In recent weeks, the new Samsung TVs have been launched in Israel. Most attention was drawn to the new Neo QLED 8K series, which offers devices in a variety of sizes, from 55 to 85 inches. In fact, 3 sub-series were launched in Israel under the Neo QLED 8K series: QN700B series, QN800B series and QN900B series. Each sub-series offers screens in different sizes, with the most advanced image and sound technologies – so the price range is large and accessible to a variety of audiences.
Along with the many innovations offered by the TVs that belong to this family, it is interesting to note the strategy of Samsung, which in recent years has made sure to offer in its TVs the highest resolution currently on the market – 8K. But what does that mean exactly? How will all this affect the future of TV use? Here’s everything you need to know.
Millions of small dots
Every digital image is made up of pixels. From hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of pixels. The higher the pixel density on a particular screen, the higher the screen resolution.
The 8K TV has 7,680 pixels, 4,320 verticals, and a total of about 33 million pixels. The letter “K” in 8K is an abbreviation of Kilo = thousand – that is, a TV with a horizontal resolution of about 8,000 pixels.
The resolution of 8K TVs is four times higher than that of 4K TVs and 16 times higher than that of FHD TVs. Higher resolution means more pixels make up the image. In other words, on TVs of the same size, the pixels are denser within the same space, which creates a higher quality and more realistic image.
Enhanced reality
The reality is that most of the content offered today is not yet filmed in 8K, which means that purchasing a Samsung TV that supports resolution is a good investment for the near future, as the content supply at this resolution is growing every day.
But Samsung also contributes to the improvement of existing reality, with special artificial intelligence mechanisms analyzing the original content in real time, ‘understanding’ how it can be improved in terms of resolution, and displaying the same content in a viewing experience of up to 8K. Samsung calls this technology Neural Quantum 8K, because it is based on artificial neural networks which is a mathematical model that simulates the activity in the human brain. These networks perform this analysis. In the Neo QLED 8K series, Samsung has jumped the number of these networks from 16 to 20 networks in order to strengthen its image processing and enhancement capability.
“As the number of networks increases, we are able to improve a wide range of content and provide a better viewing experience for users,” the company’s engineers say. “This network is designed to expand and improve all the time, thus providing optimal image quality technology in line with the viewing environment and the latest content trends.”
The processor controls everything
So apparently the component that gets a minor importance in modern TVs is the processor. The current family is the Neo Quantum Processor 8K. In fact, he is the one responsible for controlling the artificial intelligence mechanisms for the purpose of improving the resolution, but not only.
The processor runs mechanisms to improve the dynamic brightness of the image (HDR), a tool that separates objects from the background to provide a greater sense of depth, there are mechanisms that improve the contrast, brightness and color accuracy.
But the sound is also improved through artificial intelligence mechanisms that analyze the position of the objects in the image and know how to produce a sense of more peripheral and realistic audio.
Gaming
Another audience that longs for 8K screens are gamers, who are showing quite a bit of interest in Samsung’s new TVs. The pursuit of the exact picture, the surround sound and the experience of the game in front of a big screen – are definitely features that interest game lovers, but the high resolution will be what will really change the rules of the game.
Samsung has already announced content interfaces that it will make accessible on its new TVs, which are supposed to replace the old game consoles, and the game makers are already filling those interfaces, and many of them are already working on games with 8K resolution.
Leading game console makers also understand this, with both PlayStation 5 and Xbox X technically supporting the ability to display 8K, but for now a software update is still required to enable this. Some of the first titles on the market for game consoles have already been released in 8K, and the close race continues – with all game makers realizing it’s the next thing.
You will be the first
So is it right to buy 8K TVs right now? The answer is surely. We buy TVs for a period of 5 years on average, and according to the pace of technology development – it seems that the future is right here. The technological capabilities presented by the manufacturers are pushing content studios to produce as much high-resolution content as possible, and it seems that these questions are just around the corner.
And until then, you will be the first to enjoy 8K content, even if it has not yet been filmed as such, all thanks to the artificial intelligence mechanisms that improve the resolution of any content. During this time you will enjoy image quality that you have never seen before – one that many viewers have not yet been exposed to.
The article was written in collaboration with Samsung