Samsung 55-inch OLED TV to cost well under 8K

Samsung in a discussion weeks after CES gave positive signs that its 55-inch Super OLED TV will be within reach of everyday buyers. To be called the KN55ES9600 when it reaches the US, the exotic set should cost well under the 8,000 euros some had been expecting, Austria's OLED.at said, and by extension under the $8,000 many had expected for the US version. When it ships, the TV should only cost "slightly higher" than premium LED-backlit LCD sets.

The set should arrive in spring or summer. Part of the cost reduction should come from economies of scale: with production at over 48,000 per month, Samsung can recoup its investment faster. Like with LG, the latest generation of OLED techniques scales to large sizes much more cheaply than in 2008, when Sony charged $2,500 for its 11-inch XEL-1 and had to drop it two years later.

Most of the details of the Super OLED set aren't clear beyond its ultra-thin design, but it's likely to use Samsung's internally made Smart TV platform. OLED primarily gives much better contrast ratios, since it can completely switch off black pixels, and eliminates ghosting to the point where movement appears more fluid and detailed. Without the need for a backlight, OLED typically consumes less power and allows for the very thin dimensions that define the sets so far.

By Electronista Staff