The Mega OLED, Mini LED and Micro LED Screens at IFA 2022 | Video

Although this 2022 edition of the IFA in Berlin was rather stingy with important TV announcements (all the news had already been presented in the last few months), that of wide diagonal screens was undoubtedly a theme ridden by the main world producers.

We are talking about displays that range from 97 inches, up to 136 inches which are offered with different technologies: OLED, Mini LED and even Micro LED. Not all of them will soon arrive in Italy and we can still consider some of them prototypes or, at least, hardly within reach of the general public. However, it is certainly interesting to understand in which direction the market is going, as well as the ongoing “clash” between various more or less mature technologies.

But let’s go in order. In home LG the protagonist was undoubtedly the new one 97-inch OLED G2. Already announced earlier this year at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, it has now been officially presented, with the market debut expected by the end of the year. Use a panel OLED WRGB at 4K Ultra HD resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) of the latest generation (the so-called OLED.EX LG Display) and all the technical features, equipment and functionalities are those we have come to know with the Korean manufacturer’s OLED 2022 range.

In particular we remember the integration of Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor with all the processing of AI (Artificial Intelligence) algorithms dedicated to upscaling, sharpness, management of Dynamic Tone Mappingto the Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail and audio. We also find 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs 48Gbps full bandwidth with support eARC, signals Ultra HD up to 120Hz, Auto Low Latency Mode and Variable Refresh Rate in the form of HDMI Forum VRR, Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync.

Of course, you can view HDR content in HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision and Dolby Vision IQ (which uses the ambient light sensor). Smart TV is entrusted to webOS 22 with all the most popular streaming apps and the ability to control IoT devices and access the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice assistants. An official price has not yet been established, but it should be around 20-25,000 euros with a 5-year warranty on the panel.

The mammoth could not go unnoticed 136 inches Micro LED “Magnit” (already presented at ISE 2022) complete with the prestigious Beolab 90 sound system from Bang & Olufsen. The TV is a modular system consisting of a series of RGB LED “tiles” with 0.78mm pitch (each pixel is formed by a self-emitting microLED triplet) that allow you to recreate a final image at native 4K Ultra HD resolution.

The TV is able to reach about 1200 nits of HDR peak and supports HDR standards in HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG. It is also complete with an Alpha 9 Gen 4 processor and webOS Smart TV. In Italy it will not be officially imported and a list price is not declared. But just think that the 137 kg, 8000 W power B&O Beolab 90 audio system is sold alone for around 100,000 euros … could we hypothesize 150-200,000 euros for the combination? 😊

The Chinese manufacturer seems to want to bet strongly on Large TV and, after having introduced on the market the very interesting 98 “QLED C735 series of which you can read our preview with measurements, showed at IFA an additional 98 inches this time Mini LED. It belongs to the C935 series and can therefore count on a 10-bit VA-type LCD panel with native 4K Ultra HD resolution with backlight Quantum Dot Mini LED with OD5 technology (Optical Distance of 5mm). This means that the optical distance between the module that houses the backlight and the layer that diffuses the light over the entire screen is limited to just 5mm. All this results in panels that are thinner and equipped with a greater number of LED diodes.

This model should complement over 10,000 Mini LEDs which are then driven by the electronics of local dimming in 2,300 zones (we are at the top of the market) and guarantee a luminous flux capable of reaching in HDR peaks up to 2,000 nit. The electronics are entrusted to the latest processor AiPQ 2.0 Engine for image processing and, on the HDR front, this 98-inch really supports all expected formats: HDR10, HDR10 +, HLG, Dolby Vision and Dolby Vision IQ. As for HDR content with static metadata (HDR10 and HLG), the Dynamic Tone Mapping functionality is also provided.

The panel can also be controlled up to 144 Hz and, thanks to HDMI 2.1 ports with which it is equipped, it is also rich in terms of gaming support with integration of the new “Game Bar” to enable the Auto Low Latency Mode (with input lag below 6ms at 120 Hz), the Variable Refresh Rate and keep under control all game settings.

The Smart TV platform is entrusted, as always, to Google TV and now also provides support AirPlay 2 (while the streaming support integrated into the Apple TV + App is still missing). Finally, the audio sector which provides a sound system in 2.1.2 configuration, developed in collaboration with Onkyo and with full support for Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD and even IMAX Enhanced tracks. The bad news is this 98-inch cut in all probability it will not arrive in Italy (and not even in the rest of Europe). The target price should be around 10,000 euros. We hope that TCL can reconsider because the cost may seem high, but the diagonal / quality / price ratio is actually very interesting on paper (taking into account the technical characteristics).

Also for TCL could not miss a 136-inch “Cinema Wall”. There is actually a solution behind the initials 4K Ultra HD native resolution modular micro LED (don’t be fooled by the “Mini LED” abbreviation used for the demo movie portrayed in the photo). The managers of the Chinese group immediately clarified that it is for now only a prototype with no conceivable date of arrival on the market. The reason is quickly explained: the production costs are still very prohibitive (as we have seen for LG and we will understand later also with Samsung) and therefore Micro LEDs remain for now a mere technological exercise… then in the future we will see. Sure see about 136 inch pictures in HDR with 5,000 nit peak definitely makes a great effect!

The market leader certainly could not stand by and, on the occasion of the IFA, announced the arrival of the new series 98-inch Neo QLED 4K QN100 diagonal. A model that substantially incorporates the characteristics of the top-of-the-range 2022 QN95B series, but with even more enhanced video and audio performance.

Not only the important 100-inch diagonal, but also a native 4K Ultra HD 10-bit VA-type LCD panel which, thanks to a solution of Mini LED Quantum Dot backlight even more advanced, it is able to reach i 5000 nits of peak luminance in HDR (HDR10, HDR10 +, HDR10 + Adaptive and HLG). The electronics have also been updated with the latest processor evolution called “Neo Quantum Processor +” obviously also equipped with processing algorithms based on Artificial Intelligence. We do not know yet to tell you exactly what distinguishes this processor from those present in the QN95 series, but it is likely that it has been enhanced to be able to manage a greater number of local dimming zones (which are not currently declared).

A decisive boost was also dedicated to the sound sector, thanks to the integration of a system in configuration 6.4.4 with 4 woofers dedicated to the low and ultra low range. The new system “Cinema Moving Sound” it is capable of delivering a total power of 120W and is complete with native Dolby Atmos support.

Although the QN100 is a 4K Ultra HD model, Samsung has decided to implement the “4 Multi-View” functionality of the Neo QLED 8K models. A function that allows you to split the screen to play up to 4 different sources simultaneously at 4K Ultra HD resolution. As with the smaller QN95 brothers, the QN100 is also equipped with “One Connect Box” external set-top box which can still be integrated on the back of the body, with the latest generation Tizen Smart TV and all the features dedicated to gaming, including access to Gaming Hub.

In Italy, the 98-inch QN100 should arrive by the end of the year at a still indicative price of around 20,000 euros.

Samsung is undoubtedly the manufacturer who believes most in potential of Micro LED technology. It has been investing in it for several years now and already in 2018 a first 146-inch 4K “The Wall” model was made available.

Meanwhile the goal of the Korean engineers was to reduce its size (therefore increase the pixel density of the single “tiles” that make up the modular screen)increase its production efficiency and try to reduce costs. Precisely on the cost front something has begun to move (let’s say that from the initial $ 300,000 prices have more or less halved), but it is above all with regard to the pitch of the LEDs (or the consequent pixel density) that Samsung has succeeded. to reach the most interesting goals.

And, not surprisingly, it was on display in the IFA pavilion a full range of Micro LEDs: 76, 89, 101 and 114 inches and all at native 4K Ultra HD resolution. This testifies to the great variety of modules (which then go to make up the final screen or “wall”) that Samsung has at its disposal. In fact, little technical information is still available and we know that these latest versions are able to reach the 2000 nit peak luminance HDR (even if once calibrated for a film / TV series use it should go down to just over 1000 nits), they can be driven up to 120 Hzare complete with HDMI 2.1 inputssupport gaming features and there is no lack of Smart TV Tizen last generation.

Compared to the initial plans, Samsung’s introduction of Micro LEDs on the market has slowed down several times, mainly due to production costs (and related high waste). At the moment, in Italy, the 110-inch version is available (not present in Berlin) and it is not clear if these further cuts will arrive in the coming months in our peninsula. Indicative prices still remain “dizzying” and should start at around 70-80,000 euros for the 76-inch model.