Prices for the first generation of QD-OLEDs are already comparable to what LG offers, but these could further be reduced by introducing thinner panels with single glass substrate, at the same time improving yields and cutting production costs.
Samsung surprised everyone with the launch prices for the new QD-OLEDs. Initially believed to cost three times the price of LG’s W-OLED models based on South Korean currency conversion, world-wide price schemes turned out to be very similar to LG’s latest offer. The first tests revealed that QD-OLEDs are indeed brighter than the W-OLEDs from LG, but, despite superior color volume, this advantage comes with relatively inaccurate colors, so there is definitely room for improvement with the upcoming iterations. Besides correcting color-related issues and increasing production yields, one aspect that Samsung is looking to improve in next year’s models is panel thickness. This in turn could reduce production costs translating to even lower price points, as reported by South Korean publication TheElec.
The Q1 production figures for the QD-OLED displays were based on capacities of 30,000 glass sheets (2200x2500mm) per month. Estimated yield was 70%, which allowed the production of 880,000 TV units and 440,000 monitors. All first gen QD-OLED displays are based on panels with two glass substrates, but Samsung recently started to introduce thinner panels with single glass substrate that has a higher yield of 80%, which would allow the production of 1,080,000 TVs and 520,000 monitors per quarter.
In a recent interview with TheElec, Samsung revealed that one advantage of the thinner QD-OLED panels is the ability to use them in mobile devices with rollable displays. Furthermore, even though initial consumer reception for the QD-OLED technology seems positive, Samsung is not making this type of display a production priority as of yet. This is clearly reflected in the pricing schemes, where QD-OLEDs are more affordable than the Neo QLEDs with Mini LED tech or the Micro LED models. For now, the smartphone OLED displays are the first priority. Samsung is also planning to release a W-OLED lineup based on LG’s panels, but negotiations on this matter have not yet concluded.
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Bogdan Solca - Senior Tech Writer - 1878 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2017
I first stepped into the wondrous IT&C world when I was around seven years old. I was instantly fascinated by computerized graphics, whether they were from games or 3D applications like 3D Max. I'm also an avid reader of science fiction, an astrophysics aficionado, and a crypto geek. I started writing PC-related articles for Softpedia and a few blogs back in 2006. I joined the Notebookcheck team in the summer of 2017 and am currently a senior tech writer mostly covering processor, GPU, and laptop news.
Bogdan Solca, 2022-05-12 (Update: 2022-05-12)
In what can only be characterized as an epic play of one-upmanship, Samsung has just announced a new addition to its 2022 4K TV lineup, and it is massive.
Unveiled in Dallas, Texas at the 2022 CEDIA Expo, the new 98-inch Neo QLED 4K TV uses mini-LED backlight technology and is equipped to be Samsung’s highest-performing 4K TV to date. Previously, Samsung’s 4K TV lineup was headlined by the QN95B and QN90B. The new 98-inch model uses the same processing and panel technology but has a more powerful backlight system.
The 98-inch set is the only available size in a newly minted QN100B series — model number QN98100B — and is likely to be its most expensive 4K set by far. Still, even given one very impressive performance specification, there is some hope it may not be much more expensive than some of Samsung’s pricey 8K televisions.
Thus far, details on the new TV are about as slim as the display’s profile. Samsung says that despite the screen reaching almost 98 diagonal inches, the TV’s total depth is just 19.9 mm thick. There’s still plenty of internal volume to host an impressive audio system, though, as the QN98100B is outfitted with a 120-watt, 6.4.4-channel Dolby Atmos speaker array.
Perhaps the most impressive spec is the 98-inch monster’s claimed peak brightness of 5,000 nits. Though it is doubtful the TV will live up to that claim, it is likely to put out significantly higher brightness than the 2,100 nits we measured when we tested Samsung’s highest performance 8K TV, the QN900B.
Samsung’s announcement comes shortly after its chief competitor, LG, began shipping its previously announced 97-inch G2 Gallery Series OLED TV. Though LG’s large OLED and Samsung’s huge Neo QLED each use very different display technologies, it’s hard not to hone in on that one-inch difference.
I mean, it’s one larger, isn’t it?
Obscure references to Spinal Tap aside, it has become clear that large-format TVs are pressing firmly into screen sizes that were once the exclusive purview of projectors. Even the increasingly popular ultra short throw (UST) projectors made by Samsung, LG, Hisense, and others can’t hold a candle to the brightness of an OLED or mini-LED TV.
We’ll be going eyes-on with the new Samsung 98-inch Neo QLED TV at the 2022 CEDIA Expo and will update this article with more images and details as they become available.
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