At the 2018 First Look New York event, Samsung Electronics revealed the latest lineup of QLED/UHD televisions and other AV products that consist of several new soundbars. TVs were the primary focus of the event, and the company stressed on the ‘lifestyle’ aspects of the TVs. Some of the standout features mentioned include SmartThings with Bixby and the new Ambient mode that can play music and display news headlines, weather forecasts, traffic reports, etc. The expanded lineup of UHD, Premium UHD and Ultra-Large Screen TVs will be available in sizes ranging from 65-inches to 88-inches. The Global release of these products will begin in March, while the Indian release is set to be by the end of May of 2018.
President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, Jonghee Han believes that the latest TVs are the most innovative and sophisticated that the company has made yet. He explained that the company designed these TVs with special consideration for aesthetics. “With our 2018 TV lineup, we are changing the definition of visual display to Intelligent Displays. Designed for total immersion and to enhance the daily lives of consumers everywhere, all while being incredibly easy to use, the new QLED TV lineup provides users with the best viewing experience.”
Samsung 2018 QLED/UHD TV lineup
The complete range of Samsung’s 2018 QLED TV lineup comprises of Q9F (65, 75 and 88-inch), Q8F (55, 65 and 75-inch), Q7F (55, 65 and 75-inch) and Q6F (49, 55, 65, 75 and 82-inch). These TVs feature enhanced colour and contrast, HDR10+ compatibility and an array of features which include Ambient Mode, Bixby Integration and the One Invisible Connection.
The 2018 Premium UHD TV lineup includes two new TVs: the NU8500 and the NU8000. The UHD models will include the NU7100 ( 40, 43, 50, 55, 65, 75-inch) and NU7300 (55 and 65-inch). These TVs include features such as 4K UHD and HDR support with slim designs and SmartTV capabilities.
Samsung also announced that it would be releasing “The Wall” sometime in August. This would be a 146-inch modular TV. The company also said that there would be a 32-inch variant of the ‘Frame TV’ coming out this year.
Samsung 2018 QLED TV: Specifications and Features
Samsung has returned to offering full-array LED backlighting with local dimming for some of its premium QLED TVs. The new TVs feature better picture quality with deeper blacks and much more accurate colour reproduction than ever before. They utilise Samsung’s Quantum Dot Nano-Crystals also make the life of the panel longer. There is also a new Q Engine in the QLED TVs that is said to enhance the viewing experience by automatically upscaling on-screen content to UHD levels. The Q engine will arrive on displays that are 75-inches in size or larger.
The Q8F and Q9F QLED TVs exclusively feature the new ‘Direct Full Array’ (DFA) backlighting technology for accurate screen illumination. This technology works by using a special panel that smartly controls backlighting to auto adjust colours. This helps in producing deep blacks and pure whites. All of the TVs also feature ‘advanced Anti-reflection technology’ to provide spectacular picture qualities that can be viewed from any angle.
The TVs also include an Ambient Mode that can blend the TV into the wall by mimicking patterns on the wall behind it. This mode allows music playback as well as displays other useful information such as news headlines, traffic reports, and weather updates. The QLED line of TVs also offers support for the SmartThings app along with Bixby. This makes setting them up a lot quicker, while also allowing the use of voice commands that makes using the interface that much easier.
The TVs also feature a redesigned wall mount that sits flush with the wall instead of sticking out. The company also showcased the new ‘One Invisible Connection’ which is a single cable that can deliver both power as well as audio-visual data to the TV. This is available for only the 75-inch Q9F QLED TV for now, but hopefully, Samsung will bring support for this to other TVs in the future.
