Not only do movie theaters provide lifelike pictures and visuals in ultra-high resolution, but they also control the amount of ambient light in the room in order to highlight the scene shown on the screen. Given that these theaters are built specially to provide such conditions, the at-home experience is never quite the same given that it is harder to control the amount of light in a room depending on the time of day.

But what if we were able to replicate the picture quality at home the way a content creator intended it to be seen? How can we bring the movie theater experience home?

The answer lies within Samsung Electronics’ 2021 Neo QLED TVs, which come with the latest HDR10+ Adaptive standard. Not only do the TVs provide premium viewing experiences, but they are also able to optimize the picture quality regardless of any reflection, luminance and interference brought about by the indoor lighting condition. Samsung Newsroom has pulled the curtains back to find out what HDR10+ Adaptive is and just how it works.

True-to-Life Picture Quality for Impactful Viewing

Unlike movie theaters, the at-home TV viewing environment can change from moment to moment depending on the change of day to night, lighting, interference and the reflection of light.

HDR10+ is the latest advanced High Dynamic Range technology, which Samsung has been incorporating into their UHD and above TVs since 2017 and is also featured in the 2021 Neo QLED TVs. It intelligently adapts your TV to optimally display UHD content the way it was meant to be seen with all the true-to-life highlight and shadow details. HDR10+ uses dynamic tone mapping to enhance the color and contrast and directs the screen to accurately display high dynamic range content on a scene-by-scene or even on a frame-by-frame basis.

HDR10+ is a royalty-free, open standard, accessible to any device maker to adopt and certify their own compatible devices using HDR10+ metadata syntax. This means that Samsung has been able to build complete control over on-screen picture quality into their TV lineup for true-to-life viewing experiences. HDR10+’s metadata also offers flexible reference tone and mapping curve definition for content creators, such as film producers and engineers, allowing them to deliver more impactful images exactly as they intend them to be seen.

AI Analysis for Optimum Experiences Even in Home Lighting Conditions

Samsung’s 2021 TV lineup also supports HDR10+ Adaptive, a technology that improves the HDR10+ viewing experience in users’ homes regardless of the lighting conditions. Samsung’s 2021 TVs come with the HDR10+ Adaptive standard which supports Filmmaker Mode¹ and adapts to brighter rooms so that customers can enjoy true cinematic experiences when viewing HDR10+ movies and television programs in various environments at home.

On the 2021 Neo QLED TVs, HDR10+ Adaptive harnesses its AI engine to analyze the viewing environment, including the lighting, brightness and even reflections using the sensors equipped on the TV. The results are then incorporated into the dynamic metadata, and then through four further steps, the brightness and contrast of a scene are optimized. HDR standards are typically designed with a dark room in mind, similar to that of a movie theater. However, with HDR10+ Adaptive, viewers are guaranteed to see the original creators’ intent regardless of the lighting condition or the time of the day.

Youngwook Son, an engineer at the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, has been spearheading the development of the feature with his team. “HDR10+ is a premium feature that is geared to optimize the TV’s picture quality by fine-tuning the scene while preserving the original creator’s creative direction. HDR10+ Adaptive takes this one step further by allowing the TV to optimize the picture based on the surrounding lighting conditions, finally allowing TVs to provide a similar viewing experience to those found in dark environments, such as movie theaters.”

HDR10+ Marks Its Two-Year Anniversary with 120 Partners and Over 2,000 HDR10+ Content

The HDR10+ standard was introduced 2 years ago and now has 120 related partners. HDR10+ has robust support across the industry, with several thousand different products from multiple manufacturers offering HDR10+ supported devices. Currently, over 3,100 different TVs and projectors from more than 20 manufacturers support HDR10+. Furthermore, devices including smartphones, tablets and Blu-ray players also support the standard.

Streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Rakuten TV, Megogo, Watcha, Paramount+, YouTube and others have helped make accessible thousands of hours of premium content, delivering a wide array of viewing choices to certified HDMI devices, including the Paramount+ Original Series “The Stand” and Universal’s iconic Back to the Future Trilogy. There are now over 2,000 pieces of content available to users that support the HDR10+.

HDR10+ is the only dynamic HDR technology supported on YouTube, which provides content creators and viewers alike with the unique opportunity to have the access to enhanced, premium HDR content right at their fingertips. With the rise of vertical video production and consumption, the standard gives content creators a unique opportunity to film and view user-generated content across any HDR10+ device.

“There are numerous technologies involved in creating the perfect scenes for the ultimate viewing experience,” noted Younghun Choi, EVP and Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “HDR10+ Adaptive is one of the core technologies that enable us to enjoy the pristine picture quality that we enjoy watching today. Samsung will continue to invest and upgrade users’ viewing experiences in line with the latest technological advancements and trends in the home entertainment industry.”

¹ Filmmaker Mode is a viewing mode, which allows viewers to enjoy movies and TV shows the way the filmmakers intended them to be seen. Various Hollywood directors, including Christopher Nolan and James Cameron, are known to have advocated for the feature in August 2019.

▲ (From left) Taejin Hong and Woomin Lee of Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display TV Product Planning CX Team

Every day, Samsung Electronics’ engineers and product planners work together to the end of creating products that are as fresh as they are innovative and groundbreaking. Their mission is no simple one: to introduce new ideas and advancements in technology while raising the bar, year after year.

Since the first introduction of the flagship QLED TV in 2017, Samsung’s product planners have been responsible for the introduction of countless innovations, ideas and partnerships with the goal of bringing users the tailored, true-to-life viewing experiences they expect.

As Samsung celebrates its 15^th year as the number one global TV leader, no product better demonstrates cutting-edge product innovation of the company’s teams quite like the 2021 Neo QLED. In order to learn more about the development of the 2021 Neo QLED lineup, Samsung Global Newsroom sat down with two members of Samsung Visual Display’s TV Product Planning CX team, Taejin Hong and Woomin Lee.

Innovation That Understands the User

“Consumers expect new and exciting products every year, but there is a lot of competition out there,” noted Hong. “Many brands have TVs that are of the same size as Samsung’s, and also claim to have many of the same features and resolution, so central to our product development is breaking through the competition by really focusing on providing the most optimized user experiences for our Neo QLED lineup,” he added.

Central, then, to the teams’ QLED strategy direction is the user. “Recently, we have seen a dramatic shift in what consumers are looking and asking for,” highlighted Hong. “Users are moving away from specs and feeds to upgrades that are centered around personalized viewing experiences, design, and true-to-life picture quality.”

In order to realize this, both Hong and Lee stressed that timely feedback from real users as well as the market at large is critical. “It is so important for us to receive timely input and feedback from our customers, retailers, and behavioral experts in order for us to fully understand the most up-to-date TV trends,” noted Lee. “For our 2021 lineup, we focused on developing a new viewing experience that reflects the challenging and unprecedented times of late, one that is centered around hyper-personalized screens.”

Incorporating the New Normal Into TV Development

Not only has the recent global situation completely transformed the way users are interacting with their TVs, but it has also had an effect on the way TV product planning is carried out. “Traditionally, large trade shows such as CES and IFA serve as perfect opportunities for us to gather industry feedback, while in-person sales provide on-site consumer feedback,” explained Hong. “Since both of these opportunities have been off the table since early last year, we had to create a new internal meeting system that is both timely and agile enough to provide us with feedback from various regional offices regarding their local situations. This system incorporates touchpoints with vendors, partners, retailers, and customers, and allows us to easily communicate with all those on-site and helps us respond effectively to the changing landscape.”

Since its launch in 2017, the QLED lineup has taken the premium TV market by the storm. Last year, QLED sales reached 7.79 million units, accounting for 35.5% of total Samsung TV sales. The company’s 2021 Neo QLED lineup, recently launched across various regions throughout March and April, has also provided valuable insight for the planning teams. “In Korea alone, our Neo QLED TV sales have reached 20,000 units in under two months since product launch,” said Lee. “This speaks volumes to the importance of market research and timely consumer feedback.”

This new way of working, of course, comes with as many challenges as it does opportunities. “The number of meetings and calls we have held with regional product managers, retailers, and engineers around the world has more than doubled in the past year,” highlighted Hong. “Further to this, we have been actively carrying out surveys and research into our consumers and their ever-changing TV usage habits.” But this hard work has paid off, as noted by Hong: “The pandemic has been a challenge for all, but it has also provided us with a valuable opportunity to look back at what truly matters for both us and our users.”

Harnessing Teamwork to Adapt to the Latest Trends

There is no denying that mainstream consumer TVs are becoming larger in size and that the standards for picture quality are becoming higher than ever before. However, the recent shifts in TV and behavioral trends have seen Samsung’s product planners lean towards developing hyper-personalized screens able to fit into individual consumer lifestyles.

“The past few years have been a period of introspection for a lot of people and self-improvement has become the force driving many purchases around the world,” said Lee. “According to a Salesforce report, 5 out of 10 consumers responded that they would consider swapping out a product for a different brand if it doesn’t deliver a truly personalized experience.”

But this change in behavioral trends has not resulted in a complete transformation of the team’s strategy planning. “Picture quality and design have been our top priorities since the launch of our first TV, and changing consumer usage patterns, along with the increased need to provide a one-of-a-kind experience, are what ultimately led to the creation of this year’s Neo QLED lineup,” explained Lee.

Samsung’s Neo QLED 43-inch model was also created through this multifaceted way of thinking. “Initially, we had not considered developing any sizes below 55 inches for the QLED lineup given the industry trend that saw consumers embracing larger screen models,” noted Hong. “However, following a study we undertook, we learned that there is also a growing demand for ‘second’ screens and more personalized screens used within office settings as well as family and gaming settings.”

According to the study undertaken by Samsung, the advent of the ‘new normal’ that has seen consumers spending more and more time at home has seemed to accelerate different consumer TV use cases and there has been an uptick in interest in smaller screens. “We have seen an increased demand for smaller and medium-sized screens,” said Lee. “But when it comes to developing these smaller TVs, it is not just a question of simply shrinking the size. Every piece of engineering must be adjusted for a differently-shaped model, and everything from the supply chain to the production line must be customized for each product.” In the end, teamwork brought it all together: “We quickly got together with the engineering team and started developing the smaller flagship models for release this year – teamwork at its finest!”

Developing Neo QLED to Be the Ultimate Entertainment Hub

“Another exciting trend we have noticed since the beginning of 2020 is that a lot of people are playing more games, be it on their mobile, computer or on their TV,” noted Hong. According to a recent report from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), there are approximately 214 million gamers in the U.S. alone, with 75% of households having at least one member actively playing games on a regular basis.

“Gaming has become a fun group activity during the pandemic, particularly for those looking to connect with others,” highlighted Hong. “Naturally, we incorporated this trend into our latest products to provide a one-of-a-kind gaming experience. Such dedicated features on the 2021 Neo QLED include Super Ultra-wide Game View and the all-new Game Bar gaming interface – all while maintaining one of the lowest input lags in each TV category.”

Hong, in particular, is a fan of these game-centric additions to the QLED lineup. “Personally, I enjoy the Super Ultra-wide Game View feature, which enables gamers to experience ultra-wide gaming. It is a feature completely new to TVs with its 21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratios, and this expanded field of view is great for finding hidden items or discovering enemies lurking in the corner while gaming.”

Maintaining the Samsung Legacy of Superior Picture Quality and Design

Both Hong and Lee agree that the latest Neo QLED lineup would be nothing without the past 15 years of display innovation. “At the end of the day, the QLED’s new features and product differentiation strategy wouldn’t lead to much without our solid foundation in picture quality and design,” highlighted Hong.

Lee, who has led QLED usage studies in global markets, agreed that this was a universal trend that continues to guide consumer choice. “The Neo QLED lineup is a product that reflects a meticulous study of user behaviors and priorities,” he noted. “We realize that there are many factors to consider when looking to purchase a new TV, but at the end of the day, it is the superb image quality and sleek design offered by Samsung TVs that provide the most satisfaction to our customers.”

The Neo QLED line represents the very latest iteration of this foundational excellence. “In particular, our Neo QLED TVs are equipped with Quantum Matrix Technology and Neo Quantum Processors, which enhance the picture quality through cutting-edge upscaling technology that harness Quantum Mini LEDs that are 1/40 the size of conventional LEDs,” explained Lee. “These technologies are a culmination of the industry’s peak technological advancements all working together to bring unrivaled picture quality to users in any viewing environment.”

The innovative Quantum Mini LEDs featured in the 2021 Neo QLED lineup in fact played a very important role in design upgrades. “It is only fitting that, with such stunning picture quality and immersive audio experiences, we would also look to enhance the TV’s design,” explained Hong. “Due to the size of the Quantum Mini LEDs, we were able to modify the TV’s form factor to possess a slim and minimalistic design. It is a modern accent piece suited for any interior, all thanks to Samsung’s engineering mastery.”

Looking to 2022 – and Beyond

“I think the fact that we have been able to win over consumers for the past 15 years is a testament to Samsung’s dedication and commitment to developing products that are in line with consumers’ needs,” noted Lee. “In particular, ever since the introduction of our QLED lineup in 2017, we have seen a rapid increase in market share in the premium TV segment, which we are very proud of.”

Based on the success of Neo QLED, Samsung’s TV product planning team is in the midst of developing yet another impressive and groundbreaking product lineup for 2022. “There is truly never a dull moment during the development cycle,” noted Lee. “We are already very excited for our 2022 lineup, and we hope that it will see us extend our No. 1 title in the global TV market through 2022 for a 16-year streak.”

The newly certified Wi-Fi 6E technology is designed to use 6GHz frequency in combination with the existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. Now, select Samsung Neo QLED 8K TVs can support larger bandwidth loads, process faster multi-gigabit data, enable low latency and provide reliable and secure connectivity. In addition, Wi-Fi 6E technology will be further implemented into existing and future TV portfolios, given the breadth and depth of the technology’s use cases today and in forthcoming applications.

As TVs and mobile devices continue to evolve into connectivity hubs for consumers across a variety of lifestyle routines, demand for handling high data capacity has increased. Whether streaming 4K and 8K high-definition videos or enjoying VR content and high-performance games, Samsung’s Neo QLED 8K TVs with Wi-Fi 6E support are for consumers looking for premium viewing experiences at home.

“As the global leader in the TV industry, Samsung is proud to have achieved the world’s first Wi-Fi 6E certification on our TVs,” said Younghun Choi, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “With a growing set of immersive content experiences and features across the home, the certification provides Neo QLED 8K TV owners with even better access to the things they love to do.”

¹ Versus Wi-Fi 5. Availability may vary by region and carrier

Earlier this year, Samsung Electronics debuted its 2021 Neo QLED lineup. Leading business and consumer technology publications have already awarded the lineup top honors, highlighting the televisions’ exceptional picture quality, sound innovations and design upgrades.

The Neo QLED portfolio – which includes 4K and 8K models – delivers an entirely new kind of display technology. The introduction of this technology emphasizes not only Samsung’s rich engineering and innovation heritage, but also its commitment to new advancements in accessibility and sustainability that are redefining how consumers use their TVs in their homes.

Complementing their vivid picture quality, Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs feature a premium Infinity One Design and Object Tracking Sound Pro that ensure that the TVs look and sound incredible from every angle. Neo QLEDs also carry Samsung’s award-winning Tizen operating system, which now offers new smart features like Samsung Smart Trainer to enhance the Samsung Health feature and new tools to optimize the gaming experience.

Here are some of the early reviews and reactions to the 2021 lineup:

Samsung’s flagship 4K Neo QLED TV, the QN90A, received top honors from Forbes in a review that highlighted how the TV’s processing capabilities offer almost three-dimensional detail and a top-of-the-line gaming experience. The outlet noted that “The 65QN90A’s upscaling is almost unfathomably good,” and praised, “the eye-popping beauty of the QN65QN90A’s gaming images.”

TechRadar also praised Samsung’s Neo QLED technology, awarding the QN95A a five-star review and the distinction of ‘Editor’s Choice’. The publication commented that, “Samsung’s first foray into Mini LED is a resounding success, with this Neo QLED TV.”

Techaeris applauded Samsung’s QN800A 8K Neo QLED TV for its “stunning picture quality” and smart features. The outlet noted that “Multi-View is especially useful for gamers” as it offers users new ways to play through difficult levels while taking advantage of top-notch picture quality and processing.

Video Magazin rated Samsung’s QN900A 8K Neo QLED, 966 out of 1,030 points in its review – the highest score the outlet has ever granted in the TV category. The outlet noted: “Samsung proves time and again that you can still achieve a lot of additional quality with technical refinements and elaborate innovations – now with mini-LEDs.” The QN900A was given three awards with distinction in the following categories: Reference, Innovation and Design Tip.

For more information on Samsung’s award-winning 2021 Neo QLED 8K and 4K TV lineups along with the company’s other leading TV and audio innovations, visit Samsung’s TV and Audio product page.

Four models from the 2021 Neo QLED lineup (QN900, QN800, QN90, QN85) received the certification, a distinction given for ‘Low Input Lag’ and ‘HDR with brightness of higher than 1,000 nits.’ Each of the TVs went through a rigorous testing process, ultimately earning the certification for less than 10ms of input lag during every scene of gameplay. Input lag refers to the period of time from when an electrical signal is sent from the game pad to when it is displayed on the screen. A TV with lower input lag will provide gamers with a more immersive gaming experience.

In addition, Samsung’s Neo QLED also received the certification for HDR with brightness over 1,000 nits. FreeSync Premium Pro also adds to the HDR support, making bright scenes brighter and dark scenes darker to offer optimized contrast. HDR technology is often considered as one of the most important features among gamers.

Apart from low input lag and HDR support with brightness of higher than 1,000 nits, Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs also reflect a number of new and exciting gaming features.

Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs deliver more accurate details, deeper blacks and incredible color expression due to their 100% color volume and 12-bit backlight control. Wide Game View and Game Bar, both industry firsts, deliver a broader viewing experience with 21:9 and 32:9, and the ability to quickly check a variety of gaming information.

In addition, Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs deliver fast game motion at 120Hz with Motion Xcelerator Turbo+, even during gameplay with fixed UI. Sound has also been enhanced through AI-based surround-sound and object tracking sound (OTS+), delivering the ultimate immersive gaming experience.

Yonghoon Choi, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics said, “An increasing number of gamers look for large screen displays with high-end picture quality when shopping for a TV, and Samsung continues to lead the TV-focused gaming experience.”

For more information on Samsung’s 2021 Neo QLED TV, please visit www.samsung.com.

With its innovative television solutions, Samsung, the leader of the global TV market for the past 15 straight years, is realizing ‘A Better Normal’ in users’ actual lives. In part two of this series, Samsung Newsroom looks at how global trends and innovative products like Samsung’s television line-up have come to shape the very ways consumers live their lives.

How Lifestyle TVs Reflect Our Distinct Lives

Contemporary users spend a lot of time with their TVs. Thus, it is important that they select a TV that is a match for their individual lifestyle. According to its product development philosophy, which prioritizes ‘respect for all users’ preferences’, Samsung has developed innovations in fields ranging from screen design to user experience. And with Samsung opening the door to an era of more flexible and customizable lifestyle televisions, users no longer need to match their lifestyles to their TVs.

One initial aspect that Samsung analyzed was distinct patterns across different generations and lifestyles. A variety of lifestyles were taken into consideration in order to develop products that would fit a range of needs. For example, The Sero, a Samsung TV capable of alternating between vertical and horizontal orientation, was launched to meet the needs of a Millennial generation that enjoys consuming mobile content. Likewise, The Serif, a TV with an iconic design, was developed to satisfy those who value aesthetic appeal. The Frame, a TV that can be hung like a piece of artwork, is for those who prioritize artistic appeal.

The Premiere, an ultra-short throw (UST) projector which transforms the home into a theater, is another case in point. This industry’s first triple laser projector with 4K resolution and Smart TV UI delivers a remarkable in-home cinema viewing experience. Samsung went even further in meeting a range of diverse user needs with The Terrace, an outdoor TV that allows users to expand their home entertainment experiences to the outdoors.

Bigger is Better: The Trends Behind the Evolution of Premium TVs

Formerly minor facets of our lives like home training, telecommuting, and remote learning have become major parts of our regular routines recently. As we are required to spend more time indoors, more people are both working and playing from home, making our screens our windows to the wider world. Thus, more and more users have been investing in larger screens and premium televisions, with the popularization of various OTT services also contributing to this. Last year, experts forecasted that sales of large-screen TVs (over 75” in size) and 8K-resolution TVs would rise by 22% and 118% respectively this year.¹

Samsung Electronics took this trend into account too, diversifying its QLED TV model lineup to include 85, 75, 65, and 55-inch options. To further satisfy users with diverse expectations of large-screen TV functionality, Samsung also implemented 8K maximum resolution on the televisions and maintained a keen emphasis on sound quality. In particular, Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound (OTS) technology, a dynamic sound feature that corresponds to the movement of objects on screen, allows users to experience more realistic sounds while consuming their content. To further deliver optimized gaming performance, Samsung has also partnered with AMD to develop the first TVs with Freesync Premium Pro support for both PC and console games in its 2021 Neo QLED and QLED lineup.

These days users can experience the very best in displays from the comfort of their homes. For instance, the MICRO LED 110” model that Samsung unveiled in December 2020 breaks new ground in the premium display domain by showing users just how attractive a large-screen TV can be. The MICRO LED uses micrometer-sized LED lights to eliminate the backlight and color filters utilized in conventional displays. It is self-illuminating, producing stunningly lifelike colors and brightness through its 24 million individually controlled LEDs. The display’s Monolith design, defined by its screen-to-body ratio of over 99%, additionally allows it to fit naturally anywhere in the home. The new Multi View feature, which allows users to watch up to four different content sources simultaneously, is also available on Samsung’s MICRO LEDs.

Eco-Friendly – From Manufacturing to Disposal

When it comes to the environment, Samsung has adopted eco-friendly policies that cover the lifecycle of its TV products, beginning with the manufacturing stage. The use of recycled plastic materials has been applied to certain products in the manufacturing process, and the company’s Eco-Packaging, which sees previously discarded packaging materials upcycled, has been implemented. First used for 2020 lifestyle TVs, Samsung is now extending this packaging scheme to the entire 2021 TV lineup.

The company has also introduced Solar Cell Remote Controls, which can be recharged by indoor light, outdoor light or via USB. These remote controls will be featured with all 2021 Neo QLED models, removing the need for disposable batteries.

Samsung’s ‘Screens Everywhere, Screens for All’ vision aims to not only provide the best screen experience for all users, but to contribute to realizing a sustainable future. Looking forward, Samsung Electronics will continue working to provide optimal display solutions and create people-centered innovations while catering to ever-changing environments and trends.

¹ Market research firm OMDIA forecasted that, in 2021, shipments of large-screen TVs (over 75” in size) would reach 7.62 million units, a 22% increase over the 6.27 million units last year. It also predicted that 8K TV shipments would reach 571 thousand units in 2021, surpassing the 262 thousand units in 2020.

All of the Samsung 2021 QLED models that have completed the testing have  received¹ the comprehensive ‘Eye Care’ certification which includes ‘Safety for Eyes’, ‘Gentle to the eyes’, flicker level,² uniformity³ and color fidelity⁴ assessments.

‘Safety for Eyes’ certification is assigned to products with the levels of emission of blue light, ultraviolet rays, and infrared rays that fall into the ‘Exempt Group’ according to classification of emission limits set by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

‘Gentle to the eyes’ certification proves that the amount of melatonin suppression from a device meets the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) standard.

IEC is an international standards organization that prepares and publishes international standards for electrical, electronic products and related technologies. CIE is the international authority on light, illumination, color and color spaces.

Through the certification, Samsung’s QLED TVs have also been recognized for meeting the standards of picture quality uniformity and color fidelity, both elements of which evaluate content delivery performance.

Yonghoon Choi, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics said, “As the global TV industry leader of 15 years’ standing, Samsung is fully committed to developing products that not only offer excellent picture quality, but are also human-centric.”

¹ Series QN900, QN800, QN90/95, QN85, Q80, Q70, Q60

² According to International Electrotechnical Commission(IEC) standard

³ According to International Standard Organization(ISO) standard

⁴ According to Information Display Measurement Standard(IDMS) standard