Samsung stuns CES with The Wall
January 8, 2018
By Chris Forrester
Amongst the slew of giant screens, all Ultra-HD and usually HDR or Dolby Vision-equipped, few expected South Korean electronics giant Samsung to do much at CES 2018 that was truly spectacular. But it managed to pull a massive rabbit out of its box of tricks and showcased a truly exciting development for TV – and large screen – addicts.
Samsung’s amazing solution is to combine microLEDs (or mLEDs) and modular screen units which are more than ready for 8K and allowing consumers to buy as many modular units as its wall – and credit card – can manage. As far as the CES presentation is concerned, each module is about 8” x 4” in size and can then be built to suit any area to be covered.
“Screens should not be limited by size,” said Jonghee Han, president of the company’s visual display unit at the press presentation at CES. “Instead, they should blend into any home.”
Samsung has also created what it describes as ‘AI Upscaling’, and as with today’s 4K/UHD displays which can usefully upscale ‘ordinary’ HD to near 4K quality, Samsung will use similar technology tricks to boost 4K to 8K visibility.
Indeed, Samsung has, with its 2018-19 QLED range, shown that it is more than capable of competing head on with arch-rivals LG as well as Japan’s Sony and Panasonic in showcasing 8K technology and in readiness for the launch later this year of 8K transmissions.
Samsung says its massive 146” unit (otherwise known as ‘The Wall’), as well as smaller units, remove the need for separate backlight LEDs and thus deliver improved blacks (and shades of black) and increasing peak brightness (in terms of a peak 2000 – 4000 NITS) to the screen. Samsung says it has dramatically trimmed the amount of LED ‘leakage’ within its panels. The end result is also a screen that can fit flush to a wall.
Unfortunately, Samsung gave few clues to pricing, or availability. Indeed, these mLED might be another year before they appear in the stores.