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KUKEC: $10,000 for a TV? LG says its OLED is worth it

As television technology advances, so do the acronyms and the prices.

But consumers likely will enjoy the shock-and-awe of watching a more incredible picture.

Take, for example, the new Ultra HD OLED 4K 65-inch TV from LG Electronics USA Inc., which has operations in Lincolnshire.

The company recently launched this new TV with the next generation of HD, or high definition. OLED is organic light emitting diode, or the next step in LED lighting display. Price tag? About $10,000, said John I. Taylor, a spokesman of LG Electronics.

"It's an aspirational product," Taylor said.

The company debuted the new TV in September. It will be available for consumers in early November at Abt Electronics in Glenview. A 77-inch version, costing roughly $25,000, will be available early next year, he said.

The ultrathin screen is about the width of four credit cards. It offers 8 million pixels, or four times that of a comparable HDTV screen. Also the slightly curved screen offers a new viewing experience. It is a frameless, cinema-style design that stretches from edge to edge. It is also 3-D capable, Taylor said.

"Just to compare it to other high-end TVs, if you have friends and family over and not everyone can get in that sweet spot to watch the TV, it doesn't matter. They won't lose the color of the picture even if they sit off to the sides," he said.

Surfing: Best Buy stores in the suburbs have been changing. In recent months, Best Buy remodeled space to highlight Ultra High-Def TV, 4K and curved TVs. Its Schaumburg and Downers Grove stores now feature special Sony and Samsung areas to showcase this technology. It also opened Magnolia Design Centers in these stores that feature custom home theater design and installation. So shoppers will see this technology along with high-end home theater options. Demonstrations will be in the Schaumburg store through Nov. 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday, said Best Buy spokeswoman Shandra Tollefson.

• Also AT&T this week said it is expanding its ultrafast AT&T GigaPower network in the Chicago and suburban market. It is expected to deliver Internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per second for consumers and small businesses. How fast is 1 Gigabit? You could download 25 songs in 1 second, download your favorite TV show in less than 3 seconds, and download an HD online movie in less than 36 seconds.

• The RE/MAX Northern Illinois in Elgin has introduced a redesign of its website, www.illinoisproperty.com. The site has a new look and feel, with millions of high-resolution photos, a tablet friendly search and INRX Drive Time, a search tool that allows consumers the ability to search properties for sale by desired drive time. It also provides access to all northern Illinois multiple listing services so users can search the most accurate and current inventory of properties for sale and for rent.

•Follow Anna Marie Kukec on LinkedIn and Facebook and as AMKukec on Twitter. Write to her at akukec@dailyherald.com.

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