Last night, what was meant to be a Samsung Galaxy Fold event hosted in Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, instead welcomed the new Samsung 8K QLED range into the country. Samsung revealed the new 8K TV range which is now available in the country.
Starting at R75,000 for the 65-inch and going all the way up to 98-inch that will set you back around R999,999 (yes, a million rand) Samsung promises that their 8K QLED TVs are the future of television bringing together innovative enhancements and exciting content and service partnerships.
RELATED: Samsung Galaxy Fold Launch Officially Delayed in Order to Run Further Internal Tests
The new 8K QLED range feature “Ultra Viewing Angle” technology which restructures the TV’s panel so the backlight passes through the panel with lights evenly onto the screen. This provides Ultra Viewing angles and a vibrant image regardless of your viewing position.
Most important of all is the new Quantum Processor and the Samsung Q900 Series 8K TV features a processor that can upscale lower resolutions into crisp 8K content. I saw this in action and while it looks great, this only works for some 4K content so don’t expect DSTV’s HD and SD content to upscale to 8K.
The new TV range is also the first to come with Apple’s AirPlay 2 support built into it. This means that you will be able to AirPlay content from your iPhone, iPad or Mac directly to the TV. It also features Apple’s iTunes Movies app so you can rent and watch 4K HDR content
As for gaming, Samsung claims that the new QLED range, this also includes the new 4K QLED range too, features a Real Game Enhancer that optimises your gaming experience through a unique set of gaming features. The TVs boast AMD Radeon FreeSync with a variable refresh rate as well as Game Motion Plus which removes blur and judder. It also automatically reduces input lag.
[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY5Kmjk1XMc”]
Samsung’s new 8K QLED range is something to behold but will they sell in SA? 4K content is only available online through streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. DSTV still airs SD content in 2019 and their HD content is 720p. South Africa is not even 4K ready yet Samsung has 8K TVs ready for your living room. They are pretty but also pretty expensive. Pricing and official specs below.
Samsung Q900 (8K QLED)
- 65-inch – R76,999
- 75-inch – R112,999
- 82-inch – R179,999
- 98-inch – Up to R999,999
Samsung Q90R (4K QLED)
- 65-inch – R64,999
- 82-inch – R149,999
Samsung Q80R (4K QLED)
- 65-inch – R49,999
- 75-inch – R69,999
Samsung Q70R (4K QLED)
- 65-inch – R29,999
- 75-inch – R39,999
Samsung Q60R (4K QLED)
- 55-inch – R19,999
- 65-inch – R29,999
- 75-inch – R49,999
- 82-inch – R69,999
