Samsung's quantum dots promise TVs with 'perfect color'
LAS VEGAS -- Shifting focus from curved, bendable and even giant 8K TVs, Samsung has turned its attention to dots -- quantum dots, to be precise.
Its new line of QLED TVs, unveiled Tuesday at CES in Las Vegas, use quantum dot material (nano-particle-sized silicon) to create brighter screens -- up to 2,000 nits -- with what Samsung calls “perfect color,” better contrast and improved viewing angles.
Samsung also claims that the quantum dot technology makes TVs more energy-efficient and durable.
“With the advent of QLED TV, we provide the most true-to-life picture on screen,” said HyunSuk Kim, president of the visual display business at Samsung Electronics, in a press release on the new QLED sets.
In addition to image quality, Samsung has paid particular attention to TV setup, software and aesthetics, which it's calling Q-Style (yes, there is a theme). The company introduced a single, clear optical cable solution to control cable clutter. It also cut down on the overall profile of its HDTVs by putting the mounting system inside.
82 percent of HDTV owners want to wall-mount their sets but just 32 percent actually do it
The no-gap wall mount should let the Samsung TVs sit flush against the wall and reduce some of the work involved with mounting them. Samsung made this change after discovering that 82 percent of HDTV owners want to wall-mount their sets but just 32 percent actually do it, apparently because they consider the task too daunting.
The company is also trying to cut down clutter by introducing wireless sound bars (most thin HDTVs have horrible built-in speakers) and even embedding the sub-woofer inside its new audio devices.
According to Samsung, this means you won’t need a stand-alone (and significantly larger) subwoofer unit set somewhere else in your entertainment room. It remains to be seen if those sound bars can recreate the same thump you get from a standalone sub-woofer.
There will also be a wireless kit that consumers can add to existing sound bars so they, too, can work wirelessly with Samsung’s new HDTVs. The 2017 Samsung TVs will auto-recognize and connect to the new sound bars.
Samsung HDTVs have long been smart, but now the company's Smart Hub interface is finally extending to your smartphone. Samsung 2017 TV owners will have a Smart Hub app, which will let them use their phones as remote controls.
Samsung’s Smart TV remotes are also getting an upgrade, allowing users to control the TV, sound bar and set-top boxes with a single remote. Company officials told us that the software updates would be backwards compatible, but not immediately and only for 2016 Samsung HDTV models, which isn’t very backwards compatible at all.
It’s worth noting that in press releases and conversations about the new QLEDs, Samsung officials made no mention of 4K, 8K or even HDR HDTV technologies. Samsung is all in on the Q.
Raymond Wong contributed to this report.
Lance Ulanoff was Chief Correspondent and Editor-at-Large of Mashable. Lance acted as a senior member of the editing team, with a focus on defining internal and curated opinion content. He also helped develop staff-wide alternative story-telling skills and implementation of social media tools during live events. Prior to joining Mashable in September 2011 Lance Ulanoff served as Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for the Ziff Davis, Inc. While there, he guided the brand to a 100% digital existence and oversaw content strategy for all of Ziff Davis’ Web sites. His long-running column on PCMag.com earned him a Bronze award from the ASBPE. Winmag.com, HomePC.com and PCMag.com were all been honored under Lance’s guidance.He makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Fox News, the Today Show, Good Morning America, Kelly and Michael, CNBC, CNN and the BBC.He has also offered commentary on National Public Radio and been interviewed by newspapers and radio stations around the country. Lance has been an invited guest speaker at numerous technology conferences including SXSW, Think Mobile, CEA Line Shows, Digital Life, RoboBusiness, RoboNexus, Business Foresight and Digital Media Wire’s Games and Mobile Forum.
