LG unveiled another “world first” at CES 2023: a 4K TV that receives all its video and audio wirelessly.
The 97-inch LG Signature OLED M3 is essentially a high-end panel with speakers and a power cable. It receives audio and video from LG’s Zero Connect box, which can be placed up to 30 feet away.
LG thinks the box is capable of “real-time video and audio transmission up to 4K 120Hz”. There are three HDMI 2.1 ports, so you can connect everything from a next-gen gaming console to a 4K Blu-ray player.
Why go through all this effort? According to LG, the bare-bones nature of the M3 makes for an incredibly sleek design that can sit flush against the wall. And with no tangled wires, viewers should be guaranteed a distraction-free experience…in theory.
HDMI streaming boxes aren’t new, but LG’s version seems to deliver better video quality. This is partly because the Zero Connect technology uses a new algorithm “to minimize transmission errors or disturbances” such as people or pets moving around the room.
The OLED M3 supports Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and voice commands. It also meets the usual gaming boxes, including Nvidia G-Sync certification. LG hasn’t said whether the wireless wizardry will have a detrimental effect on latency. If so, that could bother hardcore gamers much more than a few dangling wires.
Will LG’s unconventional Signature OLED M3 usher in a new era of cable-free convenience? LG has yet to confirm a price or availability, but the 97-inch G2 currently costs £24,999 / $25,000 / AU$39,995, and it seems likely the M3 will cost significantly more than that.
Fortunately, for those of us not mega-rich, LG has also announced the new G3, which can supposedly get 70% brighter than ‘traditional’ OLEDs, but is expected to cost about the same as the outgoing G2.
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