When Samsung unveils new TVs for 2017 at the CES convention in January it will be under a new ‘QLED’ brand, according to Forbes. However, the TVs will continue to rely on LCD display technology.
From ‘LED’ to ‘SUHD’ to ‘QLED’
Over the last decade, Samsung has used its marketing muscles to sell LCD display technology under various brand names; first ‘LED’ and for the past two years ‘SUHD’.
It appears that Samsung will sell next year’s TVs under the marketing name ‘QLED’. You may already be familiar with the term since it has been used to refer to a new self-emitting display technology, that in many ways resembles OLED, over the last couple of years.
However, Samsung appears to be planning to use the ‘QLED’ name to refer to next year’s LCD TV, likely in an effort to position them as a direct competitor to OLED. The Q refers to the small quantum dots that are used in the display stack alongside the LCD display panel and LED backlighting solution.
50% higher brightness
Korean newspaper ETNews reports that Samsung has registered trademarks such as “HDR1500“, “Q HDR”, and “Real Black”. Samsung used “HDR1000” in 2016 to indicate that its LCD TVs could hit peak brightness levels of 1000 nits. Samsung will also promote the TVs’ “color volume”, or in other words the ability to reproduce a wide color gamut at various brightness levels. The new TVs will furthermore feature improved black levels, the report noted.
It is not clear if Samsung will continue to focus on curved TVs.
If the information turns out to be correct the Korean company will most likely retire the ‘SUHD’ brand that has used to promote its LCD TVs for the past two years. We will know for sure as soon as CES 2017 kicks off in Las Vegas.
- Source: ETNews, Forbes
