LG claims UK Ultra HD TV first

Monster 84in telly makes Blighty high street debut

LG has put its first 4K x 2K - aka Ultra HD - LED-backlit LCD TV into shops. Its 84in monster, the LM960V, will today be available to view in posh peoples’ shops Harrods and Peter Jones Sloane Square, part of the John Lewis group.

Of course, how many punters - even well-off ones - will feel the need to fork out £22,500 for a big telly remains to be seen. LG’s choice of demo locations show this is clearly not a product for the rest up us - or at least one we’ll happily go and gawp at but not one we might actually have in our homes.

And perhaps even the ultra-rich won’t be able to opt for an Ultra HD TV either: LG’s announcement makes no mention of availability for purchase, focusing instead on its appearance on “the British high street”. LG, we think, is more interested at this point in ensuring its monster monitor is “the first of its kind in the UK” than in actually selling any.

Would-be buyers may prefer to wait for Sony’s alternative offering which, if the US is anything to go by, will come bundled with a hard drive-based media server loaded with 3840 x 2160 movie and video content.

Like the Sony, the LG Ultra HD TV can upscale HD content. It’s also 3D-enabled too, coming with five pairs of 3D specs. It also has two extra pairs of glasses so it can two gamers playing split-screen can each see a full-screen picture. There’s on-board Wi-Fi for internet connectivity, and smart TV functionality including BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Lovefilm and Blinkbox apps. ®