LG Electronics to release limited edition ‘king-size’ smart TV

LG Electronics plans to release a limited edition of its new ultra-definition, 3-D light-emitting diode smart television from July 20 to Aug. 20.

Korea’s second largest consumer electronics company said that it will introduce the 84-inch LED TV model named 84LM9600, which is slightly bigger than the standard 2-meter-long king mattress.

Targeting the premium TV market, LG’s ultra-definition LED TV offers four times as high resolution as full high-definition 1,920 by 1,080-size TVs, the company said in a press release.

The smart TV is also equipped with a 2.2-channel sound system, providing three-dimensional surround sound with two stereo speakers and two woofer speakers.

Offering the product at 25 million won, LG Electronics will take domestic pre-orders for only 84 3-D smart TVs, which will come in platinum and monochrome, over the next month.

The company, meanwhile, plans to display the premium product at COEX and other shopping centers in Seoul so that the public can experience its big 3-D smart TV that offers both the image and sound equivalent to what movie theaters offer.

LG Electronics said that it will market the 84-inch smart TV in North and South America, Europe and Asian emerging markets sometime in the second half of this year after it sells the limited edition TVs.

The global market for ultra-definition TVs will reach 2,900 sets this year, and increase to over 4 million in 2016, according to DisplaySearch, a display research firm.

Currently, overseas broadcasters such as BBC in London and NHK in Japan are testing in ultra-definition TV broadcasting, while Korea’s state-owned KBS plans to test it in the second half of this year.

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)