Unnoticed Highlight of LG TVs in 2025: A Hidden yet Valuable Feature Remains Undiscussed
Transforming TV Audio with Auracast: A New Era of Audio Innovation
When we talk about the hottest new features for the top TVs, it's usually the visual improvements that take center stage. But in 2025, while everyone's eyes are on the brightness race, I'm drumming up excitement for an audio-based feature that's barely getting a mention - and it's none other than Auracast.
LG has taken the lead by integrating Auracast across its 2025 TV lineup, from the brand's OLED TVs to other premium series. So, why all the fuss about Auracast in LG's TVs, and what does it hold for the future of television audio? Let's delve into what Auracast is and what it could mean for us.
Auracast: The Game-Changer in TV Audio
Auracast is a revolutionary technology that allows multiple devices to connect to the same audio stream sent from a transmitter. It operates on Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) Audio, which was introduced with Bluetooth 5.2.
Though it may seem simple, the applications for Auracast are vast. During the CES 2024 demonstration, various situations were displayed to showcase different use cases. These included an airport setting, where you could pick up the Auracast stream at your gate to stay updated on flight and boarding information, a bar featuring diverse sporting events with multiple commentary tracks, and a lecture setting where it would be easier to hear the professor gainfully.
But what about the home? Auracast's benefits stretch beyond being out and about.
Revolutionizing Home Entertainment
In your living room, Auracast can make a difference, especially when it comes to fixing unintelligible TV dialogue. Instead of constantly adjusting your TV's volume between quiet dialogue and explosive action scenes, you could boost frequencies using a pair of headphones or hearing aids, making it easier to hear the dialogue. Better still, the frequency tuning can be customized for individual users or based on recommendations from an audiologist.
This might go hand in hand with a soundbar or AVR to bolster the lower frequencies during action scenes, maintaining the immersion of a home theater presentation.
Auracast could also benefit apartment dwellers with sleeping children or troublesome neighbors by allowing them to watch using only the audio from their earbuds or headphones, ensuring a peaceful environment for everyone.
The sound doesn't even need to be limited to a single broadcast. A TV that supports Auracast could beam multiple streams simultaneously, providing different language tracks for the same content.
Beyond headphones and earbuds, Auracast has the potential to revolutionize discrete speaker home theater systems. Instead of an AVR with a sea of wires spread across the room, a TV could act as the audio hub, broadcasting multiple streams for different channels in a surround sound configuration. Since the speakers would only need to be Auracast-compatible, you wouldn't be restricted to a specific ecosystem.
Getting Your Hands on Auracast
Dolby has a similar technology for wireless speaker placement called FlexConnect, which will debut with TCL's Z100 speaker this year, compatible with select TCL TVs for 2025.
As for the hands-on impressions of Auracast, we got our hands on the LG C5 OLED and found that it was surprisingly easy to set up and use. The TV's menu listed Auracast under the Sound settings, offering options for 16kHz, 24kHz, and 48kHz transmissions. After activating it and choosing the desired quality setting – I went with the highest – we tested it using a variety of headphones and earbuds equipped with the technology, such as the JBL Tour One M3 headphones and Earfun Air Pro 4 earbuds.
Connecting the devices was straightforward, and we were able to have all three connected and streaming "Dune" at the same time without any latency or sync issues.
LG Paves the Way for a Wireless Audio Future
While there have been a few mentions of Auracast in hearing health-focused outlets, consumer tech communities haven't catching on just yet. Amidst this seemingly minor attention, LG has taken the initiative to confirm that all 2025 OLED TVs as well as the QNED85A series and above support Auracast.
Though Samsung was the first to announce Auracast support with its Neo QLED 8K and MicroLED TVs in 2023, they haven't shared any official information about its 2025 TV lineup.
Despite the technology's introduction a few years ago, we're only scratching the surface of widespread Auracast implementation and usability. However, with more earbuds and headphones becoming equipped with Auracast capabilities, as well as LG's adoption, it looks like we're on the brink of a more accessible, customizable, and flexible future for television audio.
Connect More:
- Hidden Problems With Your OLED TV and How to Fix Them
- The Next Big Leap in OLED TV Displays - What You Need to Know
- Why You Should Avoid This One Picture Mode on Your TV
Further Reading:
- Accessibility in Home Entertainment: An Overview : Understanding how Auracast fits into a larger picture of inclusive design in the entertainment industry.
- The Role of Personalized Audio in Shared Spaces: Exploring the potential benefits and challenges of customizable audio experiences for multiple users in public spaces.
- The Impact of Auracast on Home Theater Setups: Discussing the possibilities for simplified and more flexible home audio systems made accessible by Auracast.
- With the advancement of Auracast, cooking shows can now offer personalized audio streams for viewers, allowing them to easily hear recipes while watching on their smartphones, or even through earbuds or headphones.
- In the realm of fashion-and-beauty, makeup tutorials and product reviews could benefit from Auracast's multi-stream capability, enabling viewers to choose between different commentators or language tracks, all while watching on their phones.
- For food-and-drink enthusiasts, Auracast can make recipe-following a breeze, as they can stream audio directly from their smartphones to their smart kitchen appliances, offering hands-free cooking guidance while they cook.
- The home-improvement industry may also take advantage of Auracast for tutorial videos, providing multiple language tracks or expert advice simultaneously, catering to a more diverse audience.
- Auracast's ability to transmit multiple audio streams could revolutionize home-garden activities as well, with gardeners being able to listen to instructional videos or podcasts through compatible speakers or earbuds while tending to their gardens.
