In order to continue bringing the best and most vivid display to its users, Samsung has been expanding its 8K ecosystem, widening the scope of high-definition content experiences. With technology optimized to offer the brightest and sharpest 8K definition, users can enjoy a wide range of content including movies, NFT artworks and more. To learn more about Samsung’s 8K ecosystem, check out the card news below.

Samsung Electronics has been shaping the history of television through the development of its technological innovations, from FHD and 4K through to 8K, thanks to its far-sighted strategic vision and an endless passion to bring new technologies to the market.

In order to learn more about the achievements made so far in the field of TV technological innovation, as well as the future of display technologies in the age of UHD screens, Samsung Newsroom sat down with TV experts.

▲ (From left) Sangmin Lee, Head of the Picture Quality Solution Lab, Hyunchul Song from the Product Development Group and Youngseok Han from H/W Platform Lab of Samsung’s Visual Display Business

Pioneering the Future of TV Through Endless Innovation

These days, picture quality has become one of the most crucial factors consumers consider when choosing a TV. In 1977, Samsung succeeded in the development and mass production of a colour TV, the Colour Economy TV, for the first time in Korea, ushering in the era of colour television for the country. Samsung earned the title of the first colour TV manufacturer in Korea thanks to its steadfast dedication to innovation, and the company was never complacent about the colossal success of its black and white TV model, the Econo TV, which took the lion’s share within the monthly TV market at the time.

▲ Samsung’s first LED TV, launched in 2009, wowed the world as a breakthrough in TV technology.

Next to be developed was the LCD TV, and, in 2009, Samsung unveiled its breakthrough model — the Samsung LED TV. The LED TV was the culmination of all the innovative technologies available at the time, allowing for unrivalled picture quality brought about by light-emitting diodes. All components of Samsung’s LED TV were designed anew, and the number of patents acquired for this model exceeded 3,000.

▲ Samsung’s QLED TV made its global debut at CES in 2017.

In 2017, Samsung then went on to introduce the world’s first QLED TV based on cadmium-free quantum dot technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The company’s innovative TV was at the center of attention that year, boasting superb picture quality and 100% colour volume.

A year later, the company brought to the market a QLED 8K model that incorporated 8K resolution into Samsung’s proprietary quantum dot technology. It featured Direct Full Array, a backlight technology able to precisely control the lighting balance across every part of the picture on-screen, as well as 8K AI Upscaling, an upscaling technology designed to intelligently upgrade lower-quality videos into vivid 8K resolution, for the first time in the industry. Samsung’s innovative QLED 8K technologies are what launched the era of 8K.

“In 2020, Samsung unveiled the world’s first bezel-less TV that completely removed the bezels from around the display,“ said Hyunchul Song from the Product Development Group. “A year later, we further solidified our position as an industry leader by introducing our Neo QLED technology based on Quantum Mini LED displays. From FHD through to 8K, we have undertaken ceaseless efforts to develop innovative products that offer differentiated experiences based on consumer needs.”

Striving for Superior Picture Quality Through In-Depth Research Into Human Behaviour

Samsung continues to strive to offer the best possible viewer experiences by delivering leading picture quality. However, what does “good picture quality” mean to someone who works on its development?

“Picture quality is considered good when it delivers a sense of reality to the viewer that feels as if you are witnessing the images on-screen first-hand,” explained Youngseok Han, a developer from the H/W Lab. “To ensure good picture quality, display performance indicators such as high resolution, high luminance and excellent colour expression are essential. What also matters is how well-balanced the other cutting-edge technologies of the display are, including the chip design, the picture quality algorithms and the sound.”

Han went on to provide further insight into the importance of balance to the corresponding picture quality. “The factors that impact picture quality the most are how well you organise the various relevant technologies. These include those designed to reduce distortion and any image transmission noise, those that reproduce colours precisely and richly and create sharp contrast for more vivid, clear images and those motion technologies that ensure the movement of objects on-screen appears smooth and fluid.”

It would be impossible to develop good picture quality with just one singular technology, no matter how great that technology is. This is why Samsung is committed to developing innovative technologies through all kinds of different approaches without resting on their laurels as a leader in the industry. Recently introduced on the 2023 Neo QLED TV, Real Depth Enhancer is one of the new features that has been developed to the end of further improving picture quality.

When human eyes are focused on an object, attention is directed onto the object by optimising sharpness, clarity and texture, all while also maintaining the background scene. Samsung’s Real Depth Enhancer technology was developed based on an understanding of this human behaviour, and harnesses AI to automatically separate an object from its background to create a greater sense of depth and make the images truly pop.

Furthermore, Neo Quantum Matrix Pro technology improves the playback of fine details through precise control of the quantum mini LEDs across a total of 16,384 levels^[1]. This meticulous adjustment further adds dimension and a sense of reality to the images on-screen.

“Our Real Depth Enhancer technology is the result of an optimisation of all the relevant technologies in a way that takes human psychology into account, instead of focusing only on improving resolution,” noted Han.

From 8K Games to Artworks on Samsung TVs in the Age of 8K Technology

These days, users are being bombarded by new content. Tens of thousands of new pieces of media and content are being published every day across all manner of platforms — but does the same apply for those contents being made in 8K?

“Following the recent growth of 8K devices including smartphones, anyone is able to create 8K content and view it in ultra-high resolution,” said Sangmin Lee, Head of the Picture Quality Solution Lab. “High-performance graphics cards also now make it possible for users to play 8K games, meaning that we are already living in the age of 8K UHD.”

Song further detailed the growth of 8K content in today’s viewing market. “There is a growing amount of 8K content available on social media channels, and artists are creating digital artworks in 8K,” he explained. “We added in ‘YouTube Videos in 8K’ feature to the 2023 Neo QLED TV to allow users to peruse the 8K content available on YouTube and explore digital artworks, such as an image in NFT^[2] form, at a single glance.”

Samsung is also taking the lead in expanding the 8K content ecosystem by being at the helm of the 8K Association, a global non-profit organisation established in 2019 with the aim of establishing 8K standards and expanding 8K content. As of February 2023, the association has 33 members, including Samsung, TV panel producers, SoC chip makers and leading content creators. Last year, Samsung released a teaser for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series in 8K developed in collaboration with Amazon Prime Video, another member of the 8K Association.

Developing Optimal Picture Quality That Takes Viewing Experiences to the Next Level

In order to learn more about the next steps for industry leader Samsung in terms of picture quality in the age of 8K technology, Samsung Newsroom asked the three TV professionals what their goals are.

“As a developer, I feel the most accomplished when I hear the feedback that viewers think the images on-screen seem real to them,” said Han. “My goal is to further improve our algorithms by optimising a range of components in order to deliver picture quality that is ‘more real than real’ to viewers.”

For Song, creating technologies that bring real value to users is of the utmost importance. “While the development department works to create the best picture quality through technological innovation, I am more involved in optimising products to bring high-quality experiences to as many viewers as possible,” said Song. “I will continue to deliberate on what other kinds of user value we can bring to our viewers.”

Finally, from Lee’s perspective, the goal is and always has been to provide users with experiences that go beyond simply watching content. “The most important value that a display can provide is to present images that seem more real than reality itself,” explained Lee. “Through the best picture quality algorithms and leading sound performance, the optimal picture quality that is delivered then allows users to enjoy their favourite content without having to worry about adjusting the settings. Our ultimate goal is to offer superb picture quality that enables users to thoroughly enjoy their viewing experiences that go beyond simply watching content.”

Stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom for the second and final part in this series highlighting the role of the 8K TV and the innovative technologies Samsung has been developing to provide the best possible viewing experiences to its users.

[1]The number of levels in quantum mini LEDs has been corrected from 13,684 to 16,384 levels as of March 30, 2023.

[2] SAVAGE is a high quality NFT marketplace featuring 4K/8K video and photography. With over 50 titles at launch in March 2023, SAVAGE will expand throughout the year with more than 250 new pieces from top creators and brands

To design this solution, iNUI Studio combined a Samsung 55″ 4K screen – the QM55 – in a metal body with AIR TOUCH^® optical sensors and a powerful processor. The Series 3 is made for heavy traffic environments and is available in several colours.

Due to its nature and the uses it allows, the AIRxTOUCH^® KIOSK Series 3 is particularly suitable for train stations or airports and – more generally – any space welcoming the public.

FIRST CASE IN EUROPE: CFL (LUXEMBOURG)

CFL is the national railway company of Luxembourg. After Luxembourg brought transportation for free all across the country – which is unique in the world – CFL wanted to go further and has deployed several AIRxTOUCH^® KIOSK Series 3 in two of Luxembourg’s train stations for this pilot phase. Driven by innovation, CFL wanted to bring a useful and exciting experience to their users in the need of real time information. Thanks to the custom software, users get traveller information in real time, are able to plan their journey, discover the country and more – at a distance of 5 cm of the screen, keeping them safe!

THE AIR TOUCH^® TECHNOLOGY

Based on powerful proprietary image processing algorithms, the patented AIR TOUCH^® technology delivers exceptional mid-air interaction (5 cm from the screen) and the most complete User Experience available on the market. Allowing click, double-click, drag & drop, slide, zoom interactions – with a precision of 3 mm – AIR TOUCH^® is as easy to use as a conventional touch device.

THE SAMSUNG QMR SERIES

The AIRxTOUCH^® KIOSK Series 3 solution integrates a 55″ Samsung QM55R display. The models of the QMR Series offer many advantages for professionals. Thanks to the Dynamic Crystal Colour technology, the image quality is optimal, with a billion shades of colour, contrast ratio, high brightness and anti-reflection treatment that ensure good readability even in high light conditions. Immersion is further enhanced by HDR10+ compatibility and UHD (4K) resolution enabling professionals to bring all their commercial content to life, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Marc Wengler · General Director of CFL

“With these touchless screens, we offer our customers, who are in the center of our strategy, an innovative solution to cover their information needs through a tailor-made user interface that we have co-created directly with them. Especially in the current health context, AIR TOUCH^® is a more than adequate way to display the information they need”.

Jon Raines · European Business Development Manager – Transportation at Samsung Electronics

“Samsung were delighted to be chosen for this remarkable project. The pandemic has raised many questions about customer safety and we are committed to working with our partner network to ensure we continue to innovate based on the real world situation.”

Olivier Raulot · Founder and CEO of iNUI Studio

“We are very proud to partner with Samsung for the very first implementation of our technology in Europe. I’m deeply convinced that Touchless will naturally impose itself on the worldwide market. AIR TOUCH^® is as easy to use as a traditional device with the advantage of hygiene. By trusting us as well as the AIR TOUCH^® technology, CFL demonstrates its innovative DNA”.

Not only do movie theatres 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 theatres 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 theatre 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 optimise 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

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 highlights and shadow details. HDR10+ uses dynamic tone mapping to enhance the colour 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 adapt 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 analyse 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 optimised. HDR standards are typically designed with a dark room in mind, similar to that of a movie theatre. 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 optimise 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 optimise 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 theatres.”

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.

Screen burn is an issue in the TV market, but not everyone is aware of exactly what it is, the issues it can cause and what brands like Samsung are doing to safeguard its screens.

So, what is screen burn?

Screen burn can occur if a still image is present for a long period of time, causing the pixels to create a ghost-like imprint which remains even when on the on-screen content has changed or moved.

What’s more, certain viewing habits particularly lend themselves to screen burn – your screen is more susceptible when; you’re watching a long film, a football match on the sports channel or trying out a new Xbox game.

The OLED Issue

On an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen each pixel has a different lifespan because they are lit individually. The longer the pixel is turned on, the shorter its lifespan, compromising the brightness of the light and causing part of the image to be retained. The technology, is by its very definition, an organic technology – meaning it degrades over time and when pushed to its maximum capacity this degradation happens even faster.

Despite this, given that OLED technology is used amongst the majority of TV brands, a large number of consumers purchase and own OLED TV’s. Additionally, an increase of HDR formats pushing brightness levels further is resulting in a greater risk of screen burn.

Due to the nature of these technologies, after the 2^nd or 3^rd year of owning an OLED screen, consumers will start to experience the degradation of the visuals and an influx of issues including screen burn. This is reflected in the growing number of concerns about screen burn on various forums and testing sites.

What makes Samsung TV’s different?

Simple – Samsung uses technology which is not impacted by screen burn making it easier for consumers to enjoy the best quality viewing. Samsung’s QLED and Dynamic Crystal Colour UHD aren’t susceptible to screen burn like other TV’s on the market, and impartial test results prove this. What’s more, Samsung is offering a full 10 year screen burn warranty* with every purchase of its 2017 QLED, The Frame or Dynamic Crystal Colour UHD TV from now – 30^th November 2018. This means that you can put your feet up and switch your favourite programme on, knowing that your TV is safeguarded and ready to be enjoyed for many more years to come.

To learn more on the subject, check out this video: 

The Terms & Conditions

• *Warranty must be registered within 90 days of purchase, T&Cs apply

 The promotion is valid until 30^th November 2018 for the following TV models:

• 2017 QLED TV’s & The Frame (Q9F, Q8C, Q8F, Q7C, Q6F, The Frame)
• 2017 Dynamic Crystal Colour UHD TV’s (MU9000, MU8000, MU7070, MU7000)
• 2016 SUHD Quantum dot TV’s (KS9000, KS8000, KS7500, KS7000)

Full T&Cs can be found here.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Amazon Prime Video today announced the entire Prime Video HDR library is now available in the UK in HDR10+, a new open standard that leverages dynamic metadata to produce enhanced contrast and colours on an expanded range of televisions. The Prime Video HDR10+ catalogue includes hundreds of hours of content such as Prime Originals The Grand Tour, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, The Tick and The Man in the High Castle plus hundreds of licensed titles. Prime Video is the first streaming service provider to deliver HDR10+ content to its users. HDR10+ is available on the entire Samsung 2017 UHD TV lineup – including the premium QLED TV models.

“We are thrilled to announce HDR10+ content for consumers,” said Sang Yoon Kim, Vice President of Smart TV Business Development at Samsung Electronics America. “The launch marks the first opportunity for consumers and the industry to experience HDR10+ technology through a streaming service.”

The HDR10+ technology on Prime Video incorporates dynamic metadata that allows high dynamic range (HDR) TVs to adjust brightness levels on a scene-by-scene or even frame-by-frame basis. By applying individualized tone mapping to each scene, HDR10+ delivers an incredible viewing experience for next-generation Samsung displays. The picture quality offers an enhanced visual experience with more detailed expressions, brighter shadow areas and more accurate colour renderings that stay true to the creator’s original intent. Through the utilization of the precise “Bezier” based tone-mapping guides, Amazon is able to deliver the optimal viewing experience across a variety of TV models.

“We’re dedicated to offering Prime Video members the best possible viewing experience, and we are very excited for our members around the world to experience our content in HDR10+,” said Greg Hart, Vice President of Prime Video. “The viewing experience of HDR10+ combined with Prime Video’s award-winning content is ushering in a new era of entertainment for consumers on these devices.”

With the launch of HDR10+ on Prime Video along with the HDR10+ logo and certification partnership formed earlier this year by Samsung, 20^th Century Fox and Panasonic demonstrates the adoption and growth of HDR10+ as well as a growing commitment to delivering a premium HDR experience.

About Prime Video

Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Prime Video offers thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Prime Originals and Amazon Original Movies from Amazon Studios like The Tick, the most-watched Prime Video series worldwide The Grand Tour from Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, and award-winning series like The Man in the High Castle, Mozart in the Jungle and more available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.

The Ideal Home Show Christmas kicks off this week in London’s Olympia and Samsung will be showcasing its stylish lifestyle TV; The Frame at the show on stand SP2.

The Frame is designed specifically to give more purpose and meaning to the TV. Reflecting an entirely new concept and category in television, it beautifully blends into any living space. When on, The Frame delivers a UHD certified picture, a premium consumers have come to expect from Samsung. When off, it transforms into a work of art – offering a new proposition for the wall and for the home.

The Frame is now available in 43, 55 and 65-inch models, offering consumers more choice and flexibility to customise any living space. In addition to curated art pieces from the Art Store and the Samsung Collection, consumers can utilise the My Collection feature to import and display their own art images or pictures from their personal photo libraries directly onto the screen.

The Ideal Home Show Christmas Olympia run from 22 – 26 November. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.idealhomeshowchristmas.co.uk/london.

Consumers can enjoy their favourite UHD and HDR movies through a UHD channel directly on their Samsung Smart TVs. VOD movies provided by TV PLUS are broken down into three categories: New Releases, Family and UHD. New Releases include titles that have been released within the past six to eight weeks, while the Family category includes newly released family-friendly titles as well as best-selling movies. The UHD category features movies that were recently released in UHD. Each category is refreshed weekly with new and top selling content.

Thanks to a premium partnership with Rakuten TV, TV PLUS offers a wide range of options for movie enthusiasts and families to enjoy. Current UHD movies available via TV PLUS include titles such as “Passengers,” “Moneyball,” “Hotel Transylvania” and many more.

“Our goal at Samsung is to create innovative and valuable technology that makes our consumers’ lives easier and more enjoyable when it comes to watching their favorite content,” said Heeman Lee, Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “With the European expansion of TV PLUS, we are thrilled to provide additional consumers access to new movies in UHD and HDR quality.”

Samsung TV PLUS delivers a user-friendly experience that allows users to easily access contents featuring scrolling channels menu so that the consumers do not have to struggle to search desired contents in each application. This familiar process makes the user experience simple and easy, so that retrieving UHD and HDR content is more enjoyable than ever before.

TV PLUS was first launched in 2015 in South Korea and continues to grow across its available markets including North America and Southeast Asia. In January 2017, TV PLUS was also made available with multiple channels in Germany.