Samsung looks to be betting big on ultra high-definition (UHD) TVs this year. After introducing its first UHD panel in early 2013, the company today announced its expanded lineup at the pre-CES press conference in Las Vegas, including its first curved UHD TVs and a massive 110-inch UHD panel.
While there is still a lack of 4K content in the market, Samsung strongly believes that the combination of a curved screen and UHD resolution can create a more immersive viewing experience. It plans to roll out three series of UHD TVs this year. The S9, first introduced last year, will be offered in a 110-inch screen option, while the U8550 UHD series, which is touted to sport a thin bezel and slim profile, will be available in screen sizes from 50- to 75-inch. The U9000 curved UHD range will come in 55-, 65- and 78-inch panel sizes.
The star product at the launch, however, is the 105-inch curved UHD TV. Announced late last month just after LG’s announcement of an almost similar panel, the new 105-inch offering (which still doesn’t have a model number) is the biggest curved UHD screen from Samsung so far. Combined with an ultra-wide 21:9 movie-theater aspect ratio, this is probably the ultimate TV for home entertainment this year.
Samsung will also be introducing several proprietary technologies which it claims will improve the picture quality in its latest TVs. For instance, the Auto Depth Enhancer in the 105-inch curved UHD TV analyzes the image and adjusts the contrast to create a more “3D effect without glasses”, while the UHD dimming feature promises deeper blacks and better contrasts. New enhancements have also been added to the smart TV interface including Multi-Link which lets users view/manage related content while watching movie.