Tomasz Wadowski
Big format, big ambitions and even bigger questions. Samsung has started test production of a new television with a diagonal of as much as 115 inches, which it describes as RGB MicroLED. It sounds impressive, but the matter is not as straightforward as the name suggests.
What will RGB MICRO LED be?
According to information provided by The Elec, the first out is the largest version – a massive screen that won't fit in a typical apartment. However, it should be noted that this is not a classic MicroLED, known for its astronomical prices and self-emitting pixels. The new Samsung model is actually Mini LED with RGB backlighting – meaning it's still LCD, but with a more advanced system of diodes. Instead of white LEDs, red, green, and blue have been used, which allows for purer colours and higher brightness without the need for filters or quantum dots (at least in theory).
This is therefore not yet a competitor to OLEDs or fully-fledged MicroLEDs, but a definite step towards improving backlighting quality in large LCD televisions. It’s no coincidence that this technology can also be found in upcoming models from Hisense and TCL – these manufacturers are also opting for RGB Mini LED in their top variants, and next year Sony is expected to join this group as well.
During the CES 2025 expo, this model was presented very briefly, but the editor HDTVTest, Vincent Teoh, had the opportunity to see it live. The video shows that visually the television is impressive. Although it is still unclear what the final picture quality will be. (4:05 in the video)
How much will it cost?
The price remains equally uncertain. Samsung emphasises that the new RGB MicroLEDs will be cheaper than true MicroLEDs, but it's still hard to refer to these models as “for everyone”. For comparison: Hisense recently announced that their 116-inch model with similar technology will cost around 12,000 euros in China. This is still a lot, but significantly less than the current 76-inch MicroLEDs from Samsung priced at 80,000 euros.
Samsung's new direction is an attempt to find the golden mean – to improve quality without inflating costs. However, the line between true innovation and clever rebranding is starting to blur. Will RGB Mini LED gain a new identity as “almost-MicroLED”? We’ll probably find out in the next few months – hopefully sooner than the prices of real MicroLEDs drop by the projected 90%.
Source: The Elec, HDTVTest
