February 2024
ertonline.co.uk
In the UK, the Z95A will have a Freeview Play tuner, which will be fully integrated into the Fire TV OS. The new OLEDs will also ship with a premium Panasonic remote control, not a generic Fire TV handset. That’s because the sets have a far field Alexa mic built in. Available in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes, the TV-65Z95A employs the latest MLA (Micro Lens Array) panel and proprietary heat management technology making it the brightest OLED panel yet from the brand. The Z95A will be joined by the TV-77Z93A – a 77-inch model which swaps MLA glass for a Master OLED Ultimate panel. Design wise, there’s little to separate the
Z95A from last season’s MZ2000. It’s well built, comes with a swivel stand, and features a full 360 Soundscape Pro Dolby Atmos speaker configuration, tuned by Technics. The real differences are beneath the hood. Both new screens feature the latest HCX Pro AI Processor MK II processor with universal HDR support, including HDR10+ Adaptive and Dolby Vision IQ Precision Detail. The latter uses various sensors to draw out detail in specific elements in an image, without overblowing brightness. It looked gorgeous during the various demos we saw. The upgraded processor also features a new 4K Remaster Engine which applies AI algorithms to eliminate banding and improve image quality on streaming services. Colour performance is class leading, with final tuning courtesy of Hollywood colourist Stefan Sonnenfeld.
Retailers can expect interest from movie fans
and gamers alike. Both the Z95A and Z93A OLED offer 144Hz refresh rate support, as well as 4k 120Hz, complete with Dolby Vision.
Transparent TVs Transparency was one theme of the show that nobody saw coming. LG created a buzz with its remarkable OLED T. A sequel to the rollable OLED R from 2020, this high-end OLED offering uses the same wireless Zero Connect box seen on the OLED M, can be viewed fully transparent, or used in conjunction with a roll-up black backing material, which effectively turns the panel into a conventional telly. The OLED T can also function as a digital canvas for artwork, or run an info-ticker along the lower part of the screen, providing news
rather than fully formed products. Samsung really impressed with its new 8K
hero, the Neo QLED 8K QN900D, which is powered by an all new NQ8 AI Gen3 next gen processor. The lack of native 8K content has been a perennial thorn in the side of 8K sales, but this new silicon is able to upscale 4K (and lesser content) better than anything I’ve seen before.
This ability to provide a naturalistic, pixel dense 8K image from 4K, removes a significant barrier to ownership.
Behind closed doors, I also had a close-up look at AI Motion Enhancer Pro, which will also
LG’s OLED T
alerts or weather updates. Picture quality looked excellent. Inside the OLED T is LG’s latest Alpha 11 AI processor, said to offer a 70 per cent improvement in graphic performance and a 30 per cent
faster processing speed
compared to its predecessor. There’s no news on price or availability, although given the OLED R was priced at £100,000, this new model is likely to be in similar territory. Not one for the window display then. Naturally, Samsung also had transparent
screens, including OLED and a see-through iteration of its Micro LED technology. The latter is built around a tiny Micro LED chip that cleverly eliminates seams and light refraction. However, these appeared to be prototypes
debut on the QN900D (above). This is able to remove flickering motion artefacts from sports coverage. AI is able to identify the sport being played, and utilises deep learning to smooth out any visual nasties.
Glare-free TVs
Samsung is also courting controversy with its new 2024 QD-OLED flagship, the S95D. This screen will launch with Glare Free technology. We’ve seen matte screen treatments on Samsung’s lifestyle TVs before, but here it’s being applied to a premium TV. The idea is that it combats reflections,
offering more versatility when it comes to room placement – and it definitely works. The new S95D was demonstrated alongside a 2023 QD-OLED with a traditional glossy screen. The Glare Free model certainly diminished reflections from surrounding lamps, but as a consequence its black level performance appeared somewhat flat.
The viewing experience is very much like the haze technology used on digital signage, used to reduce reflections and glare in retail settings. Will consumers warm to the look? Samsung clearly thinks so. It’s proved popular on the brand’s range of lifestyle TVs. Projection technology also impressed at CES. Samsung previewed an 8K Ultra Short Throw projector, which uses a compact One Connect box to deliver 8K video and multichannel audio wirelessly to the projector. The projector itself has a built-in 100W 8.2.2 Dolby Atmos sound system, making it an impressive high-end solution. LG approached projection from a different
direction, with the CineBeam Qube. This cute portable 4K projector features a laser light source, and supports HDR10. Weighing just 1.49kg, it’s easily transported around the house. Auto screen adjustment and auto- focus should make it a doddle to use. >>
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