Samsung at CES 2020 – it is about design, picture quality, sound and winning

Samsung at CES 2020

Samsung at CES 2020 showed us some of the most comprehensive AV offerings including its new MicroLED 75-110” TVs; 8K QLED; and its new TV technology including Sero – a portrait or landscape TV. As well as a whole lot of other goodies.

But Samsung at CES 2020 was more than showing new tech. It was reaffirming its lead in the highly competitive TV, home appliances, smartphone and other consumer lifestyle technology markets.

Channel Seven GadgetGuy Val Quinn looks at Samsung at CES 2020.

Samsung at CES 2020

MicroLED – the future of premium TV

For a techie, the advent of smaller sized consumer MicroLED TV is an exciting moment. MicroLED (not to be confused with mini-LED backlights) means that each pixel is self-emissive – like an OLED screen – that emits RGB or can turn completely off. In theory, it can meet OLED black levels, offer far more brightness (Samsung says up to 5000 nits), better HRD, wider colour gamut and no chance of burn-in.

Samsung at CES 2020 MicroLED

MicroLED is incredibly challenging to make (and not able to get to 8K as yet) and it won’t be cheap. But coupled with Samsung’s AI and processing prowess, it will be tough to beat in years to come when it is mainstream. Samsung says, “Two to three years before its more affordable”.

Samsung also wowed visitors with its 292” The Wall – because it can.

8K QLED Line-up

At the heart of its 2020 8K TVs is a new AI Quantum 8K Processor. It is powerful and able to better upscale 1080p and 4K content to 8K, important given there is so little native content.

Samsung calls this NEXTGEN TV and uses the new ATSC 3.0 tuner (fully 4K OTA compatible), AV1 codec for better compression rates, Multi-Channel Object Audio and Dialogue Enhancement, HDR10+ technology, image dimensionality, brightness optimisation, and high contrast ratio.

Samsung has gone further this year with its Adaptive Picture technology that optimises the images for both ambient [light] conditions and individual frames.

Its flagship is the Q950-TS with 99% screen-to-body-ratio, a 15mm thickness flat back panel, Object Tracking (OTS+) and an active voice amplifier. When paired to the matching HQ-800T soundbar, Q-Symphony sound syncs TV speakers to serve as an additional audio channel and create a more dynamic soundscape.

Samsung at CES 2020 Q950

Samsung wants to rise above the ‘fake 8K TV’ ruckus‘ and says every model in the line-up will meet the requirements of the 8K Association’s Certified Test Specifications as well as the CTA 8K Ultra HD Display Definition.

Lifestyle TV – enter Sero

Sero, which means “vertical” in Korean, can pivot between horizontal and vertical orientations – just like a smartphone or tablet. After trials in South Korea Samsung will inflict this on the world.

Perhaps inflict is too harsh a word because TVs are increasingly becoming content devices and just like a smartphone, some content is best vertical. It features a modern design that stands out in any space and features a range of different display options when it is not in use.

New memory and SSD

Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch is the latest in the T-series –  an external storage drive featuring significantly enhanced speed ( USB 3.2 Gen 2 ) and security.

Samsung SSD 980 PRO is a consumer SSD solution for high-end PCs.

The PM1733 30.72TB PCle Gen4 NVMe SSD is the industry’s fastest and largest capacity enterprise/datacentre storage drive.

Samsung wins 46 coveted Innovation Awards – with three earning Best of Innovation.

GadgtGuy does not usually cover awards as we get so many releases from so many awards institutions. But 46 is a massive number so you can read more here.

Of note is the cute ‘Cube’ fridge system and customisable facia Bespoke fridges.

Samsung delivers a CES keynote

H.S. Kim, President and CEO of Consumer Electronics Division at Samsung Electronics, will deliver a keynote address at CES on January 6, 2020. Link here.

Samsung at CES 2020

Kims talks about how we will seamlessly connect to devices enabled by AI, cutting-edge semi-conductor chipsets and 5G will present new experiences and change our lives.

GadgetGuy’s take – Samsung at CES 2020 was about winning

Research shows that the typical Aussie home has at least four Samsung devices in it – fridge, washer, dryer, air conditioner, mobile phone, computer, monitor and a whole lot more. No other brand has impacted our lives in such an overarching way.

Not to mention that Samsung AMOLED screens, memory and components are in many major smartphones including Apple.

Samsung at CES 202 was about celebrating its dominant position – we call it winning but the canny Koreans were just smiling.