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LG gears up for 8K OLED TV launch
Mon, 10th Jun 2019
FYI, this story is more than a year old

LG's new 8K OLED TV is now on sale in South Korea, but those in other parts of the world will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on the 88-inch TV set.

According to LG, the LG model 88Z9 will be the ‘world's first' 8K OLED TV, which has a panel equipped with 33 million self-emitting pixels. Those pixels will work together to display 8K ultra HD resolution, which tops out at 7680x4320 pixels – that's 16 times the number of pixels in full HD.

LG says the 88Z9 includes the second-generation Alpha 9 Gen 2 8K intelligent processor. This little piece of kit provides enhanced processing capabilities so video can be upscaled to 8K, along with improved noise reduction. The processor also analyses ambient light conditions when viewing HDR content to optimise screen brightness.

The LG 88Z9's sound quality is boosted by an intelligent algorithm that can up-mix two-channel audio to deliver virtual 5.1 surround sound. Deep learning improves output by analysing source content to produce enhanced sound effects in movies, deeper bass in music and clearer voices in sporting events. Users can adjust the sound mode to suit viewing conditions or let the TV set the best sound made based on the source content.

The LG 8K OLED TV comes with Dolby Atmos for atmospheric surround sound and intelligently fine-tunes content compatible with Dolby Vision. The TV supports HDMI 2.1, allowing viewers the opportunity to enjoy 8K content at a fast 60 frames per second. The TV also supports automatic low latency mode (ALLM), variable refresh rate (VRR) and enhanced audio return channel (eARC).

In some markets the LG 8K OLED TV will offer built-in versions of both the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for added flexibility, convenience and control of the TV and connected smart devices.

“Being the first to market with the world's first and largest 8K OLED TV shows our commitment to leading the ultra-premium TV segment and delivering the ultimate viewing experience,” says LG president of mobile communications and home entertainment, Brian Kwon.

“LG was a pioneer in bringing OLED to market and we will continue to introduce state-of-art TV technologies that push the boundaries of what's possible in home entertainment.

LG has also released two premium computer monitors designed for creators and gamers.

The LG 27-inch UHD 4K IPS Monitor with HDR is compatible with industry-standard HDR10 (high dynamic range), which supports levels of colour and brightness that exceed the capabilities of SDR monitors. This means images have more overall contrast detail, a wide range of colours and looks closer to what is seen by the human eye.

The LG 31.5" UltraFine 4K UHD LCD/LED Monitor with Thunderbolt 3 is designed for creators in terms of colour space, brightness and versatility. To better realise the vision of content creators, this monitor is compatible with industry-standard HDR10 (high dynamic range), supporting higher levels of colour and brightness that exceed the capabilities of SDR monitors. Thunderbolt 3 provides greater productivity and added connectivity with MacBooks.