Affordable UHD TV are words not commonly found together as the new cutting-edge ultra high definition TV technology is hardly available from manufacturers, while broadcasters and other content providers are still making efforts to perfect the 4K content capture and workflow needed to deliver a 3840×2160 pixel image refreshing at 120Hz (times per second) on the screen.  But at a NYC event in mid April, Chinese TV set maker Seiki announced a jaw dropping price of $,1500 MSRP for its now-affordable UHD TV (SE50UY04) that comes in a 50-inch 4K version to be sold through online retailers (Amazon, TigerDirect, ShopNBC plus QVC.)  And just in case rival TV makers thought this was a one-trick-pony, the company said it will offer a 65-inch set in Q3 and later this year in Q4 a 39-inch set will be available (presumably) just in time for the holidays and the introduction of the (UHD version) Sony’s Playstation 4.

Seiki said its panels are sourced from Chimei (CMI) and they are using a 120 Hz LED edge-lit panel. The company is positioning itself as a value leader in the U.S. market and using the “future proof” card to help jump start sales for its brand that leverages the hot attention getting moniker for flat-panels today “UHD” and “The Industry’s Best Warranty” that backs its sets up with a full year replacement guarantee.

The U.S. group for Seiki is based in Diamond Bar, Calif. and product manager Frank Kendzora admits that UHD is still at the cutting-edge, but said the company will position the product so, “consumers can future-proof their next TV purchase with next-generation 4K TV technology, [with] current high-definition video content, and be ready to experience Ultra HD when it becomes mainstream in the near future.”

50-inch UHD Display Specs  (SE50UY04)

• Size: 50-inch diagonal screen
• Panel Resolution: 3840 x 2160
• Maximum color: 1.07 Billion
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz
• Component & HDMI Support: 480I, 576I, 480P, 576P, 720P, 1080I, 1080P, 4k2k 30Hz (only HDMI)
• VGA: 640×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1360×768, 1920×1080
• OSD Language: English, French, Spanish
• Analog & Digital TV Tuner: One
• Component Video Input: One
• Component Video (Y, Cb, Cr/Y, Pb, Pr): One
• VGA Input (15 pin, D-Sub): One
• RJ45: One
• HDMI Input: Three
• USB Input: One (For service use only)

On the spec, it’s important to note that this bare-bones (non-SmartTV) is lacking what has become table stakes for most brands (things like Wi-Fi, Netflix, Hulu or video camera for Skype). Perhaps even more important, there is no color management control including no gamma, or gray scale (for color temperature calibration) adjustments.

Top-tier brands are pushing new UHD TVs to launch earlier rather than later, as a speed-up in deployment plans will help boost sagging average selling prices (ASPs) in the somewhat depressed TV category. First offerings from Sony (55-inch UHD) are selling in the $5K range. At the large display end, Samsung announced its 85-inch UHD set for a whopping $40K but granted, these are top-of-the line sets delivering everything (including brand cache) that Seiki is not.

But suffice it to say a new kid on the block, China TV maker Seiki is looking to play spoiler for the TV set makers with its announcement of an affordable UHD TV that breaks the $1,500 price barrier in the cutting-edge space with rivals charging 3x and 4x that price. And as Vizio and other low price leaders in their space have shown before, there is traction at the low end if you can deliver and maintain customer satisfaction going forward.