THIS IS QLED TV, Part 5: Spearheading the Big Screen TV Trend

What size will your next TV be? That was the survey question posed in May to members of the AVS forum, an online community and platform for display device professionals. Out of seven hundred respondents, 38 percent chose 70 to 79-inch, while 29 percent selected 60 to 69-inch TVs. More than 90% of the total participants, including these two groups, said they are willing to purchase 60-inch and larger TVs.

A big screen TV is one of the most talked-about items among Korean consumers as well. On Korean online communities, many consumers show excitement for home theater and indicate that they would prefer to stay home and watch 4K movies, instead of going to a movie theater. Others think that construction companies will soon start to sell apartments with a 100-inch or larger TV installed on a wall.

TVs Are Getting Bigger

There is an emerging trend toward larger TVs in the global market. According to several research firms, the average TV size around the world has reached larger than 40-inches as of 2016. That is the biggest average TV size in the history of the market. By 2020, that number is expected to increase to the high forties. The trend is even clearer in some places, such as North America and China. In fact, the average TV size in those markets is expected to be close to 50-inches by then.

Big screen TVs, 50-inch and larger products, are becoming a major trend among consumers worldwide. A quarter of TVs sold in the global market last year were in this category, making up more than half of the total sales. Indeed, the big buck is going toward big screen TVs.

UHD Era Means Going Even Bigger

In 2015, Samsung Newsroom published the article, ‘Hot tips for buying a cool TV’, where we talked about TV size and viewing distance. The best size of a Full HD (FHD) TV is calculated by multiplying 25 by the viewing distance. As for Ultra HD (UHD) TV, multiply by 39. For instance, if the viewing distance is 2 meters, a 78-inch UHD TV is the best choice.

Why should a UHD TV be 1.5 times bigger than a FHD TV? There is a big difference in resolution. A UHD TV has 8 times higher resolution than an HD TV, and 4 times that of a FHD TV. In other words, the number of pixels on an UHD TV is a lot higher than an HD or FHD TV. That is why TV viewers can enjoy clearer images with richer colors that look almost like a real image on a UHD TV without their eyes getting tired easily.

Samsung, the Major Player Leading the Home Theater Era

Samsung has played a leading role in the large screen TV industry for a while. A decade ago from today, it has already launched the 50-inch LCD TV in 2006, and sold the world’s first 70-inch LCD TV in 2007.

As a pioneer of the big screen TV trend, Samsung has recorded a solid market share in the global large screen TV market. According to market research firm NPD, 47.6 percent of 60-inch and larger TVs sold in in the U.S. during the first quarter was a Samsung product¹. The company also recorded that a very similar numerical value in market share was made in the European markets, solidifying Samsung’s position as a leader in the global premium TV market.

Samsung launched the world’s first 70-inch LCD TV and LCD display in 2007. At the time, the TV was about 59 million won (about 51,000 USD)

Samsung’s efforts continue this year as it launches a variety of big screen TV products, giving the consumer an ever wider selection to choose from. Samsung recently launched the 82-inch 2017 UHD TV after introducing 49, 55, 65, and 75 inch models previously. Samsung also launched its 55 and 65-inch QLED TV, Samsung’s premium TV model, followed by a 75-inch version in May. In August, Samsung plans to launch an 88-inch Q9 QLED TV, a model that will lead the big screen market.

“Samsung’s big screen TV products are ahead of their competitors,” said HS Kim, the President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “They are made with the highest ranked technology in the industry and feature design elements that blend in with our lifestyle, giving consumers a whole new home theater experience that they have never seen before.”

The Samsung QLED TV 75-inch models – the Q8, Q9 and Q7

¹The NPD Group, Inc., Retail Tracking Service, U.S., Color Television, Based on dollar volume sales, Jan 2017 – Mar 2017