CES was very different this year. Showcase floors in Vegas hotels have been swapped for an entirely virtual event and Zoom presentations. This can make the demo of the technology that drives new OLED or 8K TVs a bit difficult. But from what we done to see coming out of this year’s CES, there’s enough to be excited about.
Sony kicked off CES 2021 with new OLED, 4K and 8K TVs in its Bravia XR family of exhibitions, which all contain its new Cognitive Processor XR. The most important thing to know about this powerful new slide is the way it enhances audio and video, in an effort to create an overall, immersive experience. The primary way the chip does this is by utilizing the natural focal point of an image and improving the quality of the object or person to make it look more realistic. The chip is also supposed to improve the scaling of formats like 4K to 8K by reducing noise and blur. It will be the ears of everyone who entertains it, buying an 8K set this year, as there is still very little 8K content to speak of.
In addition to the flashy new slide, some of Sony’s TVs this year also have environmental sensors to adjust the brightness of the screen so that it better matches the light in a particular viewing environment. It certainly sounds like a neat feature, but we are eager to try it out in person and with a number of different entertainment setups, including with Hue lighting. In addition, this year’s Sony TVs are powered by Google TV, an exciting Android TV upgrade. And all its Bravia XR monitors have HDMI 2.1 support for 4K 120fps, variable refresh rate, automatic low latency mode and e-ARC – a pretty big leap from its meager recording in last year’s TVs.
The Bravia XR series TVs include the X95J and X90J 4K LED TVs, Master Series Z9J 8K LEDs and the Master Series A90J and A80J OLEDs, as well as a slightly differently specified 100-inch version of the X90J called the X92. Prices will be announced later in the line.
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Samsung newly announced microLED TVs in screen sizes of 99 inches, 88 inches and 110 inches – all of which will borrow their technology from Samsung’s existing modular superscreen The wall, a product that was fairly neat, but not particularly suitable for consumers who just want to unpack a TV in the normal way, rather than having it installed by a professional. These new TVs will mark the subject.
In addition, Samsung offers more customization options for The Frame screen, the company’s most popular TV for its ability to camouflage in a room’s decor by looking more like a framed work of art than an imposing black mirror in the center of your space . Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs meanwhile use more and smaller LED lights to deliver better and more controlled brightness, while also reducing bloom. Finally, Samsung is building a new remote control for all its 2021 QLED 4K and 8K TVs – and it’s charging for solar power. Samsung says this remote control can charge on indoor as well as outdoor lights, as well as via a USB-C port. This is exciting! But we would like to see this remote in action before we get too hyped. Meanwhile, we are cautiously optimistic.
Let’s talk for a moment about TCL, because this company really fascinated me this year with the promise of massive screens at an affordable price point and the launch of 8K on its popular 6-series screen (we are big fans of it here at Gizmodo). At least three screens will be offered in 85-inch variations this year, including a 4K QLED with Roku, an 8K QLED TV and a 4-series that sells for $ 1,600. It’s a steal! While the other two will certainly still be expensive, TCL is likely to undermine many TV manufacturers in the space for similar 85-inch screens. Also an 8K 6 series? I look forward to seeing the scaling up in action, but TCLs have a lot of competition on this front. And to be clear: Just because you can buying an 8K TV does not necessarily mean that you should do it.
Panasonic takes a modest more modest approach – at least size – with regard to its OLED display for 2021. The JZ2000 will be available in 55- and 65-inch sizes, which in my opinion is definitely enough TV for most people. Panasonic says that this OLED will be brighter and have better sound on the unit, and the TV will get support for features like eARC, automatic low-latency mode (ALLM) and variable refresh rate (VRR). This may make it a pretty attractive choice for gamers, but we’ll have to see how it performs first. The My Home screen also gets a refresh – though it may be less important for people who are already cutting the cord and using a power supply.
And last but not least, LG, which eventually does miniLED. The OLED King will launch both 4K and 8K miniLED screens this year, as well as new C1 OLEDs starting at 48-inch screens and G1 OLEDs in 55-inch screens and higher. Like Panasonic, LG is also redesigning its own WebOS operating system. I’m a little on the fence about this one. Nothing to LG’s previous operating system was necessarily bad, and this one looks very good, just about everything. But we look forward to a hands-on demo with this new OS version later this year.
We live directly from our banks covering CES 2021! Click on here to read our full coverage.