LG launches ridiculously big ultra-definition television

Never wasting an opportunity to get a leg up on the competition, LG has launched a brand new ultra-definition television. The massive 4K HDTV comes it at at 84-inches, which means it isn't the biggest television we've seen, but it is the biggest set capable of 4k technology. LG says that this television offers a whopping 8 million pixels per frame, which delivers "four times the resolution (3840x2160) of existing Full HD TV panels."

That's quite a boost to resolution, but if you want one, you better be ready to hand over some serious cash, because this ultra-definition television comes in at $22,000. At that price, LG is going to have a difficult time netting a significant number of buyers. The television has already launched in South Korea, and it's scheduled to release in other regions next month.

Obviously, the idea behind this launch isn't to get one in every living room around the world, but rather for LG to get a foot in early on. While 4K HDTVs are ridiculously expensive at the moment, as their price comes down throughout the next decade or so, the market will begin to adopt 4K HDTVs as the new standard. Analyst Daniel Simmons from IHS Screen Digest tells BBC that this is another "evolutionary step" in televisions, and that 4K HDTVs, as expensive as they are, offer users "cinema-quality resolution in the home."

It may not be the inclusion of 4K that moves televisions like this one however, as Simmons suggests that it's may actually be a bigger screen that gets consumers to upgrade. This television certainly has a big screen, but it isn't the first 4K HDTV we've seen. Other companies like Toshiba and Panasonic offer 4K HDTVs (although their televisions are quite a bit smaller than LG's), and some others like Samsung are working on bringing one to market. LG will be bringing this new ultra-definition TV with it to IFA at the end of the month, so we'll probably be hearing more about it then. Stay tuned.

[via LG Newsroom]