14 DAY TRIAL // CEDIA 2013 is a home technology expo taking place in Denver, Colorado, between September 25-28 and it is where LG decided to show off its latest and most affordable Ultra HD television set.
Said UHD TV (UHD stands for ultra-high definition, or 4K resolution 2840 x 2560 pixels) is part of the LA9650 line and measures 55 inches in diagonal.
The price is of $3,500 / €2,595, which doesn't really sound so reasonable without the proper context. By which I mean the price of its sibling, the 65-inch LA9650.
LG only launched the 65-inch LA9650 in South Korea last month (August 2013), and the price was of $5,000 / €3,707.
It might sound like a huge price difference, and it is, but in the grand scheme of things, it makes sense.
The number of LCDs with 4K support has increased, and people have gotten over the initial stage of novelty-produced hype.
Thus, the difference in resolution from Full HD TVs isn't enough to justify a tenfold price difference anymore (we'll never forget those 110-inch UHD TVs of over $100,000 / €100,000).
We wouldn't be surprised if the 65-inch model suddenly got more affordable too. It might actually happen close to the holiday shopping season.
In addition to the 55-inch and 65-inch LA9650, LG has LA9700 models of similar sizes but, due to the proprietary NANO FULL LED array backlighting and unique sliding speaker, prices of $4,499 / €3,339 and $6,500 / €4,821, respectively.
"This time last year we became the first manufacturer to launch an Ultra HD TV in the U.S. with our revolutionary 84-inch class model," said Jay Vandenbree, senior vice president, home entertainment, LG Electronics USA, Inc.
"Today, we're solidifying our leadership role in Ultra HD TV by rounding out our lineup that displays 8 million pixels and incorporates technologies that allow consumers to enjoy Ultra HD picture even without 4K content."