Samsung is rumoured to have abandoned plans to launch a 70-inch 4K TV with next-gen MicroLED picture technology. The Elec claims the South Korean giant's 2022 line-up will instead comprise of MicroLED TVs in three sizes: 89-, 101- and 114-inch".
The demise of the smallest MicroLED set is thought to be down to a combination of economics and Samsung's desire to focus on the fast-growing "ultra-large" TV market.
"With its current technology, it is difficult for the company to offer a 4K resolution MicroLED TV with a price tag under 100 million won [£63,000 / $85,000 / AU$115,000]. By comparison, there are already 8K resolution liquid crystal display TVs and OLED TVs", The Elec says.
In other words, how many consumers would splash out on a 4K 70-inch MicroLED TV when they could snag an 8K TV – such as Samsung's five-star QE75QN900A at £6999 / $6000 / AU$9499 – for a fraction of the price?
MicroLED is said to be the heir to OLED. The tech takes all the best qualities of OLED and removes more or less all of its shortcoming. MicroLEDs can go much brighter than OLEDs, too, theoretically resulting in incredible contrast levels.
Making MicroLED TVs affordable is no easy feat, but Samsung seems to be making some headway. While the company's 2021 MicroLED models over 100-inches use printed circuit boards, all three 2022 sets are tipped for more advanced "low-temperature polycrystalline silicon" (LTPS) thin-film transistors (TFT).
LTPS TFTs are not only cheaper to manufacture, they allow each MicroLED pixel to be individually controlled, which should provide a further boost in picture performance.
Got 100 million won burning a hole in your pocket? Samsung already offers a handful of MicroLED TVs. The 110-inch, which has 99.99% screen-to-body ratio and must be professionally installed, can be yours for around £70,000 / $95,000 / AU$130,000.
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