LG has announced local availability for its rollable TV, the Signature R1 OLED. It will be available in Australia from July but there’s a catch.
LG’s Rollable OLED TV finally enters the chat
Announced back in the pre-pandemic hustle of CES 2019, the LG Signature R1 Rollable OLED TV touts the unique party trick of being able to roll up inside a stand when not in use.
When concealed, the screen on the R1 is housed inside an aluminium base stand that houses a 100W, 4.2-channel speaker with Dolby Atmos.
The distinctive design aside, the experience you’re getting here is more-or-less on par with any of LG’s other high-end OLEDs.
The R1 has four HDMI 2.1 ports, supports Dolby Vision iQ HDR and runs on the latest version of WebOS. I
t’s not 8K and it doesn’t have the extra brightness of the G1 OLED, but these feel like minor concessions relative to the thrill of watching a 65-inch screen slide out like a tongue.
As with the Signature RX OLED released internationally last year, the R1 can also be partially unfurled to access apps like the system’s clock, music player, photo gallery and dashboard interface.
“Over the two and a half years we’ve been promising it’s coming, we’ve had numerous enquiries,” said Tony Brown, Marketing Manager for Home Entertainment at LG Electronics Australia.
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It costs $130,000 and they’re only made to order
LG’s rollable TV will be available to purchase in Australia for an eye-watering RRP of $130,000. It’s a price-point that puts it well above even the priciest of the other options.
But there’s something even more unusual about this TV.
Unlike the company’s new QNED and OLED TVs, the LG Rollable won’t be available for purchase via the usual retailers like JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman. In fact, it won’t even be on display.
Instead, LG is selling the TV through a special order process. You visit its website, express your interest and either pay a deposit or the entire price up front. According to LG Australia, this part hasn’t been worked out yet.
Once you’ve ordered it’s a six-eight week wait until your rollie boy is made in South Korea and then shipped to you.
It’s a whole process, to say the least. But while it doesn’t come cheap, the price does at least include set up and installation.
Here in Australia you’ll be able to order your very own if you have the money and inclination.