Samsung Bows Pair of 100-Inch-Plus 4K TVs; 8K Set With Dolby Atmos

In a global, pre-CES announcement out of Korea Monday, Samsung revealed 110-, 101- and 89-inch TVs in its Micro LED TV lineup that use 25 million micrometer-sized self-emitting LEDs for light and color. The company said in December 2020 it was taking preorders for a 110-inch “MicroLED” display for availability in Q1 2021 (see 2012110015).

Display Supply Chain Consultants Director Guillaume Chansin emailed Consumer Electronics Daily that the 110-inch TV is "essentially the same as last year's model" with possible "small modifications." The 110-inch was commercialized last year "but did not find many buyers," he said: "COVID restrictions made it very challenging for reviewers to see the TV in person." For 2022, DSCC expects Micro LED display revenues across all applications to reach $103 million, he said.

Features of the lineup include an Art Mode for displaying digitized artwork or photos, and Multi View that lets users see content from four sources simultaneously -- from any or all of the four HDMI ports -- in 4K resolution at up to 120 frames per second. The TVs also have top, side and bottom channel speakers supporting Dolby Atmos sound, Samsung said.

In its Neo QLED line, Samsung introduced advanced contrast mapping with a back-light unit said to boost brightness from 12- to 14-bit gradation for better control of the quantum mini LEDs. The TV can control lighting across 16,384 steps, up from 4,096 steps in previous models, it said.

New features in the Neo QLED 8K line include Shape Adaptive Light technology, which analyzes lines, shapes and surfaces to control the shape of light from the Quantum Mini LEDs for better brightness and shape accuracy, said the company; the Real Depth Enhancer algorithm gives more sense of realism by determining and processing an object on the screen against its background to create a sense of depth, it said.

EyeComfort mode adjusts the screen’s brightness and tone using a built-in light sensor and sunset/sunrise information. As the ambient light changes, the screen gradually reduces the amount of light and offers warmer tones, adjusting the blue light levels accordingly, Samsung said. In addition to providing a more comfortable viewing experience, it reduces the blue light which can affect sleep quality, the company said.

Object Tracking Sound, also a new feature, directs the sound to move across the room along with the object on-screen, Samsung said. OTS Pro uses built-in upfiring speakers to create overhead surround sound for Dolby Atmos content. “With multi-channel speakers placed throughout the TV, Neo QLED delivers a dynamic sound experience that tracks the actions from all corners,” said the company.

Samsung’s 2022 connected TVs come with a new Smart Hub designed to guide users faster to their favorite content or to help them discover something new. A Watch Together feature lets users video chat with others while watching shows and movies. An NFT Platform lets users discover, buy and trade digital artwork using nonfungible tokens through Micro LED, NEO QLED and Frame TVs. They also have smart calibration that sets optimal settings within 30 seconds; an in-depth pro setting calibrates screens in about 10 minutes.

In its Lifestyle series TVs, Samsung received verifications from UL for being glare-free for reflection, discomfort and disability, it said. The Frame comes in 32-to-85-inch screen sizes; The Serif added a 65-inch option.