The South Korean company has today unveiled its TV line-up for 2018. It will include a range of “QLED” LCD TVs from the Q9 to Q6 as well as new NU models in the mid-range segment. Samsung will also introduce an ’Ambient Mode’ and offer ”invisible” connection cables.

Samsung 2018 TV line-up

If you have been reading FlatpanelsHD over the last couple of days you already know most of this. Samsung’s 2018 Q9 to Q6 models were leaked (1, 2) before the official event, complete with specifications, photos, and prices. We also knew that 2018 NU models would replace the current MU models.

Here is the official word from Samsung. In 2018, the company will be focusing on the three pillars: Picture quality, Design and Smart.

We will return to the subject of picture quality in a moment but first there is design. Samsung will continue to offer a choice of flat and curved TVs. In Europe, the 2018 Q7 will be available only in a flat version, whereas it will exist in both flat and curved versions in the US. The flagship Q9 will be flat in both regions. Several of these TVs come with the ‘One Invisible Connection’ cable between the TV and the external ‘One Connect’ box. Samsung introduced the concept in 2017 and made further improvements this year to make sure that it can also carry the power connection.

The company will introduce an ’Ambient Mode’ (as seen above), which “can fill the screen with the pattern of the wall behind it and combine it with some handy time or weather information”. It will be available in all of the Q models.

In terms of smart features, Samsung will introduce “a new app that will combine the separate apps Smart View, Smart Home and Samsung Connect, into a new Samsung SmartThings App.” The SmartThings platform is also a platform for the connected home. In some regions, Samsung add its Bixby voice assistant along with a ‘Universal Guide’ that features streaming sources and TV channels in a unified interface. However, availability will depend on your region.

Full array local dimming LCDs

The flagship Q9FN (F for flat) – or simply Q9 – will feature a newly developed full array local dimming (FALD) system that should improve picture quality markedly over last year’s Q9. Samsung claims that it can deliver up to 2000 nits of peak brightness when watching movies and TV series in HDR (High Dynamic Range).

But here is where it gets messy. While the US version of the Q8 series will feature a less advanced version of the full array local dimming system, the European version will not. Instead, the European version of Q8 will be based on edge LED just like the Q7 range. Also, Q6FN has been confirmed only for the US – at least for now.

As for the Q9FN, Samsung had the following to say.

- ”It uses a carbon mesh to prevent light from leaking to pixels where it should not be, and a direct full array backlight with wide-angle lenses to allow a super-thin construction. It also gives us a viewing angle benefit, and whopping 2000 nit peak brightness. The blacks are deeper, and the colors are brighter than ever before. A mesmerizing viewing experience!”

So will the Q9FN feature the exact same advanced zone dimming system in the US and Europe? We certainly hope so. We know that the stand will vary in looks but we are still trying to confirm all of the technical details.

Samsung will in 2018 continue to sell its high-end LCD TVs under the highly misleading “QLED” moniker. The company has lost significant share in the premium segment so it is now hoping that the upgraded Q9 can compete with the OLED TVs from LG, Panasonic, Philips, Sony, and others. The company is also planning to launch the first TV based on microLED – a novel display technology – later this year but it will be out of range for most consumers. The 146” ‘The Wall’ is a luxury TV for the rich. The challenge with microLED is – despite the name – not to produce large TVs but to shrink the pixels enough to make them fit onto a smaller substrate.

Samsung claims that its edge-lit Q7 models (and Q8 in Europe) can hit a peak brightness of 1500 nits and 100% color volume of the DCI-P3 color space. All of the Q models will support HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+. The latter has been developed by Samsung as an open alternative to Dolby Vision. Panasonic and Philips will also put their weight behind HDR10+ but there is very little content to speak of. Amazon is currently the only player to offer content in the format.

Later this year, Samsung will add an upgraded Dolby Atmos soundbar to its line-up. The new N960 will replace the existing K960 soundbar.

We have already published specifications, prices and pictures of Samsung’s 2018 TV line-up for the US here and here. In the table below you will find some highlighted new features along with more details on Samsung’s European 2018 TV line-up. We are chasing more details so stay tuned.