Samsung Electronics has held its ground as the leader in the global soundbar market for ten consecutive years, from 2014 through 2023, according to the annual report from Futuresource Consulting[1]. The latest data, released on February 29, highlights Samsung’s continuous market leadership, with a 20.3% market share (on a unit basis) and an 18.8% contribution to the industry’s sales volume in 2023.

Samsung has continuously raised the bar for home entertainment systems over the years, earning its soundbars a reputation for superior sound quality and groundbreaking innovation. Signature features such as Q-Symphony[2] and SpaceFit Sound[3] have revolutionised the listening experience, offering users a deeply immersive soundscape that is finely tuned to their listening environments.

This standard of excellence has been recognised by industry experts and reviewers, with T3 awarding the HW-Q990C “Best Soundbar” title for its immersive audio and “exceptional object-based sonics,” and Home Theater Review giving the soundbar an “Editor’s Choice” distinction and commenting: “It sounds excellent, regardless of what type of content you send its way.”

This year, Samsung continues to push the boundaries with its soundbar lineup, introducing AI audio features and connectivity options to captivate consumers and home theater enthusiasts alike.

Samsung Electronics’ 2024 flagship Q-series soundbar HW-Q990D further pushes the boundaries of immersive home audio experience

The flagship Q-series soundbar, HW-Q990D, offers impressive 11.1.4-channel surround sound[4] and an upgraded Q-Symphony feature[5]. Powered by AI, the device analyses and synchronises voice channels for clear dialogues and immersive soundscape across all speakers. Paired with SpaceFit Sound Pro[6] with customised audio calibration, for an immersive experience in virtually any space, while HDMI 2.1[7] and 4K/120Hz passthrough provides connectivity options that meets the demands of modern home entertainment systems.

“We are thrilled to once again be acknowledged as the market leader in soundbars, a milestone that reflects the positive feedback from our customers over the years,” said Cheolgi Kim, EVP of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Building on this success, we will continue to push the boundaries of home entertainment with superior sound quality and advanced connectivity features, leveraging AI-based sound technology to strengthen the consumer experience and Samsung’s position in the global market.”

For more information, visit https://www.samsung.com/au/.

[1] Source – Futuresource Consulting Ltd (Feb 2024). Based on overall soundbar market share by manufacturer on an annual unit & value basis.

[2] Samsung Q-Symphony is compatible with all 2021-2024 Samsung TVs (excluding The Serif & The Sero). Sound effects may vary depending on environmental characteristics (including ceiling). Compared to 2023 Q-Symphony

[3] SpaceFit Sound is compatible with 2021 -2024 QLED Q70 TVs and above. Sound effects and performance may vary depending on environmental characteristics (including ceiling).

[4] Source content must be Dolby Atmos® or DTS:X enabled for Dolby ATMOS® or DTS:X playback. Samsung define “True Dolby Atmos” as featuring an upwards-firing directional speaker for three dimensional sound. Wireless Dolby Atmos transmission via Wi-Fi works with 2022-2024 Samsung TVs (excluding The Frame 32″). Mains power connection required. Sound effects may vary depending on environmental characteristics (including ceiling).

[5] Compared to 2023 Q-Symphony.

[6] Sound effects and performance may vary depending on environmental characteristics (including ceiling). SpaceFit Sound is compatible with 2021 -2024 QLED Q70 TVs and above

[7] TV must support HDMI eARC.

Samsung Electronics Australia has today announced the launch of its 2019 home entertainment range, including new QLED 4K and Australia’s first 8K TVs. The 2019 QLED range features more screen size options, stunning picture quality enhancements, stunning colours from wider viewing angles, exciting new design elements and intuitive smart TV upgrades.

Jeremy Senior, Head of Consumer Electronics at Samsung Australia said: “Our 2019 home entertainment range has been designed for Australians who want the best combination of picture and sound quality, smart TV capabilities and design.

“Samsung Electronics has been the world’s number one TV manufacturer for 13 consecutive years¹. During this time, our TVs have continued to raise the bar in an effort to deliver the best in home entertainment.

“Big screen TVs have become the norm in many Australian homes and with bigger screens comes the need for clearer, more detailed pictures. We need to continue to deliver a premium picture quality to match the size of these televisions. We’re excited to be the first to bring 8K technology into Australian homes through our QLED 8K range delivering detail, depth and immersion like never before².”

Picture

The 2019 QLED range is anchored by Quantum Dot technology which can maintain colour integrity even at high levels of brightness – without looking washed out. The range also incorporates HDR10+ and Ultra Bright technology³ to manage the TV’s contrast and colour. Brightness levels are optimised to help ensure content is displayed beautifully and consistently in almost any lighting conditions. Glare is actively reduced by Samsung’s enhanced Anti-Glare technology, featured on the Q80 and above QLED TVs, helping Australians to enjoy an immersive viewing experience at any time of day – even in sun-filled rooms.

As part of Samsung’s commitment to continually improve its QLED technology, Q80 and above QLED TV models⁴ now feature Wide Viewing Angle technology. This innovation introduces a new panel layer to reflect light further outwards from the ‘sweet spot’ directly in front of the TV, reducing colour shift and blooming effects to viewers at extreme angles at the sides of the screen. In addition Direct Full Array Elite is now available in more QLED TVs than ever before, being introduced on the 2019 Q75 and above models⁵. Direct Full Array Elite allows for precise backlighting control when paired with advanced picture mastering algorithms such as those produced by Samsung’s Quantum Processor, providing viewers with deep, rich black levels for colours that truly come alive.

Smart

The 2019 TV range is the most intelligent Samsung has ever produced, leveraging Samsung’s global market leadership in semiconductor technology to produce the Quantum Processor with AI technology to introduce a series of new features designed to optimise the viewing experience for Australians. This includes the addition of Intelligent Mode to adjust content, screen brightness, sound and volume levels to the scene being played as well as the ambient light levels in the room.

Samsung’s AI Upscaling uses a database of millions of low- and high-resolution video clips analysed by machine learning to create unique formulae to detect and restore edges, recreate unique textures to help reduce visible picture noise from low resolution content sources⁶. Adaptive Brightness Control uses an inbuilt ambient brightness sensor to detect light levels in the room and adjust the brightness of the content on-screen for a great viewing experience at any time of day. Adaptive Sound analyses frequencies scene-by-scene to optimise the balance between music, dialogue and action – as well as using the in-built equaliser to regulate volume, particularly handy for loud advertisement breaks in free to air content.

This new innovation is in addition to Samsung’s established and critically-acclaimed Smart TV platform, which automatically recognises compatible sources like a range of gaming consoles, set-top boxes, and 4K Blu-ray players, enabling users to seamlessly control them using the elegant ‘One Remote Control’⁷.

Taking this intelligence further, 2019 RU8000 and above TVs⁸ work with Bixby, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple Airplay 2 (coming second half of 2019)⁹ so you can control your connected home, your way.

The new Bixby feature gives users the ability to easily access the content they want from popular applications such as YouTube and Netflix via voice command¹⁰, including using the Google search engine to perform conversational Q&A functionality helping users search for content they might like based on their previous viewing habits and preferences.

As announced at CES 2019, Samsung will take the user experience to the next level by offering Apple TV support on 2019 Samsung Smart TV models. Support on 2018 Samsung Smart TVs will be made available via firmware update in the second half of 2019. Once available, with the new Apple TV app on Samsung Smart TVs, Samsung customers will be able access their existing iTunes library and browse the iTunes Store to buy or rent from a selection of hundreds of thousands of movies and TV episodes — including a very large selection of 4K HDR movies.

“We believe in offering Australians choice by providing a range of solutions so they can pick the one best suited to their lifestyle,” said Senior. “Whether that’s choosing between 8K or 4K, selecting their favourite voice assistant, or exploring which content to settle into after a long day.”

Style

As TVs grow larger, so does their presence in the room. This year Samsung continues to offering more functionality for when the TV is on and when it is not being used. Ambient Mode returns to the entire QLED range, offering a greater variety of image and information options, giving Australians more ways to ensure their TV blends into their environment. A vast new array of themes are now also available, which allows users to decorate their indoor environment and atmosphere based on their preferences. Australians can now customise Ambient Mode to their surroundings by taking a photo on their smartphone of their furniture, and watching the colours come alive. An automatic light control sensor mounted on the TV provides optimal brightness for the surrounding environment to help reduce power consumption.

For those looking for a clean set up with no more messy cables, Samsung’s unique One Clear Cable will be available on selected models¹¹, combining the source cables and power into one thin, translucent five-metre cord that, when connected to the One Connect Box, offers more freedom to decide where and how to place the TV. Adding to the premium design ethos is the Slim Fit Wall-Mount, which hides the body of the wall-mount inside the TV chassis helping rest the wall-mounted TV snug to the wall – allowing it to seamlessly blend into the room around it.

Samsung’s One Remote Control has also received an upgrade, it continues to express its simple features for ease of use and now includes a dedicated button to access Netflix, Amazon Prime and the TV’s Web Browser.

Soundbars

Following the success of the award winning¹² N950 soundbar, Samsung is expanding its range of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X capable soundbars with the Q Series. The Q70 soundbar introduces brand new innovation, combining Samsung’s innovative Acoustic Beam technology and object-based sound to deliver true Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound from only the single soundbar. The listening experience from a Samsung soundbar is also enhanced via Samsung’s new Adaptive Sound, 4K HDR10+ pass through and availability to pair with wireless rear speakers on every soundbar in the range¹³.

“Vision and sound are both essential ingredients in creating the ultimate home viewing experience,” explained Senior. “At Samsung, we believe our innovations in both categories can be combined to create an immersive experience that delivers Australians’ favourite content.”

The 2019 Q Series Soundbars are compatible with Amazon Alexa to help you control your TV using the SmartThings App so you can manage your entertainment using only your voice.

It’s not always just about movies – all models in the 2019 Q Series Soundbar range feature a dedicated Game Mode to help players feel part of the game, helping them to hear their opponents coming thanks to clear directional sound. This perfectly complements the 2019 TV range’s own Game Mode, which reduces input lag without causing a dip in brightness. Combined, these are designed to give players the ultimate competitive gaming edge.

Samsung’s innovative approach to audio technology begins at the world-class Audio R&D Lab in Los Angeles, California. Samsung’s Q Series Soundbars have also received testing by harman / kardon, further continuing the collaboration between the two brands, applying harman / kardon’s 65 years of audio expertise to Samsung’s cutting-edge audio technology.

Pricing and Availability

Samsung’s 2019 TV range will be available through a variety of retail outlets nationally from 1st April with the following recommended retail prices.

¹ No. 1 in TV sales for 13 consecutive years by HIS Markit
² Native 8K content is currently very limited. Picture quality of upscaled content will vary depending on the quality and resolution of source content.
³ Available across the QLED range only
⁴ Wide angle viewing technology available on Q80, Q90 and Q900
⁵ Direct Full Array now available on Q75, Q80, Q90 and Q900
⁶ Picture quality of upscaled content will vary depending on the quality and resolution of source content.
⁷ Please refer to www.samsung.com/au/tvs/one-remote-device-list/ for a list of compatible devices.
⁸ Bixby, Google, Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple Airplay 2 available on RU8000, Q60, Q75, Q80, Q90 and Q900
⁹ Apple Airplay 2 service compatibility will be made available via OTN software update in the second half of 2019. Apps and services may be subject to change.
¹⁰ Internet required. Data and subscription charges may apply. Apps and services may be subject to change.
¹¹ One Clear Cable available on Q80, Q90 and Q900
¹² Sound & Image Awards 2019: Product of the Year, Best Soundbar
¹³ Included with Q90 or available to purchase separately