Samsung is bringing newly developed metal-core quantum-dot technology to select 4K Ultra HD TVs.
The enhancements will boost peak brightness to 2,000 nits from 1,000 and 1,200 nits in last year’s line, expand color volume by 20 percent, and deliver wider off-axis color accuracy.
The technology, appearing in the top-end Q9F, Q8 and Q7 4K TVs, expands color gamut to 99 percent of the P3 standard from 96 percent in the company’s top 2016 quantum-dot models, producing a “noticeable” improvement, said TV product marketing GM Brandt Varner.
All of Samsung’s 2016 4K TVs met Ultra HD Alliance (UHD-A) performance criteria, and Samsung’s “target” is for all 2017 models to meet the criteria, Varner added before the show.
Samsung is also expanding its 4K Blu-ray player selection to two; sticking only with HDR 10 high-dynamic-range technology in its new 4K TVs and 4K Blu-ray players, leaving out Dolby Vision HDR technology; and officially retiring the SUHD moniker applied to 2016’s highest performing 4K TVs, which used a previous generation of quantum-dot technology; and
To make the TVs look better in the home even before they’re turned on, the company is launching a new wall-mount system to simplify DIY installation and deliver a “near-zero gap” between the wall and the TV chassis. It’s also improving the appearance of on-wall installs by using a “virtually invisible” clear, thin 15-foot optical digital cable in place of a thicker round cable to carry audio and video to the TVs from the company’s One Connect A/V-switching box.
In retiring the SUHD designation, Samsung is replacing its SUHD lineup with the MU8 and MU9 series, which drop their predecessors’ quantum-dot displays while still delivering 1,000-nit peak brightness, Varner said. The MU8 models will deliver the wide color gamut of their predecessors, and the MU9 models will deliver a wider gamut than their predecessors, thanks to a new non-reflective screen, he said.
