Loewe has unveiled its first TV with MLA OLED technology, but the bigger surprise is that the German TV maker will be switching to Samsung's Tizen operating system.
As announced earlier this month, Loewe will begin purchasing open-cell WOLED panels from LG Display. This move enables Loewe to better customize (power supply, heatsink etc.) and optimize the panel compared to the stock panel that most competitors utilize. The new TVs will be produced in Kronach, Germany.
Loewe Stellar OLED TV. Photo: 4KFilme.de
German site 4KFilme has received an early look at the Loewe Stellar, which is reportedly the first TV model to launch with the customized OLED panel. Not only that; Stellar is built on LG Display's second-generation MLA technology (in 55, 65, and 77"), where micro lenses are used to direct more of the generated light towards the viewer for higher brightness and improved energy efficiency.
It is not yet clear exactly what aspects of the MLA OLED panel Loewe has modified, so peak brightness performance remains an open question for now.
Tizen OS... without Dolby Vision
Another major change is that Loewe is switching from its subpar in-house operating system to Samsung's Tizen OS, making Loewe the first big TV maker to embrace Tizen OS after Samsung made it available to other TV makers under license in 2019.
Tizen OS provides access to all the popular streaming apps, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+ and Netflix. However, the Tizen user interface has many rough edges, and while it is one of the TV operating systems with the widest reach, it is not very popular with users. It is not yet clear if there will be limitations in Loewe's flavor of Tizen OS that has had its user interface slightly modified.
Well, there is one major limitation because like Samsung's Tizen-powered TVs, Loewe Stellar will not support Dolby Vision HDR, according to 4KFilme. Loewe does not completely rule out that Dolby Vision could be added through a later firmware update, though.
Despite the switch to Tizen OS, Loewe will apparently still offer its triple tuner and recording features via an integrated 1TB hard drive. There are four HDMI 2.1 ports with support for up to 4K 144Hz, VRR, ALLM, and more.
Stone design – customizable
Loewe Stellar is constructed from an aluminum frame with a back plate made of stone. Stellar is not the first Loewe TV to utilize this special type of stone referred to by Loewe as 'syno-stone'.
The stone will be available in different colors to match the buyer's home interior. It is a design formula that Loewe has adhered to for decades: allowing consumers to personalize the design of their TV.
Loewe Stellar comes standard with a swivel stand, but other options are also available, including wall brackets and floor stand options, with and without motorization.
The back of the Loewe Stellar is made from syno-stone and there's also "Magic Light". Photo: 4KFilme.de
The TV features a built-in 80W soundbar, along with a "Magic Light" LED system to illuminate the bottom half of the TV's back and stand. However, unlike Philips' Ambilight, there is no option to make it dynamically follow the colors on-screen.
Loewe Stellar will launch in Europe in 42, 48, 55, 65, 77 and 83 inches, starting in June, with prices of 3300, 3800, 4300 and 6000 Euros, respectively. Pricing for the 77 and 83-inch models will be announced later. A 97-inch version is set to launch next year.
- Source: 4KFilme
