Samsung made a lot of ‘big’ announcements at CES 2018, but the one to top them all was ‘The Wall” – a 146” MicroLED modular TV screen.
Yes, you need a big media room and budget for that, but the purpose was to impress with both size and the quality of the new MicroLED, micrometre (µm) scale LEDs – which are much smaller than current LEDs and are their own self-emitting source of light. This is war – a very noticeable shot across the bow of OLED self-emitting technology!
The Wall eliminates the need for colour filters or backlight offering durability, luminous efficiency, a light source lifetime, and low power consumption. Samsung says, It sets the standard for future screen technology.”
The Wall is a module-based, bezel-less design exemplifying how television sizes and shapes can be customised to adapt to serve different purposes, such as creating a wall-size display for multiple spaces.
“At Samsung, we provide consumers with a wide range of cutting-edge screen experiences,” said Jonghee Han, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.
“As the world’s first consumer modular MicroLED television, ‘The Wall’ represents another breakthrough. It can transform into any size and delivers incredible brightness, colour gamut, colour volume and black levels. We’re excited about this next step along our roadmap to the future of screen technology, and the remarkable viewing experience it offers to consumers,” he added.
8K TV coming – there is still a lot of life in Samsung QLED
Samsung also featured the world’s first 8K QLED TV, to be launched internationally later in 2018. The proprietary AI technology upscales standard definition content to 8K resolution (as there is no 8K commercial content yet).
The AI algorithm adjusts screen resolution based on picture quality characteristics of each scene, to continuously improve picture quality and easily transform any content from any source into a high-resolution 8K.
This 8K solution maximises the viewing experience through several new features including detail enhancement – to upgrade standard definition content; noise reduction; edge restoration function – which more clearly outlines on-screen objects; and automatic sound adjustment for different content, such as sports events or music concerts.
2018 Smart TV, Upgraded with Bixby and SmartThings
Samsung showcased 2018 Samsung Smart TV’s enhanced connection and convenience using its digital assistant Bixby.
Bixby is an intelligent assistant platform developed by Samsung, enables easier interaction between the TV and its users, using intuitive UX, and comprehensive voice analysis capabilities.
2018 Samsung Smart TVs will also offer easier sharing and connectivity from SmartThings – Samsung’s IoT platform hub. It offers a simpler way to control the television and sync with other devices.
2018 will also see the launch of Universal Guide – an advanced program guide which automatically recommends TV programs and content according to a user’s preferences.
GadgetGuy Val Quin is over at CES 2018 busy reporting on the more interesting things like damned big TVs. MicroLED and modular TV are exciting new technologies.
