LAS VEGAS — Samsung unveiled its 105-inch curved UltraHD TV Monday, and it's a stunner. Samsung is claiming this is "the world's first and largest curved HD TV," but LG might take some issue with that.
Samsung hasn't released a price for the UHD (4K) stunner, but considering that it's charging an astounding $69,999 for its 105-inch 4K set, we expect this one to be pricy, too.
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I got some eyes-on time with the 105-inch set, as well as Samsung's whole line of curved 4K TVs at a private media event Sunday night. I was already smitten by the company's curved OLED TVs, which I saw in August, and adding 4K to the experience makes it even better.
For the 105-inch model, Samsung is using an ultra-wide ratio of 21x9 to take advantage of the size and curvature of the set. It has 11 million pixels and includes an Auto Depth Enhancer to bring pictures to life. In person, the set looks less like a TV and more like a movie theater screen.
Samsung isn't expecting the average home theater enthusiast to plunk down the money for a 105-inch curved 4K TV, so it's launching a broader curved 4K TV lineup, too —the U9000 Series. The company took feedback from its OLED lineup and has refined the curves and bezels to fit with a number of different sizes.
The U9000 Series will be available in 78-inch, 65-inch and 55-inch variants. Samsung also said that the sizes announced today are just the beginning and that it is listening to customer feedback about other sizes, too.
On the downside, curved TVs take up more space. The best viewing experience is about 9 to 13 feet away, meaning you need a bigger room for a 55-inch curved set than you might for just a standard HDTV or 4K TV. The company is also looking into addressing the space concern with new flexible displays, where users can control the contour of the curve.
All of Samsung's 4K TVs feature UHD Upscaling, which converts full HD, HD and other resolution sources to near-UHD clarity. This takes place on the set itself, using a four-step process, but can be aided by devices or content that delivers upscaled content as well.
All of Samsung's 4K TVs feature HDMI 2.0, MHL 3.0, HEVC, HDCP 2.2 and Samsung's UHD Evolution Kit.
Image: Evan Engel, Mashable
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Samsung's U9000 UHD TVs feature a wider field of view and a balanced and uniform viewing distance across all areas of the screen. The company claims that a curved TV offers up to two times the enhanced contrast ratio of a flat TV in a normal viewing environment.
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