LAS VEGAS—TV brand Hisense took the opportunity of the CES 2020 stage to introduce its 2020 lineup of TV models that utilize a wide variety of technologies, from ULED to multiple content platforms to smart home capabilities.

A number of the TVs that Hisense introduced include its patented ULED technology meant to provide enhanced picture quality. One model featuring this is the H9G Quantum Dot series at its new batch of upgrades like the addition of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos image and sound technologies, as well as local dimming zones paired with Quantum Dot. The H9G has also added a built-in Google Assistant feature for voice control of the TV and other smart home devices. Similar features have been added to Hisense’s H8G Quantum series 75-inch model.

There was also the H65G series, a 4K UHD TV that features Dolby Vision, DTS Virtual: X, Motion Rate Technology and Bluetooth Audio, available in six different screen sizes.

A new model from Hisense that was on display is the L5 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser TV, which the company describes as a model to bring a cinema-like experience to any room. The L5 features a blue laser light source that can produce high-resolution and detailed images without light dispersion, says Hisense. Fast-moving images appear smooth and precise, and the model features embedded speakers with a dbx-tv audio experience.

Hisense also has a number of models that incorporate the Roku TV streaming platform. The R8F series is Hisense’s first 4K ULED Roku TV model and supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, as well as featuring Motion Rate processing technology. The R6E3 Series is a 4k UHD model TV that features more than 8 million pixels with DTS Studio Sound and can be controlled by Alexa or Google Assistant devices.

The company also has a TV model that is designed specifically for the cord cutters and streamers, the H4G series. The model is equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and offers 2K pictures. It also can be controlled by Alexa or Google Assistant devices.

Updates were also made to Hisense’s XD9G 4K ULED XD TV, which was first unveiled at CES 2019. It now features Quantum Dot technology, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

All of these TV models are on display at Hisense’s booth, 10039 in the Central Hall during CES 2020.

For more information, visit www.hisense-usa.com. 

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.

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.

BELFAST, IRELAND—An international team of researchers has developed a method to cluster together quantum dots to boost fluorescence and deliver a significant increase the number of colors that can be displayed, leading to what they foresee as a new generation of improved HDTV.

The team, made up of scientists from Queen’s University Belfast and experts from Florida State University, ETH Zurich, Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, calls this new process aggregation-induced emission, or AIE, according to a press release from Queen’s University Belfast.

The researchers created quantum dots containing methylammonium lead bromine. They found that by placing fine layers between different materials, or lamellar structures, the material re-emitted much of the light it absorbed and created colors that were quite intense, it said.

“Through this research discovery, we anticipate that the number of colors a display can present can be increased more than 50 percent,” the press release quotes Queen’s University team lead Dr. Elton Santos as saying. “In practice, this means that we may have a new type of ‘high-definition’ because of the number of color combinations that the material can display. Therefore, the next HD generation is just as close as three to four years away.”

Normally, brightness degrades as quantum dots aggregate forming crystals; however, the AIE process actually achieves higher brightness levels, said Chih-Jen Shih, a professor at ETH Zurich.

To date, the researchers have used the AIE process to create what it said is the brightest green ever achieved by any nanomaterial. When integrated with red and blue, the number of color combinations could exceed the 1 billion colors that are achievable with the latest quantum dot technology due for release to the market, said Santos.

Next up is finding a similar process for blue and red, which will enable the display to replicate all of the colors that can be captured by the human eye, the release said.

The new process, which has been reported in Science Advances, offers the added benefit of being highly energy efficient, added Shangchao Lin, the Florida State University research lead.

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS—While the end result won’t be quite as big as the Great Wall, Quantum Materials Corp. has announced that it has entered into a joint venture with Guanghui Technology Group to build out quantum dot production facilities in China. GTG will invest $20 million to build Quantum Materials QDX facilities and quantum dots application development.

Quantuam Materials Corp CEO Steve Squires

Registered in Hong Kong, the venture will be known as Quantum Materials Asia Co., Ltd. This venture will enable Quantum Materials Asia to supply quantum dots to clients in the display, lighting and solar energy industries by Q3 2016.

Among the materials that will be produced by Quantum Materials Asia is Cadmium free quantum dots.

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – Quantum Materials Corp. has announced that it has entered into a joint development agreement with a global display panel manufacturer. The two companies will collaborate on next-generation quantum dot-based display technologies. Terms and specifics of the agreement were not disclosed.

“Our partners engineering and design teams have proven again and again their ability to develop innovative display solutions using leading-edge technologies and then bring them successfully to market,” said Stephen Squires, CEO and founder of Quantum Materials. “We look forward to working with them to provide the foundation with which they are developing the displays of the future.”

Quantum Materials is a developer of quantum dots and nanomaterials.