By Dick Tan
First introduced in their mid-2015 range of high end 4K UHDTVs, Samsung’s 4K performance breakthrough technology, which harnesses the very best that Quantum Dot technology has to offer, has set off a race among top display manufacturers to also come up with high performance 4K UHDTVs of their own.
What we have learned in the past year or so is that not all 4K UHDTVs are created equal.
The new generation of UHDTVs such as Samsung’s SUHDTVs is capable of an infinitely high level of performance, such as greater contrast and significantly higher brightness and a much wider colour gamut level. Such a high level of 4K performance is already available in the coming 4K media such as 4K UHD Blu-ray and similar 4K broadcast content slotted for broadcast in the near future.
With the arrival of its new range of Quantum Dot SUHDTVs Samsung explains why Quantum Dot is simply the better way ahead for the future of high performance 4K UHDTVs.
What is Quantum Dot?
Quantum dots are nano-sized crystals made of semiconductor materials. A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter, which means these extra-small particles are smaller than 1/10 of a single strand of human hair.
Quantum dots can be made of different kinds of elements, but when they’re regulated down to a size small enough, they possess physical properties that make them suitable for many different applications. For example, quantum dots are very efficient in absorbing and then emitting light. Based on this quality, quantum dots are being researched in areas such as solar panels, bio-imaging, and of course, display.
Why are Quantum Dots Good for TVs?
Quantum dots are photoactive, they absorb, and then emit light. And when they do, even if the dots are made of the same material, the light each dot emits is a specific color (or wavelength) depending on the size of the core. For example, a quantum dot with a core of 2nm will emit a blue light while one with 6-7nm core will emit red.
The color of light each quantum dot gives off is also very stable and pure. Quantum dots can show precise colours while the light from conventional materials ends up getting mixed with adjacent colours. This is because the spectral line width of the light from quantum dots is much narrower than that from conventional materials.
As a result, the three primary colours can be more clearly distinguished in comparison to conventional TVs, which help the quantum dot display show a wide range of colours more accurately. Another advantage of these light-emitting quantum dots is that they’re very efficient. Compared to phosphors in conventional TVs, not only are they able to produce more colors, but the phot-active property allows for better light efficiency.
By leveraging this advantage, Samsung was able to jack up the peak brightness of its new SUHD TVs to 1,000 nits and higher, opposed to the previous 400 nits for conventional TVs – all the while further improving overall energy efficiency. Colours are perceived by light, and by offering more light along with more colours, Samsung SUHD TVs are great for HDR content.
What advantage does Samsung’s Quantum Dots Offer?
Many previously developed quantum dots were based on materials that involve cadmium, such as cadmium sulfide (CdS) or selenide (CdSe). Although these quantum dots share the same advantages as written above, they hold a deadly threat against the environment as toxic Cd2+ icons may be released through nanoparticle degradation.
According to Samsung its quantum dots, however, are cadmium-free. They’re based on indium (in) instead. After much research and development, Samsung is currently the only company that produces cadmium-free quantum dot displays. Samsung started research on quantum dots in 2001, and has since registered over 150 patents on the subject.
Samsung’s quantum dots are also said to be durable. Being an inorganic compound, quantum dots are more resistant to oxidation than organic substances. Samsung also applies a quad-layer coat to its quantum dots to ensure the quantum dots are durable and kept stable over years of time. The result a high performance 4K display that keeps its picture quality year after year.
The new Samsung range of Quantum Dot SUHDTVs can be auditioned at the coming KL International AV Show 2016 from 22 -24 July at the JW Marriott Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
For more details contact:
Samsung Electronics Malaysia (SME) Sdn Bhd.
Tel: 03 21650418/ 21650309
