A speaker works by moving air; the bigger the driver, the more air it can move and the better it sounds. If you can only fit tiny speakers into a TV chassis then you’re going to struggle to deliver anything approaching a decent level of sound quality. As Mr. Scott is fond of saying in Star Trek, you can’t change the laws of physics. The C8 still can’t match Samsung’s Q9FN QLED for brightness and vibrancy, but for an OLED it’s exceptionally punchy – more so than the Sony A1 and Philips 55POS9002, in fact – and the way it combines that with subtlety and realism makes the feat all the more impressive. I will probably buy the nVidia shield at some point in the near future. Should i hook that up directly to the Soundbar to get the most out of it? With a 2.1 HDMI cable for Full Atmos? It’s a bit of a moot point at the moment, anyway, as there isn’t really any HFR content available, so it shouldn’t be a cause of contention for a while - who knows, maybe until you’re next ready to upgrade your TV. The company tells me it’s focusing on processor tech this year, because the panel tech hasn’t changed much. We’re still dealing with a 10-bit panel with a 4K Ultra HD resolution and a marginally increased peak brightness of just over 800 nits.

That would have been a cop-out, though, and ultimately we feel that the C8’s approach will suit more people more of the time. Just.

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The improved voice control is part of ThinQ AI, which is a proprietary artificial intelligence technology that LG has added to WebOS this year. It is based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and uses ThinQ open-standard control protocols to enable its TVs to communicate with other devices that support ThinQ. Another welcome sight is LG’s webOS interface, which has essentially defined how smart TVs ought to behave. Over the years the system has been tweaked, but the core offering remains the same. The last C-series TV from LG featured a modest central pedestal, but the LG C8 OLED is a little more showy. The metal slab is now longer (approximately 104cm), and it curves forwards. This is to redirect sound from the down-firing speakers so it fires forwards.

The E8, as with every other 2018 model hitting the market, is in its early days. Over the coming months, prices will no doubt reduce and if the E8 comes in line with its C8 sibling, we’ll be more than willing to shade in that fifth star. Of much more interest will be the differing approaches to HDR. Both TVs support HDR10, the most common HDR format, and the HLG specification preferred by broadcasters such as the BBC. But when it comes to more advanced, dynamic metadata-featuring HDR, the two TVs differ, with LG choosing to support Dolby Vision and Samsung opting for its own HDR10+ format. And if you’re looking to elevate your viewing experience with cable management, then why not take a look at our wall mounts and TV stands.Play the opening of Planet Earth II on 4K Blu-ray and the introductory selection of clips provides evidence of a supremely capable, consistent and natural performer. The snow of the mountains is purer and brighter than last year, and there’s more bright detail, too - as evidenced by the distinct, fluffy, three-dimensional clouds. The internal speakers do some good spatial work, offering a good spread of sound as Quill splashes around the planet of Morag. It doesn’t project the sound forward to the viewer particularly well – everything stays rather in the same vertical plane as the TV screen – but there’s a feeling of movement as the geysers blast columns of water around Quill. The bottom end notes don’t quite hit you in the chest, but your ears still feel it even if the rest of your body doesn’t. Dynamically, the sound feels a little squashed. There’s not enough difference between quiet and loud sounds to clearly hear the individual drops of rain. The effect is a murky drizzle rather than the distinct shower we see on screen, but the system is intelligent enough with the LG AI Sound 5.1 Virtual Surround Sound switched on to create a convincing echo effect when Quill walks into the cave. We switch to Blue Planet 2 and while the colours really zing, it’s the detail that grabs us from the off. As the camera pans over Earth’s landscapes, the planet’s snow capped mountains are a wonder of whites. The shaded differences between the peaks and the passes are beautifully rendered, providing an excellent sense of depth to the image. You’ll find some extra picture setting suggestions below. With so much of its picture processing turned off, the C8 presumably performs just like its predecessor, right? Wrong. This is a markedly sharper, more detailed and punchier picture than that offered by LG’s 2017 OLEDs, even without Vivid mode active.

LG, meanwhile, already thought to be close to the inherent brightness limits of OLED, has focused on software and artificial intelligence for its 2018 models. That might not sound thrilling, but software plays a huge role in the performance of a telly. And let’s not forget; LG’s 2017 TVs were already brilliant. The only real picture disappointment is the C8’s motion processing. Any level of processing seems to add an element of unrealism or artefacting, so as far as we’re concerned TruMotion is best switched off entirely, even though that results in a bit of judder and blur. Only OLED's revolutionary construction is so thin and light that your TV design can be as pure as LG OLED's Picture on Metal. Compliment any room with incredible technology.Samsung's 8K QLED TVs are on sale now, while LG's has launched an 8K OLED in selected markets including Korea. It should make for an interesting comparison. LG TV can recognise major High Dynamic Range formats such as HLG, HDR 10, Dolby Vision™ and Technicolor. So you get the HDR experience, no matter what HDR entertainment you're enjoying.