No matter how big the TV screen is, if it doesn’t have the necessary picture quality, users won’t be able to realize the power of the screen. That’s why large-sized TV has inevitably led to the increase in demand for Ultra High Definition (UHD). UHD is a 4K (3,840X2,160) picture quality, which is applied to TVs that measure over 65 inches. The technology is about to take yet another step up as 8K (7,680X4,320) TVs are ready to be commercialized.

But this is an era whereby even the number of pixels isn’t enough in isolation. To produce the best picture quality possible, it’s also important to consider the environment this content will be viewed in and the quality of the original content itself. The paradigm is shifting and it’s vital that all considerations are taken into account to produce an experience that everyone will enjoy.

UHD TV Beyond FHD TV

Worldwide UHD TV sales surpassed FHD (Full High Definition) TV for the first time last year, according to market researcher IHS Markit. It is expected to ship more than 100 million units this year, which is about 45% of the total TV market. In 2022, the proportion of UHD TV is expected to reach 60%.

Samsung UHD TV sales volume is also on the rise. Sales of Samsung UHD TVs in the fourth quarter of last year already exceeded 50% of the total Samsung TV units sold globally. In the first quarter of this year, Samsung UHD TV sales also increased by more than 35% compared to the same period last year.

What is the Standard for Ultra-High-Definition?

In the ultra-high-definition TV market era, standards for judging picture quality are further developing. For example, is a TV able to reproduce colors with real-life brightness, particularly when the normal TV viewing environment is brighter than many would expect? According to the DOE survey, consumers in the U.S. and Europe usually watch TV in a bright environment with an average home illuminance level of 79 lux. Can a TV react and provide an accurate picture in these, and other common viewing use cases?

Experts advise consumers to look beyond the high resolution to see the different factors that cause the difference in brightness, contrast, and content when consumers watch TV. The way consumers view TV and the way experts gauge a TV’s ability to deliver is much more sophisticated than it ever has been. The TV needs to be more versatile because it’s used to do more things. That means Samsung has to be stringent to make sure its QLED products perform not just according to the specifications but also according to real life usage.

Blacks and Colors Transformed

A new criterion for picture quality is color volume, which can measure minute color changes, three-dimensionally, according to varying degrees of brightness. Recently, Verband Deutscher Electrotechnischer (VDE), a well-regarded certification institution in Germany established in 1893, certified QLED TV for 100% color volume for two consecutive years, which is the world’s first and only time a TV has received such a distinction.

QLED TV, based on the metal quantum dot technology, can accurately represent detailed colors that can be hidden from dark or bright images. Brightness can be expressed up to 2,000 knits, which is 3 to 4 times that of conventional TVs, giving a more vivid look to scenes such as sunlight reflecting texture and white snowy landscapes.

Indeed, this year’s Samsung QLED TVs achieves the highest level of contrast ratio by improving the quality of blacks on-screen while maintaining brightness. To create an even more stunning contrast ratio, the TVs feature new Direct Full Array technology, which puts backlit LEDs behind the panel for precise brightness control. By making the LED blocks more than ten times the number of conventional TVs, the light can be adjusted individually to create a subtler difference in black colors. Moreover, it applies the black algorithm that perceives and precisely adjusts black colors, successfully delivering the original detail even in particularly dark scenes.

When watching a dark scene in a bright environment, the reflection of objects around the screen can cause discomfort. QLED TV solved this problem by using Anti-reflection technology. Even under daylight or bright lighting, an anti-reflective screen dramatically reduces glare, allowing one to be more immersed in images regardless of the surroundings.

Along with this, Samsung is also working to expand the ecosystem to upgrade HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, which is an integral function of ultra-definition TV. Since last year, Samsung has been developing HDR10+, which is one step more advanced than HDR10, a standard for realizing HDR video. HDR10+ is a technology that shows optimal contrast ratio for each scene through ‘Dynamic Tone Mapping’ technique which applies different contrast to each scene. The company is expanding its HDR10+ content in cooperation with global companies such as Amazon, 20^th Century Fox, Panasonic and Warner Bros.

AI Upscaling the Content

High quality content is as important as the ultra-high definition TV specification.

Many of the most recognizable names in video content such as Netflix, YouTube and various cable companies already provide UHD content. However, due to the burden of production cost, consumers are not able to enjoy 4K UHD broadcasting content on TV unrestrictedly yet.

The problem here is that if low-quality content is shown on a big screen, the pixels are usually enlarged artificially, causing the picture to shake or lose clarity. Samsung Electronics has solved this problem by installing the ‘4K Q Engine’ based on semiconductor technology on its QLED TV.

‘4K Q Engine’ is a technology that upgrades SD (400,000 pixels) and FHD (2 million pixels) class image to 4K (8 million pixels) class. Based on artificial intelligence, it applies a 5-step algorithm (Image Signal Analysis ▷ Noise Reduction ▷ Improved 1st Detail ▷ 4K Upscaling ▷ Improved 2nd Detail) to improve image quality and express hidden details. In actual comparison, in the FHD image, the part where the light in the night view of the city is clearly separated by the ‘4K Q Engine’.

What’s more, 8K AI Technology will be introduced in the latter half of the year and will offer an even better picture and sound expression.

QLED TV’s dramatically improved picture quality this year has been widely praised by many media outlets including Tech Radar, What Hi-Fi, and AVS Forum. Trusted Reviews gave Samsung’s QLED the Highly Recommended mark and said: “The Samsung QE65Q9FN is the most impressive TV I’ve reviewed in years. It effectively combines the strong brightness and colour of Quantum Dot LED (QLED) with the deep blacks and almost the lighting precision of OLED. That’s a huge deal in a world where you generally choose one or the other.”

“As TVs gradually get larger in size and the competition for premium picture quality becomes fiercer, detailed and subtle image rendering performance is growing in importance,” said Doochan Eum, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “With Samsung QLED TV’s enhanced brightness, contrast, content, we are continuing to provide consumers with a superb immersive viewing experience.”

Research published by Samsung, in partnership with Mindlab International, reveals that watching television content on an UHD TV is 38 percent more immersive than watching on Full HD.

The neuropsychological study – ‘Screen Sensation: The Ultra HD Effect’ – examined the physiological affects of watching UHD TV versus Full HD TV, in order to highlight the technological advancements of the Samsung SUHD TV range. Full HD (also known as 1080p), has over five times as much picture information as standard definition TV, and Ultra high definition (UHD) televisions are capable of displaying pictures with four times the detail of Full HD. The participants, aged 18-65, had electrodes attached to their scalps and were monitored via electroencephalography (EEG), electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate. The subjects watched footage from leading content streaming service Netflix and a European high profile football match, all in UHD and HD. To ensure impartiality, the brand of TV was concealed during the study.

[Samsung compares the body’s physiological response to watching Netflix (Chef’s Table) on a Samsung SUHD television, in comparison to Full High Definition TV.]

The results proved overwhelmingly that UHD TV was more ‘immersive’ than Full HD TV due to a combination of increased approach motivation (a measure associated with being attracted towards something), visual processing and beta power (a measure associated with active thinking or concentration). Immersion is highly increased during experiences like riding a roller coaster, buying a new product or going out on a good date. The fact that watching Samsung SUHD TV increases immersion suggests that it offers a more positive and rich viewer engagement than watching content on a Full HD screen.

The results will also please armchair football commentators, who will be able to feel more like a referee on the pitch, never missing an offside position again. Participants experienced 62 percent higher levels of visual processing when watching football on UHD TV, meaning that the brain is using more of its capacity to process visual information. In turn this mental function delivers a more detailed and richer representation of what’s really happening on the pitch.

During the study, subjects felt 25 percent more ‘in the moment’ when watching something for the first time on the Samsung SUHD TV. Subjects felt more ready to react to what was on the screen, more focused, attentive and concentrated – perfect for action film fans, who want their viewing experience heightened.

[Subjects watch Netflix (Sense8 and Chef’s Table) while being tested by Mindlab International for Samsung’s ‘Screen Sensation: The Ultra HD Effect’ study to examine the body’s physiological response to watching TV in Ultra HD, compared to Full HD.]

Neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis, Chairman of Mindlab International says: “Ultra High Definition TV is a quantum leap in terms of viewing experience – this has been proved by the research we carried out for Samsung. It’s incredible how advancements in technology can create these significant physiological responses and is changing the way we experience content and entertainment.”

Other findings include:

• Participants were significantly more drawn towards content on UHD screens compared to Full HD screens (20 percent difference) – creating a positive emotional reaction
• When watching clips for the second or third time, people watching on UHD screens were more drawn to them than those watching them on HD screens (29 percent difference)

Michael Zoeller, Vice President, European Head of Visual Display at Samsung said: “From global sporting events, to highly anticipated TV series, to blockbuster films, people want to experience the huge variety of premium TV content available on bigger, brighter, crystal clear screens. Samsung is at the very forefront of evolving TV technology, offering the most breath-taking viewing experience possible, in the comfort of people’s homes. This research underlines the power of watching premium quality content on a technologically advanced television, like a Samsung SUHD TV.”

Neil Hunt, Chief Product Officer at Netflix said: “Ultra High Definition is challenging people’s expectations on the quality of television and our own programming is reflecting the leaps forward in picture quality, depth, detail and colour. The reality of TV is becoming sharper, making entertainment more immersive and enjoyable.”

Samsung’s revolutionary Curved SUHD TVs offer the finest UHD picture quality, depth and detail a UHD screen can offer. Ground breaking Nano Crystal Technology creates outstandingly precise, rich colours and brightness, and flat images come to life making entertainment more immersive and enjoyable.