LG’s rollable OLED TV will be available to buy this year. Now officially called LG SIGNATURE OLED TV R, LG’s rollable TV is different to most other TVs as the screen is able to be hidden away within a base when not in use.
This is the world’s first rollable OLED TV.
The SIGNATURE OLED TV R has been a long time in development and it was not a shock that the company was demonstrating the technology at this year’s event considering it was also demoed at last year’s CES.
What did prove to be a surprise, however, is the confirmation that the product is now in more of a consumer-ready state and especially considering it will become available to buy later in 2019.
According to LG, the introduction of rollable TVs is not only a matter of proving the concept, but the result of an actual consumer need. Citing the rising size of TVs as a primary concern for consumers who want a TV that can be large enough when needed, and equally almost invisible when needed.
In the announcement, LG highlighted that although projectors offer a solution to this problem, it’s not a great solution due to the general low resolution that accompanies projector-based products.
LG’s SIGNATURE OLED TV R looks to solve both of these issues by providing the size when in TV mode (it will initially be available in a 65-inch model), and with a resolution comparable to its current 4K OLED TV options.
This TV is not only looking to just solve these conventional issues, but to also provide a heightened experience for the home in general. Once the TV has lowered into its base, the base itself is capable of remaining on and powered. In this mode, and utilizing a small portion of the display, the SIGNATURE OLED TV R becomes more of a home entertainment hub which can provide information such as the time and date, as well as play music or display photos.
When fully hidden away, the base continues to remain operational and effectively takes the form of an audio speaker where users are able to play music as well as stream audio files from their connected devices.
This is not simply just a basic screen either as LG is packing the SIGNATURE OLED TV R with pretty much all the features you would expect from any of its TVs in 2019. For example, this is a ThinQ ecosystem TV that also supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as Dolby Atmos and 120Hz.
The SIGNATURE OLED TV R comes powered by the Alpha 9 second-generation processor. The same processor LG announced in November and that’s expected to power most of the company’s 2019 TV products.
In reality, this is unlikely to be a TV that appeals to all buyers as it’s more of a premium product as well as a first-generation consumer version. However, it will appeal to those who are looking for a unit that is more discreet than existing TV solutions and especially to those who do not want to compromise on the display quality or the features in return for discreteness.
In spite of LG now effectively confirming the SIGNATURE OLED TV R will become available in 2019, the company has not specified when exactly consumers will be able to buy, or for that matter when pre-orders will open.
LG has also yet to confirm how much the SIGNATURE OLED TV R will cost when it does go on sale. Considering this is a top of the line product and one that’s part of the company’s SIGNATURE category, it is expected the price attached will be extremely high at launch.
LG announced the new SIGNATURE OLED TV R at CES 2019 where the company made a number of announcements related to the home and its audio and visual portfolio, including the introduction of a new 8K TV.