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The CI Guide to the TVs of 2022

Get a look at the recently unveiled television technologies from Samsung, LG, and Sony.

January typically brings with it a new perspective on things, whether that comes in the form of resolutions made to improve life or business or a fresh start with the year’s budgets and plans. It also brings a slew of new televisions that get introduced at CES with all sorts of new phrases that hint at improved performance across the board.

Here we look at the latest TV features from Samsung, LG, and Sony.

Samsung

Samsung introduced a wide range of new TVs with brand new features, all designed to appeal to a variety of end-users’ unique lifestyles, says James Fishler, SVP, consumer electronics at Samsung.

“Take our new user interfaces, for example,” he notes. “Media Screen gives end-users the chance to curate entertainment around their preferences. Gaming Hub consolidates consoles, cloud gaming, and gameplay settings in one screen. And Ambient Mode lets users customize what the TV looks like when it’s idle — and even lets them browse, buy, and aggregate NFTs.”

Samsung The Frame Television
Samsung The Frame

Samsung also has upgraded channel favorite, The Frame, with a new anti-reflective technology that makes art pop from the screen with all the textures and expression of a canvas.

“As much as the Samsung TV experience is tailored for the individual, it can also be enjoyed with loved ones,” Fishler says. “The new Watch Together platform allows end-users to pick content to enjoy with friends and family, such as a football game or the latest episode of a favorite show, play it simultaneously across devices, and video chat with one another, all at the same time.”

Samsung is particularly excited about last year’s first-time introduction of its Eco Remote, which, according to Fishler, customers love. He notes. “It eliminated the need for disposable batteries and was able to maintain its charge even with interior lighting. This year, we’re taking that breakthrough a step further — our latest Eco Remote is powered by both solar and RF Harvesting, so even when it’s cloudy, the remote can stay fully charged by taking advantage of nearby radio frequency power.”

There are also new innovations in audio. “Object Tracking Sound projects sound around the room aligned with the action on-screen,” Fishler says. “Active Voice Amplifier detects the sound of the environment and amplifies dialog as necessary. And SpaceFit Sound detects the arrangement of an end-user’s environment and optimizes sound accordingly. Plus, when you combine one of our latest Neo QLED displays with our new Q950B soundbar, you get the world’s first TV-Soundbar combo that is fully compatible with Dolby Atmos. And with the latest version of our Q-Symphony experience, enjoy synced audio that takes full advantage of every speaker on both devices. In short, Samsung’s 2022 Home Entertainment lineup offers custom integrators more features than ever to keep end-users satisfied.”

LG

Joseph Colombo, LG USA’s CI technical manager, is attuned to what systems integrators need to convey to customers. “The feedback we hear from dealers and integrators is that their customers want the best picture quality, best design, and a TV that ‘blends’ into the living environment,” he says. “To that end, we have added a number of features that both integrators and customers will love this year.”

This is exemplified in LG’s G or Gallery series that builds upon the ultra-thin design that can mount completely flush to the wall and adds new OLED Evo technology to produce the company’s brightest OLED TV ever, he notes. “There are also two new large screen sizes. The G series is now available in an 83-inch and an incredible 97-inch screen size; the world’s first 97-inch OLED. Talk about the ultimate home theater; this is it.”

LG OLED Evo Gallery Edition Television
LG OLED Evo Gallery Edition

LG’s updated webOS22 smart TV platform makes it simple to navigate and discover content, Colombo says. “Another great feature we have added for 2022 is ‘Always Ready,’ a feature that integrators have been asking us to include over the last number of years. This will allow the TV to be set in standby mode and, at the same time, have the ability to play art, photos, and music, and really create a nice ambience for your living space.”

Since the pandemic, LG knows that more and more dealers have been setting up home offices for their clients, and there has been a demand for smaller size OLED sets like the 42-inch that will be available this year, he notes. “This 42-inch makes it a perfect size for a home office environment, and it’s also perfect for a gaming enthusiast who requires all the gaming attributes like G-SYNC, FreeSync, VRR, and ALLM to go along with OLED’s great picture quality. All of our 2022 4K TVs are IP-controllable and certified with all the major control systems, making it easy for dealers to integrate our products into their clients’ home projects.

“We have always strived to provide specific features that will resonate with CI integrators,” Colombo says. “Whether it’s working with our control partners to make sure our products integrate smoothly within their ecosystems or developing an internal HDMI diagnostics menu that allows integrators in the field to troubleshoot signal issues, LG will continue to grow and expand to provide solutions that are beneficial to both our dealers and their customers.”

Sony

“The new BRAVIA XR TV lineup offers a wide-ranging selection to the CI community,” says Jeff Goldstein, head of sales, Sony’s Custom Installation Channel. “From Mini-LED to QD-OLED, Sony truly has something for every type of customer this year.”

Sony is particularly excited about the breadth of screen sizes this year, notes. “For CI projects with a smaller footprint, our 42-inch MASTER Series A90K OLED offers a great high-end option to customers,” says Goldstein. “Looking for a big-screen experience instead? Our Mini-LEDs extend all the way up to 85 inches for an incredibly immersive viewing experience.”

Sony A80K Television
Sony A80K Television

New offerings include Sony’s MASTER Series Z9K 8K and X95K 4K Mini LED models, MASTER Series A95K, MASTER Series A90K and A80K 4K OLED models, and X90K 4K LED model. Powered by Cognitive Processor XR, the unique XR Backlight Master Drive precisely controls Sony’s latest generation Mini LED backlight in the Z9K and X95K series for incredible brightness, according to the company.

The Cognitive Processor XR also powers Sony’s A95K’s new OLED (QD-OLED) panel with XR Triluminos Max, which delivers the company’s widest color palette and reproduces naturally beautiful shades and hues. With millions of individual, self-illuminating pixels, the A95K delivers more colors than ever before for an entirely new viewing experience.

Sony says these new innovations help deliver the best and most immersive viewing experiences, authentically delivering the creator’s true intent. When watching movies, viewers can experience Sony’s enhanced Acoustic Surface Audio+ for OLED models and Acoustic Multi-Audio for LED models, precisely matching the position of the sound with the images on the screen for an immersive audio/visual experience.

The lineup also includes new features that customize and enhance at-home entertainment. Together with Netflix, Sony has released Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode, which automatically adjusts image processing based on ambient light, so users’ favorite shows and films look like the creator intended, under any conditions.

“Sony is committed to offering the best viewing experience possible, no matter the at-home environment or content selection,” says Tyler Ishida, president of Consumer Business Group, Sony Electronics Inc. “With best-in-class picture and sound quality, our new TVs enhance any on-screen streaming and gaming content to create a powerfully immersive big-screen experience. Sony’s purpose is to fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.”

This year, Sony also introduced a newly developed original camera device, BRAVIA CAM, which recognizes where users are sitting in the room and optimizes the picture and sound accordingly. It includes gesture controls, video chat, and many other new experiences.

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