What makes this massive TV set worth $30,000?

Samsung promises that its new, massive 115-inch Micro RGB TV delivers hyper-realistic color and brilliant brightness, but it comes with an eye-watering price tag. The TV can be yours for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $30,000.

The TV uses proprietary Samsung technology the company says sets industry standards for color accuracy for a viewing experience that’s vivid and immersive. It’s available now in South Korea, and Samsung says it will be available later in the U.S. as well as globally. The company did not give a specific global release date.

“With this launch, we’re setting the standard in the large-sized, ultra-premium TV market and reinforcing our commitment to next-generation display innovation,” Samsung Electronics head of R&D for its visual display business Taeyong Son said in a statement. Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A pricey tv in a category that costs less and less

While persistent inflation since the pandemic has added to the cost of everyday items, the television set has actually gotten less expensive. The price of a 40-inch TV set has fallen by 99% in 25 years, according to the Progressive Policy Institute.

Factors like cheaper production and increased competition have driven down prices for big-screen TVs, and what was once a luxury is now a commodity. With its new $30,000 TV, though, Samsung is finding new ways to make the television set a luxury item again.

Samsung’s new TV uses micro-scale RGB LED backlight, a red-green-and-blue LED lighting system that reduces bleeding between colors, resulting in a crisper, brighter image. Samsung says its new TV is the first set of its size to use the company’s proprietary Micro RBG Technology, and the TV was designed to reduce glare and reflections. It uses AI processing to finely control the backlight, and also is compatible with Samsung Vision AI for smart viewing, so viewers can access content like actor bios while watching a show or ask questions about what they’re watching. At 112 inches, it also requires a pretty big wall.

Design that follows the money

With a price point that rivals some cars, the South Korean technology company’s $30,000 TV comes as the U.S. economy bifurcates. The rich now hold up consumer spending, and an August Bank of America Institute report found the gap between wages and spending for lower-income households has widened. Lower-income households saw their after-tax wage growth reach 1.3% year-over-year in July, while higher-income households saw 3.2% growth, according to the report. For TV manufactures, that could mean fewer cheap sets are being sold while the market for high-end sets is growing.

It’s clear Samsung has been set on capturing the high-end market since releasing a 98-inch, $100,000 TV in 2019. Its Frame tv, released in 2017, is far more affordable at starting as low as $800, but as it’s designed to look like framed artwork, it rejects the idea that TV has to be a utilitarian black box on the wall. Today, the company offers more than half a dozen TVs that cost more than $10,000, including its 114-inch Class Micro LED for $150,000.

The number of higher-income consumers who are willing to spend five figures or more on a TV set might be small, but at such high price points, Samsung doesn’t need to sell many. The sale price of just one Micro RGB TV is as much as that of more than 100 of some of Samsung’s cheaper models available at Best Buy.