Samsung launched its flagship QN990C Neo QLED TV in the United States. It measures 98 inches and is the largest 8K TV the company has ever produced.
At $40,000, the new TV costs significantly more than other 98-inch TVs on the market such as TCL's LED-backlit mini TVs, and five times more than Samsung's 98-inch QLED Q80C .
Apart from its size, the main attraction here is the Neo QLED 8K display panel. Samsung's previous best 8K TVs have reached 85 inches, which is starting to look small in the fast-growing world of big screens. To put that statement in context, the company will be showcasing The Wall all-in-one alongside the QN990C at CEDIA 2023 this week, a 4K MicroLED display already available in 146- and 110-inch screen sizes.
The new QN990C uses the company's quantum neural processor to upscale 4K and HD pictures to 8K using an "AI-based format". It also features AI 8K Depth Enhancer that improves image highlights with powerful optical focus, a process I found effective when doing hands-on tests on the Samsung QN900C, another 8K model.
Other image quality improvements on the new QN990C include an anti-glare screen for viewing in bright conditions and Samsung's Ultra Viewing Angle technology, which allows images to appear evenly bright from on-axis or off-center seats. Four HDMI 2.1 ports on the TV support 4K input at 120Hz from next-generation game consoles, and there's also a Samsung Gaming Hub for playing cloud-based games from Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and more.
With its 360-degree all-metal design and built-in stand, Samsung clearly wanted the QN990C to look good from all angles, though the Ultra-Slim Profile line also features a slim wall mount. Audio counts in the new TVs too, with a built-in Dolby Atmos 6.4.4 speaker system and Cinema Object Tracking sound to heighten the presence of sound effects in movies.
8K TVs have not had a real impact on the TV market for two main reasons. The first is that 8K content is not much of a hindrance to filling the screen of an 8K Ultra HD TV, except for clips streamed from YouTube. The second, and more interesting, reason is that 4K TVs already look incredibly detailed, even when you're watching them on a very large screen.
Despite the market challenges facing 8K TVs, Samsung has pushed ahead with the technology, releasing new 8K models year after year. My hands-on test of the QN900C prior to 2023 was the first time I had fun with an 8K TV, and I was particularly impressed with the increase in detail Samsung's Quantum Neural Processor brings to 4K sources. My previous experience of watching video enhanced with an "AI-based format" was somewhat disappointing, but it's clear that Samsung has built its processing to the point where it's not only transparent to the video source, but can actually optimize it. .
Of course, anyone who spends $40,000 on an 8K TV hopes to one day use it to watch real 8K programming, and I'm sure there will be more available on streaming services. But to fully appreciate the ultra-high resolution that 8K has to offer, and to do so from a reasonable distance, you need a very big TV, and that's where the new Samsung 98-inch QN990C TV comes in.
Will Samsung sell many of its new 98-inch 8K TVs? I think this is unlikely given the current high prices. But compared to the company's 110- and 148-inch MicroLED displays, also on display at this year's CEDIA Expo, which are so expensive that there aren't even prices for them on Samsung's website, the 98-inch QN990C looks like a relative underdog. an agreement
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