Some of Samsung Electronics’ premium QLED TVs have picked up international certifications that verify their high peak brightness in outdoors environments and the consistent sound experience they provide.
Samsung said this week that its Samsung The Terrace line of outdoor TVs has become the first such television to be verified for its outdoor visibility performance under strict measurement conditions.
The Terrace was launched last year in a choice of 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes, and is designed to be installed in outdoor living spaces, such as your own, or a pub’s garden perhaps. The guts of the QLED TV are encased in a protective body that’s able to withstand rain, wind and dust, and it even comes with a waterproof control.
Of course its not just the rain and the wind that can be problematic when sitting outdoors, but the strong sunshine too. At the time The Terrace was launched, Samsung spoke of anti-glare tech and extremely high brightness to combat this problem and ensure hassle-free viewing even on a bright summer day.
Now Samsung is able to back up that claim as The Terrace has been verified by the U.S.-based Underwriters Laboratories (UL) safety science organization for its “outdoor visibility performance”.
Samsung’s press release announcing the verification states that The Terrace was put through several rounds of “rigorous testing” during which it demonstrated a peak brightness of over 3,000 to 4,000 nits, a high contrast ratio of over 1,000:1 and a colour volume that’s greater than 80% under 10,000 LUX conditions.
The term “LUX” refers to a unit that measures the amount of light that falls on a certain surface area, Samsung helpfully explained.
The new verification adds to the Ip55 water and dust resistance standard certification The Terrace has already received from the International Electrotechnical Commission. So The Terrace now meets the highest standards for both brightness and durability, which are just the qualities needed for any strong performing outdoor television.
“UL’s outdoor visibility verification for The Terrace will enable consumers across the globe to further add values to their viewing experiences,” said Yong Hoon Choi, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “As a leader in the TV industry, Samsung will continue to drive innovative technologies that are optimized for new and emerging lifestyles.”
Spatial Sound Optimization Certification
With regards to the consistent sound experience, this applies to all of Samsung’s 2021 Neo QLED TVs, the company said. This year’s high-end models that feature Mini-LED backlights for improved local dimming control have all received a Spatial Sound Optimization certification from an outfit called Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker.
That award states that Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs provide consistent audio in every kind of environment, be it a living room, a bedroom, kitchen, an outdoor terrace, a conference room or a busy pub.
Samsung said its Neo QLED TVs achieve this thanks to their SpaceFit Sound technology that uses microphones built in to the TVs to help them understand the environment. It works by recognising things such as curtains, carpets and walls that might affect sound, or the lack of them. As an example, Samsung said the TV might recognise that a thick carpet in the living room is absorbing mid-range and treble sounds. If that happens the TV will boost those aspects of the sound to compensate. Another problematic situation occurs when the TV is placed close to a wall, as this can distort the bass sound, Samsung said. SpaceFit Sound recognises this and reinforces the bass so that it’s clearer.
“The sounds reflected off the surrounding walls, ceilings, and floors are much louder than the sound we directly hear. This means users can feel the sounds from the same product differently depending on the unique size and shape of the place and wall materials,” Samsung explained.
“While users were previously required to configure the audio manually, ‘SpaceFit Sound’ automatically recognises the users’ environment so no additional setups are required,” it added.
Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker’s certification basically confirms that all of Samsung’s claims about the SpaceFit Sound technology are true. Good to know!
The Frame gets more abstract art
In one final announcement this week, Samsung said that its Lifestyle TV "The Frame" is getting more abstract artwork.
The Frame TV is designed to be hung on a wall and resembles a picture frame. When it’s not showing any movies or TV content, it can instead display works of art that are available to buy from its digital store.
Samsung said it’s partnering with the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Spain to bring creations from artists Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky to its art store. They’re said to be two of the pioneers in abstract painting, so for anyone who’s in to that it’s sure to be good news. Samsung said the Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky collections can now be purchases from The Frame’s art store in 4K resolution. The store is now home to more than 1,500 paintings from 40 famed art galleries and museums worldwide.
Kandinsky's famous Yellow, Red, Blue (pictured above) is one of several new artworks in the collection, available now.
