LG to unveil world's first 8K OLED TV at IFA

By Jun Ji-hye

LG Electronics will unveil the world's first 8K organic light emitting diode (OLED) TV this week at Europe's largest consumer electronics and home appliances show, the company said Wednesday.

During the six-day Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) Berlin, which starts Friday, the firm will exhibit the 88-inch 8K LG OLED TV featuring over 33 million self-emitting pixels to produce an unmatched contrast ratio and true blacks that define OLED TV's iconic picture quality.

The 8K refers to the horizontal resolution of 7,680 pixels, which is rounded up to 8000. It is the current highest ultra high definition television resolution in digital television. The resolution of the 8K TV is about four times clearer than a 4K TV.

The company said it will continue to increase the OLED share in its premium TV portfolio, with OLED TV shipments in the market expected to double this year.

While the 8K TV market is still in its infancy, it is expected to grow to more than 5 million sales by 2022, according to the firm.

Despite LCD advancements, OLED is widely considered the “next-generation display technology” as it emits its own light, eliminating the need for any kind of backlighting. This allows for state-of-the-art TVs that redefine both picture quality and product design.

“LG's first 8K OLED TV is the pinnacle of technological achievement and the next evolutionary step in display technology,” said Brian Kwon, president of LG Home Entertainment Company. “The 4K OLED played a major role in reshaping the TV industry and LG is confident 8K OLED will do the same.”

As well as the 88-inch 8K LG OLED TV, visitors can see other innovations in TV technologies at the LG booth in Hall 18 of Messe Berlin during the IFA, the firm added.

The IFA takes place every autumn, bringing together a number of iconic companies in the industry and offering a glimpse of trends in the global market for the latter half of the year.