Samsung’s new 83-inch TV could be a harbinger of consumer confusion

Samsung is about to start promoting its first TVs with OLED panels made by rival LG after months of negotiations. Unfortunately, the way in which the TVs that come out of this deal are branded and marketed could trigger confusion for customers who need essentially the most bang for his or her buck.

On Tuesday, Samsung revealed a weblog publish revealing a new 83-inch TV that lives within the firm’s current S90C vary of high-end OLEDs. In reality, the set had been leaked weeks earlier, when excellently obsessive and detail-oriented TV knowledgeable Vincent Teoh of HDTV Test was fast to watch that Samsung doesn’t presently make 83-inch panels itself—that means this should be the primary TV in Samsung’s take care of LG.

The difficult story behind Samsung’s new OLEDs

The Samsung-LG deal was rumored in suits and begins for months. As LG made and shipped OLED TVs and panels and talked up the advantages of OLED in comparison with good-old LED LCD, Samsung caught to transport LCD TVs, introducing new applied sciences to attempt to hold the older expertise aggressive.

However, Samsung just lately discovered itself in a tough place as Chinese makers of the LCD panels essential to Samsung’s TV lineup charged greater and better costs. That, in tandem with LG’s successes in turning public opinion about high-end TVs towards OLED, led to Samsung adopting OLED tech in some of its high-end TVs in spite of everything.

Samsung solely produces OLED TV panels in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes, whereas LG has been making bigger ones for a whereas. Super-huge TVs are one of the fastest-growing market segments, and lots of customers who need to purchase one additionally need to guarantee they get one of the best image high quality doable.

The Samsung chaebol has deep ties to the South Korean authorities, so authorities officers reportedly organized conferences between Samsung and LG (which can be a South Korean firm) so LG could provide bigger panels to Samsung to maintain the large aggressive. After some hiccups, the 2 firms got here to an settlement whereby LG would provide Samsung with 77- and 83-inch panels.

The introduction of one more Samsung TV dimension in an current line would not usually command a lot consideration right here, however there are two causes this deserves a shut look.

First are the trade implications of the aforementioned Samsung-LG deal, which positive appears to seal the deal that high-end TVs will usually be OLEDs for the rapid future, settling LCDs within the decrease and mid tiers (the place it frankly belongs at this level). Related to that, there’s the facet level that Samsung has been publicly essential about each OLED and LG’s particular implementation of it for ages, solely to now cheerfully begin promoting the very same factor it has been criticizing.

Second is the truth that LG’s panels are constructed with a completely different expertise and subpixel association than Samsung’s current OLED TVs, probably sowing confusion for customers.

Sub-pixel preparations and consumer confusion

Samsung’s current 55-, 65-, and 77-inch TVs within the S90C line all use QD-OLED, a comparatively new OLED tech that guarantees higher shade at excessive brightness and (in concept, not less than) longer panel life with decrease burn-in danger. LG’s panels use WRGB, which in some particular circumstances could supply greater total brightness, however which in any other case could be thought-about a little bit lower-end.

The new 83-inch S90C makes use of WRGB, whereas the opposite three sizes presently use QD-OLED. To make issues extra complicated, LG’s take care of Samsung additionally included 77-inch panels, which could imply that buyers could face a panel lottery within the 77-inch dimension sooner or later—that’s, they may not know which expertise they’re getting after they purchase.

That’s hypothesis, of course, provided that solely the 83-inch mannequin has been introduced to date, and we all know that one’s WRGB. But it is one thing to look at as a result of Samsung has up to now been opaque about which OLED tech it is utilizing. All the TVs mentioned listed here are merely marketed as “OLED.” Samsung isn’t creating separate product traces for these two-panel varieties, so even when all 83-inch TVs within the line use WRGB and all 55-inch ones use QD-OLED, most customers will not know that except they do some digging on fanatic websites like Rtings or HDTV Test. They’ll assume that they are getting basically the identical image high quality and efficiency regardless of dimension, and that will not essentially be the case.

HDTV Test’s Vincent Teoh famous in a video that there are a couple simple methods to test which panel tech is used when you have the TV in entrance of you. You can take a zoomed-in photograph of a vibrant picture on the TV and have a look at the subpixel association. If it has a triangular form distinctive to QD-OLEDs, it is, properly, QD-OLED. If it does not, it is WRGB. Alternatively, you may shine a vibrant gentle on the display when it is turned off. If it shifts to grey, it is QD-OLED. If not, it is WRGB.

But most individuals order their TVs on-line sight unseen at this level, so that will not assist everybody. So in the event you’re out there for a massive OLED TV and also you’re contemplating the world’s hottest model as you store, be sure that to do some further analysis—as a result of Samsung’s advertising and marketing spin will not essentially inform you every thing it is advisable to know to make your best option.