LG’s 2024 OLED M4 takes AI processing to new heights ahead of CES

With its new QNED televisions and accompanying range of new soundbars having already made their pre-CES appearances, LG now turns to the big guns — its 2024 OLED TV lineup. Basically, just take what made its 2023 models so great and add some more superlatives: Bigger (or smaller, actually, but we’ll get to that.) Brighter. Faster. More powerful.

And still wireless.

Let’s start with the powerful bit. The LG Signature OLED M4 and OLED G4 now sport α 11 (that’s pronounced “alpha eleven”) processors, which LG says will result in a 70% boost in graphics performance, and up to 30% faster processing speeds. LG also is calling it the “α 11 AI” processor because AI must be included in all the things these days. In addition to making your the OLED TV do something more than just be a large, black rectangle in your living room, all that processing is used to try to make the picture better. That’s not worth ignoring in this age of overly compressed streaming video, particularly when it comes to live, linear TV.

And it does all that pixel by pixel, LG says. Not just by looking at the totality of the picture, or even a limited number of zones on the screen, but every single dot, “utilizing precise pixel-level image analysis to effectively sharpen objects and backgrounds that may appear blurry.” And who wouldn’t want that?

Things get a little squishy from there. We’ll just let LG say things in its own words. (And you’ll understand why after you read them.) “All driven by the discerning judgment of the AI itself, delivering a more clear and vibrant viewing experience. Moreover, the ingenious AI processor adeptly refines colors by analyzing frequently used shades that best convey the mood and emotional elements intended by filmmakers and content creators.”

OK, then. So the real-time processing is going to make you feel all the things, apparently — so much so that LG says it’ll make things look more three-dimensional thanks to “Dynamic Tone Mapping Pro.”

What about the TVs themselves? The M4 now ranges from 65 inches all the way to 97 inches on the diagonal. And if you loved the idea of a wireless TV — with the Zero Connect Box doing the heavy lifting and then beaming the image data onto the panel — it’s back again for the upcoming series, and capable of doing 4K resolution at up to 144 Hz refresh rates. The 2023 M3, as you’ll recall, lacked a 65-inch model (instead starting at 77 inches, with 83 inches in the middle), and its refresh rate topped out at 120 Hz. That increased refresh rate extends to all 2024 TVs in the M4, G4, and C4 lineups up to 83 inches.

There’s no word on pricing for the new models just yet — which is the norm for this sort of pre-CES announcement. But the 2023 77-inch M3 is still listed at $5,000, with the 97-incher at a whopping $30,000.

“Bolstered by a class-leading OLED TV and impressive QNED lineup, LG continues to assert its dominance in the premium TV market with the promise of the best possible customer experience through a distinguished selection of content and services available on the company’s webOS smart TV platform,” Park Hyoung-sei, president of the LG’s Home Entertainment Company, said in a press release.

Wireless audio isn’t left out of the story, either (nor is it immune from the AI branding). Featuring “AI Sound Pro” for “richer and fuller audio,” the M4 sports virtual 11.1.2 sound built in, with “AI technology” used to help lift vocals above the din. And if you opt for one of LG’s soundbars, you can do all that audio wirelessly, thanks to WOWCAST, which also uses the TV’s speakers in the mix.

And LG’s webOS operating system gets another refresh, too. You can have up to 10 profiles on board, so everyone can have the picture just the way they like it (so long as the AI approves, perhaps). And the new sets can even listen to the sound of your voice to apply the proper profile. That’ll be fun to try. And as was previously announced, the new TVs will receive updates for the next five year (and that extends back to the 2022 models, too).

All in all, some very exciting, very not inexpensive stuff is on the way. And we’ll get our first look at it at CES 2024 in Las Vegas next week. So stay tuned.