Samsung Electronics, the world's largest flat-screen TV maker, said Thursday it released a new line of full HD smart 3D televisions that help viewers get better access to online content and use social networking services.
The smart TV line, which comes in 46-inch and 55-inch, is part of Samsung's attempt to grab a larger share of the blooming smart TV market.
Samsung's smart TV line includes the LED D8000 and the D7000 series.
The first thing you notice about the LED D8000 series is its barely visible 0.2" brushed metal bezel.
With a 240Hz refresh rate, 2 millisecond motion picture response time (MPRT) and improved LED backlight scanning, this TV offers 2D, 3D and HD images. In addition to the Ultra Clear Panel, the TV is the first to offer Micro Dimming Plus technologies to provide more lifelike pictures with deep blacks and pure whites.
The D8000 Series comes with Samsung's new 3D glasses and Samsung's Touch Control that can also stream TV programs to its built-in 3" LCD screen, almost like a second TV, even while a Blu-ray disc is being played on the TV.
The D8000 has a built-in Wi-Fi connection and many convenient ways to manage and display content through Samsung's Smart Hub portal. The set can connect to other devices using DLNA or Samsung's patented One Foot Connection technology.
The Samsung LED D7000 features a thin 0.2" black bezel is framed by a jewel-like transparent bezel that uses Samsung's Touch of Color (ToC) dual-injection mold technology to reflect a hint of red along the crystal bezel's edge.
With the Auto 3D Format Setup, the TV automatically detects the encoding format (i.e. side-by-side and top-bottom) when playing 3D content and viewers can now sit back and let their smart TV configure the content.
The LED D7000 also incorporates improved backlight scanning technology and Auto Motion Plus, Samsung's proprietary frame interpolation algorithm, to create sharp 2D and 3D pictures and smooth frame transitions without blurring; 3D picture quality is also improved as a result of Samsung?s new 3D Peak Algorithm.
Both the D7000 and the D800 Series will be available in 46"and 56" versions.
The 3D TVs feature 3D sound system, and full HD screen. Samsung said it is planning to release a 3D video-on-demand (VOD) service starting from next month, allowing users to gain access to full high definition 3D versions of around 50 videos. While watching TV, using the search service, users can also find the necessary information on TV in real time.
The models will also feature Samsung's new Smart Hub, which includes:
- Search All, which makes it easier to search for desired content on your TV and other DLNA-certified connected media storage devices, networked PC and mobile devices, and Internet and video-on-demand services.
- Your Video, which delivers recommendations based on a user's viewing history.
- Web Browser, which offers full web browsing right from your TV. - - Samsung Apps, the company's HDTV-based application store, which offers a range of paid and free apps.
Excessive flicker has been the source of complaints for eye fatigue and poor picture quality, as well as health concerns such as photosensitive epilepsy. Samsung said it is seeing substantial improvements in diminishing the flicker. The company added that the new 3D TVs are free of cross-Talk and flickering, allowing comfortable viewing. Lightweight Active Shutter 3D Glasses are also bundled with the new TVs.
Samsung aims to sell 12 million smart TVs this year.
Samsung's annoucnement about the new TVs come just one day after rival LG Electronics
announced the Korean release of its new CINEMA 3D TV, which is said to boast the first third-party endorsed "flicker free" 3D images, along with more comfortable glasses, a brighter picture and a wider viewing angle. The new LG TV utilizes so-called film patterned retarder, or FPR technology.
Japan's Sony and Samsung are pushing its shutter glass (SG) 3D technology.
During the presentation even held today in S. Korea, Yoon Boo-geun, president of Samsung's visual display business, responded to persistent questioning from reporters about the merits of differing technologies.
"There is no technical advantage to the technology," he said of FPR, calling instead for the active shutter glass technology his company uses to be further developed.
"LG Electronics is saying that its FPR is the next technology in the 3D world, but that isn?t right since it was developed in the 1930s," he added.
"The film-based technology would give some advantages in cost, but that's all. FPR won't realize full HD images as it has technological limitations, limiting its use to small-sized digital devices," said the TV chief.