If prioritizing overall picture quality and excellent gaming performance is key, the LG C3 is an impressive choice, with its excellent scores across the board, including for sports and movies, and it's less expensive than the Sony A90K. The LG C3 stands out with better brightness in both SDR and HDR, which translates to a better viewing experience in bright rooms. It also has superior input lag performance, making it highly suitable for gaming. The Sony A90K offers very good performance too, especially in a dark room where OLEDs excel, but it comes at a higher cost and has fair bright room performance which could be a downside if you watch TV in a sunny room. Both support similar HDR formats and have OLED screens with wide viewing angles, but the LG C3 offers Dolby Atmos support directly. If budget is a concern, the LG C3 provides a well-rounded experience at a midrange price, while the Sony A90K might be for those who are fans of the Sony ecosystem and are okay with a higher price for its features. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the LG C3 (OLED)
Very good for bright room
Excellent for dark room
Excellent for gaming
Excellent for news, talk, & other TV
Excellent for use as monitor
Best in class viewing angle
Best in class reflections
Advantages of the Sony A90K (OLED)
Excellent for sports
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Key differences
Sports
8.5/10
9.1/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
8.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony A90K (OLED) is excellent for sports, while the LG C3 (OLED) is very good.
Bright Room
8.3/10
6.7/10
9.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
8.8/10
8.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
8.0/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.2/10
10.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.9/10
The LG C3 (OLED) is very good for bright room, while the Sony A90K (OLED) is only fair.
Cost
$1,069
$1,298
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The LG C3 (OLED) has a price of $1,069 and the Sony A90K (OLED) costs $1,298.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers LG C3 (OLED) to have excellent picture quality, while the Sony A90K (OLED) has very good picture quality.
Movies & TV
9.2/10
9.1/10
10.00/10
CONTRAST
10.00/10
10.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
10.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The LG C3 (OLED) and Sony A90K (OLED) are both excellent for movies & TV.
Gaming
9.0/10
8.8/10
10.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
9.4/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
100.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
100.0/100
8.0/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers LG C3 (OLED) to be excellent for gaming, while the Sony A90K (OLED) is very good.
Cartoons & Animation
8.8/10
8.4/10
8.3/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
8.3/10
8.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
8.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
7.9/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.7/10
10.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
9.6/10
The LG C3 (OLED) and Sony A90K (OLED) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
News, Talk, & Other TV
9.0/10
8.7/10
8.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers LG C3 (OLED) to be excellent for news, talk, & other TV, while the Sony A90K (OLED) is very good.
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How the LG C3 (OLED) and the Sony A90K (OLED) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
LG C3 (OLED)
Sony A90K (OLED)
GENERAL
Price
Price
$1,069
$1,298
Brand
Brand
LG
Sony
Release Date
Release Date
March 10, 2022
June 1, 2022
Full name
Full name
OLED42C3
42A90K
Screen Size
Screen Size
42"
42"
Screen Resolution
Screen Resolution
4K
4K
Screen Type
Screen Type
OLED
OLED
Screen Sub-type
Screen Sub-type
WOLED WBE
WOLED WBE
Smart TV
Smart TV
Yes
Yes
TV FEATURES
Operating System
Operating System
webOS
Android TV
Sound Quality Score
Sound Quality Score
8/10
7/10
NextGen Ready
NextGen Ready
No
Yes
HDMI Ports
HDMI Ports
4
4
Coax Ports
Coax Ports
1
1
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
120Hz
120Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
Yes
HDR Supported formats
HDR Supported formats
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Accessibility
Accessibility
Voice Commands
None
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES
Picture Quality Score
Picture Quality Score
9/10
8.6/10
Bright Room Score
Bright Room Score
8.3/10
6.8/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
9/10
8.8/10
Movies & TV Score
Movies & TV Score
9.2/10
9.1/10
Sports Score
Sports Score
8.5/10
9.2/10
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
9.1/10
8.8/10
Cartoons & Animation Score
Cartoons & Animation Score
8.9/10
8.4/10
Use as Monitor Score
Use as Monitor Score
9.1/10
8.5/10
PHYSICAL
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
21.3" x 36.7" x 1.6"
21.5" x 36.7" x 2.2"
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
22.7" x 36.7"
21.7" x 36.7"
Weight without Stand
Weight without Stand
21.6 lbs
29.3 lbs
VESA Mount
VESA Mount
300 x 200
200 x 200
DISPLAY
Color Depth
Color Depth
10 bit
10 bit
Black Frame Insertion
Black Frame Insertion
Yes
Yes
Auto Low Latency Mode
Auto Low Latency Mode
Yes
Yes
Contrast
Contrast
10/10
10/10
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
10/10
10/10
Gaming Local Dimming
Gaming Local Dimming
10/100
10/100
Game HDR Brightness Score
Game HDR Brightness Score
8.1/10
6.3/10
SDR Brightness Score
SDR Brightness Score
8/10
6.4/10
HDR Brightness Score
HDR Brightness Score
8/10
6.2/10
Gray Uniformity
Gray Uniformity
10/10
9.7/10
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity
10/10
10/10
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle
9.6/10
8.8/10
Reflections Score
Reflections Score
10/10
9/10
Upscaling
Upscaling
8/10
10/10
Motion Processing
Motion Processing
8/10
10/10
Color Gamut Score
Color Gamut Score
8.3/10
8.3/10
Color Volume Score
Color Volume Score
8.1/10
8/10
Response Time Score
Response Time Score
10/10
9.4/10
Input Lag Score
Input Lag Score
10/10
7/10
Colors Out of the Box Score
Colors Out of the Box Score
7.9/10
7.7/10
Quality Control
Quality Control
8.8/10
10/10
Chroma Subsampling Score
Chroma Subsampling Score
8/10
8/10
SOUND
Speaker Setup
Speaker Setup
2.2
2.1
Speaker Power
Speaker Power
Unknown
25 W
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos
Yes
Yes
DTS:X
DTS:X
No
Up to DTS Digital Surround, Bypass only
Get a great deal on the LG C3 (OLED) or the Sony A90K (OLED)
About LG
LG, a prominent TV brand from Korea, has played a significant role in popularizing OLED TVs. OLED technology is hailed as the future of TV technology. Their TVs employ WebOS, a proprietary smart TV software that not only offers seamless functionality but also includes gaming-specific features, earning praise from players worldwide. Often regarded as the gateway to unparalleled viewing experiences, LG's mid-range OLEDs come highly recommended, making them a worthwhile investment for those willing to stretch their budget for superior quality.
About Sony
Sony stands as a highly experienced and widely trusted TV manufacturer, earning a reputation that surpasses all others. A Japanese company, Sony has been making TVs for far longs than it has been making Playstation game consoles. Sony's high-end TVs are often regarded as the ultimate choice for videophiles, representing the epitome of quality, albeit at a premium price point. Renowned for their advanced and precise motion handling, as well as their cutting-edge local dimming algorithms, Sony consistently delivers unparalleled performance in these areas. They include Google TV software with all their TV sets, which grants access to the largest selection of apps available and they also include Bravia Core which is a movie streaming platform specifically for Sony TVs that offers higher picture quality by using more bandwidth.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec TVs team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest TV information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
385
TVs evaluated
33,110
TVs stats compiled
21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
118,830
Recommendations made
17,825
Consumer hours saved
About the TV team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and TVs Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
Jaime is a Colombia-based TV expert. He is an electronics engineer with 8 years of experience in the telecom sector and has been making TV recommendations for 12 years.