LG said on Monday that it's now accepting pre-orders for the 55-inch Curved OLED TV that was first introduced in January during CES 2013.
LG's new OLED TV design throws out the traditional flat-faced experience for a slightly conclave form factor. The idea even looked impressive during the show because LG had three lined up side-by-side, thus producing a very wide curve. As a standalone unit, the new HDTV may offer a better visual experience for one or two people cuddled up on the couch -- the jury is indecisive on a wider audience.
"The entire screen surface is equidistant from the viewer’s eyes, eliminating the problem of screen-edge visual distortion and loss of detail," LG said on Monday.
The bad news about Monday's announcement is that the curvy HDTV will initially go on sale in South Korea with shipments beginning next month. More than 1,400 LG retail stores in South Korea will begin taking orders today, priced at KRW 15 million which is approximately $13,500 USD. Timing and pricing in markets outside of Korea will be announced in the months ahead, the company said.
LG's new 55-inch Curved OLED TV, model 55EA9800), is only 7.17-inches thin and weighs just 37.48 pounds. It produces "vivid" and "realistic" images thanks to the company's proprietary WRGB four-color pixel system which adds a white sub-pixel that works in conjunction with the other red, blue and yellow pixels. An exclusive "Color Refiner" adds even greater tonal enhancement, and an infinite contrast ratio provides optimal contrast levels regardless of ambient brightness or viewing angle.
In addition to the image quality, LG said on Monday that the new Curved OLED TV features thin transparent "speakers" mounted in the crystal clear stand which provides high-quality sound without interrupting the overall curved, elegant design. Overall, the OLED TV is touted to give viewers an "IMAX-like" experience without the neck-bending monster wall-sized screen and sticky floors. Again, this may only be true for a few people parked in front of the screen.
"The announcement makes LG the first and only company to commercialize both the flat screen OLED TV, which began shipping to Korean customers in February, and the Curved OLED TV, giving LG a significant lead in the OLED segment that is expected to grow to 7 million units by 2016, according to DisplaySearch," the company said.
As previously stated, it's unknown when the Curved OLED TV will land in the States, but there's a good chance that will happen later this year – likely during the holiday season. Perhaps then local retailers will have models on display so that consumers can check out every viewing angle and determine if it's worth the hefty price.
