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Samsung wants you to forget about OLED and go for the Q instead.
The company on Wednesday took the wraps off its 2018 lineup of higher-end QLED TVs, providing more details on new features and specific models that were absent from its CES announcements in January.
The biggest news for video quality fans is the confirmation that the two highest-end models will get full-array local dimming (FALD) backlights, which could help them better compete against OLED, the incumbent picture quality champ.
Two series of QLED sets, the Q8 and Q9, will offer FALD while the remaining two, the Q6 and Q7, will not; they'll have edge-lit backlights. Samsung says it has improved its antiglare filters and added an algorithm to the FALD TVs to address light leakage (aka blooming). Otherwise the sets are similar to last year, complete with quantum-dot-augmented LCD panels and plenty of other fixings.
LG just announced relatively aggressive prices on its 2018 OLED TVs, and to its credit Samsung seems to be catching on. The only series that's more expensive than the LGs is the Q9 (starting at $3,800 for the 65-inch). The local-dimming-equipped, 65-inch Q8 costs $3,000, which is $500 less than the equivalent 65-inch OLED TV. And the larger Q-series sets, 75 inches and up, are a lot less expensive than the 77-inch OLED. Here's full pricing.
Beyond picture quality and price, Samsung also highlights the QLED sets' style and smarts.
Samsung will partner with the New York Times to deliver headlines in Ambient mode.
Sarah Tew/CNETAmbient mode: Think of this as a glorified screen saver. Instead of a dead black rectangle when turned "off," the TV can be set up to show information like news, weather and traffic, or even play music, with various artful skins. Samsung also announced that New York Times headlines would appear on the TVs.
Even cooler, Samsung says it can mimic the wall behind the TV to blend into the decor. You take a picture of the wall with your phone and the SmartThings app sends it to the TV and figures out how to fill the screen with it. The feature worked pretty well in demos, and will be fun to play with in real life.
Ambient mode can also overlay transparent art that blends in.
Sarah Tew/CNETOne invisible connection: Building on 2017's super-thin invisible connection, which connects the TV to an external input box and is thin enough to blend into the wall, the new version (available only on the Q9 and Q7 series) carries power too. So those TVs don't require a separate power cord from the TV, just the one from the box.
Bixby built-in: As Samsung announced at CES, its TVs will have the Bixby digital voice assistant built in. You can ask it to perform searches, change inputs and picture settings, or control smart home devices by talking into the remote.
SmartThings control: Another CES announcement fleshed out today, the TV can act as a hub to control lights, thermostats, security cameras, smart appliances and more, right on-screen. The Smart TV app and phone app look basically the same.
Universal guide: A new-school program guide that combines live channels and streaming sources on-screen, surfacing individual shows and movies to make them easier to find.