LG Begins Rolling Out New OLED & NanoCell 4K TVs

LG today announced that its 2019 “premium TV” lineup featuring the OLED and NanoCell LCD 4K/Ultra HD TVs unveiled at CES 2019, will begin rolling out this week in the U.S. and in LG’s homeland, South Korea with other countries to follow.

Specific pricing and model availability was not announced but LG said OLED models will make up one fifth of its high-end TV lineup in 2019 with demand for display technology expected to grow to 3.6 million units this year, 7 million in 2020, and 10 million in 2021.

The company said its 2019 OLED and NanoCell LCD lineups will encompass a wide range of screen sizes up to 86 inches. New OLED models include 65- and 77-inch W9 series models, 55- and 65-inch E9 models, the C9 series — which will be offered in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch screen sizes — and 55- and 65-inch B9 models.

Also slated for release are LG’s first 8K model, the 88-inch 88Z9, and the one-of-a-kind model 65R9 rollable OLED TV highlighted at CES 2019, although pricing and delivery dates were not announced.

NanoCell LCD models and OLED TVs in the W, E, and C series feature LG’s new α (Alpha) 9 Gen 2 processor out of the box and will be upgraded “mid-year” to support Apple AirPlay 2 wireless streaming and HomeKit smart-home integration. The TVs are also slated to receive a firmware update that will bring Amazon’s Alexa voice-controlled virtual assistant into the fold as a complement to the Google Assistant already built into the TVs. With Alexa onboard, LG said it will be the only TV brand to provide native support for Amazon and Google voice platforms.

The α9 Gen 2 processor is said to draw on “deep learning technology” and a database of visual information to identify source material and optimize picture and sound quality by implementing the best algorithm. The processor also analyzes ambient conditions and automatically adjusts screen brightness to its optimal level in addition to fine-tuning audio according to content type to enhance the intelligibility of dialogue and vocals.

Recapping other tech highlights, LG said its flagship 2019 TVs support Dolby Vision high-dynamic-range (HDR) processing and “intelligently adjust content compatible with Dolby Vision to ensure an outstanding HDR experience, even in brightly lit conditions.” Flagship models also support Dolby Atmos surround sound.

NanoCell, the company’s most advanced series of LED-backlit LCD TVs, will comprise 14 AI-enabled models in screen sizes ranging from 49 to 86 inches. All are said to deliver wider viewing angles than LG’s 2018 models.

LG also noted that some 2019 OLED and NanoCell models will support HDMI 2.1 for viewing 4K high-frame-rate (HFR) content at 120 fps (frames per second) in addition to offering an automatic low-latency mode (ALLM), variable refresh rate (VRR), and enhanced audio return channel (eARC).

For more information, visit lg.com.

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