Rivals focus on the big picture

LG Electronics’ 105-inch curved UHD TV. Provided by the company

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics said yesterday they both have developed 105-inch Ultra-High Definition TVs with a curved screen, the world’s first.

The specs of the products introduced by the companies are similar: both command an 11-million-pixel resolution on a 105-inch diagonal screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio.

Further details will be revealed when they showcase them during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month, the companies said.?

“We are happy to unveil the 105-inch Curved UHD TV, the culmination of Samsung’s advancements,” said Kim Hyun-suk, executive vice president of Visual Display Business at?Samsung Electronics. Samsung unveiled a 55-inch, 65-inch curved UHD TV during the IFA show in Germany, a major global tech exhibition, in September, becoming the world’s first TV maker to produce a curved, liquid crystal display UHD TV.

LG developed the world’s first curved UHD TV in April, but the TV, with a 55-inch screen, was based on OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes).

Both products unveiled yesterday are based on LCD, which is more popular than OLED because it is less expensive. Sony makes the only other curved LCD UHD TV available in the global TV market.

Samsung said its unique algorithm renders an IMAX cinema-viewing experience on its 105-inch curved UHD TV, which it dubbed the “ultimate immersive experience.”

Samsung also has applied its quadmatic picture engine, which features a combination of four technologies - signal analysis, noise minimization, UHD upscaling and detail enhancement - aimed at converting SD, HD or Full HD content to UHD-level picture quality.

Samsung Electronics’ 105-inch curved UHD TV Provided by the company

“You will experience a true curved TV optimized for consumer-viewing environments at CES 2014,” said Kim.

Samsung did not specify it, but market observers believe its 105-inch UHD TV has 4,000 R of curvature. The less R, the more curve. Its 55- and 65-inch curved UHD TVs have 4,200 R.

LG’s 105-inch curved UHD TV was reported to be about 6,000 R. LG said its other technological breakthroughs give its product superiority structural integrity as well as uniform color and brightness.

The company said LG Display helped overcome the challenge of uneven backlighting by refining its Thin Film Transistor pixel-circuit technology to prevent color leakage and ensure a superior viewing experience from virtually any angle.

“This awe-inspiring TV offers magnificent picture quality and a wide viewing angle with the ability to render the minutest detail in breathtaking clarity to create an unprecedented level of viewer immersion,” LG said in a statement.

The global TV market has been slumping since 2011, but it is showing signs of recovery, led by the growing demand for UHD and smart TVs. According to market information provider DisplaySearch, the global TV market will grow 4.1 percent next year with estimated sales of 228.9 million. IHS, another market research agency, predicts 1 percent growth next year and 229 million sales.

There are some factors that are likely to boost demand for TVs next year, including the Sochi Winter Olympics, Brazil World Cup and Incheon Asian Games.

A fairly new category, UHD TV sales amounted to only $75.18 million worldwide last year, but is growing to $2.97 billion this year, according to DisplaySearch. The agency expects the market will grow threefold next year.

By Moon Gwang-lip [joe@joongang.co.kr]