LG to Ship World's First Big Screen OLED HDTV Next Month

LG kicked off the New Year by announcing that beginning in February 2013; it will finally release the first 55 inch OLED TVs in Korea. The new “55EM9700”, which has been delayed for over a year, will run customers a shade over $10,000.

The OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) televisions will not be cheap, but compared to an LCD or Plasma TV, OLED is brighter, more efficient and thinner. The 55EM9700 will also have a faster refresh rate and will feature a 100,000,000:1 contrast ratio, which is 1,000 times faster than LCD.

The production version of the 55EM9700 will weigh 22 pounds, with a screen thickness of .16 inches, and will draw less power making it greener. According to DisplaySearch, OLED TV’s are expected to reach over seven million units by 2016, and LG is hoping its new line of TV’s will help it take the lead in the market.

In a different study done by DisplaySearch, LCD TV makers should see an increase in 2013. One of the main reasons will be the shift in screen sizes. According to the study, TV’s that are 40” and larger should expect to see a steady increase during the New Year.

Also adding to the increase in shipments and upward trend is the revitalization of the U.S. economy in the past year. DigiTimes expects to see a 5.7 percent increase in shipments in 2013. This upward trend should be a welcoming sight for LG and makers of OLED TVs, as they expect to announce other markets that will receive the 55EM9700.

“Other markets where the TV will be available will be announced over the next several weeks along with their respective prices,” LG US public relations said.  There is no word yet on when the United States will get the new TV’s.