Australia is getting ready for an invasion of organic light emitting diodes, as TV manufacturers get set for plasma’s replacement for true to life colour to hit stores. Samsung showed its hand a couple of weeks ago, and now we have LG ready to show its wares.
Destined to get the attention of movie lovers, LG’s first OLED TV is heading to Australian stores in September, bringing millions of organic pixels to a 55 inch Full HD display measuring 4.3mm thin, making it slimmer than any smartphone available today.
While LG isn’t the only manufacturer of the technology, it is making the colour pixels include a white sub-pixel, expanding the three typical colours of red, green and blue to include more range with “infinite contrast.”
The OLED TV will also continue the use of a curve in the design, something we saw earlier in the year at both CES and the first local showing of LG’s OLED TVs, but it appears that curve has changed slightly.
Now, the curve is softer, providing a slight sense of immersion that’s less likely to impact the viewing experience of more than a few viewers sitting on a couch tuning in.
“LG believes in giving Australian consumers what they want, and our new offerings do exactly that,” said Lambro Skropidis, Marketing General Manager for LG in Australia.
The LG OLED TV (55EA9800) also includes carbon fibre in its design, and incorporates a transparent stand that also packs in speakers capable of delivering 40W.
Going eyes on with the TV last week, it really is a sight to behold, with an insane level of colour that literally has to be seen to be believed. Images pop off the screen in a way LCD just doesn’t fulfil, and most things appear as if they’re 3D, even if they’re not.
Fortunately, LG is continuing to support passive 3D with this technology, requiring the same basic 3D glasses you find in the cinema to play back 3D video. You don’t get the active shutter glasses technology capable of running two programs at once like on the Samsung, but we hear support for dual-play still exists, offering gamers the chance to play back their games for two players simultaneously in insane colour.
Being the first available OLED TV from LG, you can expect the price to come in at a premium, though, and just like its competition from Samsung, this one will come in above the $10K mark, with LG aiming for a recommended retail price of $11999.
If that sounds like too much, it’s just the first of many OLED TVs, and like the 4K models, comes with an early adopter price.
In fact, LG showed a new combination of the two technologies at IFA this past weekend, demonstrating a 4K OLED TV that still featured the curve and hit a size of 77 inches.
“This 77-inch TV is proof that we will never stop pushing the boundaries and exploring new possibilities,” said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG’s Home Entertainment Company.
The biggest OLED TV in the world, it highlights just where the technology is heading to next, and while the first 55 inch OLED model being released by the brand in Australia only supports Full HD 1080p, we’re sure it won’t be long before we start seeing the prices drop on Full HD models and the 4K OLED TVs take their place.
Meanwhile, you’ll be able to find the 55 inch OLED TV (55EA9800) in select stores from mid-September.
