Only three years after becoming available in the US, LG has shut down production of its OLED R rollable TV, and is no longer offering the display for sale. According to Chosun, the company could unsurprisingly no longer support its $100,000, 65-inch TV. While disappearing by rolling up is a neat trick, consumers willing to spend such an exorbitant sum are looking for something a little larger to justify the hefty price tag.
LG Display looks to sell final LCD manufacturing plant to focus on OLED
LG Electronics announced that sales of the TV were shut down in various regions over the course of this year. Chosun reports that sales of the TV were very slight, with most sales being made up of “art exhibitions and premium marketing efforts.” The production lines previously dedicated to the OLED R are reportedly being repurposed to support production of other TV models, such those featuring the company’s new transparent display technology.
The following was originally published July 14, 2021:
July 14, 2021- LG’s rollable OLED TV — also called LG Signature OLED R — will finally become available for preorder starting next month, the company confirmed today.
My colleagues at Tom’s Guide have this take: While the $100,000 price tag might make you pause at checkout, it’s pretty exciting to witness the flexible set coming to market. We last saw it in action at CES 2019, where a 65-inch screen seemed to roll right out of thin air. We’re not exaggerating when we say it’s some of the most magical technology the TV category has ever offered.
The first-ever rolling OLED TV and all its illusions were supposed to become available last year, but we weren’t surprised it didn’t. Now, though, it’s closer to coming home. LG said the Signature OLED R will be available for pre-order in the U.S. starting sometime in August.
LG provided neither an exact pre-order date nor an official ship date, not that delivering a $100,000 TV will be trusted to Fedex.
While the OLED R might not have the picture prowess of top-shelf LG 2021 TVs, namely the LG G1 OLED TV with OLED evo, it can roll in or out of sight on command. If you’ve ever thought of your TV as an eyesore, this set gives you the option to simply tuck it away.
WATCH: This $400,000 folding 165-inch MicroLED TV disappears into the floor
And while motorized lifting TVs aren’t exactly novel, LG’s OLED R rolls into a compact compartment you can place on top of your existing TV console. The compartment also packs a front-firing Dolby Atmos sound system, which means you’ll be able to save a little dough on a soundbar if the $100,000 set you back too far.
We don’t mean to mock the price, but there are quite a few concerns with what customers will get for their considerable chunk of change. Beyond the relatively small size of the panel and the lesser display quality, there’s the question of durability. The screen curling and unfurling, again and again, will likely stress the glass bonded to the OLED layer.
The OLED R is rated for 50,000 unfurls, which gives plenty of legs to your party trick, but won’t make the set any less fragile or the motor less susceptible to failing. MORE@Tom’s Guide
