Seoul, South Korea — LG Electronics (LG) is now taking pre-orders in its domestic market for a 55-inch curved OLED TV (model 55EA9800), with deliveries to begin next month, the company said.
LG’s specialized set will be offered in more than 1,400 LG retail stores, priced at 15 million won (approximately $13,500), LG said.
The announcement makes LG the first and only company so far to commercialize both a flat-screen OLED TV (a model began shipping in Korea last February) and a curved-screen variation.
LG cited DisplaySearch estimates for OLED TV shipments to reach 7 million units by 2016.
“Our curved OLED TV is not only the proof of LG’s unmatched leadership in next-generation displays but also a testament to LG’s commitment to bringing to market the most exciting TV technology available today,” stated Havis Kwon, LG Home Entertainment president and CEO.
The curved screen design is intended to produce an IMAX-like viewing experience in the home, the company said.
The entire screen surface is equidistant from the viewer’s eyes, eliminating the problem of screen-edge visual distortion and loss of detail, according to LG.
The display measures 0.17 inches thin and weighs 37.48 pounds.
Images are said to be vivid and realistic using the company’s four-color WRGB technology, which adds a white sub-pixel to enhance color output.
The set also employs LG’s Color Refiner technology, said to yield greater tonal enhancement for more vibrant and natural images.
Other features include infinite contrast ratio and thin transparent film speakers in a “crystal-clear stand.”
LG said it plans to announce marketing plans outside South Korea for the display in the months ahead.
