At CES 2017, Samsung has unveiled a new line of TVs under the ”QLED” umbrella. These are LCD TVs with quantum dot technology. The flagship Q9 is flat, whereas the Q8 is curved. 

QLED is LCD
Samsung wants to sell its 2017 LCD TVs as ”QLED TVs”, just like it sold LCD TVs in 2015 and 2016 under the ”SUHD” brand, and under ”LED” before that. Originally, QLED referred to a new type of self-emitting display technology like OLED. 

Nevertheless Samsung has made several improvements in the picture quality department. By using a new quantum dot structure (aluminum) the company has achieved even higher peak brightness between 1500 to 2000 nits and a wider color gamut.

Samsung is now talking about “color volume” and says that the TVs can reproduce 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. The company is using the term “color volume” to indicate that the TVs can reproduce all colors at any given brightness level. The new structure should also improve viewing angles.


- “2017 will mark a major paradigm shift in the visual display industry, ushering in the era of QLED,” said HyunSuk Kim, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung. “With the advent of QLED TV, we provide the most true-to-life picture on screen. We have been successful in solving for past inconsistencies in the viewing experience and consumer pain points while redefining the fundamental value of TV.”

It should be pretty obvious why Samsung has chosen to name the new TVs QLED, at least if you have followed the market trends in recent years. “Little brother” LG has raced past Samsung to become the most innovate TV manufacturer with its much-acclaimed OLED TVs. 


Q9 is flat, Q8 is curved
Beside changing the name, Samsung is also changing direction. After having insisted for a few years that curved TVs are a thing, Samsung will make the new Q9 flagship TV flat.

Q9 is the new 9 series model and it will be available in 65 inches and later 88 inches. It is not clear if it is based on a full-array local dimming system like previous years’ 9 series models.

The new 8 series model is called Q8 and is curved. It will be available in 55, 65 and 75-inch sizes.

Samsung will also launch a Q7 series. We are chasing more details.



No-gap wall-mount & less cable clutter
Samsung wants to reduce cable clutter so it is introducing a new ”invisible connection”; a single fiber-optic cable that you connect to an external One Connect box.

The company will also offer a “no-gap” wall-mount solution for the flagship TV, allowing it to sit flush on the wall. Furthermore, Samsung will offer several stand solution that you can see depicted here in the article. They are called ”Studio Stand” and ”Gravity Stand”.

- “With the QLED TV, we’ve solved problems that everyone —and every home—has experienced; cable clutter, thick wall mounts and a slew of devices sitting right under the TV,” said Dave Das, SVP pf Consumer Electronics Marketing at Samsung. “With our 2017 lineup, the focus remains where it should be—the content on the screen —not everything surrounding it.”


Third-generation Tizen
In 2017, Samsung will make further improvements to its Tizen platform that was first introduced in 2015 and updated in the 2016 TVs without being updated in the 2015 models. 

In 2017, Samsung will improve mobile integration through an updated “Smart View” app. From this app you can use your phone to start apps and get an overview of what content is available to watch. You can also get reminders when for example the next match kicks off.

In the TV user interface you will see new Sports and Music tabs that provide a quick overview of content in these categories.

The updated remote has a metal house.

Samsung will launch the first QLED models in spring 2017. The company did not announce pricing details.