LG releases 77-inch and 65-inch 4K OLED TVs

LG Electronics has unveiled its first 4K OLED televisions at a launch event in Seoul on 26 August. These boast a 3,840 x 2,160-pixel resolution.

Game changer
Two models were shown, the 77-inch 77EG9700, and the 65-inch 65EC9700. Both incorporate an advanced curved panel mounting LG's four-pixel WRGB technology. This gives infinite contrast, a more natural picture and a response rate that is faster than competing technologies according to the manufacturer.

Hyun-hwoi Ha, president and CEO of LG's Home Entertainment says: 'As the next evolutionary step in display technology, OLED will play a major role in reshaping our industry.

'LG's 4K OLED TV is the pinnacle of technological achievement and a new paradigm that will change the dynamics of the next generation TV market. I feel confident when I say that 4K OLED is a bona fide game changer.'

Premium price
LG is now taking orders for the 4K OLED screens from consumers in Korea. It plans to make them available to the US and European markets later in 2014. Display models will be shown at the IFA 2014 consumer electronics show in Berlin on 5-10 September.

It is reported that the 4K screens will command a premium price - with the 66EG9700 costing 12 million won (€9,020). This is likely to confine it to high-end home cinema market and limit the technology's penetration to the wider consumer market.

$3500 models
LG has moved to make non-4K OLED technology more affordable too, cutting the price of 55-inch models. These cost over €11,000 when they were first offered for sale in July 2013. In August 2014, it started selling its 55-inch 55EC9300 model televisions for $3,500 (€2,615) on the US market for the first time. This low price is encouraging general electronics stores, like Best Buy to stock the screens.

The price drop has been enabled by improving yields from LG's OLED manufacturing lines. It is potentially a more important development from a business point of view. As tapping the mainstream market will be the key goal for LG to realise returns from its undoubted lead in OLED screen technology.

By John Nelson, follow John on Google+

LG releases 77-inch and 65-inch 4K OLED TVs

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