LG unveiled a new premium 4K HDR OLED TV at CES 2017, the W7 Signature, and not only is it unbelievably thin – it packs Dolby Atmos sounds.
It’s called the LG Signature OLED W, or ‘W7’ for short. The ‘W’ stands for ‘wallpaper’ because the display is only 2.57mm thick – that’s 1/10th of an inch. It can be so thin because OLED panels don’t require backlighting.
But it’s not just about the dimensions – the panel itself has been improved, too. The LG W7 is said to be much brighter than the previous generation – LG claims it’s a 25% increase. It’s not entirely surprising as LG has made great strides with the panel they made for Panasonic’s EZ1002, which is also brighter than previous OLED screens on the market.
On top of increased brightness, LG has paid extra attention to colour. The company has partnered with Hollywood colourist giant Technicolor, and the W7 will have a Technicolor expert mode, which offers advanced calibration settings and more accurate rendering.
LG has also built on its industry-leading high dynamic range (HDR) compatibility. It is already one of the only manufacturers to offer both HDR10 and Dolby Vision flavours of HDR, but now the W7 will offer Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), as well as ‘Advanced HDR’ by Technicolor.
Related: Hybrid Log-Gamma: Why it’s the next big thing in 4K TV
As the TV is so thin, everything but the display is built into a soundbar base, separate from the screen. It’s a trick LG previously used with last year’s Signature G6 model, but now it’s better than ever because the W7’s sound system will feature Dolby Atmos. There are up-firing speakers, which will bounce sound off your ceiling and create the illusion that sound is coming from above.
As for smarts, the LG Signature OLED TV W will run on Web OS 3.5, the latest version of an already excellent operating system. New tricks include the ability to communicate with LG’s Signature home appliances. Ever wanted to send video and music to your fridge? Now you can.
The LG W7 will come in 77-inch and 65-inch models and form part of a 10-strong range of LG OLED TVs. The G7 will come in 77-inch and 65-inch variants, while the E7, C7 and B7 will be available in 65-inches and 55-inches. As with last year’s G and E models, the G7 and E7 will feature a picture-on-glass design. The C7 and B7 will be the more affordable models. LG says the picture quality will be broadly the same throughout the range, with the key differences being a matter of design and sound.
There has been no word on prices but LG says they’ll begin shipping from April 2017. We’ll update this page with that information as soon as we find out more. In the mean time, you can check out the W7 in select Best Buy stores (US-only) from Thursday January 5, 2017.
Watch: CES 2017 – all you need to know
Do any of LG’s new TVs tempt you? Let us know in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
