SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Keeping step with rival Samsung, LG Electronics said it is now taking pre-orders in its domestic market on a 105-inch 21:9 curved-screen Ultra HD LCD TV.
The widescreen set, which made its debut at International CES last January, rings in at about 120 million won (around $117,000, according to reports out of Korea, or about $3,000 cheaper than Samsung’s recently announced 105-inch curved-screen version).
The LG 105UC9 is only available now in South Korea, but is expected to go on sale in other markets around the world in the fourth quarter at prices to be announced locally.
The set boasts resolution of 11 million pixels (5,120 by 2,160), which is Ultra HD on a Cinema- Scope proportioned screen (21:9 aspect ratio).
The set is equipped with LG’s True 4K Engine Pro and IPS 4K Panel. True 3K Engine Pro eliminates visual errors and can up-scale lower-resolution content into near-Ultra HD quality while the inplane switching (IPS) 4K panel provides consistent contrast and a wide viewing angle, LG said.
The set is also equipped with a 7.2-channel 150- watt speaker system, with LG’s Ultra Surround technology developed in partnership with Harman Kardon.
The curved CinemaScope 21:9 screen is said to “recreate the movie theater experience in the home.” The dimensions eliminate the unused black bands that appear on the screen when viewing CinemaScope content on more conventional 16:9 format screens.
Other features include LG’s Smart+ TV system powered by LG’s webOS smart TV operating system, which speeds the process of finding and selecting streamed content.
The system includes an animated BeanBird character that assists viewers in setting up the TV. The screen also uses Film Patterned Retarder 3D technology to produce 4K 3D+ images using a 4K 3D up-scaler.
“LG Display has kept its dominant position in the display market with innovative and differentiated technologies,” stated Yong-kee Hwang, LG Display’s TV business unit head and senior VP. “With a resolution of 11 million pixels, the 105-inch curved LCD panel is proof of our continued leadership in the next generation display market, offering exceptional world-class value to our customers.”
