Quantum Dots Everywhere at CES 2016
Jan 15, 2016
Author: Jeff Yurek
Quantum Dots were absolutely everywhere at CES this year. Several TV makers announced new Quantum Dot-powered sets to bring HDR capabilities to their their 2016 TV lineups. In case you couldn’t make it to Vegas, we thought we’d pull together a few of our favorite product demos from the show.
Samsung
Samsung led the charge with an unequivocal statement about their belief in Quantum Dot technology during their Tuesday press conference. They wanted to set the record straight since some analysts had assumed that Samsung would make their way back to OLED technology after announcing their first Quantum Dot TVs during last year’s show. Kim Hyun-seok, President of Samsung’s visual display division, made it very clear that they are sticking with QD for both the visual and manufacturing cost saving benefits of the technology:
“The role of quantum dot technology will grow bigger as more content providers continue to produce movies or high-resolution content with high-dynamic-range (HDR) image technology… we strongly believe quantum dot TVs are second to none at the moment. We need to make profits with our business. We will not make a huge investment in the OLED TV business, as it comes with massive investment.”
Visitors to the huge Samsung booth couldn’t miss the message either– the wall of moving 65” SUHD Quantum Dot TVs was quite an impressive site!
The SUHD is notable as one of the first TVs to receive the UltraHD Alliance’s UltraHD Premium certification and logo. It also picked up a number of “Best TV” awards from journalists and analysts covering the show.
Details
Model: Samsung SUHD Quantum Dot
Luminance: 1,000 nits
Color: 95% DCI-P3 color gamut
Resolution: 4K UltraHD resolution
HDR: UltraHD Premium certified by UltraHD Alliance
Availability: Not announced, most likely spring in US
Quantum Dots: Quantum Dot technology licensed from Nanosys
TCL
TCL announced their third-generation Quantum Dot TVs with a new category of products called "QUHD" which is meant to stand for "Quantum Dot UltraHD." The flagship QUHD product is the X1 Xclusive and it's introduction at their Tuesday press conference was especially impressive. TCL did something you would never see at an OLED demo– they shined a bright spotlight right at the X1 as the press lined up to photograph the TV. Despite the torture test the X1 still looked bright, vibrant and colorful.
TCL also expanded their line-up of Quantum Dot TVs this year with their mid-tier C2 Cityline series.
Details
Model: X1 Xclusive
Size: 65”
Luminance: 1,000 nits
Color: 110% NTSC color gamut
Resolution: 4K UltraHD resolution
HDR: DolbyVision
Availability: China this spring, US and Europe by fall.
Quantum Dots: QDEF film from Nanosys & 3M
Hisense
Like TCL, Hisense has also been an aggressive early adopter of Quantum Dots. Their ULED 3.0 TVs represent the third TV design iteration from Hisense with Quantum Dots in under two years. The latest set brings even higher brightness and wider color gamut. Hisense reps told us they feel that the set should be able to pass the UltraHD Alliance’s requirements to receive UltraHD Premium status.
Details
Model: ULED 3.0 or 65H10C
Size: 65”
Luminance: 1,000 nits
Color: 91% rec.2020 color gamut
Resolution: 4K UltraHD resolution
HDR: Supported with 576 local dimming zones
Availability: February for $2,799
Quantum Dots: QDEF film from Nanosys & 3M
Sharp
Now part of Hisense in North America, the Sharp brand announced two distinct new models that also use Nanosys Quantum Dot technology. N9000 is Sharp’s first curved 4K TV and it looked gorgeous in the demo we saw on the show floor.
Details
Model: N9000 (curved), 9001 & 9100 (flat)
Size: 65” & 70”
Luminance: 1,000 nits
Color: 91% rec.2020 color gamut
Resolution: 4K UltraHD resolution
HDR: Supported
Availability: N9000 for $2,999 in March, 9100 for $3,299 in July
Quantum Dots: QDEF film from Nanosys & 3M
Vizio
Vizio also brought along their recently launched R65 Quantum Dot TV and were displaying it in their private suite. The R series is already available in the market today and is an awesome showcase for DolbyVision content with nearly 90% coverage of the ambitious rec.2020 color gamut.
Details
Model: R65
Size: 65”
Luminance: 800 nits
Color: 87% rec.2020 color gamut
Resolution: 4K UltraHD resolution
HDR: DolbyVision
Availability: now!
Quantum Dots: Film-type solution