Ahead of CES next week, Korean tech giant LG on Friday unveiled a slate of "real" 8K TVs with integrated support for Apple's AirPlay 2 and HomeKit technologies.
LG plans to showcase eight new 8K models at CES, including top-of-the-line 77- and 88-inch Signature OLED TVs (88/77 OLED ZX), according to a press release. In addition to OLED variants, the company will debut 65- and 75-inch NanoCell, or QLED, models (75/65 Nano99, 75/65 Nano97, 75/65 Nano95) split into three pricing tiers.
Thanks to LG's webOS smart TV platform, each of the new devices are compatible with Apple's AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, as well as popular virtual assistants Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The built-in support follows previous smart home integrations with the company's television sets. At CES 2019, LG was among the first TV manufacturers to promise support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, features that arrived in July as a software update for select models.
With AirPlay 2, users can connect LG TVs to other devices and control media streaming via Siri, while HomeKit compatibility allows device control from the Home app.
As for the upcoming 2020 lineup, LG notes each of its TVs meet 8K Ultra HD definition standards set by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Unlike other certified 8K flatscreens, LG's models meet or surpass a minimum 50% contrast modulation threshold, a stipulation needed for "real" 8K reproduction, according to LG.
The new TVs accept 8K content from HDMI and USB inputs, and support HEVC, VP9 and AV1 codecs up to 60 frames per second.
A new third-generation Alpha9 AI processor assists in picture optimization and sound quality, the company says. The chip's AI Picture Pro not only upscales content but can recognize faces and text to fine tune image sharpening and color enhancements. LG's AI Sound Pro applies similar improvements to audio reproduction by automatically detecting audio type to parse out and enhance spoken words.
LG's 8K TV lineup will be on display at CES on Jan. 7.