Read our full LG UB9800 series review.
It’s official. LG will unveil a total of seven Ultra HD LED TV models at CES 2014. In addition to the expansive 105-inch curved LED set it already announced it was bringing, the company says it will have flat 65, 79, 84, and 98-inch sets in its top-tier UB9800 series, as well as a less expensive UB8500 series including 49 and 55-inch models (there has also been some indication a 42-inch model in that series may be available). Finally, LG will refresh its existing mid-tier 55 and 65-inch models, placing them under the new UB9500 series.
That’s a lot of numbers to take in, but it all adds up to this: LG is bringing to CES a total of (at least) 12 different televisions with 3240 x 2160 pixel Ultra HD resolution – that’s if you count the three OLED-based Ultra HD models announced previously. This is further confirmation that Ultra HD 4K technology will be the toast of the show this year, and that TV manufacturers intend to scale down on 1080p HD television production as they ramp up Ultra HD offerings in the years to come.
LG’s four top-tier models, ranging from 65 to a massive 98-inches, pack both H.264 and H.265 (HEVC) decoders for Ultra HD resolution at up to 60 frames per second. HDMI 2.0 is also supported. All of the TV’s in the series will include a processing chip LG calls Tru-ULTRA HD Engine Pro, which is intended to improve overall Ultra HD picture quality, and a proprietary upscaling chip which is said to make SD and HD content look better on Ultra HD televisions. LG has also confirmed all of its Ultra HD LED models will sport its well-reputed IPS LCD panel, which we have noted as offering superior picture quality and off-angle viewing in prior models.
On the audio side of things, LG says it worked with Harman Kardon to develop premium audio systems for each TV, including a 70-watt 4.2 speaker system for the 65-incher, a 90-watt 5.2 system for the 79-inch, and a 120-watt 7.2 system for the 84 and 98-inch models.
With this announcement of its expanded Ultra HD TV line-up, LG has left only the details on its 1080P LED TV models under wraps as we head into the big show this week. Unless LG discloses that information in the next 24 hours, we’ll be reporting on it first thing in the morning on Monday, January 6. Be sure to follow Digital Trends for all the breaking news from CES 2014.
