LG had a tough 2023 in the TV market, so did Samsung, especially when it came to OLED TV models with 2024 set to see several Chinese brands take on the two South Korean brands in the display market, in response LG has launched a new lineup of TV’s with some pretty neat technology.
Using CES 2024 as a launchpad, LG is describing the new range as a revolutionary leap, like they do every year, however this year WRGB technology is set to be used to differentiate LG from the TV pack.
Last year it was LG’s G3 models and their Micro Lens Array and Brightness Booster Max technology that set the brand apart from the pack, this year it’s new G4 TV’s that feature the latest and greatest TV technology.
LG’s new G4 series will build on the Brightness Booster Max technology introduced on last year’s G3, however LG is launching a new processor called the Alpha 11.
LG claims the new chip will offer four times the AI performance of its predecessor, 1.7x the graphics performance, and 1.3x the general processing power – all partnered with 2.5GB of RAM which is set to be used to deliver better content management and streaming.
LG’s AI Picture Pro deep learning-powered image enhancement system can now work across all sources, including those connected to the TV via HDMI, rather than only working with broadcasts and some streaming services as it did before.
The new AI Picture Pro system carries the latest versions of the genre and scene analysis, AI Super Resolution, Noise Reduction and OLED Dynamic Tone Mapping Pro engine features (the latter of which breaks the image into thousands of analysis blocks to make its tone mapping more effective) we’ve seen in AI Picture Pro before.
There are also two new AI Picture Pro features: Object Enhancing By Visual Perception, and AI Director Processing.
The Object Enhancing By Visual Perception feature is claimed to analyse each and every pixel in the picture to better detect and more effective treat different objects in an image to help make it in more life-like (so key objects gain more emphasis, for instance).
The AI Director Processing attempts to apply to whatever you’re watching the colour theory (where colour is used to enhance emotions) used during content mastering and grading to give images more power.
The Alpha 11 processor introduces a couple of potentially critical new elements to the G4’s AI Sound Pro system.
Among them is a virtual 11.1.2-channel upmixer that can even be applied to stereo sources, and a new Voice Remastering system that’s able to use AI to extract voices from audio mixes so that their clarity can be enhanced without affecting the rest of the mix. These new features join previous AI Sound Pro features of Adaptive Sound Control (which optimizes sound playback in real time based on analysis of the content), AI Acoustic Tuning to optimise the sound for your room set up, and a Dynamic Sound Booster for making the sound more dynamic and powerful.
LG’s flagship OLED range for 2024 will be the wireless M4s.
With the G4 range LG’s Brightness Booster Max system will be extended to the 83-inch model; it’s no longer restricted to the 55, 65 and 77-inch sizes in the range.
The only G4 model that won’t benefit from Brightness Booster Max technology is the new king-sized 97″ TV.
Gamers will benefit from support for 144Hz games if you have a PC capable of delivering this level of graphic capability.
LG claims that this feature makes its new ‘Evo’ OLED models (which include new C4 and M4 models as well as the G4s) the first TVs to officially support both Nvidia G-Sync and 144Hz. They also support AMD FreeSync, of course.
The M4 models will continue to be built around LG’s Zero Connect system, where an external connection box sends pictures up wirelessly to 4K/144Hz HDR (making them the first TVs to do this without compression).
The M4 and G4 screens will both feature so-called ‘One Wall Designs’ ideally suited to wall mounting, and five-year warranties as a sign of LG’s confidence in their longevity.
The LG C4 range in 2024 will be available in 42, 48, 55, 65, 77 and 83-inch screen sizes.
Wrapping up LG’s OLED offering for 2024 will be the entry-level B4 series. Available in 77, 65, 55 and 48-inch screen sizes, these models top out at 120Hz support rather than 144Hz, and step down to a new Alpha 8 AI 4K processor, which LG rather vaguely describes as ‘inherited’ from last year’s Alpha 9 AI 4K system.
There’s no far-field voice recognition on the B4s either, or they lose all of the Brightness Booster technologies available from the C4 up, meaning they’ll be significantly less bright than their siblings. They do, though, still get the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support enjoyed by all of LG’s more premium 2024 models, as well as the latest much-improved webOS platform including the two-screen Multiview system carried by the C4s.
LG has yet to provide launch date or pricing information for its 2024 OLED range, but rest assured I’ll bring you this information on my Forbes channel as soon as LG reveals it.
