CES is always a major event for TV tech, and last month’s event in Las Vegas didn’t disappoint. Even though Sony didn’t show off its next TVs, we were still overwhelmed with new models and innovative tech demos from Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL.

These are all makers of the best TVs around, and all like to push the envelope with cutting-edge TV tech at CES. Some of this tech will appear in models available this year, while some will just be shown as proof of concept, hopefully to be used in future sets.

What we see at CES shapes not only the TVs that arrive in 2025, but those that will come in 2026 and beyond, as the companies battle to outdo each other and as high-end tech trickles down into more affordable models.

Below, here’s the tech I saw at CES 2025 that I think will have the biggest effect on the best OLED TVs and best mini-LED TVs in the future.

1. RGB Backlighting
This tech is probably the TV takeaway from CES 2025, and was shown off by Samsung, Hisense and TCL, all at slightly different stages. It’s a new way of doing LCD TVs and it works the same as current tech: a backlight of LEDs shines through a grid of color-filtering pixels. Except in current versions of the tech, the backlight is a single color of LED (usually blue), so the color-filtering layer has to do a lot of work. This saps energy from the light, limiting brightness.

In RGB backlights, each LED has red, green and blue elements, meaning it can shine in the right color for what’s on-screen before it goes through the color-filtering layer. This means the color filter can be much less aggressive—TCL even confirmed that it’s dropping quantum dots from its version of the tech—and the light can shine through more efficiently.

The result is even brighter TVs, or TVs at the same level of brightness that use less power. And at the same time, the color gamut is wider, meaning more vibrant and rich images in just about every way.

Samsung said its version of the tech (which it’s calling RGB Micro LED Backlight) shouldn’t really cost more than its mini-LED TV. Samsung’s version is likely to come in a 4K TV later this year, though the version Samsung showed us at CES was an 8K TV. TCL said its version of the tech will arrive in 2026, but there was a prototype at the show.

Hisense has the edge here—it unveiled a 116-inch TV that uses the tech, which it’s calling “TriChroma RGB Backlight.” We were very impressed by the Hisense 116UX upon seeing it in person.

2. Four-Stack OLED
There’s a new type of OLED panel in town, and it’s all fours. The latest OLED TV panel from LG Display, which makes OLED screens used by every TV manu­facturer that offers them, is a leap forward for the tech. It adds an extra layer of OLED pixels into the panel, on top of the three layers used in previous generations.

This adds a load of extra brightness and aids color reproduction, with the screen being up to 40% brighter than the previous highest-end OLED panel from LG—and that’s without the micro lens array (MLA) tech that has been used to boost the brightness of the screens previously.

This panel is used in the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B, and appears to be the panel used in the 83-inch version of the Samsung S95F.

This four-layer panel will likely become the norm that future panels are built on, and hopefully it’ll be possible for it to trickle down to the mid-range panels—something that never happened with MLA.

3. Wireless Connection Boxes
LG has offered a TV with a wireless connection box for a couple of years now, but it’s been its highest-end OLED TV—inherently very niche. This year, LG has expanded it to its mini-LED QNED range as well.

Meanwhile, Samsung has introduced a wireless connections box for its highest-end 8K TV, and for The Frame Pro art TV, as well for its 8K Premiere projector. And Samsung’s box is much smaller than the big beast of LG’s unit, making it feel much more like tech a normal person might have in their home one day.

So suddenly, the wireless TV connection arms race is on. The idea of these boxes is that your TV can sit on the wall or on a stand with just a single power cable running to it, and the direction of that cable doesn’t have to be determined by the positioning of your consoles and set-up boxes. You’ll be able to hide all your gadgets away and have a clean TV area—total aesthetic and tech freedom.

Samsung has said that if the wireless boxes are well-received, it will roll them out to more TVs—it said this about its OLED Glare Free tech last year, and it proved to be true, with the tech being added to mini-LED TVs in 2025. So we’ll have to see if this year’s wireless boxes work well and if people are happy paying a premium for them—and, if so, we’ll see whether other TV companies follow suit, and whether LG starts offering it in more of its own OLED range.

4. On-Device AI That’s Actually Useful
TV companies have been talking about AI features for several years now, and it’s been largely meaningless—it basically meant that machine-learning-based image processing had been applied.

But now that people tend to mean generative AI when we talk about AI, that’s being added to TVs too—and in some actually smart ways. On its TVs last year, LG introduced the idea of a chatbot that you could speak to naturally, and the TV could find the setting to help you. So if you said to it, “The picture is too dark,” it would bring up the brightness options for you. That proved to be a bit of a false start, but this year it’s looking better. The updated version will be combined with AI-based voice recognition so that whenever you use the voice control of the TV, you get personalized responses, and even personalized picture settings.

Samsung, meanwhile, is putting an AI button on its remotes, to act as a kind of voice control button. One of the best features it showed off is the ability for the TV to live translate from a show’s native audio language into subtitles for another language. It supports Korean, English, Spanish, French and Italian so far, and appears to work really well—a great boost for accessibility, and again, something I expect to see lots of brands picking up.

5. Ultra-Precise Backlight Lenses
Last year, Sony showed off a new backlighting tech for its mini-LED TVs. It used really smart lens designs to provide strong brightness levels that don’t leak from bright areas into dark areas, and offered amazing nuance in the picture contrast. This year, we’re seeing a backlight from TCL that looks like an even better version of this—and this will be the future of the more midrange mini-LED TVs if RGB backlighting will be the new high-end tech.

TCL’s backlight is kind of incredible to see—the company had a demo where you could see just the backlights in motion, so you could compare the new 2025 backlight to the previous year’s backlight and a more basic one.

You can basically just watch TV on the new backlight; it has so many LEDs, and such strong control of contrast and tones, that it’s actually detailed. TCL showed this tech off the best, but it’s something other makers are absolutely working on too—expect to hear a focus on well this year’s mini-LED handle blooming and contrast.

This article initially appeared on TechRadar, sister website to TV Tech.

LONDON—The latest Omdia Mini LED Backlight Market Tracker indicates that LCD TV displays equipped with mini-LED backlight units will hit 6.2 million units in 2024 and surpass the OLED TV display market for the first time in 2025 with 9.3 million units. 

The new Omdia report forecasts that Samsung Display and LG Display are forecasted to produce 6.8 million units of OLED TV displays in 2024, including both WOLED and QD OLED TV variants and reach 7.5 million units in 2025. 

Since 2022, the LCD TV display market with mini-LED backlight and quantum dot materials has experienced substantial growth. This expansion is driven by the continuous cost reductions through effective supply chain management of the mini-LED backlight and advancements in quantum dot materials. While OLED TV displays are celebrated for their infinite contrast ratio, exceptional color gamut and fast response times, the combined mini-LED backlight and quantum dot-equipped LCD TV display is now challenging OLED TV's dominance, the researchers said. 

The mini-LED backlight enhances dimming functions and HDR capabilities while quantum dots boost color gamut performance, leading LCD TV OEMs and panel makers to adopt both technologies to elevate their product specifications.

Samsung, LG Electronics, Sony, TCL and Hisense are all aiming for double digit growth in their mini-LED backlight TV display shipments in 2024 and 2025.

“OLED TV panels offer significant advantages in the high-end TV market, such as higher brightness, better environmental friendliness due to fewer components and materials, no halo effect on the screen since there is no mini-LED grouping for dimming zones, and a strongly established premium TV image among consumers," commented David Hsieh, senior research director in Omdia's Displays practice. 

“However, mini-LED backlights are now competitive in several aspects : a mature supply chain, the shift to larger LCD TV displays, the cost-effective 500-2,000 dimming zones, the production of super larger size like 85-inches and above, and ample capacity for LCD TV open cells,"  added Hsieh. 

"Therefore, there will be intense competition between mini-LED backlight LCD TVs and OLED TVs moving forward, which will help expand the high-end TV segment and align with the trends towards larger sizes," concluded Hsieh.

LONDON—A new report from Omdia finds that the global market for OLED materials is poised for a rebound after experiencing a deficit in recent years. 

While OLED materials had been on a steady growth path until 2021 driven by the rapid expansion of OLEDs in the display market, they encountered a decline for the first time in 2022. However, Omdia's analysis shows a resurgence in growth for OLED materials, signaling a promising outlook for the industry, according to Omdia's latest “OLED Materials Market Tracker – 2Q24C”.  

Jimmy Kim, Ph.D. and senior principal analyst at Omdia explained, "The decline was primarily due to sluggish end-market sales of OLED TVs. The OLED TV's larger unit area compared to other OLED applications results in higher material consumption during manufacturing. Despite OLED TV shipments being relatively low, their share in total OLED material consumption is significant."

The chart illustrates a substantial revenue decline for WOLED/QD OLED while the revenue for FMM RGB OLED remained reasonably stable.

In 2023, OLED materials revenue experienced a slight increase but only reached levels similar to those of 2021. Kim noted, "The end-market demand for OLED TVs has yet to fully recover from the previous year."

The utilization of WOLED fabs appears to be improving this year. According to Omdia's 'OLED and LCD Supply Demand & Equipment Tracker – 4Q23', the utilization of LGD's Paju E4 line rebounded to over 60% in 1Q24 following a low of 33% at the end of 2022. LGD's WOLED line in Guangzhou also saw utilization rise to over 50%. Additionally, Samsung Display plans to maintain the operation of its QD OLED fab at over 70% during the first half of 2024. "Consequently, we anticipate a significant increase in OLED materials revenue for WOLED/QD OLED this year.", Kim noted.

In contrast, material revenue for FMM RGB OLED has shown robust growth since 2023. This growth is attributed to increased material demand for Apple's latest iPad models complemented by sustained revenue from traditional iPhone displays. Additionally, Chinese manufacturers are increasing their consumption of OLED materials to meet local display demand. This trend is expected to prevent a decline in overall OLED material consumption and drive strong growth in the coming years. According to Omdia's forecast, that annual OLED materials revenue (excluding dopants revenue) is projected to exceed $2billion this year and is set to reach $2.6billion by 2028.

LAS VEGAS—Last year the biggest TV buzz at CES was all about “wireless” TVs. This year, the world’s largest TV manufacturers are all about transparent screens for the home.

At CES2024 this week, LG Electronics unveiled what it’s calling the “the world’s first wireless transparent OLED TV.” The LG SIGNATURE OLED combines a transparent 4K OLED screen and LG’s Zero Connect box to beam video in 4K HDR to the screen, even at 120Hz. 

LG says the 77-inch LG SIGNATURE OLED T is powered by the new α (Alpha) 11 AI processor and is “practically invisible” when turned off, bringing new possibilities of placement within a room, i.e. not necessarily bolted to the wall. It comes in stand-alone, against-the-wall or wall-mount options and viewers can further customize by adding standing or floating shelves on either or both sides of the screen to best suit their unique tastes and preferences.

The OLED T can be used as a transparent digital canvas for showcasing artwork, videos or photos with the Always-On-Display (AOD) feature. Content displayed on the transparent screen appears to float in air, yet simultaneously fuses with the surrounding space to create a compelling and atmospheric visual effect. 

Another option is the T-Bar feature that displays an info-ticker along the lower part of the screen. The T-Bar displays news alerts, weather updates or the title of songs being played while the rest of the screen presents a clear, unobstructed view of the space behind it.

LG says its new α (Alpha) 11 AI processor offers 4x greater AI performance, providing a 70% improvement in graphic performance and a 30% faster processing speed compared to its predecessor. 

Meanwhile, Samsung trotted out its new transparent MICRO LED display—again touting it as the world’s first. Although Samsung was fairly mum on the technical details, according to Engadget, the Transparent MICRO LED’s crystal-clear, glass-like display comes in three versions, two featuring a tinted glass panel making it easier to detect and a third version with regular glass but a more defined physical frame. 

Neither company has released price details but LG says its transparent OLED will ship in 2024. TV Tech sister brand TechRadar has more information on LG and Samsung’s new TVs.

MONTVALE, N.J.—Sharp Home Electronics Company of America has reentered the U.S. TV market by launching a new lineup of Sharp Roku TV OLED 4K UHD with HDR10 and LCD 4K UHD TVs.

The OLED models also feature the AQUOS TV sub-branding name that is associated with cutting-edge technology and quality, the company said. 

The Sharp Roku TV OLED 4K Ultra HD with HDR10 TV models are the first OLED televisions in the world to feature the Roku experience and operating system.  Available in 55" Class (54.5" Diag.) and 65" Class (64.5" Diag.) screen sizes, they also feature Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos technologies, Sharp reported. 

Sharp said its integration of the Roku TV streaming platform provides consumers with access to endless free, live, and trending TV with all the most popular apps and new features added automatically. Users are also able to control their Sharp Roku TV with the included voice remote and the Roku mobile app. Sharp Roku TV models are compatible with Apple AirPlay, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home devices for a unified smart home environment.

"We are pleased to be working with Roku to support our return to a US market as competitive as televisions," said Jim Sanduski, president of Sharp Home Electronics Company of America. "The immersive experience of our AQUOS OLED panel means our consumers will truly enjoy their Sharp Roku TV set to its fullest potential with the rich library of entertainment options and original content that Roku brings to our customers."

Sharp explained that the Sharp AQUOS OLED 4K UHD TVs boasts include these features:

• Dolby Vision IQ extends Dolby's HDR technology to improve the picture performance of Dolby Vision content according to the room's ambient light.
• High Dynamic Range (HDR10), a set of video encoding standards that makes colors vivid and maximizes contrast while minimizing the loss of data in bright or dark areas.
• Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), an HDR format that improves color reproduction and contrast for digital video broadcasting.
• The 30W (15W+15W) Speaker System and Dolby Atmos delivers an incredible depth of sound, clarity, and details for an experience you can feel all around you, even at lower volume settings.:
• Combined with a native 120Hz panel, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) across all 4 HDMI inputs, enables the TV to adjust its refresh rate automatically in real-time to match the frame rate outputted by a video game console or PC.
• Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) switches off all motion processing features to minimize latency.

"We're excited to be a part of Sharp's return to the US television market at this pivotal time in the evolution of smart TV technology," said Tom McFarland, vice president of business development at Roku. "This provides a wonderful opportunity for customers to experience the stunning audiovisual capabilities of a Sharp OLED TV with Roku, America's #1 TV streaming platform, built in."

"We know consumers turn on televisions to experience their dreams across a variety of content," added Peter Weedfald, senior vice president of sales & marketing for Sharp Home Electronics Company of America.  "America's first Sharp Roku TV OLED 4K Ultra HD with HDR10 TVs with the full Roku TV experience built in smartly features both Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos technologies which truly makes your family's entertainment dreams come true."

Visit shop.sharpusa.com for more information on pricing and availability.

LAS VEGAS—Named by the National Association of Broadcasters as the “Official Commercial Display Partner of the 2023 NAB Show,” LG Business Solutions USA will be on the exhibit show floor focusing  on its advanced displays for broadcasters, studios and content creators. 

A focal point of LG’s booth in Central Hall of the LVCC will be its Virtual Production (VP) and Extended Reality (XR) stages anchored by large DVLED (direct-view light emitting diode) displays. Visitors also will learn about the advantages of OLED technology, especially OLED Pro displays built on LG’s OLED reference monitor technology.

“At NAB 2023, for the first time, we’re demonstrating LG DVLED technology’s versatility and advanced virtual production capabilities, providing a next-generation blueprint for media companies and systems designers,” said Tom Carroll, Senior Director, Commercial Displays, LG Business Solutions USA. “We’re pairing that with our 65-, 32- and 27-inch OLED Pro reference monitors and the latest, massive 97-inch OLED display to show industry professionals how our cutting-edge display technologies can be used to develop modern production spaces and workstations with benefits for on-screen and behind-the-scenes needs. 

The XR DVLED Stage will demonstrate 1.5mm DVLED technology with the strength and design resiliency of a rental-style product, which attendees can experience through a 20-foot-wide, 11-foot-tall 4K Ultra HD display. It is built with the new “LG MAGNIT” DVLED tiles (model LBAG015) which are specifically designed for on-camera use in virtual production, extended reality and broadcast environments. 

LG’s chip-on-board (COB) LED technology provides a robust and physically resilient background display, and its rental style frame offers flexible, non-permanent installation options. With the added strength and simplified installation, this DVLED offering is specifically designed to live up to the demanding needs of production studios, according to Jeff Cohen, Director of Broadcast & Virtual Production, LG Business Solutions USA. 

“Our new XR DVLED Stage concept will combine LG’s microLED COB technology with the advanced Helios LED Controller from Megapixel VR, enabling producers to leverage the power and advanced features of the leading LED controller for virtual production,” said Cohen. “This solution provides on-screen talent with the aesthetic and feel of a physical backdrop while affording powerful post-production options that can broaden opportunities and eliminate the need for an enormous, full-set DVLED wall.”

The second stage is the VP DVLED Stage, launching LG’s foray into Virtual Production solutions. This space will demonstrate the unique effects of a curved DVLED display using LG’s new LBAE026 tiles, which have a 2.6mm pixel pitch. The VP DVLED Stage shows how different levels of DVLED sophistication can be optimal for different on-screen uses, with lower resolution but equal size as the XR stage. At both stages, LG will showcase comprehensive solutions for virtual production through its collaborations with its professional partners, including Mo-Sys, ARRI, Megapixel VR, QSC, and VIVE STUDIOS, presenting a fully functional design for production houses to consider

Both LG DVLED technologies enable construction of displays in virtually any size or orientation. These solutions can be used for a variety of business settings including entertainment applications, such as film and TV, corporate in-house broadcasting and houses of worship, the company said. 

Attendees will also have the first look at LG’s 97-inch OLED commercial display, demonstrated publicly for the first time in the western hemisphere. Such a large display that provides superior color, black levels and contrast represents an ideal solution for screening rooms and review monitors and can even be used in fully lit environments.

Three of LG’s OLED Pro monitors will also be featured in the booth, with a 65-inch wall-mounted display and two desktop monitors showing how different production processes can benefit from the technology’s exceptional picture quality and color accuracy compared to LCD displays. The 27-inch 27BP950 and 32-inch 32BP950 desktop monitors are ideal for hands-on tasks and individual work, while the 65-inch 65EP5G display can provide a stunning review monitor for groups.

Carroll said LG OLED Pro displays offer versatile options for a variety of visual tech applications. “Each model is optimized for numerous creative workflows while faithfully reproducing the content creator's color and visual intent,” he said. 

Another attraction will be the LG 136-inch All-In-One display (model LAEC015), which is a pre-built unit that combines an oversized HD DVLED display with speakers and multiple mounting or mobile cart options.

LG will be in Booth C6025 during the show, April 16-19 in Las Vegas. 

LAS VEGAS—Roku made several major announcements for new TVs at CES 2023, with the launch of Roku Select and Roku Plus Series TVs. These Roku-branded HD and 4K TVs are the first ever to be both designed and made by Roku.

Roku Select and Plus Series TVs, as well as a new Roku TV Wireless Soundbar, will be available in the U.S. in spring 2023.

In addition, Roku announced a new, premium Roku TV OLED TV reference design for all Roku TV partners who make TVs with the Roku operating system. 

The design allows Roku TV makers to tap into the picture quality, inky black levels, outstanding contrast, highly saturated colors, smooth motion, and superior viewing angles of OLED screens. 

Since the first Roku TV model, 11 Roku TV reference designs have gone into production for a variety of formats, from 2K, to 4K, to 8K, and now OLED. 

“This new OLED Roku TV reference design enables our brand partners to deliver the premium TV experience that OLED brings, including dark black levels, superb contrast and superior viewing angles, along with all the features that Roku users love,” said Tom McFarland, vice president, business development, Roku TV. “In addition to beautiful picture quality and our simple and easy-to-use operating system, the Roku TV program enables many of the top TV brands to offer consumers a wide variety of models and sizes to choose from.”

In terms of the new TVs designed and made by Roku, the new Roku Select and Plus Series are available in 11 models ranging from 24” to 75”. 

“Over the past 20 years, Roku has been instrumental in what is now the mainstream way to enjoy a great television series, a classic movie, or live sports,” said Mustafa Ozgen, president, Devices, Roku. “Our goal is to continue to create an even better TV experience for everyone. These Roku-branded TVs will not only complement the current lineup of partner-branded Roku TV models, but also allow us to enable future smart TV innovations. The streaming revolution has only just begun.”

Launched in 2014, the Roku TV program has made the Roku OS the #1 smart TV OS sold in the U.S. (Q3 2022). To better serve consumers, Roku-branded TVs will enable further innovation around the TV experience, and all innovations will be made available to the full Roku TV program, including current and future OEM partners. 

The Roku Select and Plus Series TVs will be available in the U.S. beginning spring of 2023 with retail prices ranging from $119 to $999 for the full lineup of 24” - 75” models.

NEW ORLEANS—After having positive experiences using Sony’s OLED monitors for years, I chose their PVM-X2400 24-inch 4K HDR monitor to use on my latest project, the upcoming film, “Where the Crawdads Sing,” based on the best-selling novel.  

I had worked with other HDR monitors in the past, which were too big, too heavy and too expensive. When I knew we needed HDR for this movie, the latest Sony model appeared to be a viable option. Due to my previous experience with HDR monitors, I prefer to use my own technology and after learning more about Sony’s PVM-X2400, it met most of my requirements.  The 24-inch option is a good size for looking at content, without being too small to see details or too large to be practical.

Sony’s LED technology was the primary reason I chose the PVM-X2400. I’ve always valued the black levels of Sony’s OLED monitors and while LED didn’t offer the exact same experience, it still gave me a really good on-set view of HDR. It’s also beneficial that I can calibrate all of my Sony monitors to match consistently.

Working in HDR
As HDR becomes a standard request—or a requirement—from studios, having my own HDR monitor has helped me maintain my standard of work and ensure that everything I produce is of high quality; and having a good monitor makes it all that much easier! Working in HDR in an on-set environment is a relatively easy workflow to adapt to, as the highlights are fairly precise.  Working in HDR provides more longevity and possibilities for the content.

I appreciate that the monitors have a lot of powerful built-in tools—on-set, my Sony monitors are on a cart, where they’ve proven to be durable and reliable. 

In terms of workflow, I take a log feed out from the camera and get a log feed on my monitor and then use a live grade to add a LUT to the feeds. Then I use my scopes in watch mode, primarily to review my false color for exposure. The false color setting is a valuable feature as is the ability to upload and compare user LUTs. 

At a Glance
Ultimately, I need my monitor balanced because we have an A and B camera next to each other. I also have a switcher where I can put multiple cameras onto one monitor so we can make judgments right away, compare images and see everything in the blink of an eye.  

I tend to work on projects that have a darker look so it’s helpful to have a monitor that can handle the blacks and shadows as well as it handles the lights and brights. I find that Sony’s monitors don’t give you a bleached out image—they give you deep blacks. Every camera and monitor can do bright, but it’s how they behave in the dark and how they can control shadows and balance highlights that’s most important.

In my position, having an accurate representation of what the camera is capturing gives the production crew peace of mind and that’s something I feel confident I’m able to do with Sony’s impressive monitors. l

For more information visit https://pro.sony/ue_US/.

Samsung is now accepting pre-orders for its 2022 TV models—including its flagship Neo QLED 8K Series, The Frame and the new Samsung OLED. 

The Neo QLED 8K series, announced at CES 2022, offers 8K resolution using Samsung’s Neural Quantum Processor 8K with AI. With Samsung’s 8K Eco system, users can pair Samsung’s new Galaxy S22 to playback the content captured in native 8K, 3D-quality resolution on any Samsung Neo QLED 8K screen.

The MiniLED in the new QLED series are 1/40th in size smaller than standard LEDs for greater density and dramatically improved contrast when combined with the Neural Quantum Processor 8K. Enhancing performance further is a new 14 bit processing, 144Hz refresh rate with up to 4K/144Hz (QN900B), and anti-reflective layer to reduce distractions.

Samsung’s Infinity One Design features a razor-thin panel with depth ranging from 16.7mm (QN900B) to 18.7mm (QN850B, QN800B) finished off with stainless-steel. For sound, the QN900B features a 90W 6.2.4-channel audio. 

The 2022 Samsung Neo QLED line features new models available in 65”, 75” and 85” screen sizes. The QN900B and QN800B are available for pre-order March 21st, and the QN95B will be available for pre-order, May 23.

Also new is the S95B, Samsung’s OLED model, which uses Samsung’s Neural Quantum Processor 4K and the intelligent experiences of the Tizen platform with the incredible sound experiences of Samsung Object Tracking Sound and Q-Symphony- with Dolby Atmos. 

The S95 also features an OLED brightness booster and perceptional color mapping to deliver brighter, more accurate highlights and realistic, lifelike colors.

The S95B is available for pre-order today in 55” and 65” sizes.

SEOUL, South Korea—LG Electronics is launchings its 2021 lineup of TVs, featuring the company’s new models of OLED, QNED Mini LED and NanoCell TVs. LG previewed its 2021 models as part of the virtual CES 2021 conference.

LG’s 2021 OLED TV models are made up of the Z1, G1, C1, B1 and A1 series. The G1 series models feature OLED evo technology, while the C1 series has the most screen-size options, ranging from 48 to 83 inches. The B1 and A1 models are more price-competitive entries, per LG. All models feature self-lit panels for high-quality pictures and slim designs.

For QNED Mini LED models, LG is offering both 8K (models QNED99 and QNED95) and 4K (QNED90 and QNED85). Each of these models employ LG’s Quantum Dot NanoCell technology and Mini LED backlighting to produce HDR images.

New to the LG TV lineup is the NanoCell 8K (models NANO99 and NANO95) and 4K (NANO90, NANO85, NANO80, NANO77 and NANO75) offerings. All models feature LG NanoCell display technology.

LG says that all of its 2021 TV models are compatible with the latest standards and content formats, including Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby Atmos, HDR 10 PRO and Filmmaker Mode.

Other features to the new models include 100% color fidelity (certified by Intertek); support for advanced HDMI 2.1, enhanced audio return channel and automatic low latency mode; LG’s latest intelligent processor, the Alpha 9 Gen 4 AI.2; LG AI Picture Pro and AI Sound Pro; webOS 6.0 for the company’s smart TV platform; a redesigned magic remote; and the new Game Optimizer.

Select models will begin rolling out in the first quarter of 2021 and continued throughout the year. Specific dates and lineups will be announced locally.

For more information, visit www.lg.com.  

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.—LG Electronics has pulled the curtain back on its 2021 TV models, showcasing new OLED, QNED Mini LED and NanoCell TV models and features as part of its CES 2021 presentation. Features include a new OLED panel, a new advanced LCD panel that combines Quantum NanoCell Color Technology with mini LED backlighting, an upgraded AI processor and a redesigned webOS.

Among LG’s offerings are new features for the G1 series, including OLED evo. This new OLED technology is designed to deliver better luminosity for images, providing clarity, detail and realism, per LG.

LG has also designed a new intelligent processor, the α (Alpha) Gen 4 AI, which works with new models in the G1 and C1 series, LG QNED MiniLED TV models QNED99 and QNED95 and NanoCell TV models NANO99 and NANO95. The processor uses deep learning to analyze and optimize content, as well as featuring the AI Picture Pro, which recognizes content, removes noise and optimizes picture quality, and a Scene Detection feature that can analyze the type of scene and adjust picture settings accordingly, according to LG.

A new version of LG’s AI Sound Pro is also incorporated into the new processor. AI Sound Pro has added Virtual 5.1.2 surround sound up-mixing to create immersive audio from the TV’s built-in speakers and Auto Volume Leveling, which helps maintain a consistent level of volume when switching between channels or streaming apps.

Additional features that have been created for the 2021 models include the webOS 6.0 smart TV platform. The new operating system offers a new home screen, faster access to apps, simpler content discovery capability and pairing with LG’s updated Magic Remote. LG also boasts of the new models’ image quality, featuring self-lit pixel technology and support for Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos. More models also now support HDMI 2.1 features, as well as enhanced audio return channel (eARC) and automatic low latency mode supported across the full lineup.

Beyond the function of the models, LG is offering new size options in 2021, including new 48-inch and 83-inch models of its C1 series. A new Gallery Stand option is also available.

“Our commitment to raising the industry bar and increasing value for consumers are both clearly evident in the 2021 LG OLED TV lineup,” said Park Hyoung-sei, President of the LG Home Entertainment Company. “Featuring LG OLED evo, our most advanced panel technology yet, our newest OLED TVs are in a league of their own, delivering another level of viewing experience we feel confident in saying is second to none.”

LG also says that its model OLED 48C1 has already been named a CES 2021 Best Innovation Award winner.

For more information, visit www.LG.com.  

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.—LG is highlighting its OLED TVs’ capability for high picture quality with the launch of a new content channel, LG FOMO Channel, or “Fear of Missing OLED,” exclusively on LG Smart TVs.

The LG FOMO Channel will feature first looks at unique content that demonstrates OLED quality images. Among the content immediately available is a rebroadcast of the front-row footage from the fashion house Balmain’s Spring/Summer 2021 show at Paris Fashion Week, as well as bonus footage from the shoot of Lady Gaga’s “911” music video.

LG OLED technology includes 8.2 million self-lit pixels that can be individually controlled, which helps produce deep black levels, greater detail in dark areas and rich colors to create a more realistic picture, per LG.

“LG OLED TVs are celebrated worldwide because they are engineered to enhance the consumer experience and deliver content exactly as the creator intended, with a picture quality that will take your breath away,” said Peggy Ang, LG’s vice president of marketing. “The FOMO Channel offers yet another unique experience, capitalizing on LG’s OLED technology and collaborating with incredible and world-renowned talents to create new and exciting home experiences for LG OLED owners.”

LG Smart TV owners can get the LG FOMO Channel through the LG Content Store.

Industry observers and executives alike remain stunned at how, in just five relatively short years, 4K UHD TVs transformed from a pricey curiosity to a race-to-the-bottom commodity. Based on this perhaps flawed phenomena, the industry is optimistic that 8K will follow the same super-speedy adoption path, sans 4K's rapid price erosions.

Nearly all TV makers have either announced, exhibited or started to sell one or more 8K models. This week alone first-to-sell-8K Samsung announced a 55-inch QLED version, TCL introduced its "designed to be the smartest TV on the market" 8K QLED X Series, and OLED grand poobah LG debuted its Signature 88-inch OLED priced in the posh $30,000 neighborhood. Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Hisense, Konka, Grundig, Skyworth, Metz and Grundig all exhibited 8K sets in the last week, most 88 inches, some as large as 120 inches.

Industry analysts aren’t sanguine about 8K's prospects, however. Last December, Strategy Analytics projected that 8K-ready devices would account for just 3% of the TV market by 2023, with global unit sales reaching only 11 million units. This past April, IHS somewhat infamously forecast only 6 million 8K sets would be sold in 2023.

“I think that severely underestimates the market size,” insisted Alfred Chan, VP of marketing at V-Silicon, insisted during a panel discussion with 8K ecosystem executives organized by the 8K Association, inaugurated at the most recent CES. “In 2023, 50% of TVs could be 8K given the rise in sales of larger screens. I think the market is big for 8K.”

“I think the transition will be slower,” countered Pete Sellar, senior director of corporate standards for Xperi. "But in six to seven years, TV makers might not see any point in carrying 4K sets anymore."

8K PAIN POINTS

Everyone agrees on the one major hole in the 4K-8K adoption analogy: content. Netflix and Amazon both launched 4K streaming early during the initial UHD hardware rollout, and UHD Blu-ray players and a smattering of Hollywood titles appeared almost simultaneously with new 4K TVs. However, there is only a smattering of 8K content now leaking into the ecosystem, largely NHK gearing up its 8K engine for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and three European OTT providers—CHILI, The Explorers and MEGOGO—announced 8K content availability in the last week.

Without even the promise of widely available 8K content, it's no surprise that consumers ask: "Why do I need 8K?"

To move the 8K needle and prove IHS wrong, on the business side 8K stake holders "have to encourage native 8K production," notes Dan Schinasi, Samsung America's director of product planning. "It helps that the 8K Association is developing industry standards. Our mission is to encourage native 8K production." One help is the increasing development and availability of professional 8K production equipment.

One argument the 8K community can use to convince producers to capture content in native 8K is oversampling. "Capturing content in 8K to deliver in 4K or 2K makes a better presentation," explains Chan. "Capturing in higher resolution for legacy value makes a lot of sense, even if the deliverable is 4K or 2K."

Paralleling 8K professional gear availability is the development of more efficient codecs such as HEVC, AV1, VVC (Versatile Video Coding) and EVC—Essential Video Coding, aka MPEG-5, although many of these are still years away. But with Wi-Fi 6 and even 5G, wireless pipes are getting roomy enough to handle the thicker 8K data stream.

Simultaneously on the consumer front, TV makers advise retailers to de-emphasize resolution as 8K's prima facie case to buy. "There's a lot more to pursue than just resolution," Schinasi points out. "It's a matter of packaging the message."

Instead of simply resolution, 8K's three primary selling points to package are HDR, color gamut and, especially, upscaling.

"Algorithms for upscaling have improved dramatically in the last couple of years," notes Chris Chinnock, 8K Association executive director. "New scaling technologies that use machine learning to analyze millions of images have created databases so you can have intelligent upscaling that resides in the cloud, which means 4K and increasingly 2K content will look very good on an 8K TV."

One hurdle 8K makers know they need to overcome is resistance on the sales floor, which means getting retailers on board. "We're just now starting to reach out to retailers—our first task is to engage with them," Chinnock admits. "We have to conduct market research with retailers to discover pain points, then develop programs to address those pain points."

The major roadblock at retail, beyond consumers not recognizing a need for 8K, is price, especially the value ratio. It's helpful that new large screen 65- and 75-inch 10.5 generation panel capacity will be coming online in the next few years, which will allow prices on 8K sets to drop—hopefully not through the floor as they have for 4K, or at least not as quickly.

"A third of the current 4K market is 55-inches and above," observes Marek Maciejewski, TCL's European product development director. "8K 65-inch sets and above will also start to sell when prices become affordable and there's content."

Finally, 8K Association minimum specifications and certifications on the verge of finalization, along with test specifications and tools that hopefully lead to self-certification, will result in 8K certified sets appearing in 2020 that could help salve consumer worries about what they may be buying.

"All the pieces of the 8K ecosystem are moving in the right direction," Chinnock notes optimistically.

This story originally appeared on TVT's sister publication, TWICE.

SEOUL—LG Display today announced the opening of its 8.5th generation (2,200mmx2,500mm) OLED panel production plant in Guangzhou, China, and says it expects the plant to produce 10 million large-size OLED panels annually by 2022.

LG Display’s new Guangzhou OLED panel plant started mass-production this month and will mainly manufacture large-size high-resolution OLED products including 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch panels. The initial monthly capacity will be 60,000 sheets, which will be further expanded to 90,000 sheets by 2021.

The company expects to produce more than 10 million OLED panels a year by 2022, when this monthly capacity of 90,000 sheets is combined with the 70,000 sheets currently manufactured at its OLED panel plant in Paju, Korea, as well as an additional 45,000 sheets to be produced at its 10.5th generation (2,940mmx3,370mm) plant in Paju from 2022.

The new 8.5th generation OLED panel plant is operated by LG Display High-Tech China (LG Display High-Tech China Co. Ltd, LGDCO), a joint venture established between LG Display and Guangzhou Development District (GDD). LG Display holds a 70% stake with KRW 2.6 trillion in capital.

“Based on our vast experience and capability in OLED production, LG Display will make every effort to ensure the success of LG Display High-Tech China,” said Dr. Sang Beom Han, CEO and vice chairman of LG Display, at the opening ceremony attended by Korean and Chinese officials, top executives from LG group and representatives from customer and partner companies. He added, “With our dual OLED panel production sites in Korea and China, the company will further accelerate the OLED trend in the global premium TV market by providing large-size OLED panels to the world.”

The new 8.5th generation OLED panel plant is built on 74,000 m² of land—the equivalent of around 10 football fields. With nine levels above ground, the total floor area amounts to 427,000 m². The total area of the LG Display Guangzhou Cluster, which includes LCD panel and module plants, partner company complexes and additional facilities, amounts to 1.3 million m².

LG Display says since its customers, including LG Electronics, Sony, Philips, Hisense, Skyworth, Changhong, and Konka, operate TV production plants in China, the company will further boost its competitiveness by providing technology and products in a timely manner.

The global sales of OLED TV in 2020 are expected to reach 5.5 million units and further increase to 7.1 million units in 2021 and 10 million units in 2022, according to global market research firm IHS Markit.

SEOUL—Samsung is hopping back into the OLED market, the company’s CEO, Lee Dong-hoon, confirmed recently to The Korea Herald. “The company is making good efforts” to launch QD-OLED panels in the near future, Dong-hoon told the publication.

QD-OLED refers to "quantum dot organic light-emitting diode" panels, a hybrid of the quantum dot technology found in Samsung’s QLED TVs with OLED design from LG. When commercialized, these panels are expected to be used for TVs.

The technology is reported to use blue OLEDs as a backlight source, with red and green quantum dots printed over the top of the blue OLED layer.

While the company has not confirmed any investment plans as of yet for QD-OLED panels, it is expected that their production will come via converting recently shut down LCD production lines.

“With the LCD production cut, Samsung would accelerate commercialization of QD-OLED in order to maintain its leadership in the high-end display market,” an industry official told The Korea Herald.

No time table has been announced for when Samsung is expected to roll out QD-OLED TVs.

SEOUL—The OLED market is getting bigger, both in its market presence and in its physical models. According to a current UBI Research report—the “2019 OLED Equipment Report”—the total substrate area of display companies in 2019 will be 34.9 million square meters, and that number is projected to increase to 68.5 million square meters by 2023.

OLED substrate area is measured by investments made by OLED lines for TVs, specifically driven by Samsung Display and LG Display.

In the current market, OLED manufacturing lines for TVs are 8G lines optimized for 55-inch panel production. The demand is shifting, however, from those 55-inch OLED TVs to 65-inch panels. By 2021, the 65-inch OLED TV market is expected to account for more than 40%. As a result, LG is investing in 10.5G lines. By 2023, the substrate area of a large OLED line is likely to make up 42% of the total substrate area.

China will continue to invest in the 6G line of the market, helping to grow its substrate area from 13 million square meters to 19.3 million square meters in 2019. Much of this is for smartphones, which accounts for 40% of the global market in China.

Korea is the largest market for the OLED industry, with its OLED production capacity accounting for 80% of its market. The country’s 2019 OLED substrate area will hti 27.9 million square meters and is expected to see a growth to 54.8 million square meters by 2023.

From 2019-2022, the investment costs for the OLED manufacturing equipment market is expected to reach $28.4 billion, with the most coming from the 6G line ($17.2 billion).

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.—LG will begin shipping its 2019 line of OLED and NanoCell TVs this month, although it didn’t provide pricing as of this posting.

The company also announced that the TVs, first unveiled at CES in January, will receive a midyear upgrade to support Apple AirPlay 2, Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa.

Features of the W9 (model 77/65W9), E9 (65/55E9), C9 (77/65/55C9) and B9 (65/55B9) include Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, while select models support HDMI 2.1 for 4K viewing at 120 fps and have 4K high frame rate, automatic low latency mode (ALLM), variable refresh rate (VRR) and enhanced audio return channel (eARC).

They also feature LG’s second-gen Alpha 9 intelligent processor and deep learning technology, said to “recognize” content source quality and determine the best upgrade method for visual output. It also analyzes ambient conditions to achieve the optimal level of screen brightness, according to LG, as well fine-tunes audio and dialog settings.

While the TVs will receive support later this year for AirPlay 2, HomeKit and Amazon Alexa, they will ship with support for Google Assistant.

Sizes for the NanoCell TVs range from 49 to 86 inches.

LG’s OLED models will make up 20 percent of the company’s high-end TV portfolio, it said. It estimated that demand will reach 3.6 million units this year, 7 million units in 2020 and 10 million in 2021.

TV suppliers are turning to big screens and advanced display technologies to bolster ASPs and improve earnings at CES 2019, where 8K TVs, improved contrast ratios, voice assistants, and new display technologies such as micro LED and rollable OLED are front and center.

The first roll-up TV — a 65-inch LG OLED model — is making its debut along with a greater selection of LCD TVs with quantum-dot WCG technology.

During the first 10 months of 2018, the retail ASPs of U.S. LCD TVs were flat year over year, with both dollar volume and unit sales up 3 percent, The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service found. LCD accounted for the vast majority of North American flat-panel shipments in 2018, or 98.4 percent of 42.6 million units, IHS Markit said.

Stay up to date on all things CES with one-click access to our CES Hub.

Continuing growth in demand for larger screen sizes could help boost ASPs in 2019, when sizes of 50 inches and up will account for almost 100 percent of North American 4K/8K TV shipments, said IHS Markit executive director Paul Gagnon. Among all TVs, sales of 60 inches and larger will increase faster in 2019 to account for 23 percent of all North American TV shipments, thanks to rapidly declining costs of 65-inch panels.

Big-display demand will help stoke 8K demand, Gagnon noted. 8K resolution will be more apparent on big screens that also reduce pixel visibility when viewers are close. Chris Larson, TCL’s North America senior VP, expects 8K “will be represented by all major brands” in the U.S. in 2019, though IHS expects 8K shipments to account for only 0.1 percent (or 42,700) of 42.7 million TVs shipped in North America.

Although native 8K video in noticeable quantities might be a few years away, 8K TVs will use up-scaling technology that has improved dramatically to deliver 8K resolution from HD sources, said Gagnon. Content from 8K cameras can also be displayed, as can a few 8K YouTube videos.

In Japan in December, NHK launched an 8K satellite channel, but David Mercer of Strategy Analytics said “expectations for 8K services should be cautious.” The rest of the world “will be slower to follow suit, given that the number of homes with 8K-ready TVs will remain low until the mid 2020s.”

Despite the excitement surrounding 8K TV, added Strategy Analytics director David Watkins, “It is important to remember that image resolution, whether native or otherwise, is only one element in perceived video quality, and TV vendors and content players alike should not lose focus on other important drivers of consumer satisfaction, such as high dynamic range (HDR) and high frame rate (HFR).”

At CES, 8K launches include LG’s first two SKUs (an 88-inch OLED and 75-inch LCD) and a 98-inch Samsung LCD. They join Samsung’s $15,000 85-inch LCD. TCL is demoing a 75-inch 8K LCD and plans 2019 shipments of an 8K model, expected to feature 8K-capable HDMI 2.1 inputs. Samsung’s current 8K TV features an outboard HDMI switching box that can be swapped for a future HDMI 2.1 version.

8K screen sizes could trickle down below 75 inches in the U.S., said TCL's Larson, but “anything below 65 inches will be a challenge in a real-use environment.”

See: TV At CES 2019: 8K Is 'Getting Real'

Nonetheless, Nanosys sales/marketing VP Russell Kempt expects some suppliers to push LCD-based 8K into more mainstream sizes down to 55 inches in coming years. OLED displays, however, will be challenged to bring 8K to anything but “very large form factors.”

In other big-screen developments, LG is expanding its selection of 70-inch-plus sizes, Samsung is launching a 98-inch 8K model, Philips is showing a 75-inch 4K Android TV, and TCL is bringing back a 75-inch SKU (at less than $1,800 MAP).

Here’s what else to expect:

MICRO LED

Select suppliers will demo micro LED displays, which use emissive red, green and blue LEDs to create 4K color images. Each LED can be turned off to deliver perfect blacks and improved contrast, with faster response times and better off-axis viewing, compared to LED-lit LCD displays. Samsung is showing a smaller, 75-inch version of last year's 146-inch Wall TV. The Wall is available for commercial and custom residential applications. Sony showed a pro model at the CEDIA Expo.

CONTRAST

Full-array local dimming (FALD) will spread to more LED-backlit 4K LCD TVs in 2019 to improve contrast ratios. “Almost all premium LCD sets at about $1,500 and up will transition to FALD in 2019,” predicted Kempt of Nanosys. “We can achieve excellent contrast that a couple years ago people didn’t think possible with LCD technology.” In a new flagship 8 series, TCL is offering 300 percent more zones versus 120 and 96 in its 65- and 55-inch 6 series SKUs, respectively. Select 2018 Sony and Samsung TVs sport around 500 zones, and Vizio offers up to 192. 

MINI LED BACKLIGHTS 

With new mini LED backlights, more LCD TVs will feature thousands of FALD zones, Nanosys’s Kempt said. Samsung features thousands of zones in its current 85-inch 8K TV. TCL is demoing thousands of zones. Other demos might be private.

Mini LEDs are smaller than typical LEDs but larger than micro LEDs. 

More TV suppliers at CES will build far-field microphones for digital assistants into the chassis of select TVs rather than deliver voice control solely through a remote with built-in near-field mic. At a minimum, TVs with embedded far-field mics will be available later in 2019 from TCL and Philips, joining Sony models.

Separately, LG will offer three voice assistants — Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and proprietary ThinQ — in all new 4K smart TVs, with voice control delivered by a mic-equipped remote. ThinQ delivers voice control over more TV functions than other assistants alone provide, the company said.

BRIGHTNESS, GAMUT

More TVs will get closer to delivering 100 percent of DCI-P3 color gamut, delivered by 4K Blu-ray discs and streaming services. TCL plans its first U.S. TVs with gamut-widening quantum-dot displays sometime in 2019 in multiple screen sizes. “In 2019, quantum dot delivers the right performance for the cost for mainstream consumers,” said TCL North America SVP Chris Larson.

Attendees will likely find more 4K LCD TVs with peak brightness levels of 4,000 nits, as delivered by Samsung’s current 8K TV. One of the brightest 4K displays has been a 2,000-nit 65-inch Vizio TV.

As quantum-dot costs fall, added Kempt of quantum-dot supplier Nanosys, “it is now becoming possible for set makers to waterfall the technology across their product lineups.” As a result, by the end of 2018, “we’re beginning to see quantum-dot technology entering the mainstream market for TVs with several 65-inch TV products available below $1,500.” 

HDMI 2.1

At least one more company, LG, is adding select HDMI 2.1 features to TVs. All LG OLEDs and three top LCD series add 2.1’s variable refresh rate (VRR), auto low latency mode (ALLM), and eARC. Sony added them to select TVs in 2018.

Let Your Voice Be Heard At The CES Social Hub!

LAS VEGAS—LG Electronics believes its 2019 flagship OLED TVs are moving to the head of the class.

This year’s lineup, encompassing the Z9, W9, E9 and C9 series, promise optimized content and enhanced picture and sound thanks to the company’s second-generation a9 Gen 2 intelligent processor, and a deep-learning algorithm developed from a database of over one million visual cues. Together they “recognize” content source quality and determine the best upgrade method for visual output, LG said.

[Related: CES 2019 Preview: Your TV Wants To Control Your Home]

The new processor also automatically adjusts brightness based on ambient light conditions, taking into account the way the human eye perceives images in different lighting.The a9 Gen 2 processor can further refine HDR content by adjusting the brightness to add contrast, detail and depth of color to dark scenes in brightly-lit rooms, LG said.

Stay up to date with all things CES-related with one-click access to TWICE’s CES Hub.

On the sound front, quality is augmented by an intelligent algorithm that can up-mix two-channel audio to deliver what LG described as “convincing virtual 5.1 surround sound.” Meanwhile, the a9 Gen 2 chip can optimize output based on content type for clearer-sounding voices, adding further realism to the sets’ Dolby Atmos sound signature.

The platform’s smarts also extends to digital assistants, which this year includes Amazon Alexa in addition to the built-in Google Assistant, first made available on the 2018 models with ThinQ AI. Pressing the Amazon Prime Video button on the TVs’ Magic Remote allows users to manage smart-home devices, ask questions and access Alexa’s tens of thousands of skills.

Voice control also comes into play via LG’s own ThinQ AI smart platform, which now boasts a new conversational voice recognition feature that understands context and allows for more complex requests.

LG’s latest OLED series will be on display next week at CES 2019 in the company’s Central Hall booth, #11100.

LONDON—New research from IHS Markit reveals the average screen size of TV units shipped in Q3 2018 grew larger than any previous quarter in more than a year.

Worldwide, shipments of TVs with screens 60 inches or larger in Q3 grew by 40 percent year over year, 10 percent higher than in recent quarters. In North America and emerging markets, the growth was even greater as prices hit new lows for 65- and 75-inch screen models, the research group found, the research group said.

“Each year during the holiday shopping season, brands and retailers try to push ever larger screen sizes to keep revenues growing and encourage adoption of value-added features like 4K and smart TV,” said Paul Gagnon, research and analysis executive directors at IHS Markit.

[Read: Nearly 6 Million 8K TVs To Ship In 2022, Says New Report]

This year promotional deals are helping to create greater interest in 65-inch TVs, which in turn is shifting the focus from sets with screens that are 50 inches or less, he added.

However, in Western Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa TV shipments were down by double digits in Q3 ’18 –off from the more than 7 percent increase for the regions in the first half of the year spurred on by seasonal promotions for the World Cup, IHS Markit said.

The share of 4K TVs shipped reached a record high of 44 percent in Q3. In terms of dollars and cents, they accounted for 71 percent of all TV revenue in the quarter. Shipments of 8K TVs remains small, with a single brand shipping in Japan and China. More brands are expected to ship 8K TVs by the end of the year, IHS Markit said.

In North America, the average price of a 65-inch 4K LCD TV fell from $1,256 to $1,100 in Q3, In China the average price was $928. Elsewhere the average price remained higher as a result of less competition and a smaller market size.

As relates to display technologies, OLED TV shipments fell slightly in the third quarter compared to Q2, while LCD TV shipments grew 14 percent quarter over quarter, and shipments of quantum dot LDC TV with screen sizes exceeding 60 inches increased to 663,000 units in Q3. Average OLED TV screen size also grew to more than 59 inches for the first time, as the share of 65-inch OLED TV shipments grew to a new high of more than 38 percent, the research group found. 

LONDON–Just as the UHD/4K TV set market heats up, a research firm is predicting that the next wave—8K—is not far behind.

With the debut of 8KTVs now making their way to the market by the end of 2018, business information provider IHS Markit says it expects less than 20,000 sets to be shipped globally by the end of this year, with more than 430,000 sets sold in 2019, eventually approaching 2 million units by 2020. The growth will be centered around sets 60-inches are larger, with 65 inch TVs accounting for more than half of the volume.

For the burgeoning 4K market, IHS says more than half of the 226 million TVs expected to ship in 2019 will be UHD TV models. Global shipments of 4K/UHDTVs are expected to to grow 3.6 percent year over year in 2018, with additional 1.4 percent growth in 2019.

“Growth in the TV market typically is the result of more attractive retail prices for large-screen sizes and the continued commoditization of 4K resolution, driving TV replacements and upgrades,” said Paul Gagnon, research and analysis executive director, IHS Markit. “However, this growth through price compression has a negative effect on profits, so TV brands are actively looking for more growth from advanced TV models to improve earnings.”

[Read: Coming To A Living Room Near You: 8K]

Technologies like 8K, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and quantum dot (QD) carry substantial premiums, and even 4K TVs still carry premiums of more than 35 percent at screen sizes where 1080p resolution is still an option, such as 40-inch to 49-inch TVs.

OLED TV is expected to grow more than 40 percent in 2019, rising to 3.6 million units. This growth is in line with previous forecasts, because demand is essentially matching industry production capacity. The size mix still favors 55-inch TVs, based on current prices, but it will transition to mostly 65-inch TVs by 2020, when new production capacity is optimized for larger screen sizes, and when substantial growth is expected in the OLED TV category.

Quantum dot LCD TV shipments are now forecast to exceed 4 million units in 2019, based on more aggressive pricing and the introduction of transitional quantum-dot-equipped LCD TV models. “The high-end prices of non-QD-equipped LCD TV models and the prices of the low end QD-equipped LCD TV models have moved closer together,” Gagnon said. “This extension of the quantum dot LCD TV lineup into more moderate price ranges effectively reduces the quantum dot premium to less than 100 percent at mid-range sizes, opening up the category to a larger addressable market of consumers.”

Although there is very little to no 8K content available, Japan is expected to spur more interest in the high-res format, which has twice the resolution of 4K and 4x the resolution of 1080p HD. In advance of its plans to broadcast the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo in 8K, public broadcaster NHK announced earlier this year that it plans to launch a channel devoted to 8K by the end of 2018.

Samsung and LG, among the largest consumer electronics manufacturers in the world, are introducing new 8KTV sets to markets beyond its shores. Earlier this month Samsung announced initial shipments of its new 85-inch Q900 QLED television to select retailers. To make up for the lack of 8K content, Samsung has built an AI-based upscaler, called the Quantum Processor 8K, into the television to produce 8K resolution regardless of the video’s original resolution, the company said.

At CES in January, LG previewed an 88-inch class 8K OLED TV the company called “world’s first OLED 8K TV set.” It uses more than 33 million self-emitting pixels to create its contrast ratio and true blacks produce its picture quality. LG Electronics says it expects OLED TV shipments to double in 2018 and to reach five million by 2022.

BERLIN--LG Electronics will bring its 8K (7680 x 4320) OLED TV to IFA 2018 in Berlin, Aug.31-Sept.5 at the Berlin ExpoCenter City.

Previewed at the International CES in January, LG calls the 88-inch class 8K LG OLED TV the “world’s first OLED 8K TV set.” It uses more than 33 million self-emitting pixels to create its contrast ratio and true blacks produce its picture quality. LG Electronics expects OLED TV shipments to double in 2018 and to reach five million by 2022.

[READ: Is 8K Gaining Traction?]

Fellow Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung has already introduced the Q9S, an 85-inch 8K TV set, which is not OLED and uses the company’s proprietary AI to produce images in 8K.

"LG's first 8K OLED TV is the pinnacle of technological achievement and the next evolutionary step in display technology," said Brian Kwon, president of LG Home Entertainment Co. "4K OLED played a major role in reshaping the TV industry and LG is confident that 8K OLED will do the same."

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LOS ANGELES—LG Display is bringing its rollable OLED display to the trade this week.

The 77-inch flexible and transparent display, first unveiled by the company last year, features a 3840 by 2160 Ultra HD resolution and 40 percent transparency. It can be rolled up to a radius of 80mm, according to the company, without affecting functionality.

LG is showcasing the technology at the 2018 Society for Information Display (SID) conference in Los Angeles this week.

Hello, everyone, welcome back. In my last posting, we examined the various scientific (SI) units used to measure many of the properties of light; in reality, most of those related to brightness or luminance. We needed this data in order to make sense of the various specifications that we come across in our daily lives as media professionals, but in particular I wanted to define exactly what is meant by the term “nit” (a colloquialism for “candela per square meter,” if you recall). The reason for this is that specification for brightness in today’s monitors is most often described in terms of nits.

As is often the case, some of the parameters of a transmitted signal were actually defined by dated technology. For example, we still have drop frame timecode, which arose from the creation of the NTSC color television standard, even though we have moved on significantly since the technology which mandated such a complex solution. That historical perspective is also responsible for what we would now consider to be “Standard Dynamic Range.”

THE UPPER LIMITS

To date, moving images distributed to the various platforms has been constrained to an upper limit of 100 nits. That is because 100 nits is approximately the limit of illumination that was achievable from a standard CRT display. Try buying a new, CRT based, television set today!

Despite the obsolescence of CRT as the ubiquitous display technology, the (SDR) programs are still calibrated to fit in this limited range. In order to be able to do that, the extremes of the signal – those close to black and close to white – end up being crushed down and up respectively in order to maximize the linearity of the end-to-end system in its midrange.

[Read: HDR: What Is It And Why Do We Need It?]

Modern flat panel displays, on average, offer a maximum light output of 500 nits, and manufacturers are already offering new sets that boast 1,000 nits. But—and here’s the important part–the majority of the video that will be delivered to them is SDR and has been conformed to fit into a 0 - 100 nit range. Thus, most of the fine detail in those extremes is lost forever. The images, when captured, are actually already raw HDR, but that dynamic range is crushed at several stages of the production and delivery process (Fig. 1).

QUALITY IN, QUALITY OUT

There is a very important point here – once that detail has been crushed, you can’t get it back. So even if you display it on a 500-nit screen, you are not getting HDR. Let me be perfectly clear: HDR does not just mean brighter whites. Setting the white point of an SDR image to 500 nits on your screen does not gain you extra detail. Think about this in audio terms: you can put an MP3 signal into a very powerful, very expensive high-fidelity audio system and crank up the volume, but the quality of the audio doesn’t get any better – it just gets louder!

In order to provide you with a higher fidelity (i.e. HDR) image on your screen, the delivery system has to possess a higher dynamic range from the point of ingest all the way to the point of display. (Fig. 2 acknowledges that we live in the real world; there is a practical limit to how much resolution – spatial (pixel count), temporal (frame rate) and HDR/WCG we can deliver to the mass audience within reasonable economic restraints. HDR is an attempt to deliver the most faithful imagery we can currently deliver, for the greatest impact on the customer experience.)

We must acknowledge that HDR is currently in its infancy. There are compromises in each of the display technologies available today. LCD screens are transmissive – they require a backlight in order to produce a viewable image. You can certainly increase the brightness of the backlight to produce white levels in excess of 1000 nits, but LCDs have a fixed contrast ratio internally, so increasing the level of the backlight also increases the light level produced by “black” pixels.

Manufacturers have come up with several schemes to modulate the backlighting in areas which are supposed to be black, with varying degrees of success. OLED screens are emissive, and do have the extended dynamic range capabilities, but struggle to produce the higher light levels, especially over long periods of time.

This last point is taken into account in all of the proposed HDR standards – metadata provided with the signal lets the set know just how bright the average image is and will also specify just how bright the brightest pixel in the entire program is, so that a display can adjust its behavior in order to protect itself from premature burn-out.

We will discuss these proposed standards in a future posting, but first we’ll examine just what is meant by “Wide Color Gamut” and discuss the various standards currently in use in both standard dynamic range HD (i.e. today’s signals) and in the proposed HDR formats.

Paul Turner is founder ofTurner Media Consultingand can be reached atpault@turnerconsulting.tv. 

NEW YORK—A new batch of acronyms are being used to describe the latest models of TVs that are dazzling and perplexing consumers. QD, QUHD, SUHD and ULED are quantum-dot technology that are currently available for TVs and our making their move to be the future of TVs, not the previously believed-successor OLED. IEEE takes a look at what is special about this new quantum-dot technology and how it is going to make the promised future of televisions finally a reality.

Read the full story from IEEE here.

LOS ANGELES—This, edited, from the folks at LG: The 77-inch class wallpaper LG Signature OLED TV W went on sale today in the United States for $19,999. The most-awarded TV at CES; 2017, the new LG Signature OLED TV W feature LG’s “Picture-on-Wall” form factor—it’s one-fifth of an inch thick and attaches to the wall with magnets—as well as OLED technology, immersive Dolby Atmos sound and high-dynamic range capabilities.

The 77-inch class 4K Ultra HD model 77W7, launched today at Video and Audio Center in Los Angeles, joins the 65-inch class Picture-on-Wall 65W7 LG Signature OLED TV W — the highest-rated TV among Consumer Reports May 2017 TV reviews.

In addition to the Picture-on-Wall design of the W7 series, the 2017 line-up includes four “Picture-on-Glass” models: 77- and 65-inch class G7 and 65- and 55-inch class E7 LG OLED TVs. Rounding out the 2017 LG OLED TV family are 65- and 55-inch class C7 and B7 models, bringing the total number of models now available in the United States to 10.

The 77-inch LG Signature OLED TV W makes use of the LG OLED ability to turn individual pixels completely off or on to reproduce the most lifelike images of any television with an expanded range of black, brightness and color gamut. Combined with the detail of 4K Ultra HD and the ability to render over a billion colors, the 77W7 displays 64 times more shades of color than conventional TVs, from even wide viewing angles.

The 77-inch LG Signature OLED TV W provides an unrivaled HDR experience with support for all major HDR formats, including HDR10, YouTube VP9, Dolby Vision HDR technology and Hybrid Log Gamma, assuring compatibility with the most HDR content from streaming as well as Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. The 77W7 also features LG’s “Active HDR” mode, which analyzes HDR10 and HLG content scene-by-scene, optimizing the image from those sources.

Since LG OLED TVs require no backlighting, the 77-inch LG Signature OLED TV W and its little brother, the 65-inch 65W7, can be easily mounted flush to the wall creating a greater sense of immersion. The panel is also slightly flexible to allow for easy mounting using a combination of ultra-slim mounting brackets and magnets.

The 77W7 also features webOS 3.5, the latest version of LG’s smart TV platform.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.—LG has been raising eyebrows with its flexible, rollable OLED displays for several years, and it raised the bar just a little higher this week.

LG Display unveiled what it’s calling the first 77-inch flexible and transparent OLED display. The display features an Ultra HD resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 with 40 percent transparency and 80 radius of curvature. It can be rolled up to a radius of 80mm without affecting the function of the display, according to the company. 

While the technology isn’t currently used in consumer retail products and is positioned toward the signage market, the company views it as the future display technology and has certainly wowed CES attendees with it in the past.

This article originally appeared on TVT's sister publication TWICE. 

INDIAN WELLS CALIF.—As a matter of street cred,Pete Putman launched his annual Consumer Electronics Show Review at the HPA Technology Retreat with a slide of his old Heathkit Crystal Receiver Model CR-1 that still works.

Putman then reviewed the price points of TVs, which are all over the board, but tumbling in general. In 1995, a 50-inch 720p plasma costs $50,000. It would now be had for less than one-tenth of that.

Putman said 170,000-plus people attended CES, including 3,600 companies exhibited on 2.47 million square feet of floor space. Sharp TVs, once renowned for its RGBY pixels is no more. Hisense owns the brand. Panasonic, Putman said, had a single TV on the floor. LG is pressing forward with organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, TVs, in part because it scored the Kodak patent for white OLEDs, which overcome the dreaded phenomenon of the dying blue OLEDs that have plagued the displays from their inception.

Virtual reality was big, as was augmented reality. Putman showed a slide of the line at the Oculus Rift booth that looked like Walmart on black Friday. It was long.

So Putman kept up the TV tour, which included 8KTVs and a screen that’s really too big to be believed. LG had a 98-inch 8KTV; Samsung had a curved 8K LCD, and Konka and Hisense had 8KTVs.

But it was Samsung that showed the “world’s largest” 170-inch TV. Putman said he didn’t know of another 170-inch TV that was not the world’s largest.

“You stood there long enough, you get a nice tan from it,” he said.

One display exhibit that caught Putman’s eye comprised four 65-inch curved OLED panels together, displaying different scenes on both sides.

With regard to high-dynamic range, the route to provision is turning into a maze, but the goal is clear enough on the display side. Just as there were a lot of high-definition TVs in the market long before there was high-definition TV, HDR sets are hitting the floor.

Changhong, one of the many Chinese TV makers, was showing 4K HDR OLEDs, Putman said. Samsung demonstrated 4K HDR over the air, if you could find it, Putman said. LG had a 4K HDR LCD, and Sony had a 4KTV with wide color gamut.

Samsung announced a UHD HDR BluRay player for $350. Panasonic also showed one but did not name a price.
Lenovo showed the Yoga X1 with an 14-inch OLED screen, with three USB Type 3 connectors, important for hooking up things that aren’t here yet but coming, Putman said.

There were also transparent displays and quantum dot displays. QD Vision demonstrated that quantum dot backlighting is more power efficient than LCD, the technology is still contains cadmium, which is pretty nasty to the human body.

Putman said the coolest thing he saw was a rollable OLED display from LG showing video. Sony first showed a tiny rollable OLED in 2010. Putman describe LG’s 18-incher as “too cool for words.”

Putman talked about the superMHL interface for mobile devices for delivery of video up to 8K resolution. He mentioned 60 GHz connectivity, and said 802.11ad Wi-Fi is here with the support of Qualcomm. He called it “Wi-Fi with rocket boosters.”

Also see Pete’s coverage atHDExpert.com.

LAS VEGAS by way of PHILLY—Every year, Pete Putman goes to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and all his followers get are absolutely great photographs and a highly informed perspective. For the 2016 event, Putman captured images of the LG OLED wall, TCL’s warehouse-sized booth, the Innolux 8K LCD, Samsung’s 170-inch 4K LCD and many more. He provides the update on wired and wireless interfaces, as well as retro technology resurrected for the show. And then there was the sweets section...

“LG Display invites a few journalists up to what we call the ‘candy store’ to see the latest in display technology. And this year didn’t disappoint: How about dual-side 55-inch flexible OLED TVs just millimeters thick? Or a 25-inch waterfall (curved) display that could form the entire center console in a car, with flexible OLEDs in the dashboard creating bright, colorful, and contrasty gauges?”

See Pete’s complete coverage at HDTVExpert.com.

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.—I remember the moment well—I was color restoring a classic motion picture when I paused to get a cup of coffee. My junior colorist, who was new to the business, asked me, “what if there was a fire and you could only grab one thing in your color suite. What would you save?”

No hesitation. I pointed to my Flanders CM250 grading monitor. “Why that?” he asked. “Why not something else, like the control surface?” “Because,” I answered, “my grading monitor is the heart of what I do. And this one is gold.”

The CM250 is a 24.5-inch multiformat OLED grading monitorPROVEN TRACK RECORD
For years I have only worked on, and with, Flanders Scientific grading monitors. My long association with Flanders began when I apprenticed as a colorist in a shop that used a Flanders LM-2461W. The senior colorist who taught me the craft explained that he trusted Flanders because of its color critical evaluation. It had great uniformity for virtually any signal format and also had a wide gamut 10-bit panel and the best white uniformity and off-axis performance.

The senior taught me to grade using scopes, then reference the grade with the grading monitor, and finally, confirm with my eyes. If any of those three is out of sync, he used to tell me, your color will be off. That’s how critical a grading monitor is to any color suite.

We colorists are a breed apart. We love what we do because it’s our passion. And of course, we enjoy our toys: the software apps, control panels, scopes, and so on. It’s all necessary to help us make the projects we work on look the best they can be.

But the grading monitor? For me, it’s mission critical.

When I finally became senior colorist I had an opportunity to recommend the LM-2461W to my new employer. In fact, I helped build the color suite around the monitor.

NEXT GENERATION
The LM-2461W is no longer in production, so when we built a second color suite I called a few of my fellow colorists who suggested I take a look at the Flanders CM240. It has many of the broadcast basics we have come to depend on: a Blue Only mode, monochrome mode, markers, safety areas, H/V delay, and tally lights. But it was the Flanders tradition of color accuracy that sold me; my eyes were convinced.

When it came time to start my own color grading business I talked at length with the Flanders team. There was only one choice. The CM250, the flagship monitor in the CM series, is a 24.5-inch multiformat OLED with lots of advanced features including 16 selectable scopes, focus assist, timecode display, and more. The monitor’s live side-by-side viewing is killer and is accessible from any input and across mixed formats.

It is stated quite prominently on my Website why I trust Flanders Scientific: nothing but the best will do.

My business motto is six words: color correction, color grading, color perfect. That might as well describe the quality, dependability, and tradition of Flanders Scientific.

Flanders is a name I trust. And have for years.

Jim Wicks is a recognized and well-respected colorist. His work is seen in movies, on Blu-ray, television, and the web. Jim can be contacted atjim@jimwicks.com.

For more information, visitwww.flandersscientific.comor call 678-835-4934.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.—LG Electronics USA announced pricing and availability for the latest addition to its OLED TV line, the EF9500 flat OLED 4KTV series, scheduled to begin arriving at retailers nationwide in September.

LG said the introduction of the EF9500 OLED 4KTV series triples the number of models in less than a year. The new series introduces flat-screen models to LG’s OLED line up, which also includes the EG9600 and EG9700 series of Curved OLED 4KTVs and its EC9300 Full HD Curved OLED TV model. LG now offers OLED TVs in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch class sizes, both curved and flat configurations, and 1080p and 4K resolutions.

LG notes that blacks rendered by its OLED TV are up to “200 times deeper than those of an LCD panel,” and feature the capability to display high dynamic range content “from both streaming content partners and external source devices.” LG said its EG9600 Curved OLED 4K TV series soon will receive a firmware update that enables streaming of HDR content from current and future providers.

The 55EC9300 Full HD Curved OLED TV is now priced at $2,499, more than 75 percent lower than the price of LG’s first-generation 55-inch class model, which first sold for $14,999 two years ago. The new flat EF9500 series and the curved EG9600 series will be available at the same price—$6,999 for the 65-inch model and $5,499 for the 55-inch model.

Series, models and suggested pricing for LG’s full line up of OLED TVs include: 

• EF9500 – OLED 4K TV
  65-inch class (64.5 inches diagonal) model 65EF9500: $6,999 55-inch class (54.6 inches diagonal) model 55EF9500: $5,499

• EG9600 – OLED 4K TV
  65-inch class (64.5 inches diagonal) model 65EG9600: $6,999 55-inch class (54.6 inches diagonal) model 55EG9600: $5,499

• EG9700 – OLED 4K TV
  77-inch class (76.7 inches diagonal) model 77EG9700: $24,999

• EC9300 Series – Full HD OLED
  55-inch class (54.6 inches diagonal) model 55EC9300: $2,499