Despite the current trend for curved TV displays, lots of people have dismissed the idea as yet another fancy gimmick. So with its latest offering, perhaps Samsung is hoping to tempt some of the naysayers who aren’t quite ready to give up on their flat-screen television.
Samsung has just launched the world’s first flexible, bendable TV in South Korea. The 78-inch UN78S9B’s biggest appeal is that you’ll no longer have to choose between a bendy screen or a flat one, because it’s the first TV that can be both. Just press a button on the remote control and it transforms itself from a flat screen to one that’s curved.
We had our first glimpse of this design at CES last January. Back then, Samsung showed off an 85-inch flexible, bendable ultra high-definition (UHD) TV. This version is also 4K Ultra HD, though that’s pretty much standard on all high-end TVs these days, which is why Samsung is instead focusing on the screen’s flexible properties, something it hopes will become a must-have feature for telly addicts of the future.
We’re not quite sure why Samsung has gone with the 78-inch UN78S9B as opposed to the 85-incher it demoed at CES 2014. Nevertheless, it’s still pretty damn big. And bendy. According to Samsung, the maximum curvature of the screen is 4200R, which is the same as a circle with a 4.2 meter radius. Samsung says this is the optimum curve for TV displays if perfect viewing angles are your thing. It also sports UHD dimming and a Crystal Black panel to improve contrast and diffusion.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of the flexible screen is that it can be adjusted to suit all kinds of situations. Regular curved screens might be more immersive, but that’s only practical if you’re viewing it head on. But with the flexible version that’s no longer an issue as you can adjust the curvature to suit wherever you are in the room, which may help with the limited off-axis viewing angle of the Samsung UN78S9B’s LED LCD underpinnings.
As far as pricing goes we don’t have any details yet, but we think it’s safe to assume that it won’t be cheap. Certainly not if Samsung’s latest ‘regular’ curved screen 4K TV is anything to go by, anyway.
But if you are considering buying one, take note that this ‘revolutionary’ concept could soon be old hat. Just last month LG showed off its own ‘rollable’ 18-inch OLED display, which is so flexible it can be rolled up like a poster. Admittedly it’s still just a prototype, but it’s a perfect illustration of just how far flexible display tech can go.
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