Introduction

Let’s get one thing straight: The LG 84LM9600 is not the same TV as the 55LM9600 model. The 84LM9600 may share the same model number, the same amount of ports, the same modern stand, and the same processor as the 55LM9600; it even uses the same motion-controlled Magic Remote that we've grown to love, but evolution comes slowly and looks can be deceiving.

On the surface, the 84LM9600 may seem like any other 84-inch LG Smart TV. Look closer—it's clear this one is a different beast entirely. If you haven’t guessed by now, it belongs to the genus Ultra High Definition.

We had previously seen this gargantuan UHDTV at CES back in January, but this time, LG invited us to take a closer look at the now-finished product. That's right, the 84LM9600 hit the Korean market in August and saw a limited American release in October. LG had some sample UHDTV content for us to watch and, for the most part, it looked glorious: The UHDTV content we saw took advantage of the screen's staggering 8,294,400 pixel count, giving us an experience similar (although not quite the same) to jumping from standard-definition to high-definition for the first time.

Does this mean that your HD television with its miniscule 1080p resolution is now outdated? Well… yes and no. The technology to display images in a native 2160p resolution—four times the resolution of 1080p— now exists, but the content does not, at least for consumers. Also, that glorious-ness does come with a high price tag: The MSRP for the 84LM9600 is $20,000. Is a television that can display a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 really worth as much as a Hyundai Sonata, especially if there isn’t any content available that can take advantage of this ultra high resolution? That all depends on how deep your pockets are and whether you fancy yourself an early adopter.