LG is bringing the first 4K ultrahigh-definition OLED TV to the market in South Korea with a 65-inch curved model this week, to be followed with debuts in the United States and Europe.
But that much clarity won't be cheap, with the retail price around $11,000, making it one of the most expensive models to hit the market.
The company is promoting the device as the "first" as other companies are currently only manufacturing the ultrahigh-definition 4K models or OLED panel models. LG believes it is the first company to mold the two together in a unique and innovative manner. It runs on LG's webOS.
The television will be on sale in September and LG says it will also be launching a 77-inch model, but did not give potential pricing or a date for that television set.
The high price tag has left many experts questioning if the move is an economically good idea, even as LG describes the launch as a potential "game changer."
LG is not the first company to reveal its 4K OLED plans, with both Sony and Panasonic giving viewers a glimpse of their own 4K OLED TVs at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2013, although ultimately they were not produced for the market. OLED stands for organic light-emitting dioide, which is based on a carbon compound and doesn't need backlighting, and so offers sharper contrast and deeper blacks. The 4K refers to the definition the set offers, its sharp resolution.
Although the price may be out of reach for the majority of the population, LG believes that this is the beginning of the new technology. Through this first entrant, LG hopes to be able to continue to innovate and update the concept to bring down the price, which is four times the going rate for 4K high-definition sets of the same size.
"OLED TVs are expected to overtake LCD [Liquid Crystal Display] in sales within a few years and no company is better prepared for this than LG," said Hyun-hwoi Ha, president of the company's home entertainment division.
The announcement of the launch of the television comes as Roku announced its own budget smart TV that would give users access to all their online viewing capabilities without the traditional box that connects to a TV, Tech Times reports.
With LG launching this uber-expensive model, consumers are able to choose from one of the best budget purchases on the market, or take a stab at the most innovative and forward-thinking technology available.
