Pana 4K Pricier Than LG, Samsung

Its big, bright but is it worth $7700? One month after unveiling their first 4K TV, Pana’s 65″ will cost more than rivals Samsung, LGPana’s “future proofed” 65 inch VIERA Ultra HD TV, or ‘4K’, as it is known will cost $7,699, it was announced today.

This means Pana’s UHD TV is pricer than the Samsung’s new 65-inch (F9000) UHD TV which costs $6,999, while LG’s 65″ 4K is $7,499.

Announced in August, Panasonic’s (TH-L65WT600A) will be on sale from late October.

Although it’s “probably a little premium” on price, its worth it for the future proof credentials, Richard Tassone, Pana’s General Marketing Manager Consumer Electronics, told CN.

“We reviewed the market and believe it has a better feature base” than rivals, and “is the first 2nd generation 4K TV with HDMI 2.0.”
The TV maker held discussion with retailers who were “comfortable” with the pricing, he says, adding “the consumer will let us know” if the price is too high.

“The TV market is volatile, we’re always reviewing our strategies, but believe our strategy is right, especially for new technology. ”

“There is a lot more interest in 4K this year,” and will be higher in the lead up to Christmas, says Tassone.

LG dropped the price of its newly released 4K TV when it came into the market –  its new 55″ and 65″ UHD TV’s were due to be $7K and $9K – but are now a lot less at $4,999 and $7,499, respectively.

LG revisited the pricing “to make it more accessible” for consumers and in response to global trends which saw 4K tumble in price in the US, a spokesperson told CN.

However, considering LG’s original 84″ 4K TV was a hefty $16,999, 4K screens have become way more affordable, which is good news for the consumer and retailers looking to flog the snazzy TV, which is four times the resolution of an HD TV.

LG spokesperson told CN its newly released UHD TVs are “doing quite well” to date, locally.

Every TV brand is doing 4K slightly differently, so will have justification for its price point.