LG 136-Inch MAGNIT Active Micro LED TV Promises True Cinematic Immersion

I still remember the first OLED TV prototypes I saw at CES 2008. Impossibly thin and with infinitely-deep blacks, they looked like something from The Jetsons — a far cry from the real-world plasma TVs of the day. Back then, OLED seemed like a distant dream, but was already being touted as the next big thing in display tech. Nowadays, OLED TVs are everywhere, and Micro LED has become the next next big thing. Made from millions of minuscule, individually-addressable LEDs, Micro LED displays can match OLED’s black levels while far exceeding OLED in brightness — all with a lower risk of image burn-in. Today’s CES attendee will see Micro LED displays made by most of the big TV manufacturers, including Sony, Samsung, LG, and Hisense, but sky-high prices and installation complexity continue to make these next-gen video walls unattainable for the typical American consumer (though I hear LeBron James has one). While there may come a time when Micro LED displays are as commonplace in the American home as OLED TVs are today, you are now more likely to see one in a corporate lobby or boardroom, or perhaps in a museum, flagship retail boutique, or production/broadcasting facility. Still, Micro LED may be on the cusp of becoming the next flagship-level display technology for home theater enthusiasts, and several of the aforementioned TV manufacturers are eagerly pursuing that potential future. Among these is LG, and the South Korean giant has just unveiled the MAGNIT Active Micro LED, its latest innovation in home cinema display, which incorporates Active Matrix technology for ultra-precise control of each individual pixel, according to the brand.

What exactly is Micro LED?

We have discussed Micro LED technology before (see our article Grimani Systems Redefines Dialogue with their Reflectance Sound Projector), but if you need a refresher, the key piece of information is that Micro LED is an entirely new display tech and has nothing to do with today’s mini-LED TVs, though their names sound similar. A mini-LED TV, such as the TCL QM7K Series, still uses an LCD panel to create the image. The eponymous mini-LEDs are just small LED lights used as the backlight for the panel. Micro LED does not involve an LCD panel at all. Instead, millions of tiny, individually-addressable LEDs directly create the image. In the best Micro LED displays, each pixel creates its own light, making Micro LED more like an OLED than an LCD-based display. The best Micro LEDs also share OLED’s ability to “turn off” each pixel to create perfect blacks. But Micro LED has much higher brightness capability than OLED, resulting in a punchier presentation and superior HDR performance. Micro LEDs do have some drawbacks, of course — there is no such thing as a perfect display technology. While Micro LED’s tile-based construction allows the displays to be scaled up to virtually any size, the seams between the tiles might be visible under certain conditions. And unlike an acoustically-transparent screen used with a projector, Micro LED video walls create a challenging environment for achieving great sound (again see the above Grimani Systems article for a potential solution). Despite these challenges, many industry insiders see Micro LED as the best cost-no-object display technology currently available.

LG MAGNIT Active Micro LED

LG MAGNIT is a Micro LED display that utilizes LG’s micrometer-sized LED technology to deliver “precise, crystal-clear images with accurate color expression… (providing) a true-to-life viewing experience with vivid colors and ultra-fine details,” according to the company. The new MAGNIT Active Micro LED represents the cutting edge of display technology, according to LG, bringing “exceptional image clarity, contrast, and depth, redefining the viewing experience with premium home entertainment.” The fact that this display is being marketed specifically as a home entertainment product is significant because it’s a change from just a few years ago, when Micro LED was mostly aimed at commercial customers. LG says that the MAGNIT Active Micro LED represents the most premium offering within its MAGNIT lineup, and while the 136-inch size is certainly generous, it is well within the expected size range for a dedicated home theater screen, or even a living room screen in the context of a very large room in a very large home. And to be clear, this product is still likely to be owned by a select few — the kind of customer with a very large home and a very healthy budget for home entertainment gear. While LG has not yet revealed pricing information, the MAGNIT Active Micro LED is already available to order in Korea, with “key global markets including North America” to follow soon. So the price, which we expect to be well into six-figure territory, likely falls into the territory of “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.”

The 136-inch screen has a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, spread across a screen roughly 10 feet wide and 5.5 feet tall. And with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, the display promises “unparalleled immersion and visual realism.” Thanks to Active Matrix technology, which controls each pixel individually, the new model’s self-emissive Micro LED display enables each pixel to generate its own light, just like an OLED does. Unlike conventional Passive Matrix systems, which control pixels by rows and columns, LG’s Active Matrix approach provides individual pixel-level control, resulting in “remarkably refined detail and ultra-high-definition picture quality,” according to LG. The MAGNIT Active Micro LED also benefits from LG Surface Treatment (LST) Technology, the brand’s proprietary surface treatment technology which reportedly deepens black levels and minimizes the impact of external lighting, yielding superior color accuracy. The black coating technology and direct bonding method are designed to deliver a “stunning black expression, making it the ideal choice for displaying content that requires deep black color and true-to-life images,” according to LG. LST Technology also enhances white uniformity and reduces color distortion, providing superior image quality, and “precise, wide-angle viewing experiences,” according to the company. The display also features a precisely-aligned modular design that reportedly minimizes gaps between panels to create a seamless viewing surface. LG says that users can enjoy a comfortable, strain-free viewing experience, even during long viewing sessions, thanks to a flicker-free screen.

The image processing is handled by LG’s AI-powered Alpha 9 Intelligent Processor (6th Generation), which analyzes content and tailors display settings for each individual scene, to create the most realistic and immersive image possible, according to LG. The processor is said to reduce noise, sharpen clarity, and recognize faces, objects, text, and backgrounds, to deliver more natural, detailed, and lifelike images. Gamers and sports fans will appreciate the 144Hz refresh rate, which promises smooth, blur-free motion. Unlike display products designed for corporate use, the MAGNIT Active Micro LED runs on LG’s proprietary smart TV platform, webOS. This should make the device more user-friendly, allowing for easy access to streaming services, gaming, and LG Gallery+, which gives users the ability to display famous paintings or game illustrations when the display is not being used. The operating system also allows the display to support AirPlay 2 and Miracast, enabling convenient screen-sharing with iOS and Android OS devices.

The LG MAGNIT Active Micro LED supports Dolby Vision and has also received Color Consistency Wide Viewing certification from TÜV Rheinland, a global company that provides independent technical services, including testing, inspection, and certification. The Color Consistency Wide Viewing certification confirms the display’s ability to deliver uniform color and wide viewing angles, even at ultra-large screen sizes. The display also holds certifications for low grayscale image quality, eye comfort, precise dark scene reproduction, reduced blue light emission, fire resistance, and electromagnetic stability with minimal interference. While most customers will pair this kind of display with a separate high-performance audio system, the display does have built-in speakers on each side, delivering 4.2-channel audio with a total power output of 100 watts. The display supports HDMI eARC for easy audio integration.

With its impressive size that spans an entire wall in lifelike colors and stunning high-definition detail, the new LG MAGNIT Active Micro LED transforms a home into a true theater, delivering an unmatched cinematic experience.

— Park Hyoung-sei, President of the LG Media Entertainment Solution Company

LG MAGNIT Active Micro LED: Final Thoughts

The LG MAGNIT Active Micro LED looks like a remarkable product and I would be excited to see one in person. But as long as Micro LED displays remain so incredibly expensive, most of us will continue to view the technology as belonging to a far-off future, just as OLED seemed to me at CES 2008. We don’t yet know exactly how much the MAGNIT Active Micro LED will cost, but for context, Samsung’s 114-inch Micro LED MS1C display was selling for $150K when I last checked. It remains to be seen whether Micro LED will follow in OLED’s footsteps to become an everyday luxury item for real-world home theater enthusiasts, or whether it will be leapfrogged by another new technology with fewer hurdles in its way. Are we in the early days of the “next big thing,” or will Micro LED remain a billionaire’s plaything, tantalizing yet out of reach for 99.9% of home theater enthusiasts? Share your thoughts in the related forum thread below.