Samsungannounced today that it's going to charge $40,000 for its top of the line 85-inch UN85S9 television.
It is also planning a 95-inch model, and a 110-inch model, but has not announced the pricing of those bigger TVs.
If you're in the market to spend $40,000 on a TV, you might want to wait until the pricing of those bigger models comes out.
So what do you get with a $40,000 TV?
Just about everything you need in a flat panel television, plus some gaudy excess that only comes with a super expensive TV.
The first thing that jumps out about the S9 is the giant, vibrant picture.
"It's better than HD. Photos and video can't do it justice," says our own Steve Kovach who saw one first hand at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year.
Chris Thomas at USA Today said the TV has "a pixel density unprecedented on consumer televisions until this year."
It uses next-generation high-definition technology which it's calling "Ultra high definition," thus the UHD in the TV's name. UHD is also called 4K, which means 4,000 pixels wide from side to side on the TV. Ultra high def is supposed to make your current HD TV look like a black and white TV.
No TV channels are currently in 4K, but in the press release for the TV, Samsung says, "Samsung’s proprietary up-scaling engine can up-convert HD or Full-HD to UHD-level picture quality by restoring detail information to create greater precision and real-life picture quality."
After the incredibly vibrant screen, the next thing that stands out about this $40,000 TV is the stand. It's not like your typical TV stand. The UHD S9 sits in a chalkboard-like easel. Samsung says of the display, "The TV appears to be floating within its frame and showcases the juxtaposition of a minimalist concept with such a large display."
"I don't know if it's floating, I thought of it as a chalkboard," says our own Kevin Smith who saw it at CES. Despite the fact that it's not floating, he likes it: "I thought it was pretty cool. I liked the way it looked."
For $40,000 you get more than the best picture on the market in a unique frame. You also get lots of other crap you'll never use.
It has gesture controls, voice controls, and Samsung's "Smart Hub," which gives you access to online content, photos, video, music, and apps. It also has a quad-core processor, and Samsung's S-Recommendation service, which tracks your viewing habits (in a totally not-creepy way) and makes viewing recommendations over time.
Samsung also says, "The S9's 3-way 2.2 channels of 120 watt sound also delivers an audio experience that is six times better than a standard TV."
Is it worth $40,000? We haven't given it a thorough testing.
However, it is the best picture at the biggest size and it's one helluva conversation piece if you've got the money.
SEE ALSO: It's Weird Apple Hasn't Made A TV Yet
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