LG’s futuristic new TV rolls up into a box with the press of a button, and it hits stores in 2019 — see it in action

LG Signature OLED TV R
LG
  • LG's absurdly thin "Signature" series of TVs is getting even more absurd: The latest model is a "rollable" TV.
  • When not being used, the skinny TV rolls down into a box that also doubles as a soundbar.
  • There's no price or release date just yet, but LG says the rollable TV will ship in 2019.
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Before reading any further, you have to see this new television in action:

Pretty impressive, right?

That's the rollable TV from LG. With the press of a button, it disappears into a relatively small rectangular box.

But the LG Signature OLED TV R, as it's officially known, is more than just novel trickery — it's a unique, impressive approach to new TV design. It was unveiled on Monday during the opening day of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and it's already a standout of the event.

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Here's what we know about it thus far:

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The first wallpaper-thin, rollable TV from LG was shown during a stage presentation on Monday at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas:

LG Signature OLED TV R
LG

As you can see above, there are varying levels of openness to the rollable TV from LG — this was actually shown previously, last year when LG debuted a prototype at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show

The difference in this case is that the proof of concept has become a reality: The LG Signature OLED TV R is the next step in the evolution of its "Signature" edition TVs — announcing for the first time a consumer version of the rollable TV concept.

The thinness of the Signature series gets put to good use in a rollable format, and the gimmick of a rollable TV becomes a genuinely useful feature. 

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It's a gorgeous display capable of top-of-the-line visuals:

LG Signature OLED TV R
LG

LG's Signature series boasts 4K Ultra HD / HDR capability that's as good or better than the competition, and it does it on an OLED screen that's less than a quarter-inch thick. 

With the LG Signature OLED TV R, LG is putting that capability into a 65-inch screen that rolls into a relatively slim, attractive piece of furniture when you're not using it.

Here's what that might look like if you lived in an impossibly nice Manhattan apartment with remote-operated windows and a supervillain-like view of the New York City skyline:

The idea is simple and logical: To hide the massive black rectangles — screens — that are prevalent in the modern home.

LG's solution is to roll it into an austere rectangular box that's easily mistaken for modernist furniture. 

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The TV can also be used as a slimmer screen for simple functions, like listening to music or seeing the weather and time:

LG Signature OLED TV R
LG

One benefit of the design of LG's rollable TV is that it can be used in more ways than a standard TV. In "Line" mode, it's got a dedicated user interface that enables music playback and conveys information like time and weather. You can even use the built-in Amazon Alexa assistant to command it with your voice.

Better still: Even when the display is all the way closed, the soundbar built into the base can be used as a speaker. And for you audio heads out there, LG describes the soundbar as a, "4.2-channel, 100W front-firing Dolby Atmos audio system."

Seriously: It's very thin.

Like, very thin.

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There's no price just yet — the 65-inch Signature series from LG currently costs about $7,000. The rollable version of that TV will assuredly cost much more.

LG Signature OLED TV R Full 01
LG

Nobody knows how much the rollable TV will cost, but we can look at some past pricing from LG to make an educated guess at the range. The LG Signature OLED TV W8 is currently available in both 65-inch and 77-inch models, and both are so-called "Wallpaper" televisions but don't roll up. That line of TVs starts at around $7,000.

The big difference here is that the LG Signature OLED TV R rolls up into a stylish little rectangle, and that difference is certain to cost a significant amount of money. How much of a difference it is remains to be seen, and LG isn't saying just yet.

That it's essentially a TV stand, TV, and soundbar all-in-one is sure to add a few more dollars to the bottom line.

It's not clear exactly when these will go up for sale, but they're part of the 2019 line-up from LG. 

Check out LG's full presentation on the rollable, ridiculously thin LG Signature OLED TV R right here:

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