Samsung launches a 114-inch Micro LED TV so expensive, buyers receive a free $8,000 8K TV

WTF?! Samsung has launched a new television aimed squarely at those for whom money is no object. Measuring 114 inches and packing Micro LED technology, the “ultra-premium” set costs the equivalent of around $132,630. It’s so expensive that Samsung is giving away an 8K TV worth $8,000 as an incentive to buyers.

Samsung has a history of producing massive, and massively expensive, Micro LED TVs, going back to CES 2018 when it first unveiled The Wall, a 146-inch modular TV.

The Korean giant made a more living room-friendly 75-inch Micro LED TV a year later, followed by a 110-inch version in 2020. There have also been 89-inch and 110-inch models.

In addition to the massive size, the reason for the 114-inch version’s KRW 180 million ($132,630) price tag is the set’s use of Micro LED.

Like OLED, each of the millions of tiny LEDs packed onto a substrate produces its own light and color without the need for backlighting or a color filter. But Micro LED TVs have several advantages over OLED, including brighter colors, being more power-efficient, faster response times, and improved brightness – we’ve seen several Micro LEDs with a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits across the entire display. The most important element is that it uses an inorganic LED structure, offering a longer lifespan than OLED and no burn-in issues.

The downside of Micro LED TVs is, of course, their incredibly high prices. Samsung is trying to make its nearly $133,000 set more appealing by giving buyers a free 85-inch Neo QLED TV (QND900) worth $8,000, along with a discount for the JBL L100 MK2 speaker (over $4,000 per pair).

Further illustrating the kind of people who will buy this TV, Samsung is also giving customers who buy one this month a complimentary accommodation voucher for the Signiel Seoul Hotel valued at 3 million won ($2,200).

The TV is currently only available to buy in Korea. No word when or if it will launch in other locations.

The price of Micro LED TVs means only a few thousand are sold globally each year, equivalent to less than 1% of the 200 million televisions shipped annually. But there was a time when OLED sets were prohibitively expensive for most people, so prices of Micro LED sets will likely fall in the future, though don’t expect them to be affordable for a long time yet.

Samsung’s latest Micro LED TV seems like a good deal next to the 118-inch model LG introduced last year. It costs $237,000, which is still a lot cheaper than its $300,000 136-inch model.