Dubai: LG Electronics (LG) has rolled out an ultra-premium OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TV that can be stuck on the wall like a wallpaper and is bendable. It is just 2.57mm thick.
The world’s second-biggest TV manufacturer has launched two models, 65 and 77 inches, in the UAE, for Dh60,000 and Dh90,000 respectively.
“Every year we bring different display technologies targeting different verticals. Before, TV technology was changing every five years and it reduced to three years, and now every year it is changing. Last year, it was ultra high-definition (UHD or 4K) display and thinnest bezel, and now it is paper-thin OLED,” Boo Kim, general manager for TV division at LG Gulf, told Gulf News.
Even though OLED has had limited success penetrating the consumer TV market, he said that sales of other OLED models are growing year-on-year 100 per cent in the Gulf. In the UAE, sales are growing 60 per cent year on year.
“People have started to recognise OLED as the future of TV technology and it will replace UHD and SUHD (super ultra high-definition) formats,” he said.
The “LG Signature OLED TV W” is targeted at the rich people but LG has OLED TVs in different price segment, starting from Dh4,999.
Kim said that LG Display is investing more in its factories and it can supply one million OLED panels right now. Within the next six years, the production facility can go up to six times, then the panel prices will come down.
Right now, LG supplies the OLED panels for Sony and Panasonic but he said that more Chinese manufacturers are going to join the bandwagon.
OLED technology emits light only when electricity is applied. Older TVs like CRT, plasma and LCD require backlighting. Without the backlighting, OLEDs are more energy efficient, thinner and easier to make.
Kim said that OLED TVs feature a true black background, something LCD displays can’t match right now.
“This year’s OLED panels are 25 per cent brighter than last year’s models. All OLED models support HDR [High Dynamic Range] video as well as HDR 10, Dolby Vision and the new format HLG [Hybrid Log Gamma), and Active HDR by Technicolor technology. The OS is upgraded to WebOS 3.5,” he said.
LG said it has partnered with Netflix, Amazon Video, and Vudu this year to give 4K and HDR content more prominent placement in the interface.
The company has tied up with Dolby for Dolby Atmos sound bar to give a better sound quality.
Only LG’s OLED supports all the major formats compared to Samsung’s focus only on HDR 10.
Kim said that more than 80 studio titles are compatible with Dolby Vision and more than 100 titles are currently available for Dolby Atmos, with 25 available in both formats. Over 100 hours of original content is available on Dolby Vision across leading OTT providers worldwide and soon consumers will have access to Dolby Vision titles on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc, with anticipated availability in 2017.
According to Consumer Reports’ findings as of April 2017, LG OLED televisions are ranked the first and second place as “Best 4K TVs to Buy Right Now”.
