When it comes to the state of the current TV market, it’s clear that consumers are after larger screens, a trend driven by rising income levels and changing consumer expectations. Recent years have seen the standard for what constitutes a large screen TV change. Whereas previously, large screen TVs were classified as measuring 55-inch. Now, that classification has crept up to TVs over 65- or 75- inch in size, with the super large category also now a category in its own right.

Rapid Growth of Large-sized TV Market

While growth in the overall global TV market has plateaued, sales of larger screen TVs 65-inch and over has grown by more than 30 percent in recent years. According to research firm IHS Markit, the market volume of 65-inch and over TVs was 8 million in 2016 and increased to 11.4 million in 2017. This year, market volume is expected to reach 16 million units.

The market for extra-large, or above 75-inch, TVs is expected to experience even more pronounced growth of 47% this year, a key reason why Samsung has made this segment a core focus area. In the first quarter of this year, the company’s global sales of 65-inch and larger TVs increased over 35% year over year. In the same period, sales of Samsung TVs in the South American market spiked nearly four times, and the demand for large-sized Samsung TVs almost doubled in Korea.

Almost Half of 75-inch TVs Sold Worldwide Made by Samsung

In 2017, Samsung Electronics maintained its top ranking in the worldwide TV market for the 12th consecutive year, with more than 20% market share last year.

Samsung’s presence is even more noticeable in the fast-growing, large-sized TV market. The company is leading the worldwide market of 65-inch and over TVs, with 31.1% share of total number of units sold and 34.1% share for total sales last year, according to IHS Markit.

The share is even higher for 75-inch and larger TVs, reaching up to 47.4% share based on number of units sold. This means that one out of every two extra-large TVs sold worldwide is a Samsung TV. The popularity of Samsung TVs is particularly noteworthy in Europe and Latin America, where the company holds almost 60% of market share.

For the overall 75-inch and larger TV market, there was almost three times sales growth in the first half of this year, as compared to the same period last year. To meet and hone in on the growing customer demand in this segment, Samsung has strengthened its 75-inch and larger TV lineup in the four series lines (Q6F, Q7F, Q8C, Q9F) of the 2018 QLED TV portfolio.

QLED Leads Larger TV Market with Aims to Double its Growth

Samsung’s 2018 QLED TV lineup has received strong reception since its global launch in March this year, for example experiencing a sevenfold increase in number of units sold in the first four weeks following launch in the United States compared to last year. In China and South Korea, sales volume doubled in the first quarter of 2018, compared to the fourth quarter of last year.

Samsung will continue its growth in both sales and innovation involving QLED TV.  Samsung’s 2018 QLED TV lineup has incorporated various additional functions to optimize high-resolution content for a very large screen, delivering a mesmerizing, immersive experience. Among other standout features, Samsung’s QLED TV is the world’s only TV delivering 100% color volume, and has been upgraded with technologies such as ‘Anti-reflection’ so users can enjoy pure blacks without reflection. ‘HDR 2000’ enhances the level of brightness and expressed detail, and 4K Q Engine, automatically upscales content to 4K resolution, optimizing the content for the big screen.

Samsung QLED TV has also been designed with convenience in mind and reflecting consumer needs with features such as artificial intelligence based on Bixby and SmartThings App, the One Invisible Connection that combines complex connection lines into a single cable, and Ambient mode which enables the TV to depict images and information, even when the TV is off.

“With the very full major sporting events line up this year, including 2018 World Cup Russia and the Asian Games, we expect the demand for large-sized TVs to grow rapidly,” said Jongsuk Chu, Senior Vice President of Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics. “This year, for QLED TVs, we aim to double growth, as well as continue our leadership in the global TV market by driving the ultra-large TV market.”

In 2006, the beginning of Samsung’s market-leading run, the company laid the foundation for a new era of TV design with the unveiling of the Bordeaux, an LCD display with an elegant, wine glass-inspired form. Since then, Samsung TVs have become synonymous for pairing refined designs, like the Bordeaux’s, with first-of-their-kind innovations that take the viewing experience to new heights.

For example, in 2009, Samsung launched the world’s first edge-lit LED TV, which, in addition to being incredibly thin, introduced consumers to a new level of picture quality. That groundbreaking development was followed up, in 2010, by the world’s first 3D LED TV, which opened the door to a world of immersive 3D entertainment. That same year, Samsung unveiled the world’s first smart TV app store, and in 2011, the company launched Smart Hub, its intuitive smart TV user interface.

Other pioneering developments that demonstrate Samsung’s position ahead of the curve include the launches of the world’s first OLED TV, in 2013, and the first curved and bendable UHD TVs, in 2014.

Samsung’s new QLED TVs represent the pinnacle of this innovative history. The TVs’ combination of premium aesthetics and lifelike visuals has prompted many consumers to rethink how they assess a TV’s immersive qualities.

Featuring new Bixby integration and powered by quantum dot technology, QLED TVs offer a viewing experience defined by seamless controls and immersive visuals. The TVs’ ability to provide 100 percent color volume enables them to produce much brighter and deeper colors, allowing content to be displayed in the manner that producers intended.

QLED TV’s engrossing visuals are complemented by a minimalist design that eliminates distractions to enable users to be utterly immersed in their content. This aspect of the design is bolstered by both the One Invisible Connection, which seamlessly combines the AV and power cords, as well as those of peripheral devices, into a single, transparent cable, and the new Ambient Mode, which allows the TVs to display ambient images that enable them to seamlessly blend in with their surroundings.

Going forward, Samsung will continue to innovate with exciting TV technologies that will foster even more enriching and immersive viewing experiences. These include quantum dots, as well as the self-emitting MicroLED modules that the company debuted at CES 2018. Look forward to more updates on that milestone development in the latter half of this year.

Check out the infographic below to learn more about Samsung’s recent landmark TV technologies.

The world’s first modular TV for consumers, The Wall is a MicroLED TV that features self-emitting technology as well as a bezel-less, modular-based structure that can be customized to fit into any home environment.

JH Han, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, hosted the event, and explained in his opening remarks that the introduction of the company’s breakthrough display and its features is a first step to bring to life Samsung’s vision to make screens “the center of everyday life.”

Nevertheless, as Dave Das, Senior Vice President at Samsung Electronics America, noted, The Wall and its enhancements in picture quality and design are only one example of how Samsung is working “to redefine the possibilities of television, and let you do what you couldn’t do before.” Other innovations include Samsung’s new artificial intelligence (AI) technology for 8K content and improved Smart TV features, which were also showcased at the event.

MicroLED Technology for an Unprecedented TV Experience

Made possible by Samsung’s advancements in semiconductor processing techniques and LED technology, the pixel LED modules of The Wall’s self-emitting technology are smaller than ever before, and each chip incorporates RGB color. As a result, The Wall’s self-emitting technology removes the need for color filters altogether and is able to deliver up to 2000 nits of peak brightness, brighter white hues, darker black shades and the truest natural colors.

Additionally, its bezel-less design enables the individual modules of The Wall to fit together seamlessly, removing limitations to screen size and making it difficult to tell where the screen ends and the wall begins.

Event attendees eagerly await the unveiling of Samsung’s breakthrough TV, The Wall.

“Screens should not be limited by size or space. Instead, they should be able to blend into any home,” said Han, referring to Samsung’s vision for the future of displays.

The Wall is debuted on the First Look stage.

With its bezel-less modular design, consumers can build their TV to reach over 100 inches, extending the screen size to larger-than-life levels.

Because the pixels of Samsung’s MicroLED modules (right) are much smaller than those of conventional LED displays (left), they’re able to provide a much more vivid and detailed picture.

A Smarter and More Advanced Technology for the Future Display

The Wall offers superlative picture quality and can be extended to just about any size or shape. But to complete the viewing experience, it also needs high-resolution content. That’s why Samsung’s 85-inch 2018 QLED TV is equipped with AI technology which transforms all pictures into 8K high-quality content by adjusting the algorithm in the display based on a user’s prior experiences.

At the event, participants were also able to experience the latest TV technologies such as Samsung’s HDR 10+ platform, the enhanced smart features and HDR gaming capabilities.

Samsung’s 8K QLED TVs feature image-upscaling AI technology that makes pictures appear more detailed and vibrant than they would on a 4K display.

Samsung’s new TV lineup enhances the gaming experience by offering optimum low input lag and incredibly fast frame rate conversions.

Now accessible on the Smart TV platform, Samsung SmartThings will enable users to automatically detect and connect their Samsung smart products and hundreds of other devices to create a truly integrated home experience.