LG's 77-inch curved OLED TV brightens up IFA 2013

LG's 77-inch curved OLED TV brightens up IFA 2013
LG - ahead of the curve

The OLED battle for the most is a two-horse race. Both LG and Samsung are famous for bringing this technology to the big screen and their rivalry showed no signs of letting up at IFA 2013.

The two Korean companies showed off their impressively expensive 55-inch curved OLED panels on their impressively expansive stands. But it was LG who went one further, announcing the biggest 4K OLED display yet - the LG 77-inch curved OLED TV.

This television was kept under wraps so well that, according to AV journalist Steve May, some LG executives didn't even know it was going to be shown off at the show.

Writing on Inside CI he notes that the prototype was kept behind the scenes for VIPs to gawp at, then got its own surprise spot on the show. It's a good job too - this sort of technology advancement should not be hidden from view.

LG 77-inch OLED

With OLED displays creeping up in size, OLED technology is slowly making its way to stores. But, for many, this is technology to gawp at in a showroom and admire from afar.

LG really didn't need to do much of a job to garner gawpers, with its 77-inch screen one of the standout bits of tech at the show.

LG 77-inch OLED

Colours were, as you can imagine, rich, deep, textured and rounded with a clarity that simply can't be achieved with an LED panel. There was a superb realness to the footage shown off - as real as the threat of the ever-present bouncer whose job it was to make sure no prying hands got near the screen.

While the sadly inevitable 'booth babe' didn't look impressed to be told to hang around continuously near the screen, the quality of the TV was jaw dropping.

LG 77-inch OLED

Taking its inspiration from LG's newly released 55-inch TV, the screen was curved too. A gimmick, yes, but with this size of screen the light curvature does make a modicum of sense.

On a 55-inch set, a curve isn't really going to offer the type cinematic experience LG is currently claiming - it may be trying to align these televisions with an IMAX-style viewing angle but this simply isn't the case.

LG 77-inch OLED

But those extra 22 inches do benefit from a slight curve. Of course, the curve is really just there because OLED can be manipulated to bend without breaking, so it is as much as showing off what this technology can achieve with any real benefits to the viewer a happy side effect of this.

Then there is also the fact that this is a 4K panel. Both Samsung and LG are currently only selling Full HD OLEDs.

At IFA 2013, TechRadar spotted a prototype 4G OLED on Samsung's stand and one on Sony's too - the AV innovation train is showing no signs of slowing down.

LG 77-inch curved OLEd

The LG 77-inch OLED TV was a show piece at IFA 2013. It was a gorgeous glimpse into how televisions in the home can look if money was no option and, because of this, no on-sale date or price was given.

This is probably a good thing, as knowing it could be bought by anyone would immediately bring pangs of jealousy.

Marc Chacksfield

Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.