Samsung has reached for technology straight from science fiction movies

The first 8K QLED TVs 3 years ago made a huge impression with their image reconstruction algorithms - and Samsung has not rested on its laurels since then. In his latest TV sets, software is as important as hardware. All this so that the picture and sound would be absolutely nothing to be desired. And it was pleasant for the recipient.

Samsung brilliantly coped with the challenge of offering consumers the first televisions with 8K matrices. Even in the most developed markets for content with such a high pixel density, there is very little. So why do we need such a TV? Just to be future-ready or to promote yourself to friends?

No. We need 8K TVs today. Samsung has taken advantage of the tremendous advances made in the development of artificial intelligence in recent years. He significantly developed the image reconstruction algorithms to an incredibly high level.

The first 8K QLEDs were able to magically draw missing pixels in 4K and 1080p materials. Advanced mechanisms based on AI with an extremely effective method supplemented the absent information in files and video streams with lower resolution or bit rate. The result is a convincing illusion of an image in 8K or as close to 8K as possible depending on the source - maybe not perfect, but also much better than the original, and paradoxically also faithful to it, without image artifacts or other errors. Simply pleasing to the eye.

All subsequent QLED TV sets developed and will continue to develop this technology. But… why is it so important?

The hint is hidden in the content we watch the most today. We rarely reach for a physical medium, even less often it is Blu-ray UHD - the only truly lossless format on the consumer market. We mostly use VOD services such as Netflix, HBO Go, Player and YouTube. Rarely from ordinary Blu-rays and DVDs.

All VOD services use lossy data compression mechanisms. They have no choice today. Blu-ray movies transmit information to the player at a bit rate of 40 Mb / s. In the case of UHD Blu-ray, it is 128 Mbps. When we look at the codecs used by popular streaming services, it turns out that their UHD streams actually transmit data at a bit rate similar to the standard Blu-ray in 1080p. There are no miracles: some image and sound information is lost.

Unfortunately it has to be like that. For now, most of us do not have the appropriate connection to transmit the Ultra HD lossless stream. We sacrificed quality for convenience - something like mp3 files, which replaced Audio CDs with music, although they offered, at least initially, much worse quality.

You are surely starting to guess why artificial intelligence algorithms are so important in image and sound reconstruction. It is thanks to them that our 4K and 8K TV sets can pamper our senses with the possibilities of their matrices and audio systems. Were it not for these algorithms, we would use the full capabilities of our TV set extremely rarely - actually only using the above-mentioned UHD Blu-ray discs.

Samsung was not the first to use machine learning to improve image processing. However, without a doubt, with the transition to 8K resolution, it set a new quality standard that the competition is now striving for.

But is QLED a single trick product? It never was. And this year and digital intelligence has entered a new level.

QLED has more differentiators than just its magic firmware. QLED Q950T or Q800T are also one of the brightest TV sets on the market, providing a beautiful HDR effect and visibility even in a strongly sunlit room. It is also the Tizen system, so one of the most convenient and intuitive TV systems on the market with an exceptionally wide range of applications. And in selected models, we can find other unique features - such as the ingenious One Connect module that allows you to move the tangle of cables away from the TV, for example inside a TV cabinet. And let's not forget the Ambient Mode, which brings the TV to life when not in use.

This year's QLED TV models are of course grinding all of the above. Even better matrices offering even higher contrast, brightness and color range. Tizen in its new edition is even faster and even more convenient. The new One Connect modules support HDMI 2.1 and eARC standards. But it doesn't end with the same thing .

Digital intelligence is not only about AI. Samsung proves once again that design can also be intelligent.

Almost all TV manufacturers strive to offer a product that offers the best picture and the best sound at the lowest possible price. How do you know a leading manufacturer? That, in addition to ensuring the foregoing, it goes beyond that. And this year's QLEDs, such as the 950T or Q90T models, have many new, intelligent solutions - most of them have one common denominator, which is innovative software.

Such solutions include the Image Adaptation Function, which adjusts the brightness and other image parameters live to the conditions in the environment. In other words, this year's QLEDs automatically and cleverly ensure that the image is always faithful to reality or our intentions - regardless of whether the room is dark or bright. The same mode also analyzes the sound stream, recognizing its structure and increasing its clarity accordingly - thus making it easier to listen to dialogues in films or surround us with the sound of fans chanting during a sports broadcast.

It is worth paying attention to QLEDs for the most demanding viewers. These are the 8K Q950T, Q800T and Q90T or Q95T models. In them, Samsung made sure that even the frame around the display was intelligently designed - it is so thin that you can hardly see it, allowing us to focus on the series or video game.

A separate paragraph belongs to the audio system. There is no other such ingenious solution.

Most of our TV reviews contain an excerpt that I could add almost on a copy-paste basis . With almost all higher-end equipment, I notice that buying even the cheapest speakers or a soundbar will be a great idea - and additional audio equipment should be included in the purchase price of the receiver.

I believe that a beautiful picture should be accompanied by a strong, deep, clear sound. Unfortunately, almost no TV set on the market - even the ultra-modern QLED - may have problems with providing an equally decent sound as the simplest loudspeakers for a few hundred zlotys. And it is difficult to blame TV producers, since we have prepared this fate for ourselves.

We expect our modern TVs to look beautiful on the wall. They are to be stylish and slim. We didn't care about the laws of physics and we didn't remember that a decent audio system needs some physical space. So enthusiasts quickly buy additional speakers - giving up the system built into the TV. Someone at Samsung, however, asked a question: why give up?

The top models of the current QLED line, when paired with compatible home theater systems or soundbars, can use both connected equipment and built-in speakers to create an even deeper and even better sounding sound stage. The TV speaker system thus becomes part of our home theater - because even if our audio equipment is technically far superior to the embedded solution, there is no reason why it should be wasted . And as if that were not enough, Samsung thought about those of us who, for various reasons, do not want to buy external sound.

The Q80T, Q90T and Q95T televisions use four sets of speakers, which are placed in different places in the back cover. In turn, the Q800T and Q950T models use as many as six sets of speakers, and the technology has gained a "plus" in the name - we can find here the Sound Following the Object (OTS +). This mechanism cleverly links the sound with the elements of the image that emit it. So if, for example, we see a scene in which a helicopter lands in the upper part of the frame - the OTS mechanism will make sure that we can hear the rumble of its rotors from the speakers at the top of the screen.

Picture, sound, additional functions. Whoever does not develop software, dies. No wonder Samsung is a sales leader.

Today Samsung is definitely a TV manufacturer most often chosen by consumers - but I would definitely wish its engineers a lot of humility. And watch your competitors' ideas carefully.

For today, however, Samsung seems to know best that great equipment for today is not enough. What about a matrix that guarantees a reference image in theory, since the electronics associated with it are not able to effectively process the image and sound signal? So what if an operating system is very comfortable - since our favorite applications do not have it? What is the use of numerous connectors in the latest standard - if we actually want to use one, but so that the wires are not visible?

These questions Samsung sellers may be asking competitors for a year in a row and hearing evasive answers from most. Are QLED TVs the best on the market? I really don't like making such definite and categorical statements. Fortunately, I have no problem with pointing to them as the most innovative. Moreover, these innovations make sense, and are not introduced as art for art's sake.

Today, QLED 8K TV sets offer us image quality as close to 8K as possible, although the signal of this resolution is still a rarity. They will adjust the image to the lighting in the room that we currently want. They will use the full potential of our audio equipment or will intelligently create the illusion of surround sound themselves. They can even serve as a control center for our smart home.

I suggest you do not take my word for it and look for a similar set of features from the competition yourself. On your own terms - choosing only those technical innovations that have real meaning for you and provide practical benefits. Even if a TV set from another manufacturer has a parameter that is important to you, better than this year's QLEDs, you will find out that there is no other such innovative equipment on the market in the final balance sheet. All because Samsung was the first to understand that software and artificial intelligence are also the future of televisions. I admit that I can't wait to see what his engineers will come up with next year.

The material was created in cooperation with Samsung .

Samsung has reached for technology straight from science fiction movies