8K TV 4X Clearer Than 4K TV
Samsung Electronics will launch 65-, 75- and 85-inch 8K QLED TVs in September. An 8K TV (3,300 mega pixels) is four times clearer than a 4K TV (830 mega pixels) and creates the highest picture quality among TVs currently selling in the market.
In particular, Samsung Electronics has installed an AI chip that converts general video into 8K, considering that 8K content is still lacking. In addition, the company plans to collaborate with content producers and film companies to create an 8K ecosystem.
According to the TV industry on July 2, Samsung Electronics will launch its 8K QLED TV lineup at the IFA 2018 in Berlin, Germany in late August. Samsung plans to release 65-inch and larger 8K TVs but will differentiate the number of launched models and launch times by region. This is because the Korean TV giant took into consideration the fact that there is a limit in the number of consumers who can afford to buy 8K TVs. As for prices, a 65-inch 8K TV will be priced at the middle of the 10 million won level and 75-inch or larger 8K TVs will fetch tens of thousands of won per unit.
8K is called the highest resolution that can be created with current technology. An 8K TV can create a 7,680x4,320 resolution and show denser and clearer images than a 4K TV (3,840 × 2,160).
The current 8K TV market is led by Sharp. Sharp started selling 8K TVs for the first time in the world last year. However, Sharp is selling 8K TVs in some areas only for technology demonstration due to a lack of 8K content. LG Electronics and Sony are pondering when to launch their 8K TVs.
Samsung Electronics started selling 8K TVs in order to secure the super-sized TV market that is growing faster than expected. According to market researcher IHS Markit, the size of the extra-large TV market of 75-inch or larger TVs is expected to grow 20% to 30% every year from 1,696,000 units this year to 338,800 in 2020. "At the moment, OLED TVs and QLED TVs are having a fierce competition but in terms of resolution, the two sides have the same 4K resolution," an industry source said. "8K TVs will be a major differentiation factor."
Samsung Electronics plans to address a lack of 8K content with AI high-definition conversion technology. This means that the company will load its 8K TVs with a database that learns millions of images in advance and analyzes them by type to create the best image quality. Even if a video was not shot by an 8K camera or equipment, Samsung 8K TVs convert the video into an 8K-like one by correcting its brightness, black color and smears among others.
In addition, Samsung Electronics plans to directly support the creation of an 8K ecosystem. Already at the end of last month, the QLED & Advanced Display Summit in West Hollywood, California discussed an 8K ecosystem. 8K camera and equipment makers and Hollywood studios shared the status of 8K technology and discussed ways for collaboration in the QLED & Advanced Display Summit. “Samsung Electronics is the number one company in TV sales. The creation of an 8K ecosystem by Samsung Electronics and its partners can expedite an era of 8K TVs.”