Indianapolis – Although it was not on the show floor, LG Electronics made some of the biggest news at CEDIA Expo offsite Thursday night by revealing final launch plans and pricing for its 84-inch 4K LCD TV that was first unveiled at International CES in January.
LG said the “ultra-definition” UD 84LM9600 is expected to be available in October at a $20,000 suggested retail — $5,000 less than Sony 84-inch 4K LCD TV — the XBR-84X900 that was unveiled last week.
LG’s set is also an LED display, offering 3,840 by 2,160 resolution.
The set also includes LG’s proprietary Resolution Upscaler Plus technology to present lower resolution material in full 4K form.
LG is boasting that the quality of the up-scaled material will give viewers a 4K experience for years before native 4K content is readily available.
“For the last couple of years we haven’t put product on the floor here at CEDIA, but because of this product we thought we should come here and talk about its arrival into retail,” stated Jay Vandenbree, LG Electronics USA home entertainment senior VP. “At CES we said this was going to be a big deal and it is a big deal. It has all the bells and whistles you would expect from LG — Cinema 3D, a smart-TV platform, but it also has 4K output. We think that in televisions over 65 inches, we need more lines of resolution. We think we have a home run here.”
Vandenbree said the new set will have very selective distribution, rolling out to a limited number of A/V retailers, installers and some key regional accounts. Dealers will be required to properly showcase and sell the set on the floors and in their showrooms, have installation support and will not be able to sell the product online.
“There is a very specific set of display requirements that goes along with it,” Vandenbree said.
In keeping with other high-end sets in the line, the UD 84LM9600 will have a ribbon stand design and narrow bezel cosmetic.
The smart-TV package will include support to a wide range of streaming services and will be accessible through voice- and gesture-activated remote control.
The passive Cinema 3D system will include depth control and connectivity options, including built-in Wi-Fi supporting Intel’s Wireless Display (WiDi) technology for quick connections between TVs and PCs without cables or Internet access.
A Smart Share Plus system allows access to content stored on external devices, such as PCs, tablets and smartphones, through a portal on the TV.
The model supports Silicon Image’s MHL standard for easy content sharing between the TV and mobile devices, and the ability to charge devices via the connection.
