Samsung debuts the Neo QLED, an update to its flagship TV line

This week, Samsung introduced its 2021 portfolio of televisions, updating the MICRO LED and Lifestyle displays and debuting all-new TV display technology with the Neo QLED.

This new technology will be introduced to Samsung's flagship 8K and 4K models, bolstering light source, Quantum Mini LED, and Quantum Matrix technologies. A new Neo Quantum Processor has also been added, optimising picture processing for Samsung's top-of-the-line displays.

The advancement in the company's Quantum Mini LED means that instead of using a lens to disperse light, and a package to fix the LED in place, the Quantum Mini LED has incredibly thin microlayers filled with many more LEDs. This has resulted in the Quantum Mini LED being 1/40 the height of a conventional LED.

With the new Neo QLED TV, luminance scale has been increased to 12-bit with 4096 steps, making dark areas darker and bright areas brighter, according to Samsung.

The new display continues the Quantum Processor's legacy of enhanced upscaling, using 16 different neural network models leveraging AI and deep learning technology to optimise picture quality to 4K and 8K regardless of input quality.

"During the past year, we have witnessed the pivotal role technology played in helping us carry on with our lives and stay connected with each other," says JH Han, president of visual display business at Samsung Electronics.

"Our commitment to an inclusive and sustainable future goes hand-in-hand with our relentless pursuit for innovation to meet consumers' ever-changing needs – from reducing the carbon footprint of our products, to providing a suite of accessibility features, to offering an unparalleled viewing experience that fits each user's lifestyle.

As with its predecessor, the Neo QLED 8K features Object Tracking Sound, which provides room-filling audio corresponding to movements of objects on the screen.

For the first time, Samsung has made Micro LED available in a traditional TV form factor, and despite the name, MICRO LED comes in giant sizes.

Currently available in 110" and 99", MICRO LED uses micrometer-sized LED lights to eliminate the backlight and colour filters utilised in conventional displays. It is self-illuminating, producing stunningly lifelike colours and brightness through its 24 million individually controlled LEDs.

The MICRO LED utilises its size by allowing for multiple display features on the one screen using 4Vue, allowing consumers to watch four different content sources simultaneously.

Samsung has also revamped its Lifestyle TV line, which gained traction starting n 2017 with the Frame, a display which doubles as customisable works of art.

The 2021 version of the Frame is about half as thin as its predecessor and features new attachable bezel options. The 2021 Frame comes in five colour options and two different customisable styles—Modern and Beveled.

Samsung has also committed to decreasing its overall carbon footprint in TV manufacturing, expanding its eco-packaging design to its 2021 Lifestyle displays and most of the 2021 Neo QLED line.

This year, selected Samsung TVs will come with a solar-powered remote control that can be recharged by indoor light, outdoor light or USB. This will help prevent waste from a projected 99 million AAA batteries over seven years. To construct the remote, Samsung innovated manufacturing process that upcycles plastics from recyclable bottles –including 24% recycled content.