Samsung, LG unveils cutting-edge TVs to firm dominance

LAS VEGAS, NV -- Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc., the world’s two largest TV makers by sales, have introduced next-generation models powered by artificial intelligence and transparent displays to cement their market dominance.

Samsung, the top global TV producer, on Sunday unveiled a quantum dot display (QLED) TV with an AI processor that turns low-definition video into ultra-high-definition content, while No. 2 LG showcased an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV with a transparent display.

Samsung introduced the Neo QLED 8K equipped with the NQ8 AI Gen3, the company’s latest TV processor with a neural processing unit (NPU) twice as fast as that of its predecessor in Las Vegas, Nevada, ahead of the Consumer Electric Show (CES) 2024. AI technology transforms the original low-quality footage into high-definition content by meticulously filling every pixel with the correct color while improving sound to match the screen.

LG unveiled the Signature OLED T equipped with a transparent display and a new Alpha 11 processor, a TV system-on-chip (SoC) that quadruples AI performance compared to the predecessor.

Those new TVs came as global home appliance makers have been struggling to lure back users who increasingly watch video on smartphones and tablet PCs.

“Samsung and LG are hinting at TV’s future at CES,” said an industry source, referring to the world’s largest annual tech trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Since the global two largest leaders are launching next-generation AI chip and transparent panel businesses, smaller rivals such as Japan’s Sony and China’s TCL and Hisense have no choice but to join the race.”

The two South Korean tech giant aim to differentiate their TVs from smartphones and tablet PCs by providing video with ultra-high definition and “overwhelming” realism. They are set to show consumers the tiny beads of sweat on a sports player's brow and capture the thumping sound of live music to give the feeling of being at the concert with the power of smart AI.

AI PROCESSORS

The Samsung Neo QLED 8K offers high-definition picture quality, premium audio technology and various apps and services.

The TV solves common issues in sporting content such as ball distortion by streaming high-resolution sports matches powered by the NQ8 AI Gen3. The feature automatically detects the sporting event and uses deep learning to apply the proper ball detection model. Its Q-Symphony function also allows users to connect multiple wireless speakers and a soundbar to a TV or projector for perfect audio synchronization across shows, movies and playlists.

“Samsung’s AI screens, powered by on-device AI technology, are designed to be the centerpiece of users’ homes, connecting all compatible devices to offer users a more flexible and diverse lifestyle,” said Yang Seok-woo, president and head of Samsung’s visual display business at Samsung First Look 2024, the unveiling event two days earlier of the world’s largest tech trade show. “Samsung will kick off the AI screen era.”

LG’s Alpha 11 processor improves graphic performance by 70% compared to its predecessor Alpha 9 and processing speed by 30%.

OPERATING SYSTEMS

Global electronics makers are paying as much attention to operating systems (OS) as chips to make the TV a center of smart homes that connect all devices while providing customized services.

Samsung unveiled the 2024 Tizen OS, which offers a personalized content and service experience based on different accounts set up on smart TVs.

The OS is secured by Knox, the Galaxy smartphone maker’s defense-grade mobile security platform while featuring an AI function, which optimizes the quality of pictures and sounds for the genre and environment of users’ favorite games.

LG also introduced the exclusive OS for the Signature OLED T. The OS provides necessary information for customers such as the date, weather and news headlines running on a bar at the bottom of the screen.

Their rivals in Japan and China are expected to accelerate their AI TV businesses. Sony, TCL and Hisense are scheduled to showcase new models during CES 2024 taking place from Tuesday to Friday.

TRANSPARENT DISPLAYS

The LG Signature OLED T is the world’s first transparent and wireless OLED TV. Its glass-like display provides the clear image quality of OLED models, while LG’s next-generation radio signal transmission technology removes all wires except a power cable. That allows customers to place the TV anywhere in the house.

“The model resolves customers’ complaints that the black displays of existing TVs disrupted the interior designs of households,” said an LG official. “It goes well with the interiors and improves the surrounding environment.”

The new TV offers two distinctive screen modes -- transparent and black, which can be switched with a simple click on the remote control.

The transparent mode allows users to enjoy content overlapping with scenes or art from the wall or window behind their TV, while the black mode provides movies or games of high-definition on a 77-inch OLED 4K screen.

LG plans to launch sales of the Signature OLED T later this year across the world.

Samsung also introduced the world’s first transparent micro-LED display, which can replace windows of buildings and apartments with such displays.

“We presented the possibility of changing all glass walls and screens into micro-LED displays,” said a Samsung official.


Write to Jeong-Soo Hwang and Ik-Hwan Kim at hjs@hankyung.com
 


Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.