LG will launch its first Super UHD line of premium LCD/LED TVs at CES, includings it first production-ready 8K Super UHD model.
The premium-LCD line consists of the UH9500, UH8500 and UH7700 series of 4K TVs, all said to deliver such picture enhancements as higher brightness levels, wider color gamut, and higher contrast ratios than previous LCD models. Screen sizes of the 4K models range from 49 to 86 inches.
LG didn’t say whether the new 4K TVs would meet the Ultra HD Alliance’s 4K performance criteria, which will be revealed on Monday, Jan. 4.
The Super UHD lineup also includes LG’s first production-ready 8K Super UHD TV, the 98-inch UH9800.
Select models in the three 4K Super UHD series will begin shipping in the U.S. in early spring. A target ship date for the 8K TV was not announced.
“We are the only company with a dual strategy focused on both OLED and UHD TV technologies,” said Brian Kwon, president/CEO of LG’s home entertainment company.
All three Super UHD series incorporate LG’s HDR Plus technology to heighten HDR performance over HDR-compatible TVs, the company said. HDR Plus combines the company’s peak-brightness-boosting Ultra Luminance technology, Contrast Maximizer technology that improves black-level performance, and Color Prime technology to expand color gamut. The TVs also include SDR-to-HDR conversion to deliver near-HDR quality from standard sources.
The UH9500 and UH8500 series add Color Prime Plus to further expand color gamut to “approximately 90 percent” of the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) P3 color space, which is used in digital cinemas. Color Prime Plus uses a new, thicker color filter and new LCD phosphors.
The UH9500 and UH8500 series also feature 10-bit panels with 10-bit processing power.
All three series also boast a new IPS display whose enhancements include proprietary True Black Panel technology to minimize reflections and enhance contrast ratio. The display also features Contrast Maximizer, said to deliver more depth and contrast by separating objects from their backgrounds.
The UH9500 series TVs add a new design that makes them thinner than their predecessors at 6.6mm (0.22 inches). The TVs reduce the gaps between the panel and back-cover chassis, and with “near-invisible” bezels, the TVs “give the appearance of the TV floating on air,” LG said.
The UH9500 series also features a Harman Kardon speaker system to deliver high-quality sound despite the TVs’ thinness, the company added. The TVs’ audio system also includes room-correction technology called Magic Sound Tuning, which measures and analyzes the room environment and makes adjustments to customize the sound to the room.
The UH7700 series in the Super UHD line also offers Color Prime, Ultra Luminence, and Contrast Maximizer. The UH7700 series’ color gamut was unavailable.
The HDR ranges on all three series were also unavailable.
