LG Will Start Selling the World’s First 8K OLED TV This Week

bhoodrr

Move over 4K; the 8K viewing future has finally arrived.

This week, LG will start taking pre-orders in South Korea for the 88Z9, the world’s first 8K OLED TV. The massive set features an 88-inch OLED panel with 8K Ultra HD (7680 x 4320 pixels) making it the most advanced consumer TV set to ever hit the market.

Related stories

This New Retractable LG TV Can Disappear at the Touch of a Button

Are 8K TVs Worth the Upgrade? Our Experts Weigh In

This $15,000 TV's Greatest Feat Is Disappearing Before Your Eyes

To get a handle on how much of a leap forward an 8K TV is, look no further than the pixel count. The 88Z9 offers 16 times the pixels of full HD and four times as many as 4K. Of course, there’s barely any AV content currently out there that can take full advantage of the TV’s mind-numbing specs, which is why the set features LG’s second-generation Alpha 9 8K processor. The Alpha 9 uses deep learning algorithms to upscale images to a higher resolution and generate virtual 5.1 surround sound with support for Dolby Atmos.

That movie theater quality viewing experience will come at a cost, of course. The pre-order price for the 88Z9 is 40 million won (about $34,000), which is actually 20 percent less than its expected 50 million won ($42,000) MSRP. Buyers who pre-order the TV will also, bizarrely, get an air purifier with it, according to the Verge. While the set will debut in South Korea, where LG is based, it will go on sale in North America and Europe this fall.

While the 88Z9 is the first 8K OLED TV to hit the market, it’s not the first time an 8K TV has been made available to the public. Sharp started selling an 85-inch 8K LCD TV in Japan for $133,000 in 2015, and Samsung currently sells the 85-inch Q900 QLED TV for $15,000. But as any picture quality zealot will tell you, if you’re looking for the best image quality available on a TV—and you’re willing to drop $34,000 on a new set—OLED is the way to go.

Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.