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2017 Samsung QLED TV

Wednesday, January 4, 2017 at 6:33PM

Updated February 13, 2017: specs, tech, and availability

Samsung is proving that LCD Technology can deliver stunning image quality with its new QLED series of TVs. Samsung's best 2017 TVs feature a new quantum dot technology, a clutter-free design, and a curious panel structure that aims to improve off-axis viewing.

Quantum dot
Samsung's latest quantum dot formulation incorporates a new metallic core that further refines and enhances color response to a level where the company is claiming its QLED televisions exceed the DCI color volume! Think of color volume as a stacked series of color space measurements from black to peak-luminance - most color space measurments only look at the brigher portion of color response. The ability to accurately represent the brightest and darkest details in the latest HDR content should make the QLED TVs highly desirable for consumers and professionals alike.

Bright as the sun

The 'light war' among HDR television manufacturers continue, and Samsung describes the peak luminance of the QLED series TVs as being in the 1500- to 2000-nits range when HDR playback is enabled. Picture brightness at this level enables impressively captivating depictions of imagery like sun-lit characters, lighting in dimly lit environments, and point highlights like a star-filled evening's sky and glinting chrome. Longtime Samsung fans recall that the company added (returned) full array local dimming (FALD) to its flagship televisions starting with the 2015 JS9500 series. Like the JS9500 and the KS9800 that succeeded it, both were curved screen designs with effective FALD. For 2017, Samsung goes with a flat design in the form of the Q9 that utilizes an edge-lit backlight system to deliver a claimed 2000-nits of luminance output with 100% DCI color volume coverage - effectively matching the performance of some of the better reference monitors used in film/video production.

Pixel structure v2.0
The Q9 flagship appears to feature a unique sub pixel structure. As reported by the good folks at HDTVtest, I found the image of the staggered sub pixel layout interesting and worthy of further investigation - stay tuned! This new pixel structure paired with the increased color performance of the quantum dot-enhanced panel has Samsung claiming QLED's off-axis color distortions have been halved compared to previous designs.

Anti-reflective (AR)
A bright, well-contrasted, picture will be degraded by any ambient light that reflects off of the screen and into the viewer's eyes. Some eye-on time with the Q9 proved its updated AR tech was (subjectively) twice as effective at minimizing a point source (bright, overhead track lighting) compared to the company's previous best efforts.

One Connect(ed)

A surprise highlight of the 2017 QLED series is a new cable management system. AV inputs on the QLED TVs are in the form of an external One Connect box, but what is new is an ultra-thin discrete fiber optic link dubbed the 'Invisible Connection' cable. This translucent filament makes for easly concealment but does not negate the need for separate power connections to the TV and to the One Connect box itself. To maintain a clutter-free look, Samsung engineered thin power cables and wire routes along the bottom edge and base of its QLED TVs. In the Samsung Q9 demo pictured below, a glimpse of the fiber link can be seen on the right top edge of the mounting bracket.

Mounts and stands

Except for the Q9 series, the other QLED TVs are compatible with a new 'no-gap' wall mount that appeared simple to install and level. A custom matching bracket flush mounts to the rear of the TVs and provides a nearly gapless interface with the wall surface. Alternatively, Samsung also displayed an elegant looking Studio Stand that resembles an artist's easel as well as a Gravity Stand that floats the TV on a matching weighted base.

UI/UX
The user interface and user experience (UI/UX) of the new QLED TVs centers around mobile convergence . The tweaked 2017 interface is being ported to a related mobile app for greater consistency and simplified use. The updated UI is also purported to perform faster auto-detection of connected devices (sub 3-seconds claimed.) The refined remote control can now properly mimic all the buttons on a STB further enhancing the QLED's universal control abilities.

Q9 series