LG presented a number of new OLED models at this year’s CES trade show, but topped it all with a wireless OLED TV. The new top model has a screen size of 97 inches, and is the largest OLED screen LG can deliver.
The size itself isn’t new, as LG launched 97-inch OLED last year. The big technological advance here lies in the wireless signal transmission.
Can send 4K/120 Hz video signals wirelessly
The LG OLED M3 is capable of transmitting 4K quality images from a separate switch box at the opposite end of the room, without the need for any cables. So the TV can stand freely in the room, or be mounted on the wall without a bundle of visible cables underneath.
This means… The TV still needs power; the point is that you don’t have a bunch of HDMI cables dangling from the screen, and the placement is freer.
External video sources like TV receiver and game consoles, Blu-ray player, etc., connect to the Zero Connect wireless box. This relatively compact device can transmit video signals up to 4K/120Hz and HDR quality directly to the TV screen. To achieve this, it uses “proprietary technology” from LG, which is claimed to be significantly faster than Wi-Fi 6.
LG states that the box can be placed up to 9 metres from the TV. And to ensure seamless transmission of data from the box to the TV, they have developed an algorithm that immediately identifies the optimal transmission path. It can adapt to changes in the room – like when someone moves between the box and the TV.
LG OLED97M3 in practice
We got to see the OLED97M3 in action – first inside a fashionable suite at Mandalay Bay, and later out on the show floor of Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center. And the technology seems to work. With a 4K Blu-ray player connected to the transmitter box, transmission of the signals was seemingly flawless, with no visible buffering, hitches or noise.
But as long as you still have to pull a power cable up to the screen, much of the benefit does disappear, we think. And once you’ve drilled a hole in the wall for power and hidden cabling, most of the work is already done.
Samsung has offered an alternative solution for their top models for a few years – the so-called One Connect box. This sends both power and video signals through the same cable, and can achieve something similar. The new QD-OLED model S95C, for example, comes with One Connect this year.
Also, many people have become used to using the TV’s own apps, streaming services and games, and so already don’t have many other video sources to connect – except Xbox and Playstation, of course!
This is precisely why we’re curious to see how well the video transmission works for gaming, given the input lag. We look forward to checking this out when the TV hits the test bench later this year!