I have been protecting TVs at CES for years and it takes so much to shock me. Sure I’ve seen some loopy screens, ones that roll up and ones so huge they’re principally video partitions, however early variations and prototypes ready me for these. After I walked into LG’s suite at a resort in Las Vegas, the factor I noticed throughout the room got here as a giant shock.
And I do imply huge. It is a 97-inch OLED TV, which I first noticed when LG launched it final yr, and it stays the most important OLED TV on the earth. And since OLED offers the finest image high quality obtainable, it is rattling spectacular in-person at that dimension. However that wasn’t the shock. To me the jaw-dropper got here when LG’s rep informed me the gorgeous, large 4K picture was being beamed to the TV with none wires. Wi-fi TV is actual, and it is coming this yr.
Throughout the room from the TV sat the wi-fi transmitter field. On the again of the field had been customary HDMI plugs and a handful of different connections, and one HDMI cable ran to a Blu-ray participant. The picture on the display screen was from a Blu-Ray disc, despatched wirelessly — and flawlessly, to my eye — from the field to the TV. The highest of the field will be rotated to intention an inside antenna on the tv.
The TV itself did not have any video inputs in any respect, simply clean steel the place TV inputs often reside round again. The thought is to scale back wiring, that age-old bugaboo of good TV installations. You, one that can afford a 97-inch OLED TV, stash your AV gear inside a cupboard out of sight, together with the transmitter field into which all the pieces plugs. That leaves solely the ability wire to the TV, a wire LG artfully hid inside one of many stand legs.
No wires or gadgets close by means a stand like this can be utilized to its full potential. Be aware that not like this picture, the true wi-fi TV does have an influence wire.
LG
Positive, any variety of TV stands may also maintain your gear. However wi-fi connectivity permits the TV to face alone, which appears spectacular on considered one of LG’s easel-like stands (pictured above) and it will possibly drastically simplify a wall-mount set up.
LG says the field will be positioned as much as 30 toes from the TV. I requested whether or not the wi-fi connection was a possible hazard, particularly should you’re sitting between the field and the TV, and firm representatives informed me it wasn’t as a result of it makes use of related know-how to plain Wi-Fi routers. Additionally they stated it would not be affected by different Wi-Fi visitors. The sign can deal with as much as 4K, 120Hz decision, which is just about the utmost for right this moment’s video games. It is also the best decision and framerate most TVs, together with LG’s regular 4K OLED fashions, can settle for.
Wi-fi TVs have been offered prior to now, and wi-fi tech has appeared in projectors too. You may also purchase wi-fi HDMI extender kits for $100 or much less, however they typically cannot deal with such excessive bandwidth. That is the primary time in years I’ve seen it constructed right into a TV. An organization referred to as Displace TV additionally confirmed a wi-fi OLED mannequin at CES, however it’s a 55-inch, battery-powered display screen that is designed for portability.
Along with the 97-inch dimension LG will launch its wi-fi OLED, dubbed the M3 sequence, in 83- and 77-inch sizes. LG says it is coming someday in 2023 with pricing, like the remainder of LG’s 2023 TVs, nonetheless to be decided. For reference, LG prices $25,000 for its customary, wired 97-inch OLED TV and $2,900 for a 77-inch one, so no matter dimension the M3 will not be low-cost.
Apart from the M3 LG additionally launched three different sequence of wired OLED TVs at CES 2023.
English