Samsung held a virtual event today called Unbox & Discover where the company showcased its 2022 line-up of Neo QLED 8K TVs, soundbars, accessories, and other sustainability initiatives. While many of the products were introduced at CES 2022 in Las Vegas earlier this year, Samsung used the event to reinforce the more holistic approach the company is taking to its home entertainment line going forward, “providing one central hub to play, connect, work, and more.”
“We are focused on creating a seamless experience across all of our products, which allows consumers to effortlessly enjoy all their benefits,” said Jong-Hee (JH) Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of Samsung Electronics’ DX (Device eXperience) Division. “The 2022 Neo QLED 8K is designed to fulfill the needs and empower the passion of our consumers, and the innovations are sparked by their experiences. Neo QLED 8K also has the power to unlock new experiences as the most important device at the center of the home.”
Samsung’s vision going forward follows the tagline “screens everywhere, screens for all,” putting the television at the centre of our lives. This means not just for passively watching television but also for gaming, exercising, working, and more, providing a more personalized experience for every user.
The 2022 Neo QLED 8K has been upgraded with the Neural Quantum Processor 8K, which has 20 independent neural AI networks, each analyzing the content’s characteristics and picture quality for optimal viewing, regardless of the source. It also features Real Depth Enhancer, which scans the screen and maximizes contrast with the background by enhancing the object while keeping the background unprocessed. It works similarly to the way human eyes perceive images in real life, says Samsung, so the object on screen stands out against the background.
All of Samsung’s new 2022 QLEDs received the world’s first ‘Pantone Validated’ certification in display from Pantone, the global authority on colour and creator of the Pantone Matching System (PMS). This means the models authentically reproduce more than 2,000 colours as well as the newly added 110 skin tone shades found in Pantone’s guidelines. The new EyeComfort Mode, meanwhile, uses AI technology to automatically adjust the brightness and colour temperature of the screen based on how light or dark the room is combined with the sunset/sunrise information to optimize the most comfortable viewing experience.
The Neural Quantum Processor 8K’s AI analyzes what is on screen in real-time so that the Adaptive Sound features can track and move between speakers to precisely match the movement on screen.
In the flagship model QN900B, a all the sounds come from a 90W 6.2.4 channel audio system, featuring new top channel speakers and Dolby Atmos with Object Tracking Sound Pro. This technology has also been applied to voice recognition with Voice Tracking Sound, so that sound effects and voices truly follow the movement across the screen.
Samsung is also introducing Wireless Dolby Atmos to its Neo QLED 4K and 8K TVs, allowing for the elimination of HDMI cables. Wireless Dolby Atmos will also be applied to Samsung’s new 2022 Ultra Slim Soundbar.
The 2022 lineup is outfitted with new and smarter features and user interface, allowing Samsung TVs and screens to become the central hub to watch content, control devices, play games, work out, and more.
The new Smart Hub user interface, powered by Tizen, provides one, easy-to-navigate home screen. The new tab classifies features, settings, and content into three categories for a seamless user experience: Media, Gaming Hub, and Ambient.
The Media screen organizes entertainment options, including video on demand, streaming, and Samsung TV Plus with 190+ free channels. It learns your preferences with machine learning to make smart recommendations across all platforms and services. In the Gaming Hub, you’ll get a new game streaming discovery platform without the need for downloads or storage. Samsung announced partnerships with leading game streaming services, including NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Stadia, and Utomik, with more to come, to bring their libraries of games to the Gaming Hub. The new platform will be available later this year on select 2022 Samsung Smart TV models.
Finally, the Ambient screen enhances the home’s aesthetic by syncing the screen’s display with its surrounding décor or displaying eye-catching art.
In addition to the new Gaming Hub, the 2022 lineup comes with specifications and features to provide an enhanced gaming experience. They include four HDMI 2.1 supporting ports, Motion Xcelerator Turbo Pro 4K 144Hz gaming, Super Ultrawide GameView and Game Bar, making gaming more efficient and accessible for a fast-paced and streamlined experience. Samsung is also introducing an exclusive TV lineup for gaming in 43 and 50 inches in the near future.
Meanwhile, Samsung Health offers a variety of workout and wellness classes, as well as ways to track your progress and routines. Track your fitness journey and activities on the TV and seamlessly sync with other devices such as Galaxy Watch4 series to track progress in real-time on the screen.
Samsung SmartThings is part of the equation as well, allowing the screen to become the central hub to conveniently control other home devices at a single point. This feature, included in Samsung TVs, takes advantage of the large screen to help you discover, view, and control devices at-a-glance.
Finally, new in 2022 is Samsung’s NFT Platform, partnering with the industry leader, Nifty Gateway. Ambient mode will offer a one-stop NFT platform to explore and display NFT digital art on 2022 Neo QLED and QLEDs.
Samsung also used the event to discuss its focus on the environment and reducing the company’s carbon footprint. For example, Samsung will be using 90% less link in its packaging and removing staples during production to help reduce waste and make it easier for recycling.
Samsung’s 2022 TVs, monitors, digital signage, and remote controls also use recycled resin. Notably, high-resolution monitors use recycled resin from ocean-bound plastic recovered in coastal areas that would otherwise have become marine hazardous waste. Samsung’s Neo QLED 8K/4K has achieved the ‘Reducing CO2’ label from the Carbon Trust, demonstrating that the carbon footprint for the Neo QLED lineup is being reduced year over year.
The SolarCell remote also received an upgrade for 2022: it is 88% more efficient than the previous 2020 models, says Samsung, and are now completely battery-free, charged through 2.4GHz radio frequency harvesting, drawing power from spare energy emitted by Wi-Fi routers.
Complementing the line is a variety of accessories to suit different décor and set-ups. There’s the Slim Fit wall mount, for example, for positioning the TV flash against the wall and swiveling up, down, and sideways to get the right angle based on where you’re sitting, and the Studio Stand for displaying the TV in a more artistic way. There’s also a new Auto Rotation accessory that extends the rotating capabilities of The Sero to the Neo QLED 8K. Auto Rotation brings mobile experiences to the big screen, portrait art to the full screen, and MultiView experiences to new layouts. It can be used as a stand or wall mount so that whatever is on, the whole screen is filled to optimize the viewing experience.