Ahead of the CES 2024 expo, Samsung has unveiled its new TV lineup for the year 2024. Its new lineup consists of QLED, Neo QLED (Mini LED), OLED, and Micro LED TVs. In this article, let us focus on the South Korean firm's new Neo QLED TVs that come in both 4K and 8K resolution options.
Some of these new TVs come with a newer-generation processor featuring faster performance and improved AI features.
Neo QLED 4K and Neo QLED 8K TVs for 2024 have AI features
Samsung's Neo QLED 8K TVs that will be launched this year feature Mini LED panels with 8K resolution and the NQ8 AI Gen3 processor. This chip has a 15% faster CPU and a 40% faster GPU than the NQ8 AI Gen2 chip from last year. Compared to the NQ4 AI Gen2 chip used in last year's premium 4K Neo QLED TVs, the new chip has a 30% faster GPU and a 120% faster GPU.
The NPU (Neural Processing Unit) inside the NQ8 AI Gen3 chip is twice as fast as the chip inside Samsung's Neo QLED TVs launched last year. The neural networks inside the chip have increased from 64 to 512, offering an 8x boost in performance. By leveraging this performance boost, Samsung is offering several AI features, including 8K AI Upscaling Pro, Active Voice Amplifier Pro, AI Motion Enhancer Pro, and Real Depth Enhancer Pro.
8K AI Upscaling Pro sharpens regular content to upscale it to 8K resolution, offering better visuals. Active Voice Amplifier Pro boosts dialogs and other certain sounds to offer a clearer and more immersive audio experience. AI Motion Enhancer Pro uses AI to detect sports types, track the ball, and use deep learning to reduce ball distortion, which is a common problem among TVs while displaying sports content. Real Depth Enhancer Pro detects the subjects that a human eye would focus on and enhances its sharpness by controlling Mini LEDs behind those objects, offering more perceived depth.
The flagship QN900D Neo QLED TV 8K is available in 65-inch to 98-inch sizes, and Samsung claims it is the thinnest 8K TV on the market. It has a compact U-shaped One Connect Box that has all the I/O ports, and the audio and video signals from that box go to the TV via a single wire. It also features a 240Hz VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), which is highest on any TV. The QN800D, a step below the QN900D, goes up to a 165Hz refresh rate. Lower-end models in the lineup go up to 120Hz or 144Hz refresh rate, depending on the model.
Have a look at our hands-on video of Samsung's latest Neo QLED 8K TVs unveiled at CES 2024.
The QN85D and QN90D are the company's 4K Neo QLED TVs, available in sizes ranging from 43 inches to 98 inches. They use the NQ4 AI Gen2 processor, which is a step below the NQ8 AI Gen3 but offers several AI features. The TVs feature Custom Picture Mode that displays a set of four AI-generated images and then uses the one that you choose to adjust the image quality as per your preferences.
Samsung has also developed a new version of its Q-Symphony feature that's present in its 2024 TVs. Q-Symphony 4.0 allows a compatible TV to connect to multiple wireless speakers and soundbars for better control and immersion. In the earlier versions of this technology, a TV could only connect to one soundbar system. Samsung has also announced new soundbars with the new Q-Symphony version, and we will have a separate article for the soundbars. The new TVs also feature the Infinity Air Design that allows the TV to be just 12.9mm thin and makes the screen appear like it is floating in the air.
Samsung's new Neo QLED TVs run 2024 Tizen OS
Samsung will also ship its new TVs with the 2024 version of Tizen OS, which has ‘Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub' accessories, Mobile Smart Connect, Multi Control, improved Samsung TV Plus, Vibrary, and 360 Audio.
As explained in our previous article, Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub is a partner accessory program that allows third-party brands to create accessories that work well with Samsung's new smart monitors and smart TVs. One such accessory, the PDP Replay Midnight Blue, is a wireless controller featuring a 40-day battery life and a low-latency connection. Game Bar 4.0, which is a newer version of Game Bar, offers gaming-related data on the screen. It can automatically detect a mini-map of the game on the screen and lets you move it to another part of the screen. Samsung Gaming Hub now syncs with a user's Samsung Account ID and offers personalized game recommendations to stream games from the cloud.
Mobile Smart Connect allows apps to be easily controlled through smartphones. It uses the SmartThings Mobile Plugin, which turns your smartphone into a multi-functional remote controller, offering users greater control over the TVs. It uses a simple pop-up window and a customizable UI.
Multi Control allows users to use a single Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo to be used across all their Samsung products, including smart monitors, smartphones, smart TVs, and tablets. Vibrary displays high-quality images of a user's favorite artists when the TV is in the Ambient Mode. Users can also enjoy photos and videos from their phones or tablets by casting them onto a compatible TV. Like its smartphones, Galaxy Buds can also connect to Samsung's new smart TVs to offer spatial audio when playing back compatible games, music, and videos. Samsung TV Plus now has a more refined UI and more content. SW Yong, President and Head of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “Now that we are living through the hyperconnected era, it’s no longer just about delivering quality visual experiences. Displays should enhance our lives both on and off the screen. Samsung’s AI screens, powered by on-device AI technology, are designed to be the centerpiece of users’ homes, connecting all compatible devices to offer users a more flexible and diverse lifestyle.”
Samsung hasn't announced the launch time frame or prices for its new Neo QLED TV lineup. We expect that information to be unveiled in the next few weeks. If Samsung follows its usual launch time frame, these new TVs should be available for purchase in some countries before the end of Q1 2024.
