Samsung's $120K, 105-inch TV: Better Than a Porsche?
Porsche or television? Or 150 televisions? These are the buying dilemmas facing the one-percenters now that Samsung has priced its monster curved 4K TV.
Samsung's 105-inch, curved LED LCD TV, with a resolution of 5120 x 2160, is the ultimate addition to your house. Unless you don't have a house, in which case you might better spend your money on a three-bedroom, two-bath in Denver. It lists for the $120,000 on real estate site Zillow.
Or if you prefer the driver's seat to the couch, you could go all in for a 2014 Porsche Carrera 4S Cabriolet, with 400 HP, a top speed of 183 mph, and 0-60 acceleration of 4.5 seconds, for about $118,000.
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The TV vs. Porsche scenario is more likely the purchase decision for prospective buyers of Samsung's flagship TV, model number UN105S9W. And both items are amazing pieces of machinery. With about 11 million pixels, the Samsung offers more resolution than almost any TV on Earth. Forget 4K TV, this is technically 5K. The set also boasts local LED dimming for higher contrast.
Not a fan of plugging in your own electronics? This luxury item comes with Samsung's Elite Service; engineers will come to your mansion to set everything up.
Ultimately, the TV would be cheaper, too. The 911's 18mpg city/26mpg highway will cost you more in gasoline than the TV will in electricity. Not to mention parking lots and parking tickets. (Though at about seven feet across, the UN105S9W could fill a parking spot, too.)
Samsung is clearly not positioning the UN105S9W as a popular product for the masses. For that audience, the company offers far less-expensive fare. If you still want super-high resolution, its new 4K (aka UHD) TVs start at a list price of $2,800 for a 55-inch screen. And if 1080p HD is enough for you, a new 55-inch smart TV can be yours for $800. Put another way, you could buy 150 of those 55-inch HD sets for the cost of Samsung's 105-inch behemoth.
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Though the market for such luxury items is likely small, Samsung will have competition. Rival Korean electronics giant LG plans to sell its own 105-incher at a likely (but not confirmed) price of just $70,000 — leaving you almost enough money to also get a Porsche Boxster (MSRP $51,400).
Senior editor Sean Captain watches TV on a 32-inch screen. Follow him @seancaptain and on Google+. Follow us @tomsguide, on Facebook and on Google+.
Sean Captain is a freelance technology and science writer, editor and photographer. At Tom's Guide, he has reviewed cameras, including most of Sony's Alpha A6000-series mirrorless cameras, as well as other photography-related content. He has also written for Fast Company, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.