With the new QNED TVs and accompanying range of new soundbars already making their pre-CES appearances, LG is now turning to the big guns – the 2024 OLED TV range. Basically, just take what made the 2023 models so great and add a few more superlatives: Bigger (or smaller, actually, but we’ll get to that.) Brighter. Faster. More powerful.
And still wireless.
Let’s start with the powerful part. The LG Signature OLED M4 and OLED G4 now feature α 11 (pronounced “alpha eleven”) processors, which LG says will result in a 70% boost in graphics performance and up to 30% faster processing speeds. LG also calls it an “a 11 AI” processor, because AI must be included in everything these days. In addition to making your OLED TV do more than just be a big, black rectangle in your living room, all of this processing is used to make the picture better. This is not worth ignoring in this age of highly compressed video streaming, especially when it comes to live, linear TV.
And it does all this pixel by pixel, says LG. Not just looking at the entire image or even a limited number of zones on the screen, but every dot, “using pixel-precise image resolution to effectively sharpen objects and backgrounds that might otherwise appear blurry.” And who wouldn’t want that?
Things get a little dicey from there. We’ll just let LG put things in their own words. (And you’ll understand why after you read them.) “Everything is driven by the insightful judgment of the AI itself, offering a clearer and more vivid viewing experience. In addition, the intelligent AI processor skillfully enhances colors by analyzing frequently used hues that better convey the mood and emotional elements that filmmakers and content creators seek.”
OK then. So real-time processing will make you feel all things, apparently — so much so that LG says it’ll make things look more three-dimensional thanks to “Dynamic Tone Mapping Pro.”
What about the TVs themselves? The M4 now ranges from 65 inches across to 97 inches diagonally. And if you liked the idea of a wireless TV – with the Zero Connect Box doing the heavy lifting and then transmitting the image data to the panel – it’s back again for the upcoming series, and it can do 4K resolution at up to 144Hz refresh percentages. The 2023 M3, you’ll recall, didn’t have a 65-inch model (instead it started at 77 inches, with 83 inches in the middle), and its refresh rate topped 120Hz. This increased refresh rate extends to all 2024 TVs in the M4, G4 and C4 series up to 83 inches.
There’s no word yet on pricing for the new models — which is the norm for these kinds of pre-CES announcements. But the 2023 77-inch M3 is still listed at $5,000, with the 97-inch going for $30,000.
“Powered by a class-leading OLED TV and impressive QNED lineup, LG continues to assert its dominance in the premium TV market by promising the best possible customer experience through a distinguished selection of content and services available on its webOS smart TV platform company,” Park Hyoung-sei, president of LG’s Home Entertainment Company, said in a press release.
Wireless audio is not left out of the story (nor is it immune to the AI brand). Featuring “AI Sound Pro” for “richer and fuller sound”, the M4 has built-in 11.1.2 virtual sound, with “AI technology” used to lift vocals above noise. And if you opt for one of LG’s soundbars, you can make all that sound wireless, thanks to WOWCAST, which also uses the TV’s speakers in the mix.
And LG’s webOS operating system is getting a refresh as well. You can have up to 10 profiles on board, so everyone can have the image just the way they like it (as long as the AI approves, maybe). And the new sets can even listen to the sound of your voice to apply the appropriate profile. It will be fun to try. And as previously announced, new TVs will receive updates for the next five years (and that extends to 2022 models).
All in all, some very exciting, very not cheap stuff is on the way. And we’ll see it for the first time at CES 2024 in Las Vegas next week. So stay tuned.
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