Why the LG C2 won our TV of the year 2022, despite hot OLED competition

LG C2 in living room alongside TechRadar Choice Awards Winner logo
(Image credit: Future)

OLED TVs have an almost cult-like following among film fans for very good reason. They deliver rich blacks and in so doing provide a foundation that allows all other aspects of images – color, highlights, detail – to come forward in a bold and beautiful manner.

The LG C2 OLED TV took the TV of the year crown at the TechRadar Choice Awards 2022 sponsored by Sky Broadband, managing to stand out from tough competition, including impressive new models from Samsung and Sony that use next-gen QD-OLED technology.

How did the LG C2 manage that? For one, it uses an advanced OLED Evo panel that delivers higher light output than previous OLED TVs. When combined with LG’s Alpha a9 Gen 5 processor, the result is bright images that reveal the wide range of highlight detail contained in high dynamic range sources.

C2 series OLED TVs are also gamer-friendly, with HDMI 2.1 connections that support features including 120Hz input, VRR, and ALLM.

Along with all that, LG really went to town on the cosmetic design of C2 series TVs, creating a model with a slim, almost invisible bezel that makes the on-screen image seem to nearly float in the air. C2 OLEDs are also available in a wide range of screen sizes, from 42 to 83 inches, with multiple options in-between.

LG C2 OLED TV in dim living room environment with fantasy image on screen

(Image credit: LG)

What’s perhaps best about our 2022 TV of the year choice is that LG released it at a not unreasonable price considering what you’re getting. Black Friday deals may still be a ways off (though they appear to be arriving earlier than ever this year), but we’re already starting to see C2 models pop up on our list of the early Black Friday TV deals.

There are entries in our best TVs list that deliver even better image quality (the Sony A95K is the king right now on that front), but not at remotely the same kind of price – and often not with as many features, and not at as many sizes. The LG C2 can't be beaten on value and flexibility.

Should you spring for an LG C2 series OLED? If you’ve got the means, then absolutely – they get our highest recommendation. The C2 series sets are a true triumph of TV design, and are guaranteed to bring years of enjoyment.

Al Griffin
Senior Editor Home Entertainment, US

Al Griffin has been writing about and reviewing A/V tech since the days LaserDiscs roamed the earth, and was previously the editor of Sound & Vision magazine. 

When not reviewing the latest and greatest gear or watching movies at home, he can usually be found out and about on a bike.

Read more
Best OLED TV hero image with Samsung S95D
The best OLED TVs 2025 for all budgets, as reviewed by our experts
Samsung S95D listing image
I tested plenty of TVs in 2024, but these are my personal top 5 models
The Samsung S95D, Sony Bravia 9 and LG G4 TVs
I review TVs for a living, and here are the 3 best TVs you can buy today
Best LG TV 2024 hero image
The best LG TVs 2025, all tested by our reviewers
LG C4 OLED TV showing image of woman with blue eyes
The OLED TV I want to buy in 2025 is last year's LG C4 – here's why
Sony Bravia 9 backlight demo showing images on screen and on raw backlight
TCL overtaking LG's premium TV sales is the inevitable result of OLED's biggest problem and mini-LED's biggest strength
Latest in Televisions
Eight Samsung TVs mounted to the wall showing different basketball games
Samsung is offering you 8 new TVs in one bundle for March Madness, in case you want to watch all games at once like a Bond villain’s lair
OLED Philips Roku TV
The new 65-inch Roku OLED TV is already under $1,000, and that's a price I can get behind
close-up of soundbar mesh with Sonos branding
Sonos reportedly cancels its streaming video player, but I hope it resurrects one part of it, because it could be huge
Best Google Chromecast Apps
Following recent problems, Chromecasts are getting a free update to Android 14 – here's what that means
Sony RGB LED visualization
I saw Sony’s next-gen RGB mini-LED TV tech in action, and OLED TVs should be worried
Google Chromecast 2
Chromecasts are still broken – but Google tells fuming owners not to factory reset their devices
Latest in Opinion
Voice cloning
I cloned my voice in seconds using a free AI app, and we really need to talk about speech synthesis
An image of network security icons for a network encircling a digital blue earth.
Why effective cybersecurity is a team effort
An AI face in profile against a digital background.
How to harmonize the complexities of global AI regulation
Person using a laptop.
The hidden costs of your on-premise software
A hand reaching out to touch a futuristic rendering of an AI processor.
Driving innovation and reshaping the insurance landscape with AI
AI tools.
I've tested all the best AI agents including ChatGPT Deep Research and Gemini - these are the 5 top automated artificial intelligence tools you can try right now