with very little or no banding.
On the other hand, the numbers aren’t so impressive in terms of color volume. The two TVs offer decent color volume coverage, but nothing more than that. In other words, the B9 and the C8 suffer from the same weakness. They’re unable to produce overly bright, saturated colors.
Viewing Angle
Like all LG’s OLED TVs, the B8 and the C8 offer great viewing angles. Furthermore, as they use the same panel type, the viewing angle performance is identical in both TVs. Black levels remain perfect in both the B8 and C8 regardless of the viewing angle. Equally as important, color shifts aren’t as severe as other non-LG TVs, like Samsung’s Q70 and Q80 series.
Looking into the specific numbers, brightness loss only starts appearing at 67°, while grayscale shifts become noticeable at viewing angles of 70° and wider. With all of this in mind, both TVs are a terrific choice for large rooms and wide seating areas.
Sound Quality
The C8 has an above-average frequency response, while the B8 offers only an average frequency response. It offers slightly greater dynamic range compression performance. This allows the C8 to get pretty loud without producing too much pumping in the sound when pushed under maximum load.
That said, the B8 does offer better low-frequency extension (LFE), measuring at an above-average 67 Hz. In comparison, the C8’s LFE is at 64 HZ. This is also a decent number, but the C8 can’t match the B8 when it comes to bass strength and power.
Additionally, the B8 provides better sound distortion performance. This difference is particularly noticeable when comparing intermodulation distortion. Considering that each TV is superior in different categories, the B8 and C8 provide an equally splendid sound quality performance.
Smart TV (Operating System)
Although the two TVs use an identical version of the same operating system, the C8 is a slightly better performer. The C8 draws this advantage from the sophisticated α9 Intelligent Processor. This difference in processing power is noticeable in overall smoothness, as the C8 is smoother to operate and has less lag when using the smart features. To see how the two TVs perform head-to-head in Smart TV features, here’s a direct comparison of all essential operating systems characteristics:
| OS Features | LG B8 | LG C8 |
|---|---|---|
| OS Version | WebOS 4.0 | WebOS 4.0 |
| Time to Change Backlight | 7 seconds | 8 seconds |
| Time to Load YouTube | 2 seconds | 2 seconds |
| HDR Netflix/Youtube | Yes | Yes |
| App Selection/Variety | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| App Smoothness | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
As you can see from the table above, both TVs provide an excellent selection of apps. This is common to all LG TVs, as they all come with a solid lineup of the most popular apps. This includes YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Video. Additionally, you can download many other apps from the LG Content Store.
Connectivity
Besides excellent visual and audio performance, modern TVs should also have an array of connectivity features. From this perspective, the B8 and the C8 have identical connectivity characteristics. So, instead of comparing the two in this category, we’ll focus on covering what connectivity features they have and the limits and capabilities of the TVs inputs, voice assistants, and wireless technologies.
Inputs
The B8 and the C8 come with a great and diverse number of input options. Unfortunately, the quality is not on par with the quantity. For example, neither the B8 nor the C8 has any USB 3.0 ports. Moreover, neither TV supports HDMI 2.1. To better illustrate the total number of inputs in both TVs, we’ve drafted this table that comprises all key input specifications:
| Input Ports | LG B8 | LG C8 |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI Ports | 4 HDMI 2.0 Ports | 4 HDMI 2.0 Ports |
| USB Ports | 3 USB 2.0 Ports | 3 USB 2.0 Ports |
| Digital Optical Audio Out | 1 Port | 1 Port |
| Ethernet Port | Yes | Yes |
Voice Assistants
The B8 and the C8 use the same remote and the same LG TV Plus remote app. Consequently, the two TVs come with the same voice assistant features. They utilize ThinQ, LG’s voice control AI technology. Although this technology doesn’t allow you to control the TV’s settings, it can perform plenty of essential tasks that help make the user experience more convenient.
The voice assistant commands include opening up apps or asking the TV to tell you the time and the weather in a particular location. More interesting, you can even order the TV to change to a different HDMI port or perform in-app searches on Netflix and YouTube.
Wireless Technologies
The B8 and the C8 have the same wireless technology built-in. They come with equal Wi-Fi support (2.4GHz and 5GHz). The two TVs also support Bluetooth, allowing you greater connectivity possibilities, including the option to connect Bluetooth headphones and enjoy watching the TV in full immersion.
Standout Features
The most prominent standout feature that the B8 and the C8 share is the ThinQ voice assistant AI, which is on par with the best voice assistant technologies in the industry. Additionally, the native refresh rate for both TVs is 120 Hz out of the box. In part, this is what makes the B8 and the C8 smooth performers and excellent at handling fast movement.
On the other hand, there’s also an apparent lack of some features. Most notably, this pertains to the lack of FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility, critical for gaming enthusiasts. Also significant, the two TVs lack HDR10+ support. However, since these two TV models are already a few years old, this is understandable.
Conclusion
Taking everything into account, the two TVs don’t have so many discernible differences. In our LG B8 vs C8 comparison, we found that the B8 and the C8 are equally great for mixed usage and don’t differ much in this regard. But, considering all of the minor dissimilarities, the C8 is the better TV overall.
This is thanks to the better image processor and Smart TV features. Of course, the C8’s slightly better quality is accompanied by a higher price, which may deter some buyers. On the other hand, for those looking for a more affordable TV, but one that can still offer excellent picture quality, the B8 is a great option.
SEE ALSO: Our LG B9 vs C9 Comparison
