LG Launches OLED TV Plus More 4K for 2013

We thought 2012 was going to be the year OLED TVs made a big impact on videophiles. We also thought the world would end a couple times and that the nation would drop off an imaginary fiscal cliff. So far we’re not batting too well on the predictions.

Anyway, LG is actually coming through on its promise of an OLED TV. The company will begin to accept orders January 3rd for the 55EM9700, the same 55-inch OLED TV we drooled over at last year’s CES show. It goes on sale first in LG’s home of South Korea of about $10,000. Early adopters can expect delivery of their new TVs in February.

The 55EM9700 is only 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) thick and weighs less 22 pounds. OLED is capable of producing incredible colors and excellent black levels, which should make this a technology for home theater enthusiasts to pine for. LG uses a Four-Color Pixel system that features a white sub-pixel, which works in conjunction with the conventional red, blue, green setup for accurate color output, and a Color Refiner is used to deliver tonal enhancement.

The news release didn’t say when the TV would come to the US, but we guess it will be soon.

Learn how OLED TVs work here.

The other big video trend bearing down on us this year is 4K or Ultra HD. Both LG and Sony have already launched 84-inch 4K LCD TVs. Now LG’s Display division will be showing additional 4K TV models at CES in 55- and 65-inch sizes plus a 30-inch monitor aimed at professional markets.

Read our review of LG’s 84-inch Ultra HD TV here.