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Samsung
Samsung has announced a bevy of new 4K TVs, with six new models and two new series. They include an 85-inch screen, a curved series, and a selection of smaller sized televisions. Prices range from $999 to ten times that amount.
The non-curved UN85HU8550 ($9,999, shipping now) joins the existing HU8550 range which itself includes sizes between 50-inch and 75-inch. The 85-incher features edge-lit local dimming and, like the other new TVs announced today, all of the latest 4K features including HEVC decoding, HDMI 2.0, and HDCP 2.2.
Samsung has gone seemingly mad with its curvy tech this year, but as reviewers we’re still not convinced of its benefits. But hey, it looks impressive in your living room!
The latest entrant is the new curved HU7250 series. Due in August 2014 in 55-inch ($2199.99) and 65-inch ($3,299.99) sizes, it features “UHD dimming” in addition to the HDMI 2.0 functionality. Also of interest is the Quad Screen Multi-Link feature, which turns the screen into four 1080p screens for some major TV control room-like action.
The second new series in Samsung’s range is the non-curved HU6950 which features much of the same features as the other two TV ranges including “UHD dimming,” UHD Upscaling, Quad Screen Multi-Link and a Quad Core Processor. It will be Samsung’s least-expensive range of 4K TVs, and available late-June in a 40-inch ($999.99), a 50-inch ($1,499.99) and a 55-inch ($1,999.99).
You may have noticed that “UHD dimming” is a bullet point shared by the latter two new series and according to Samsung it’s synonymous with “Micro Dimming”: processor-based local dimming which doesn’t incorporate physical backlight dimming. On the 1080p-only 7- and 6-series TVs we’ve reviewed we found it offers negligible picture quality improvement.
