Samsung will use CES to introduce an expanded assortment of LED-based LCD TVs, ultra-slim plasma TVs and an expanded range of Blu-ray Disc players with BD-Live functionality.
Most of the company’s new TV news will be made in the LCD TV area, where it is showcasing a pair of “Ultra-Slim” LED-based model series, as well as introducing new models with 240Hz motion-compensation technology.
The company, which was among the first in the LED-backlighting space, is separating its LED-class LCD assortment from the rest of its LCD field this year as it focuses on “LED TV as a new growth engine in 2009.”
Samsung will push LED for its superior picture quality, including mega contrast performance; thinner form factor designs; and eco-friendly, mercury-free and lower-power-consuming attributes.
The LNXXB8000 Ultra-Slim LED features Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus 240Hz motion compensation technology. It will also include was Samsung calls its “Internet@TV” IPTV platform with widget technology to access online content sources.
The series will include the 46-inch and 55-inch screen sizes in FullHD 1080p resolution and will ship in the first half of 2009 at prices to be announced.
Panel depth is said to be less than 1 inch, and will be emphasized with a chrome design accent. Connectivity panels are located along the bottom of the set for a flush, wall-mount installation.
Next-generation Auto Motion Plus 240Hz frame interpolation technology, and 240Hz refresh rate, is said to further enhance picture quality with fast moving images. Samsung said the Fast Motion Picture Response Time (MPRT), matches that of traditional CRT displays. And Ultra Clear panel is said to reduce reflection and increase contrast, even in brightly-lit rooms.
The IPTV functionality is enabled with a built-in Ethernet port, with wireless-ready capabilities. This is said to “provide access to widget-based content and services from providers including Yahoo!, Flickr and more.”
The LNXXB7000 Ultra-Slim 1080p LED series steps down to Auto Motion Plus 120Hz motion-compensation technology.
Also slated for a first-half introduction at prices to be announced, the series will include 40-, 46 and 55-inch screen sizes. All will offer an ultra-slim design, built-in Ethernet port and Wi-Fi-ready features for the Internet@TV system.
Bezel cosmetics are said to use a semi-transparent ruby with dewdrop-like lighting effect and bottom-placed connectivity panels for flush-mount installations.
The line also uses Ultra Clear panel technology.
The LNXXB6000 series of 1080p LED LCD TVs is billed as an “eco-friendly” series, behind the LED backlighting and power-indicator menu which are said to contribute to a 40 percent energy savings.
The line will ship in the first half at prices to be announced and includes the 40-, 46- and 55-inch screen sizes.
The series also employs Auto Motion Plus 120Hz motion-compensation technology.
Models also include built-in Ethernet ports, wireless-ready features and access to Samsung’s InfoLink RSS service, with news, sports, weather and more infomation from USA Today.
Samsung is also offering the Auto Motion Plus 240Hz MPRT system in its traditional LCD TV assortment with the LNXXB750 1080p series. The line, which will include 40-, 46- and 52-inch screen sizes uses the Touch of Color (ToC) semi-transparent ruby design accent, Ultra Clear panel technology Wide Color Enhancer Pro system that matches colors to a panel’s wider color gamut range and built-in Ethernet port providing access to widget-based content and service from Yahoo!, Flickr and others.
In 1080p plasma TV, Samsung will show its PNXXB850 Ultra-Slim models with the Advanced Ultra FliterBright Plus and Wide Color Enhancer Pro technologies to produce what the company calls, “the world’s best bright-room contast ratio.”
Available in the first half in 50- and 58-inch screen sizes, the plasma line will feature an “ultra-slim depth of around an inch with Samsung’s Ultra Slim Design in chrome.”
The Advanced Ultra FilterBright Plus technology is said to greatly reduce glare while maximizing contrast. Samsung said it has added black stripes to the panel to absorb additional room light, and reduce black level luminance by 50 percent over previous models.
A Real Movie function produces “stutter-free viewing of 24 fps movies, and the built-in Ethernet connection, and wireless-ready capabilities, provide access to widget-based content and services from Yahoo!, Flickr, and others.
The PNXXB550 1080p plasma HDTV line is positioned as “high efficiency,” due to the use of a 50 percent more power efficient plasma panel. Models include 50-, 58- and 63-inch screen sizes, all of which will be available in the first half at prices to be announced, and include Real Movie and Real 600Hz processing. Cosmetics include ToC bezel accents.
In Blu-ray Disc offerings, Samsung will introduce a BD-Live player that measures 1.5-inch deep for wall-mountable applications and features Samsung’s ToC design accents.
The BD-P4600 also provides wireless access to Netflix video and Pandora music-streaming capabilities. It is slated for a first-half delivery. Other features include 1GB of internal flash memory, BD/CD/DVD playback, with DVD up-conversion to Full HD 1080p, support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HR/MA decoding and bitstream output.
The BD-P3600, which is also slated for first-half shipment, is also a BD-Live player with ToC design, 1080p up conversion and built-in access to the Netflix video and Pandora music streaming services. It will have 1GB of internal flash memory and will support Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HR/MA decoding and bitstream output.
In DVD players, Samsung will show its DVD-H1080 FullHD 1080p up-converting player with an ultra-compact design. Available in the first half, the player will include a slot-in disc loading system, touch-sensitive control, HDMI-CEC system interoperability with one remote, and a USB port supporting JPG, MPEG and DivX playback.
