Earlier today in Las Vegas, Samsung unveiled its 2013 TV line-up to kick off CES 2013. Much of it was expected, including the 85-inch 4K/Ultra HD TV, but it did have a few surprises in store for event-goers, including an expanded line of top-tier LED televisions.
UN85S9 85-inch 4K/Ultra HD TV
Check out our review of the Samsung UN85S9 Ultra HD/4K TV.
Last November, a CES Innovations award let the cat out of the bag regarding Samsung’s plan to bring a 4K/Ultra HD TV to CES. But while we knew it was coming, we didn’t anticipate Samsung’s somewhat unique approach to the TV’s design. Unlike its competitors, Samsung’s version of the new hotness in TV uses a rather large stand, reminiscent of a school-yard swing-set. The stand isn’t just for show, however. Inside is the TV’s 120-watt audio system, as well as a camera used for the company’s gesture-control software. Also notable is Samsung’s use of a full array of locally-dimmed LED back lights, which gives the set more uniform brightness and superior contrast over competing sets.
The TV is slated for availability in March, but no pricing has been announced. Check out this video to see the TV in action. Oh, and by the way: Samsung would prefer it if we could all just drop the 4K and call it Ultra HD, mmmkay? Thanks.
F9500 55-inch OLED TV
Samsung didn’t quite manage to squeeze its OLED TV out before the end of 2012 as most had hoped, but today it showed off the F9500 yet again an its intentions to launch it in 2013 – but we still don’t know when or for home much.
Expanded F8000 LED series
The F8000 series replaces last year’s top-of-the-line E8000 series, and boast’s a bevy of internal improvements (mostly related to Samsung’s Smart Hub in some way), which we’ve detailed below. The line has also been expanded to include larger 65- and 75-inch models. A redesigned stand compliments an almost non-existent bezel, and Samsung’s micro-dimming feature aims to keep the LED edge lights under control.
A trio of plasmas
Samsung’s F8500 plasma series is availabe in 51-, 60-, and 64-inch screen sizes this year, and sports all of the upgraded innards detailed below. What’s better than Deep Black Algorithm? How about Deep Black Algorithm II? Although Sammy’s plasma’s already offered stellar black levels, the company claims its processing creates fewer pulses of white light for deeper blacks. Sounds good, but we’re eager to see it in action on the show floor this week.
Smarter, faster and more understanding
Samsung has implemented some fairly significant improvements to the inner workings of its top-tier TVs. Powering the Ultra HD, OLED, F8000 LED series, and F8500 plasma series is a new quad-core 1.35HGz processor for faster menu navigation, app loading, and Web browsing. Those TVs featuring motion control are meant to benefit by an updated gesture recognition system, which will recognize hands tilted at 45 degrees. Speaking of recognition, Samsung made a big deal about how far improved its voice-control system is, claiming users will no longer have to “speak like a robot” in order for the feature to work. We look forward to getting some voice-on experience with that in the coming days.
Samsung’s Smart Hub platform has also been overhauled to utilize what the company describes as a five-panel interface, and the company is touting a new “S-Recommendation” system, which is meant to give users lists of suggested content based on viewing habits, displayed via thumbnails along the bottom of the screen.
Sound bars, home theater systems and Blu-ray players
For details on the rest of Samsung’s 2013 A/V plans, check out our coverage here.
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