When it comes to TVs, CES 2020 has been a less-than-vintage year. There were no major manufacturer announcements, with many simply refreshing line-ups, renaming models or tinkering with existing display technologies. However, most had at least one new product to announce, so let’s sift through the marketing speak and round-up all the TV news at this year’s show.
Samsung
Samsung kicked off CES 2020 with its First Look event, where the Korean giant showcased new Micro LED displays, its latest 8K models and a rotating lifestyle TV.
Micro LED is a self-emissive display technology where each pixel is composed of microscopic red, green and blue LEDs. The potential is huge, offering the best of all worlds: the deep blacks and wide viewing angles of OLED, combined with the increased brightness and more saturated colours of LCD. There’s also no danger of image retention or screen burn – problems that continue to plague OLED.
Samsung’s implementation of Micro LED uses a modular approach where each screen is built to order, and theoretically can be any size, aspect ratio or resolution. For the last two years it’s been marketed as ‘The Wall’, a luxury option aimed at the custom install market. There were 110in, 150in and 292in examples of The Wall at the show, with the latter two capable of a resolution of 8K.
However, recent production advances have created smaller and cheaper LED chipsets. As a result, Samsung is now able to launch fixed screen Micro LED TVs in 75in, 88in and 93in sizes, with resolutions of 4K. The success of Micro LED largely depends on joining the individual modules together in a seamless fashion, but if Samsung has this problem licked then Micro LED could well be the future of TV.
Samsung was also demonstrating its new flagship Q950TS 8K QLED TV (top), which boasts every new feature the company has to offer. There’s the latest 'Quantum Processor' which uses neural networks to deliver superior upscaling and image processing, along with new picture features designed to maximise the contrast and colour of HDR.
The audio capabilities have also been upgraded, with a 4.2.2-channel speaker system and Samsung’s new Object Tracking Sound Plus (OTS+). This analyses the audio and not only delivers greater width and height, but also sounds that are aligned with the images on the screen. This means that if, for example, a bird flies across the screen from left to right, the sound tracks the bird rather than simply panning from the left to right channel.
The smart platform has been enhanced this year, and now includes a ‘digital butler’ to make detecting and connecting other devices easier. There are multiple voice control options using Bixby, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as a host of streaming services that now includes Disney+.
The Q950TS also supports all the latest 8K codecs, along with AI ScaleNet technology to improve streaming and the NextGenTV broadcast standard, which aims to deliver an enhanced over-the-air Ultra HD viewing experience.
And in a surprise announcement, Samsung will also be adding the new Filmmaker Mode to some of its TVs. This easy-to-access picture setting will in theory allow consumers to watch movies exactly as the content creators intended.
Disappointingly, Samsung didn’t announce any of its 2020 4K models, but it did have the new Sero lifestyle TV on show. The name means "vertical" in Korean, and the 43in 4K screen can rotate from a horizontal to a vertical orientation. It’s designed to accommodate the modern trend of watching smartphone content in portrait rather than landscape mode, but also offers a more traditional horizontal aspect ratio for movies and gaming.
LG
Not to be outdone by its neighbour on the Korean peninsular, LG announced its own range of 8K TVs, and the manufacturer was keen to stress that its new models are ‘Real 8K’.
This means the panels not only have 7680 x 4320 pixels, but also exceed the minimum resolution clarity requirement stipulated by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). These claims are a less than subtle attack on Samsung, although it should be pointed out that the latter claims its 2020 8K TVs will also meet the minimum CTA requirements.
LG’s 8K line-up consists of the ZX OLED TV in 77in and 88in screen sizes, along with three NanoCell LCD TVs: the Nano99, Nano97 and Nano95, all of which will be available in 65in and 75in screen sizes. In case you’re wondering, just like recent iPhones, the ‘X’ in LG’s model numbers this year is the Roman numeral for ten. So it’s pronounced Z10.
The manufacturer also announced its full 4K OLED line-up, with no fewer than five different ranges, including the entry-level BX (55/65/77in), the mid-range CX (48/55/65/77in) and new GX (55/65/77in), which at only 2cm deep from top to bottom can be mounted flush against the wall.
The 48in CX has been introduced by popular demand, addressing the fact that many consumers can’t squeeze a 55in TV into their living rooms. For those with bigger wallets, there’s also the WX Wallpaper TV and the RX Rollable model, both of which come in single 65in screen sizes.
At first glance that’s an impressive line-up, but in reality the 2020 ranges aren’t much different from last year’s models. In fairness to LG it would be hard to improve on its 2019 4K offerings, as they boasted just about every feature imaginable including HDMI 2.1 inputs and both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built-in.
This year, LG has added Dolby Vision IQ, which uses a sensor built into the TV to measure the ambient light in the room and adjusts the HDR tone mapping accordingly. LG is also one of the manufacturers supporting Filmmaker Mode, and the company said it plans to add the new picture setting to all its 2020 TVs.
Other new features include the latest α9 (Alpha 9) Gen 3 AI processor, and support for the NextGenTV broadcast standard. LG’s OLEDs will also offer NVIDI G-SYNC compatibility for a superior PC gaming experience, as well as an HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) mode for playing HDR games on today’s consoles.
LG’s TVs support 120Hz frame rates, which is sure to please both gamers and sports fans, and the awesome webOS smart platform will be adding Apple TV+ and Disney+ streaming apps this year. In fact, about the only feature missing from LG’s 2020 TVs is support for the HDR10+ dynamic HDR format, but given this is a Samsung initiative that’s unlikely any time soon.
Despite all these features, it’s hard to shake the feeling that OLED development appears to have stalled over the last three years. The actual performance of the panels seems to have peaked in terms of brightness and colour saturation, leaving you to wonder where LG will go next?
Panasonic
The sense that OLED might have reached the limit of its capabilities is best exemplified by Panasonic’s announcement of its new flagship HZ2000 4K OLED TV.
The manufacturer no longer sells TVs in the US, and as such doesn’t tend to announce much at CES. The HZ2000 was in fact the only TV to be launched at the show, with the rest of Panasonic’s line-up due to be announced later in the year.
Panasonic claims to have made improvements to the performance of the HZ2000, but the press release makes it sound an awful lot like last year’s superb GZ2000. The latter model was Panasonic’s attempt to make a reference OLED TV aimed at the consumer and professional markets.
The particular breakthrough was the custom pro panel that Panasonic developed in conjunction with LG Display. This panel is designed to push OLED performance to its limits, resulting in incredibly accurate colour reproduction and a peak brightness of just under 1,000nits.
The fact that the company succeeded in its aims does make you wonder what else Panasonic can add for 2020? Much like LG, the Japanese manufacturer has largely concentrated on adding new features like Dolby Vision IQ and Filmmaker Mode. There are also features aimed at the pro user, HDMI 2.1 inputs and the latest version of Panasonic’s smart platform: My Home Screen 5.0.
Sony
LG and Panasonic aren’t the only manufacturers who appear to be treading water this year, and while Sony announced a big line-up of new models, when you looked closer it seemed more like a case of second verse same as the first.
The new Sony line-up is headlined by the ZH8 8K Full Array LED TV in 75in and 85in screen sizes, along with the A8 4K OLED in 55in and 65in screen sizes, and the A9 4K OLED in a single 48in screen size. There's also the XH95 4K Full Array LED TV (49/55/65/75/85in screen sizes) and the XH90 4K Full Array LED TV (55/65/75/85in screen sizes).
In terms of edge-lit models, Sony has a raft of new ranges including the XH85 4K TV (43 and 49in screen sizes), the XH81 4K TV (43/49/55/65in screen sizes), the XH80 4K TV (43/49/55/65/75/85in screen sizes) and the XH70 4K TV (43/49/55/65in screen sizes).
While that might seem extensive, these new ranges appear to largely be renamed versions of last year’s models, with little in the way of major new features. What you do get is the ZH8's 'Sound-from-Picture Reality', which uses Sony’s new Frame Tweeter technology to vibrate the frame of the TV and emit sound, giving the impression it’s coming directly from the screen.
Sony has now added X-Motion Clarity to its OLED TVs, and the XH95 enjoys the benefits of X-Wide Angle technology in its 55in screen sizes and above. The XH95 and XH90 also benefit from Sony’s Full-Array Local Dimming and Boosting technology, which dynamically changes the light levels in sections of the screen depending on the content, resulting in a dramatic increase in contrast and brightness.
Finally, the new line-up will also feature Android TV with the Google Assistant, Google Play Store and Chromecast built-in, along with support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit technologies.
Hisense
The general lack of innovation shown by the Korean and Japanese manufactures allowed their Chinese competitors to grab some of the press attention. Hisense is already the fastest growing brand in the States, and the fifth largest in terms of sales. However its ambitions are bigger than that, with a target of 40 million TV sales a year and the number two spot globally.
At CES, Hisense launched its new flagship H9G Quantum ULED 4K TV, with 180 dimming zones and a wide colour gamut thanks to quantum dot technology. It has a claimed peak brightness of 1,000nits, uses a 120Hz panel and includes the Hi-View Engine AI processor. It supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, as well as Dolby Atmos. This Android TV also has built-in far-field microphones and Google Assistant.
If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, there’s the H8G Quantum ULED 4K TV with its 90 dimming zones, and wide colour gamut thanks to quantum dot. It has a claimed peak brightness of 700nits, and includes the Hi-View Engine AI Processor. It also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, along with Dolby Atmos. This Android TV has built-in Google Assistant and a Game mode with a claimed 14ms input lag. The bad news? It will only be available in the US. The good news is the UK will get the flagship U8Q model, which is also quantum dot.
Over the last few years Hisense has also been building a significant presence is the growing market for laser TVs. These displays use a fixed screen and what is essentially a short-throw laser projector (although it has a tuner built-in, which technically makes it a TV).
The Hisense L9 is its latest 4K Laser TV, which uses an X-Fusion TriChoma image engine composed of red, green and blue lasers to deliver a claimed colour gamut that can hit 100 per cent of Rec.2020. That's basically all the colours the human eye can see, and it would be one of the first displays to reach this technological milestone.
There’s a 100in self-rising Sonic Screen, which uses a honeycomb bionic structure to redirect sound evenly in all directions. There’s also HDR10 support, VIDAA Smart OS, a dual smart-screen feature, Harman Kardon speakers and Dolby Audio. If that wasn't enough, the use of pure spectrum colours results in more comfort and less eyestrain, while the eco-conscious amongst you will be delighted to learn a 100-inch laser TV only uses half the power of a 100-inch LED TV.
TCL
TCL launched a host of new products at CES 2020, with Roku TV updates, 8K models and the new Vidrian Mini-LED TV taking centre stage.
The Chinese manufacturer is the main rival to Hisense, and in the States TCL is huge. In fact, it's the 2nd largest brand in the US overall and the third largest in 55-inch screen sizes and above. The company's success is partly built on its partnership with Roku, with TCL's 6 and 8 Series Roku TVs proving hugely popular with Americans.
Consumers love the simplicity and intuitive nature of the Roku platform, as well as the regular updates and new features. TCL will add eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) to some of its 2019 TVs, and it will also add VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) to certain 6 Series screen sizes.
The company has even launched an auto-calibration feature for its 6 and 8 Series Roku TVs using the IPQ Engine mobile calibration app that runs on iOS and Android smartphones. TCL has also added three choices of voice control using either Roku Voice, Amazon Alexa or Google assistant.
TCL is targeting the burgeoning gaming market, and its TVs offer a very low input lag, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) and 120Hz HDMI support. In fact, the company is so serious about gaming that it's one of the first to include a THX Certified Game Mode.
However, the area where TCL has shown the greatest innovation is the development of Mini-LED. This is not self-emissive like Samsung’s Micro LED, but instead uses a standard LCD panel and a backlight composed of thousands of quantum dot LEDs.
TCL believes that Mini-LED makes more sense than Micro LED, which is currently very expensive. It also believes that competing dual LCD technologies aren't bright enough and that OLED suffers from consumer doubts about its long-term performance. The TCL 8 Series was the first model to use Mini-LED, boasting 25,000 individual LEDs behind the panel and 1,000 dimmable zones.
The new Vidrian Mini-LED TV will take this technology to the next level, and is the world’s first TV to use a backlight with tens of thousands of micro-meter class mini-LEDs directly infused in a crystal-clear glass substrate. The result is improved contrast, increased brightness and a more stable long-term performance.
TCL also announced that it will be launching an 8K Roku TV that it will be certified by the 8K Association, and when combined with this advanced Mini-LED backlight technology the company claims the results will be nothing short of game-changing.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
