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Samsung's new 4K and 8K QLED TVs are available for preorder now and ship in early March
Samsung's new 4K and 8K QLED TVs are available for preorder now and ship in early March
Brandt Ranj,Brandt RanjFeb 21, 2019, 02:30 IST
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The TVs range in size from 49 to 85 inches and cost between $999.99 and $14,999.99.
Samsung loaded all the TVs with smart voice control features, high dynamic range tech (HDR), and a custom Quantum 4K Processor that uses artificial intelligence to adjust the resolution so that the screen always look its best.
Samsung recently announced its new line of 4K and 8K QLED TVs for 2019. The lineup includes the Q60R, Q70R, Q80R, Q90R, and Q900, and you can preorder the TVs on Samsung's website right now. They start at 49 inches and go up to 85 inches and the price varies accordingly from $999.99 to $14,999.99.
The TVs ship by March 1 or March 8 depending on the model. You can preorder all of these TVs right now, but in some cases, you can only choose one size. More sizes will become available after the TVs officially go on sale in March.
There are a handful of differences between these TVs, so we broke down the key features of each one below, so you can make the best choice. There's no wrong decision, and you'll definitely be able to find a TV that fits in your entertainment center and within your budget.
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The Q900 is Samsung's top-of-the-line 8K TV, and it's packed with hardware and software features that deliver the best possible viewing experience.
That starts with its 8K screen resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels. That's twice as many pixels as a 4K TV (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) has, and four times as many as an HDTV (1920 x 1080 pixels) has. That means you get a highly detailed, crisply clear image with no pixelation visible to the human eye.
The impressive screen is housed inside a sleek TV body with very small black bezels on the edges of the screen, which makes it easier to focus on what you're watching instead of being distracted by the TV's frame. You can mount it on the wall, too.
Samsung's Q900 is powered by the Quantum Processor 8K, which uses artificial intelligence to improve the video quality of everything you watch. Most TV shows and movies aren't shot in 8K resolution, but the processor uses a technology called upscaling to make lower-resolution videos look sharp and clear. It also optimizes the Q900's 60 watt, Dolby 4.2 sound system to adapt to what you're watching, so it sounds more life-like.
Finally, the processor controls two important hardware features: Quantum HDR 24X and the Q900's 16-zone full array backlighting system. HDR stands for high dynamic range, a technology that makes colors look more realistic.
The full-array backlighting system allows the TV to only light up parts of the screen where there's something going on, which makes videos look more real. The TV has a QLED panel, so it can't turn those pixels off like an OLED screen can, but a full-array backlight system helps it look a lot closer.
As you'd expect, the Q900 is also very smart. It comes with a voice-enabled remote, which lets you search for the content you want with your voice. You can use Samsung's smart assistant Bixby to control playback and volume, answer questions, and control compatible smart home accessories. Samsung says that support for Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant will come later.
Samsung's Universal Guide feature also uses artificial intelligence to recommend TV shows and movies based on the streaming services you use and what you watch.
If you want the best TV in Samsung's new lineup, and don't mind its high price tag, the Q900 will give you features you'd expect from "the TV of tomorrow" right now.
The Q90R is the best 4K TV in Samsung's 2019 lineup with its crisp resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. For reference, that's twice as many pixels as you'd find on a 1080P HDTV with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels.
To make the viewing experience even more immersive, Samsung designed the Q90R's screen with a custom technology called "Ultra Viewing Angle," which reduces glare so the TV looks great from more spots in your room. Whether you're sitting right in front of it or off to the side, you'll see the picture clearly. The bezel around the screen is also very slim, so you won't be distracted by the TV's frame.
The Q90R is powered by Samsung's Quantum Processor 4K, which uses artificial intelligence to automatically calibrate its picture quality, colors, and brightness based on the conditions of your room and what you're watching. One of the most significant features of the Quantum Processor 4K is its ability to perform "upscaling," which spruces up lower resolution videos to look more detailed on a 4K TV.
Its 16-array backlighting system dynamically changes the brightness of different parts of the TV's screen based on what's happening in the video you're watching. Although the TV has a QLED panel and it can't turn those pixels off like a true OLED TV can, the full-array backlight system helps the Q90R get a lot closer to OLED-level picture quality.
In addition to the great screen tech, the TV has a 60-watt 4.2 channel Dolby digital speaker system, so audio will sound excellent even if you don't have a home theater system.
Artificial intelligence is at the heart of the Q90R's software. It comes with a voice-enabled remote, which allows you to ask Samsung's smart assistant Bixby to play the content you want, answer questions, and control compatible smart home accessories. Samsung has said support for Amazon's Alexa and the Google Assistant will come later, so if you're not too keen on Bixby, you should soon have other options.
The TV also has Samsung's Universal Guide, which recommends TV shows and movies based on the streaming services you use and what you watch.
Samsung's Q80R offers many of the same features as the Q90R for nearly $1,000 less.
The Q80's 4K screen has the same resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels as the Q90R. It also uses Samsung's "Ultra Viewing Angle" tech, which reduces glare so you can see what's onscreen clearly even if you're viewing the screen at an odd angle.
The Q80's 8-array backlighting system uses half the number of backlights you'd get on the Q90R, but it still dynamically changes the brightness of different parts of the screen based on what's happening in the video you're watching.
Just like the Q90R, the Q80R is powered by Samsung's Quantum Processor 4K, which uses artificial intelligence to automatically calibrate the color and screen brightness based on the conditions of your room and what you're watching. The processor also performs "upscaling," which makes lower resolution videos look more detailed on the 4K TV.
Video quality is the most important feature of a TV, but Samsung's Q80R has great audio, too. It uses a 40 watt 4.1 channel audio system that's just slightly less powerful than the speakers in the higher-end Q90R TV.
Naturally, the Q80 comes with Samsung's artificially intelligent assistant Bixby built into the remote control, so you can issue voice commands to play the content you want to see, answer questions, and control compatible smart home accessories. Samsung has said support for Amazon's Alexa and the Google Assistant will come later.
The other big software feature of this TV is Samsung's Universal Guide, which recommends TV shows and movies based on the streaming services you use and what you watch.
The Q80R's speakers and backlighting system may not be as good as the Q90R's, but it's still a high-end TV, and it costs nearly $1,000 less.
The Q70R is Samsung's midrange 4K TV, and it does a great job at balancing high-end features with a reasonable price.
The Q70R's screen has the same 4K resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels as its other new 4K QLED TVs but without the wide-viewing-angle tech. It also uses a less advanced 4-array backlighting system, so this TV may not get as close to OLED-level quality as Samsung's Q90R and Q80.
Regardless, it'll still look fantastic, thanks to Samsung's screen quality and the advanced Quantum Processor 4K, which uses artificial intelligence to automatically calibrate the TV's color and screen brightness based on the conditions of your room and what you're watching. It also upscales lower resolution videos so they look more detailed on the 4K TV's screen.
The 2.1 audio system built into the Q70R isn't as immersive as the ones in Samsung's higher-end TVs, but it's more than enough for most people's needs. The TV also comes with the same voice-enabled remote, which allows you to ask Samsung's smart assistant Bixby to control your TV, answer questions, and turn on compatible smart home accessories. Samsung has said the Q70R will work with Amazon's Alexa and the Google Assistant in the near future.
The TV's other big software feature is Samsung's Universal Guide, which will recommend new TV shows and movies to check out based on the streaming services you use and what you watch.
The Q70R may have a slightly less advanced audio system and fewer backlighting arrays, but it's far from a budget TV. If you care about audio and video quality but don't want to spend thousands of dollars on a TV, this is a solid choice.
The Q60 is the budget option in Samsung's high-end QLED TV line, but it has many of the same features that make its more expensive siblings great.
Like most of the TVs in Samsung's 2019 line, the Q60's has a 4K screen with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels and a very slim bezel that's barely visible along the edges.
The Q60 also has Samsung's Quantum Processor 4K, which uses artificial intelligence to automatically calibrate its picture quality, colors, and brightness depending on what you're watching and the conditions of your room. It can even "upscale" lower resolution videos to look more detailed on the 4K screen.
The biggest differences between the Q60R and the rest of Samsung's TVs are its weaker 2.0 audio system and less-advanced backlighting system. Rather than having a full array of backlights that can dynamically change based on what you're watching, the Q60's system has a slim backlighting array, which isn't as precise.
These cuts are substantial if you're a real stickler for realism in your video quality, but the Q60 is still very advanced for its price.
The hardware between Samsung's TVs is different, but the software is identical, which means the Q60R has same AI-driven features as the rest of the line.
It comes with a remote that has a microphone built in, which allows you to ask Samsung's smart assistant Bixby to play the content you want, answer questions, and control certain smart home accessories. Samsung has said you will be able to use the TV with Amazon's Alexa and the Google Assistant soon.
The Q60R can also take advantage of Samsung's Universal Guide, which will recommend new TV shows and movies based on the streaming services you're signed into and what you've been watching.
