Samsung will introduce a gigantic 150-inch TV based on micro LED display technology in January 2018 at the CES show, according to a report by ZDNet Korea.
Micro LED technology
Micro LED is a relatively new display technology that is expected to compete with OLED and LCD in the near future. Like OLED, it is based on self-emitting pixels but unlike OLED, it uses inorganic material. It is also said to be cheaper to produce, in part because it is simpler in structure.
Samsung has been researching micro LED for several years and we may see the first result of its efforts in January 2018 at CES in Las Vegas. ZDNet reports that Samsung intends to showcase a huge 150-inch micro LED TV at CES 2018. The TV “will be commercialised sometime next year” as a top-of-the-line TV aimed for the home theatre market, the report said.
A recent report out of Korea claimed that Samsung has accelerated development of the technology in order to regain lost ground in the premium TV market where it has seen its share drop from +55% two years ago to just 13% in the first quarter of 2017 as consumers have rejected souped-up LCDs sold as “QLED”.
Samsung has already launched a Cinema LED initiative aimed at theatres. The company argues that exhibitors can offer significantly better picture quality, and enable HDR, by switching from projectors to large LED screens.
Also read: An introduction to MicroLED; a new self-emitting display technology
Several companies are researching micro LED and exploring ways to slim down the LEDs for use in smaller types of screens, including mobile screens. Currently, most efforts to commercialize micro LED revolve around very large-size TVs. Sony also recently exhibited a 16-foot ‘Crystal LED’ designed to replace the movie projector in theatres. Sony unveiled the first Crystal LED TV prototype in 2012.
Samsung is expected to diversify its TV line-up in the coming years after it failed to commercialize OLED TVs a few years ago. Besides quantum dot, it is hoping that micro LED is the answer. Samsung acquired LED signage firm Yesco in 2015 and is also rumored to be interested in taking over Taiwanese company PlayNtride.
FlatpanelsHD will be in Las Vegas for CES 2018.
- Source: ZDNet Korea
