Samsung's flagship Q ranges launched at CES 2017 and marked the debut of Samsung's QLED (quantum dot light emitting diode) technology, the Korean giant's new take on quantum dot technology and rival to OLED.
While quantum dots featured in Samsung’s 2016 SUHD TVs, such as the UE65KS9000, this year’s QLEDs use more advanced dots (stay with us) complete with a metal shell which Samsung claims can deliver improved brightness, colour and contrast, as well as better viewing angles.
MORE: What is QLED TV? How the next TV tech compares to OLED
They are, Samsung claims, the first of the company's TVs to achieve 100% colour volume, and are capable of 1500 to 2000 nits brightness – well over the Ultra HD Premium specification’s 1000-nit minimum standard for LCD TVs, and three or four times the figure required for OLED TVs.
Of course, the QLED TVs are 4K and HDR (High Dynamic Range) compatible.
Samsung will be supporting the standard HDR10 and broadcast HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) formats, although it won’t be supporting Dolby Vision HDR. Instead, Samsung is building its own HDR format with dynamic metadata – named HDR10 Plus – with Amazon Video signed on as the first content provider to support this HDR format.
The 5m cable has a maximum 75GB/s transfer speed
To help with cable management, the flagships QLED TVs will connect to an external connections box via an ‘invisible’ (by which they mean transparent and ultra thin) fibre optic cable.
Two stands - the gyratory ‘Gravity’, and the easel-inspired ‘Studio’ - are available, as well as a 'no-gap' wall mount, which positions your TV flush against a wall.
MORE: CES 2017: Samsung takes aim at OLED with three QLED TV ranges
As for user experience, Samsung’s Tizen-powered operating system returns for another year, only now it promises to be even cleaner thanks to an interface tweak and new personalized services.
The new One Remote is similar to last year's smart wand but silver and flat, and will prioritise voice command controls, while the Smart View app (free, iOS and Android) mirrors the TV's controls for simple navigation.
More after the break
Q9
QE65Q9F - £4900
QLED
Flat
4K
HDR
One Remote
One Connect Box and 'invisible connection' cable
Smart TV
HDMI x4
USB x3
Choice of Gravity or Studio stand
No-gap wall mount
Q8
QE65Q8C – £3800
QLED
Curved
4K
HDR
One Remote
One Connect Box and 'invisible connection' cable
Smart TV
HDMI x4
USB x3
Choice of Gravity or Studio stand
No-gap wall mount
Q7
QLED
Flat and curved
4K
HDR
One Remote
One Connect Box and 'invisible connection' cable
Smart TV
HDMI x4
USB x3
Choice of Gravity or Studio stand
No-gap wall mount
4K HDR LCD
After a QLED-focused start to the year, Samsung has unleashed the rest of its 4K LCD and Full HD TV line-up for 2017. The MU range is the direct successor of 2016’s KS series.
You’re looking at more 4K sets than ever before – from screen sizes ranging from 40in to 82in, in curved and flat variants – and with more affordable price-tags than the range-topping QLED sets.
All the 4K sets in the MU range support the HDR10 and HLG variants of HDR, plus smart TV apps like Netflix and Amazon. They also use the same One Remote control as Samsung's 2016 TVs.
Samsung’s Tizen operating system continues to form the backbone of its smart TV hub, which features across nearly all its sets, apart from the lowest-rung M5000 and M4000 HD ranges.
MU9000 – 65in, 55in, 49in
UE49MU9000 - £1700
UE55MU9000 - £2000
UE65MU9000 – £2500
Curved
4K
HDR 1000
One Connect box (but no ‘invisible connection’ cable)
One Remote
Smart TV
HDMI x4
USB x3
MU8000 – 75in, 65in, 55in, 49in
UE49MU8000 – £1500
UE55MU8000 – £1700
UE65MU8000 – £2300
UE75MU8000 – £4000
Flat
4K
HDR 1000
One Connect box (but no ‘invisible connection’ cable)
One Remote
Smart TV
HDMI x4
USB x3
MU7000 – 82in, 65in, 55in, 49in
UE49MU7000 - £1300
UE55MU7000 - £1500
UE65MU7000 - £2000
UE82MU7000 - £4500
Flat
4K
HDR 1000
One Connect box (but no ‘invisible connection’ cable)
One Remote
Smart TV
HDMI x4
USB x3
MU6500 – 78in, 65in, 55in, 49in
UE49MU6500 - £850
UE55MU6500 - £1100
UE65MU6500 - £1800
Curved
4K
HDR Pro
Smart TV
One Remote
HDMI x3
USB x2
MU6400 – 65in, 55in, 49in, 40in
Flat
4K
HDR Pro
Smart TV
One Remote
HDMI x3
USB x2
MU6200 – 65in, 55in, 49in
Curved
4K
HDR Pro
Smart TV
One Remote
HDMI x3
USB x2
MU6100 – 75in, 65in, 55in, 50in, 43in, 40in
Flat
4K
HDR Pro
Smart TV
One Remote
Full HD LCD
M6300 – 55in, 49in
M5500 – 55in, 49in, 43in, 32in
Full HD
Smart TV
One Remote
M5000 – 49in, 40in, 32in
M4000 – 32in
Full HD/HD
MORE: Best 4K TVs 2017
