Samsung targets big-screen TV market

Models promote Samsung Electronics’ 75-inch QLED TV at one of the firm’s sales outlets in Seoul. Samsung introduced two big-screen QLED TVs last month to meet the rising demand for such products. It also plans to market an 82-inch model this month and an 88-inch product in August. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

By Kang Seung-woo

Samsung Electronics has set its sights on the big-screen TV market as it plans to release models with larger-than-80-inch displays.

According to the tech giant, Monday, it will come out with an 88-inch QLED TV as early as August and an 82-inch premium ultra high definition (UHD) model this month. Samsung has yet to disclose their prices.

“As consumers are more accessible to big-screen TVs, we plan to produce 80-plus-inch TVs in line with the trend,” a Samsung official said.

At January’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Samsung unveiled its new premium TV lineup from a 49-inch model to an 88-inch one.

It will be the first time for Samsung to launch a TV whose screen is size is wider than 80 inches, or 203.2 centimeters. Late last month, the Seoul-based company released a 75-inch edition of the QLED TV.

“In the past, such a large TV failed to attract customers. They were just for demonstration. But nowadays there is demand for them and we are getting ready to release them,” the official said.

According to market researcher WitsView in March, TVs larger than 60 inches are projected to account for 5.2 percent of all TV panel shipments in 2017, up from 3.6 percent last year. Plus, the average size of TV displays will grow by 2 inches to 45.5 inches.

In Korea, sales of TVs with screens 50 inches or wider represented 68 percent of the total sales in the first quarter of this year. In particular, the proportion of TVs wider than 65 inches doubled to 11 percent this year.

So far, such jumbo TVs have been unpopular due to their prohibitively high prices, but Samsung is likely to lower the bar.

“As we will come up with products for sales, they will be available at reasonable prices,” the Samsung official said.

The 75-inch model is sold for 11.9 million won for a curved screen and 10.4 million won for a flat display.

“OLED TV still has difficulties reducing the cost of production, but the new Samsung TV will gain price competiveness,” the official said.