There’s been a lot of buzz in the last two weeks regarding lower priced mid-line and entry level Ultra High Definition 4K TVs. In addition to the new models to be introduced soon by Samsung, we are getting news from Chinese market vendors about new panels and models to compete against the name brand products.
The details appear after the break.
TCL, the China based TV maker is the third largest producer of televisions in the world. Last week, TCL gave the press a sneak peek of its upcoming 85-inch UHD TV (pictured above) within the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. The 85UHD9500 UHD TV is expected to be available in the US in the second half of 2014, however no specifications were provided in the press release. A TCL spokesperson told HD Guru a line of 2014 UHD 4K TVs will be available in later this year.
Today’s UHD 4K US model TVs contain an LCD panels with over 24 million Red, Blue and Green (RGB) sub-pixels. LG and Samsung have begun production of lower cost UHD LCD panels that add a 4th white sub-pixel for the Chinese market according to an article today by Taiwan based trade publication Digitimes.
By adding a white sub-pixel the number LEDs is reduced thereby lowering costs. White is created in an RGB display by combining the three colors in the proper proportions. By adding a white sub-pixel, white light can be produced using only the white sub-pixel or in combination with the RGB sub-pixels, resulting in higher white light output and lower energy consumption.
Samsung calls their Red,Green, Blue and White (RGBW) LCD panels “Green UHD” and are being produced by its Samsung Display division in the 40, 48 and 55-inch screen sizes, currently for the Chinese market.
LG Display is calling its RGBW UHD LCD panels “Green Plus UHD” and are now being made in the 42, 49 and 55-inch screen sizes.
The LG and Samsung RGBW panels will refresh at 60 Hz instead of the 120 Hz that’s in all US market UHD 4K TVs currently sold.
Today’s RGB UHD TVs use LCD panels made by LG, Samsung, Sharp as well as Chinese based Innolux or AUO.
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China based BOE Technology is another LCD panel maker. It will begin volume production of its UHD RGBW 49 and 55-inch panels this August.
These new 60 Hz UHDTV LCD panels are being sold to TV makers at a < 10% premium over comparable sized HDTV LCDs, while 120 Hz RGB UHD panels produced by Innolux and AUO are 20% to 30% higher cost than comparable sized HDTV LCD panels according to Digitimes sources.
HD Guru expects more lower cost UHD 4K TVs to appear over the next few months in the USA by the major name brands as well as TCL, Hisense and Vizio. In addition to lowering costs by using new 60 Hz panels, they will probably will not be 3D capable as active 3D requires a 120 Hz panel . Further price drops could be achieved by stripping out other features such as Smart TV and LED local dimming.
HD Guru will keep digging around the industry to provide our readers the latest information regarding new, lower cost UHD 4K TVs.
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