The color palette is wide and realistic, and the LG manages to look vibrant and energetic even in low-light scenes. The definition of the contours is achieved smoothly and the depth of field is sometimes quite prodigious. Even the most difficult movements are handled without alarm, and in the most serious moments of crisis, the M4 reduces image artifacts and noise to an absolute minimum.
It’s the same thing when it comes to games. The M4 delivers a smooth, immersive experience in Game Optimizer mode: it’s extremely sharp in its responses, maintains images without stuttering or tearing, and makes the most of its wide color palette and ease of contrast to optimize effects lighting and the like. Enjoying all this immersive and captivating experience from a TV that appears to be connected only to an electrical outlet seems almost decadent.
Photography: Simon Lucas
LG’s WebOS Smart TV interface has undergone some minor changes to arrive as WebOS 24, but despite more overt advertising, it remains one of the most logical and usable interfaces on the market. Getting what you want is simple, whether you use the Wii-style Magic Remote (which will be familiar to anyone who has used an LG TV in the last decade), the ThinQ control app, or take advantage of the ‘Amazon integrated. Alexa voice control.
So far, it’s nothing short of impressive. When you add sturdy, predictable build quality, an impeccable level of finish, and a nice slim profile, the LG M4 ticks almost all the boxes. In fact, the only way it isn’t really pleasant is in the sound it produces.
Is the upgrade worth it?
Obviously, the M4 is far from being the only OLED TV with a much less exciting sound than the images it accompanies. But considering it has 60 watts of power driving a 4.2-channel speaker array, the tentative, bone-dry audio quality can’t help but disappoint. Definition is pretty good and the Clear Voice Pro feature which uses AI voice remastering technology certainly keeps dialogue clear and easy to follow, but there’s very little low-frequency substance.
In all honesty, though, this is probably a moot point. It seems unlikely that anyone planning to spend more than $4,000 on a 65-inch TV isn’t planning an audio system to do it justice. Considering that the M4 is compatible with LG’s WOW Orchestra feature, which allows the display speakers to join with, rather than be replaced by, an LG soundbar, in buying one to get the job done right is a no-brainer.
Yes, adding a soundbar or other speaker system (they can also be installed in walls!) isn’t totally in line with the zero-footprint vibe, but it’s not not the screen’s fault. Basically, no modern TV is equipped with good speakers. Just ask your interior designer to plan for wall-mounted speakers or install a soundbar somewhere.
Let’s not forget that the alternative regular OLED TV you might be considering will most likely also need sound assistance, and will definitely need a bunch of cables to connect to the back to be able to do its job properly. This means that the M4 remains a unique proposition as well as a superbly accomplished TV. If you don’t need wireless connectivity, you can skip it, but if you do, it’s the only game in town. We are so lucky that this is amazing.