BUYERS' GUIDE CURVED HD
BUYERS' GUIDE CURVED HD TV STATE OF PLAY It’s one of the THE big trends this year. While last year saw the arrival of UHD TV, this year really sees the onset of CURVED UHD. And with models such as TCL’s massive 110-inch curved TV on show at IFA, with, just behind in size-terms, Samsung and LG also sporting giant curved models, it’s an eye opener at the show. But with such new technology, how can we differentiate from one model to another? MARKET Ultra-HD/ 4K TV sets are gaining share in the TV market with more than 120 thousand Units sold in the 1st half of 2014 in EU6. Sizes of 50 Inches and even below are becoming more important while prices are decreasing. Thanks to a hike in demand for curved UHD TVs worldwide, some major manufacturers will have increased the production of curved models by about 40 percent from the third quarter compared to a quarter ago. The share of curved products in Europe’s UHD TV market reached 60 percent in the period from March to May 2014. The share stood at 65 percent in Germany, 59 percent in the UK, and 54 percent in France. MARKET VOLUME OF UHD-TVS IN EU6* 2013 24.2 Jan-Jun 2014 * EU6 = Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Netherlands CONTACT Bettina Steinbrenner Marketing Manager Home Consumer Electronics GfK Retail and Technology bettina.Steinbrenner@gfk.com THE FUTURE Prices will soon move closer to mass-market levels, at least in screen-sizes below 60''. First regular 4K/UHD broadcasts will also start in Europe, and some streaming services are in preparation. Once a significant amount of 4K/ UHD content is available the technology will quickly replace Full HD. In the very high end, the 21:9 format seems to be given a new lease of life. Our thanks to EISA for their help in compiling this buyers’ guide. 121.8 KEY SELLING POINTS TECHNOLOGY Technology rivals Curved UHD TVs will come with two rivalling technologies, sometimes even from the same manufacturer: OLED and LCD. While OLED has a potential advantage in terms of contrast, colour reproduction and response time, it is too early to announce OLED the clear winner as it is still a young technology and not all production problems have been solved. Motion Rendering Because it has to address four times the number of pixels compared to Full HD, any type of image enhancement and especially motion compensation algorithms demand much more processing power. Because there are different challenges to overcome when processing motion for OLED or LCD, a simple comparison of refresh rates or other specs will not suffice. What matters is the end result, smooth, fluid and sharp rendering of motion. Upscaling Achieving the best possible picture quality when upscaling Full HD material to four times its original resolution will be key for consumer's buying decisions. Although individual algorithms play their part, sheer processing power is certainly needed to compute the vast amount of data required to upscale Full HD material to 4k/UHD without artefacts and/or noise. SONY’S NEW BRAVIA S90 UHD TV Available in 75- and 65-inches, the S90 features a slim, subtly contoured screen for immersive, natural-looking 4K pictures with four times the detail of Full HD. The screen’s precisely-calculated curve pulls viewers right into the action, ensuring life-like viewing for everyone in the room. For the first time, the S90 features Sony’s 4.2 channel Multi-angle Live Speaker system for full 360° surround sound. » HALL 20 / STAND 101 TCL Curved 110-inch UHD TV FEATURES Smart-TV The newest generation of Smart-TV platforms has taken the connected user experience to a level that befits these High-End- TVs. Intuitive control will be possible with touchcontrol or 'point-and-click'- type remotes and voice commands. Connectivity and content Manufacturer's will try to include as many connectivity and content options as possible and the TVs will present broadcasts, usergenerated content on the personal network or mobile devices and streaming services in one unified user experience. In terms of 4k/ UHD it is important that the USB interface can be used for playback of 4k/UHD content ant that UHD video with 60fps played. Upgradeability Interfaces and standards for UHD, both in hardware and software, are not yet fully defined. The futureconscious consumer will watch out for UHD TVs that offer the possibility to be updated if new technologies or standards emerge, for example by putting the connectors into an easy-toreplace external box. INNOVATING @ IFA DESIGN Thinner Bezels The second and third generation of curved TVs will follow the design trends of their flat cousins, reducing the width of the bezel to nearinvisibility to have a maximum of screen surface with a minimum of visual footprint. Stand as Statement With a curved form factor, hanging the TV on the wall is not an option so designers focus much more on the stand than previously as it is now an integral part of the product, often containing electronics and loudspeakers. The two main trends to chose from will be the 'bold and beautiful' approach, using expensive materials and especially well suited for more expensive models, and attempts to hide away the stand as much as possible, even by using transparent materials. Behind the Scenes Inevitably, Curved UHD TVs will be placed in a way that allows a view of their back panels from certain positions in the room. A clean design, the use of adequate materials and a way to deal with connected cables in an organised way are more important in this category than with 'regular' flat TVs. TCL CURVED 110-INCH UHD TV TCL is showcasing its new 110-inch Curved UHD TV at IFA – the largest in the world. The massive panel boasts an LED backlit-LCD display, active 3D, dynamic backlighting and an 800 nits brightness rating. TCL integrates this sophisticated technology with a curved screen to provide a more natural field of vision for consumers, and a more enriching TV experience in general. » HALL 21B / STAND 104 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Monday 8 th September 2014 41
