It wouldn’t be CES without a new round of Samsung TVs, and the 2022 models promise their share of quality upgrades — plus a few new conveniences. To start, the mainstream Neo QLED sets now include what Samsung says are the first 4K and 8K sets with 144Hz inputs instead of the usual 120Hz. The extra fluidity won’t be immediately useful when even the fastest PCs struggle with high-speed 4K and 8K content, but you won’t have to worry about your premium TV becoming obsolete any time soon.
The TVs promise image quality improvements regardless of the source. All the 8K and 4K Neo QLED sets have jumped from a 12-bit backlight to 14-bit, providing more accurate brightness. They also boast a new Shape Adaptive Light Control feature that theoretically improves the mini-LED sets’ quality, and an AI-driven Object Depth Enhancer can help distinguish a picture’s main subject from its background.
Software plays an important role as well. All the 2022 Samsung TVs have a new home screen that helps aggregate streaming content and offers an ambient display when idle. A Gaming Hub can directly launch console- and cloud-based games, while a new Game Bar helps you customize relevant picture settings. Watch Together is a SharePlay-style mode that lets you talk to distant friends while you watch broadcasts and streaming shows. And since this is 2022, you can even shop for and display NFTs.
Other sets have their own share of upgrades. Samsung’s MicroLED line (shown at middle) is now bezel-free, so your giant luxury TV should blend more seamlessly with your decor. They also tout a 10 percent wider color range, and you can buy a ‘small’ 89-inch preconfigured set if the 99- and 110-inch variants won’t quite fit. And if the bezels are precisely what you want, 2022 The Frame (below) sets now have more canvas-like matte displays and a fresh art store interface.
As is often the case, Samsung hasn’t provided availability and price ranges as of this writing. The Frame will be available in sizes between 32 and 85 inches, though, and you can presume both 8K screens and MicroLED models will carry stiff premiums. It’s too soon to say whether they’ll compete well against rival models from LG, Sony and other brands. With that said, it’s evident Samsung still isn’t in a rush to embrace OLED TVs and counter its best-known challengers.
