A couple of weeks ago, I attended the UK launch of Samsung's new 2024 TV range in Kings Cross, London. While the event was designed to show off the latest AV products from the Korean tech titan, of which a handful we've already reviewed or spent some hands-on time with, it was another TV in Samsung's KX Experience showroom store that really caught my eye.
Samsung had a selection of new models on show, including the QN900D, QN95D and S90D, and they all looked like promising performers (although we'll have to wait until they make their way into our AV testing lab to confirm that). However, I kept catching Samsung's The Wall MicroLED TV out of the corner of my eye. Bearing in mind that this TV was towards the other side of the building, it was still drawing my attention away from these brand-new models.
The pin-sharp picture quality and dazzling brightness impressed me from quite a distance, and as the chances I get to spend with MicroLED sets are few and far between, I took the opportunity to take a closer look. Much like my previous experiences at Samsung TV events in South Korea and Germany, my time with the MicroLED set was fleeting and conditions weren't optimal to make any sort of conclusive judgement, but the impact of the MicroLED screen is easily felt in practically every instance.
The 110-inch set I saw in action at Samsung KX has a 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160, yet it looked even sharper than traditional 4K, and even 8K sets to my eye. The Micro LEDs also allow for stunningly deep blacks with no sign of blooming when bright and bold colours are side by side with black backgrounds.
This technology truly gives OLED a run for its money in this way, and while Mini LED TV sets of today are certainly getting better in that regard, they can't quite compete yet.
There are some limitations, of course. The 110-inch set on show in Samsung KX is the smallest one available (for now), although Samsung also offers a gargantuan 146-inch model too. Therefore, you'll need a wall large enough to mount this set. You'll also need some fairly deep pockets if you want one of these TVs. The 110-inch model I saw will set you back a truly humungous £150,000 (around $190,000 / AU$285,000).
If a 110-inch TV isn't quite gargantuan enough for you, Samsung will sell you a 146-inch modular MicroLED set called The Wall for a price believed to be $220,000 (around £176,000 / AU$333,000). A single-body 146-inch MicroLED model was also displayed at IFA last year, though we're told this was a proof of concept rather than a final product.
If the price isn't enough to put you off, there was one other very minor flaw that I noticed during my brief time with the MicroLED TV at KX. It also may just be my critical eye that's used to studying TV, tablet and phone screens daily, but at times I felt that I could almost see the grid pattern where the MicroLED panels connect. I'm willing to bet this might differ on a person-by-person basis, and that not everyone will experience this, but it's something to note if you were considering dropping around 200 grand on a MicroLED TV.
We've asked time and time again when we can expect this TV tech to come down in size and price, but we've never been given a definitive answer. Samsung still seems set on using Neo QLED (Mini LED) for its flagship 4K and 8K sets, as well as its popular QD-OLED sets, so it doesn't look like Micro LED will become mainstream any time soon.
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