LG announces availability of its 55in OLED TV

KOREAN TECHNOLOGY FIRM LG announced the availability of its next generation 55in OLED TV today, as it gets ready to show it off at CES next week.

Catchily named the Model 55EM9700, the TV is the largest TV to use OLED technology. OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, and is less power hungry than LED or Plasma alternatives. Its screen is large at 55in, but the 55EM9700 measures just 4mm thick, and weighs just 7.5kg.

Samsung also announced a 55in OLED TV last year, but LG has become the first company to get its OLED TV to market with today's announcement. The specifics aren't for the faint-hearted though, as the TV will go on sale for 11 million Korean Won, or around £6,300 to us Brits when it arrives here in the first quarter.

Havis Kwon, president and CEO of LG Home Entertainment Company said, "We are extremely pleased to be able to make this announcement at the start of the new year because we believe that OLED will usher in a whole new era of home entertainment.

"Not since colour TV was first introduced 60 years ago has there been a more transformational moment. When high definition TV was first introduced 15 years ago, the public's reaction was 'wow!' but when customers see our razor-thin OLED TV for the first time, they're left speechless.

"That's a clear indicator as any that OLED TV is much more than just an incremental improvement to current television technology."

We hope to be able to see a demonstration of LG's 55in OLED TV in action at CES next week. µ