After years of hype, it looks like OLED TVs are finally becoming a reality. We've seen a few models go on sale in limited quantities for exorbitant prices, but a slightly more realistic option is arriving: Samsung says its curved OLED TV is "shipping today" to specialty retailers in the US for $8,999.99, and it will go on sale at the manufacturer's website tomorrow (see update below). That's still an eye-popping price, but it significantly undercuts the $14,999 that Korean competitor LG is asking for its similar curved OLED set.

Last month, one of the retailers set to put Samsung's 55-inch TV, called the KN55S9C, said it would cost the same price as the LG model, but it looks like the company has had a change of heart. The Korean Times yesterday reported that the price of the set was slashed in the Samsung's home country, and now we're seeing the benefits trickle down to the US as well. Despite the lower-than-expected price, Samsung's first OLED TV remains difficult to recommend for anything but the wow factor: the television doesn't have a 4K resolution. Samsung does note that the 55-inch set will have its "Multi View" technology built-in, however, allowing viewers to watch two different videos at the same time using active 3D glasses.

Update: At today's New York City press event to announce the US launch, Samsung said that "better than expected yields" allowed the company to sell the OLED TV for under $9,000. Additionally, the company added that customers will be able to order the curved OLED TV from samsung.com tomorrow. Samsung Electronics executive vice president Joe Stinziano tells The Verge that the company expects customers "who value picture quality" to choose the OLED TV, while early adopters with deep pockets will opt for 4K sets. Additionally, Stinziano did say that he expects to sell "a lot more [of the OLED TVs] than I thought two to six months ago," likely because of those improved yield rates. Lastly, if you've been waiting for a flat OLED TV, he says that it is "certainly" a possibility that Samsung will introduce one down the road, but for its first TV using the technology the company wanted to impress consumers as much as possible.