First impressions: LG Signature OLED M Review

This super-large OLED screen can wirelessly display UHD sound and vision using revolutionary RF technology. It works well, but don’t expect the tech to be cheap when it rolls out later this year.

prologue

LG Signature, the premium division of LG Electronics, is known for its uncompromising products that push the boundaries of performance and design. OLED enthusiasts will remember the LG Signature OLED-R, a 65-inch flexible OLED display unfurled from a compact cabinet, launching in 2021.

Well, at CES 2023, the brand will once again challenge the accepted norms with the LG Signature OLED M, a high-end 4K HDR display that delivers sound and vision via its own RF system using Zero Connect technology. Did. No wiring required.

We had a chance to take a closer look at this potential game changer. These are my first impressions…

design

• Rear panel without AV connection
• Separate RF transmitter and connector box
• premium finish

The 97-inch LG Signature M3 was the big impact screen at CES 2023. LG Signature clearly intends to reserve the magic of the new Zero Connect for the most luxurious screens. It’s also shown in 77-inch and 83-inch screen sizes, but not smaller than that, at least for the time being.

The benefits of going wireless are clear. The giant screen can be placed anywhere the interior designer desires. You don’t have to worry about connecting ugly peripherals to the screen itself via cable spaghetti.

Despite its size, the M3 looks sleek. It has an ultra-thin bezel and can be mounted in a room or wall to stand on its own.

What sets this panel apart from regular TVs is the companion Zero Connect transmitter box. This provides all the missing inputs on the panel itself.

image quality

• Brilliant 4K image quality
• PQ on par with traditional wired OLED TVs

What to do when confronted with a giant screen receiving images from a wireless source is the apparent compromise of artifacts, compression and noise that reveals the compromises needed to perform miraculous party tricks. It’s about looking for signs.

But nothing obvious jumped out. The panel looked exactly as expected, even at this unforgiving size, with razor-sharp detail, excellent dynamics, and extreme vibrancy.

Most of the demo footage available is typically kaleidoscope-like, eye-pleasing sequences. The good news: We didn’t see any deficiencies in color fidelity.

HDR performance was similarly excellent. The best real-world test was the opening sequence of Mad Max Fury Road delivered from UHD Blu-ray. A 4K BD player was plugged into one of the inputs on the Zero Connect box and sent wirelessly to the screen.

The disc looked as sharp and dynamic as I’d hoped it would, with no obvious discomfort.

LG declined to talk about the panel used in this M3 model, but it seems likely that it will be OLED.EX, released by LG Display in 2022.

OLED.EX is 30% brighter than regular OLED panels thanks to improved algorithm and panel stability using deuterium.

Apparently the 77-inch uses Brightness Booster Max technology (algorithm coupled to a physical heat sink), while the 83-inch and 97-inch models rely on an algorithm to guarantee HDR boost.

sound quality

The M3 has a built-in Dolby Atmos sound system with various built-in drivers. The opening sequence of Mad Max Fury Road certainly sounded great and did the source justice.

The M3 can be used with a soundbar, but this requires a little ingenuity. One of the HDMI is eARC compatible, but obviously the transmitter is not placed near the screen.

The solution is LG’s WOWCast dongle that can be used to link the Zero Connect box to a compatible soundbar placed under the screen, providing lossless audio.

Features

• Three 4K 120Hz capable HDMI inputs
• eARC
• webOS smart platform

Beyond the innovative wireless configuration, the ease of use is almost identical to the regular LG OLED. Smart connectivity is delivered via the brand’s familiar webOS platform.

The Zero Connect Cube features a trio of 4K 120Hz capable HDMI, plus two USB inputs, digital optical audio out Ethernet, and a TV tuner. There is also an RS232C jack and an IR blaster for wider system control.