First Impressions
This will undoubtedly be LG’s most expensive OLED series for 2024, with picture parity with the G4 and effectively the same design. The Zero Connect Box is an impressive innovation though, with this TV likely holding appeal for those who want luxury convenience
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wireless Zero Connect BoxPicture and sound sent wirelessly to the TV -
MLA screenFeatures LG’s latest and brightest OLED panel -
α (Alpha) 11 AI processorUses A.I. to improve picture and sound
Introduction
LG’s M-series OLEDs are essentially G-series models, except instead of being primarily designed to be wall-mounted, this series features a different quirk. It’s a completely wireless TV.
I mean wireless in that they’re scurried away in a wireless box that can be placed away from the set, with picture and video transmitted wirelessly to the TV. It’s a neat trick, and at CES, I was given a brief preview of the upcoming M4 OLED.
Design
- New 65-inch model
- Wireless Zero Connect Box
I forgot to ask LG which size was on show but if I had to guess I’d say it’s the new 65-inch model. That is the smallest size available for the M4 OLEDs, with 77-, 83-, and 97-inch options also available.
Like the G4, the emphasis appears to be on wall-mounting the TV, though a fancy-looking leg stand should be available like it was with the M3 models. The most interesting innovation is the Zero Connect Box. All the connections are placed in the box, so it will be where you plug in your 4K Blu-ray player, set-top boxes, etc. with the box able to transmit up to 4K 120Hz signals to the TV from as far as 30 feet away. Although as you can see in the images, the box was less than one foot away.
It does provoke an interesting query about soundbars because the Zero Connect Box does have an HDMI eARC port, but if the whole point is to avoid the clutter of cables, you wouldn’t want a long cable trailing from the soundbar back the box. The obvious answer is a wireless soundbar, and both the SG10TY and S95TR are new wireless soundbars from LG that can connect via the WOWCAST technology.
Features
- New α (Alpha) 11 AI processor
- Refresh rates up to 144Hz supported
- webOS 24 interface
Everything that features on the G4 carries over to the M4. There’s the brighter MLA panel with all of LG’s algorithms and boosting included, the α (Alpha) 11 AI processor that brings with it the AI Director Processing, Object Enhancing, and DRM-beating processing.
Refresh rates up to 144Hz are supported for PC gaming, there is four screen Multi View, and the new webOS 24. Effectively, the M4 is the G4, except the connections are wireless.
Performance
- Performance parity with G4 LED
- Works best with wireless soundbars
There will also be parity in the picture department, so don’t expect the M4 to have an advantage over the G4. This means it’ll hit the same levels of brightness with content. Feature the DRM-busting α11 AI processor, Dolby Vision/Filmmaker mode symbiosis, and enhanced colours with the AI Director Processing. You can read a little more about those features in my G4 OLED hands-on.
The audio performance is less of a known quantity, at least for me. I’ve not heard what an M3 sounds, nor was I treated to what the M4 sounded like, but I can only imagine it’ll be the same as the G4 given it has the same features such as the 11.1.2 virtual sound upmix.
LG would probably like you to buy a soundbar to go with this screen, as I mentioned in the Design section, there are two capable models that LG is launching in 2024 that can wirelessly hook up to the M4 OLED.
First impressions
This is the OLED from LG that has the most limited appeal. It’s aimed at the interior design market, those who prefer not to have wires cluttering up their space. It’ll incur a slight price premium over the G4 because of the Zero Connect Box.
The performance is likely to be on par with the G-series given that it’s the same panel and processing abilities. If convenience and high-performance appeal, this would then be LG OLED with the greatest appeal – as long as you’re willing to pay extra. Prices will be announced later in 2024.
