LG Electronics had a big surprise in store at CES 2023, where it unveiled an entirely new addition to its OLED TV lineup. The new Signature OLED M TV is said to be the world’s first consumer television that receives both audio and video wirelessly, thanks to LG’s novel Zero Connect technology.
LG pulled the curtains back on most of its 2023 OLED TVs the day before CES opened its doors, but it saved the best till last with the Wireless OLED M, which follows in the footsteps of its original Signature TV, the rollable OLED R.
The unique thing is of course the wirelessness of the LG OLED M TV. It receives real time 4K 120Hz video, plus audio, without any cables thanks to the Zero Connect box. Available in a single, 97-inch size option, the TV is described as a “consumer model”, though the price tag is likely to be somewhere in orbit. With any luck it will just be a showcase for the Zero Connect tech, which will one day filter down into LG’s more affordable OLED ranges.
The LG Signature OLED M TV features the same, new, brighter OLED display that appears on the LG G3 OLED TV, so picture quality should be stunning. Bear in mind however that the TV isn’t 100% free of cables, as it still needs to be plugged in. Nevertheless, the option to hide away any cables, consoles and satellite/streaming boxes is a big plus, all the more so because LG boasts a 30 foot transmission distance, meaning one could theoretically hide away those devices upstairs in a bedroom.
Besides hiding away all those nasty cables, another major benefit of the LG Signature OLED M’s wirelessness is that it has a much slimmer profile than previous LG OLED TVs. Because there’s no need for any connection ports, LG was able to make it much thinner. The TV also has an integrated mounting bracket similar to the “One Wall” design of LG’s G3 OLED TV.
The actual Zero Connect box is, of course, where all of those connections really are, and the good news is that it has multiple HDMI inputs, including some that are HDMI 2.1. It can also connect with wireless soundbars, and it supports voice recognition so users can switch on and manage the TV with spoken commands. The data transfer is enabled via a special algorithm that’s able to identify the optimal transmission path for the signal, similar to how a router works. The algorithm also helps to reduce the effect of any dropouts or interruptions that might occur when people move around the house. Users also have the option to create a more robust signal with a mounted antenna that can be aligned with the TV’s exact location.
