Skyworth, a leading Chinese TV brand preparing a major push into the U.S. TV market shortly, introduced the Skyworth Q71 8K television series at its recent Autumn Product Launch event in Bejing under the tagline “8K is Here”.
Skyworth said the 8K LED-LCD TV series is being delivered Oct. 1st in its domestic China market “at an affordable price point” with the aim of making “8K content available for a wider audience to enjoy, providing an 8K experience all the way with supreme audio and picture quality, fast connection and innovative voice interactions.”
The set is said to have HDMI 2.1 compatibility, including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support, but more information should be forthcoming prior to a U.S. market introduction later this year or next.
The series includes three models, one 65-inch RMB11,999 ($1,762) and one 75-inch RMB17,999 ($2,643) in China. Pricing and availability in other markets “will be announced when ready,” the company said. An 86-inch version is planned to launch in December at a price to be announced later.
“The current hindrances to mass adoption of 8K TVs are the lack of proper 8K content and the high product prices. As an industry leader in 5G+8K solutions, Skyworth is dedicated to bridging the gap,” stated Tony Wang, Skyworth TV President and CEO. “We have been at the forefront of supporting content creation and providing affordable and quality TVs via persistent R&D, so more people can enjoy the supreme visual experience. We are delighted to announce that 8K is here.”
The 8K smart TV set will be based on Skyworth’s coocaa OS 8 top layer software affording “AI-enabled smart experiences to transform modern homes. These include an all-new Cloud Gaming Channel packed with popular games, a large library of audio content for karaoke at home and online learning, as well as a private family message board where users can leave real-time video messages to share their special out-of-home moments with family members.”
Coocaa is a secondary brand used by Skyworth for televisions in Europe, the U.K. and Asia (including China). It also refers to the company’s top-layer multi-device software interface and a connected device ecosystem. The software was developed by Skyworth to ride atop various smart TV OS versions including the Android OS (v.8 and v.9 today). For the most affordable TVs, Skyworth also uses another variant of coocaa software based on a modified version of Linux for TV models with built-in or fixed applications such as Netflix, Amazon Video, YouTube, YouTube Kids, Facebook, Twitter, Smart TV Apps, Yahoo Weather, MiraShare and TV Browser.
Other features in the Q71 include support for a 10-bit panel that can display 1.07 billion colors, support for 90% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, HDR10 and Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR), Dolby Atmos 3D surround sound decoding, support for some HDMI 2.1 features, MEMC dynamic motion smoothing compensation, Wi-Fi 6 support, a newly upgraded TrensAI VOICE assistant in addition to updates to far-field voice interactions, voiceprint identification and dialect detection to help users leverage system pre-set voice commands to complete tasks without the need for wakeup trigger words.
The screen is also said to have a “wide viewing angle and fast response time.” It is equipped with MediaTek’s flagship 8K chip MediaTek S900 processor supporting 60FPS 8K decoding. Also included is 6.5GB RAM and a 64GB storage option.
For the version being sold in China, at least, the Q71 models include a pop-up AI camera that supports 6-channel video calls and multi-device answering.
The company said Skyworth is collaborating with Portrait Displays to use the U.S.-based company’s Calman calibration software to be “one of the first few brands in the industry to ever apply 3D LUT (Look Up Table) to televisions (after a forthcoming firmware update).” To achieve an optimal level of color accuracy, the Skyworth Q71 TVs will be Calman Ready, meaning that in use with Calman calibration software, a light meter and test pattern generator, the sets will “autocorrect 3,000 color points and calibrate the gamma and white balance of the screen.”
With the Calman system a 17x17x17 3D LUT cube can calibrate for 4,913 color points. This essentially works with a set of RGB values to accurately transform the color and tone of an image within a 3D color space.
“A 3D LUT effectively fine-tunes color, saturation and brightness with a multidimensional color space mapping method,” Skyworth said.
In the film industry, as there are different types of playback equipment, mapping between different color spaces is often necessary. The 3D LUT process uses a film production-level color calibration algorithm to complete its key function of color space mapping.
See What Your 4K UHD TV Can Really Do With The Spears & Munsil 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc, $39.95.
Amazon’s Best Selling 4K Ultra HDTVs
Amazon’s Camera, Photo & Video Deals
Amazon Fire TV Cube Media Adapter with Alexa
Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote
Amazon Echo Smart Speaker with Alexa Voice Control
Amazon Echo Show 8 Alexa Voice Controlled Smart Screen
Amazon Echo Dot with Clock Voice Controlled Speaker
Amazon Echo Studio 3D Audio Alexia Smart Speaker
Best Selling Soundbars and 5.1 Surround Systems
As for melding 5G+8K technology, the company said it will be employing “a complete product portfolio from content creation and storage (LIFErecorder 8K camera and 8K coocaa cloud) to content transmission and display (LIFErecorder 5G EXTENDER and 8K TV).”
The company is working toward “the establishment of a robust 5G/8K ecosystem” with a variety of initiatives including a partnership with 8Kly.com, a Shanghai-based distributing platform for 8K video content, so its TV users can watch high-resolution clips via the “8K content hub” powered by the new coocaa OS 8.
Skyworth added that “to incubate China’s 8K video content creator network, it is handpicking video creators and will offer them the opportunity to livestream their high-quality 8K videos or provide their content on-demand to millions of coocaa users.”
Skyworth also introduced in China its A50 series, dubbed “Ablaze” TV, for the firey way it is intended to bring innovative experiences and advanced TV features to the youth of China. Unclear if whether this series is intended for overseas markets as well.
The Skyworth A50 can be paired with the company’s Swaiot Panel (a touchscreen tablet/remote control), expanding it beyond a TV into a big-screen AIoT hub.
“Young users can control and interact with the smart devices around their houses through the Skyworth A50 and the Swaiot Panel,” the company said.
Online purchases made using links provided on this site might generate a small commission for HD Guru.com. We thank you for your support!
By Greg Tarr
Have a question for the HD Guru? HD GURU|Email
Copyright ©2019 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HD GURU is a registered trademark.
Stay connected