Ahead of its time: Samsung’s premium line of 8K TVs

Setting a new benchmark in TV technology, Samsung launched the world’s first QLED 8K TV at Delhi’s DLF Emporio on 4 June. The 8K device, which is way ahead of its time, is being pitched as the latest innovation in consumer electronics. But it has an aesthetic function as well. With this TV, Samsung has aimed for a device that “interacts” with the decor of the living room.

As far as futuristic tech is concerned, this TV checks all the boxes. It has 8K resolution, 8K AI features, 8K Quantum Processor, and Quantum HDR capabilities. The other highlight is its virtually bezel-less frame and no-gap wall mount, making the device blend in with the interiors. In other words, the Samsung QLED 8K TV doubles as an interactive decor piece. With its much-vaunted Ambient Mode, the QLED display can “recreate decorative patterns from your wall to match the vibe of your place,” according to Samsung.

Producer and actress Twinkle Khanna, who is also an interior designer, was the chief guest at the launch event in Delhi. “I remember the days when we had to build cabinets to hide our TVs because they were so big,” she said. “It’s great that Samsung has been listening to its consumers and has introduced a technology that finally looks pleasing to the eye. I love the fact that this TV is thin and smart enough to blend into the wall—it can actually mimic the design of the wall you put it on. I can’t wait to upgrade from my current Samsung 4K TV to an 8K one. I am going to use it as my personal photo album!”

With a view to giving this machine a cleaner look, Samsung engineers created a setup that bids farewell to all those unsightly wires usually seen dangling from TV sets. Barely visible against a bare wall, Samsung’s One Invisible Connection is a single translucent cable that can power a full-sized 8K display. Users can connect various external devices to the TV through Samsung’s media receiver called the One Connect Box.

The QLED 8K TV is available in four sizes—98 inches (247cm), 82 inches (207cm), 75 inches (189cm) and 65 inches (163cm). Its visual capacity goes up to some 33 million pixels, four times the resolution of 4K UHD TVs, and 16 times that of a Full HD TV. These 33 million pixels provide visuals that crystal clear and true to life.

But there aren’t any 8K set top boxes available in India yet. Content-wise, we remain several notches below 8K resolution. To work around that problem, Samsung has introduced 8K AI Upscaling technology in this device. Based on machine learning, this technology can “upscale” the picture and sound quality of any video to 8K levels of excellence, regardless of the quality or format of the original input. This works well with any kind of content streaming service, set-top boxes, HDMI, USB or even mobile mirroring modes.

In an industry first, Samsung is also offering iTunes access and Apple AirPlay 2 support on its 2019 smart TV models. Around 16 models in a range of sizes—from 43 to 98 inches—have been brought out as part of Samsung’s recent QLED lineup.

The premium 8K range is also costly. Samsung’s QLED 8K TVs are priced at Rs 10,99,900 and Rs 16,99,900 for the 75-inch and 82-inch models respectively. The 98-inch (247 cm) variant costs a whopping Rs 59,99,900, and will only be made to order. The price of the 65-inch model, which will be available in July, will be announced soon.