Samsung dropped a lot of bombs at its CES preview event, but without question the biggest star of all was its brand-new 75-inch MicroLED TV (aka Micro LED TV in Samsung speak). This is kind of a big deal. Last year, Samsung debuted its 146-inch “The Wall” TV. At the time, we thought there was no way they were going to be able to scale it down to a size most people could fit into their home.
Samsung put its engineers on the task, they shrunk the size of the little LED chips that make up the panels, and this year there is a 75-inch version. That’s about the size that somebody might actually put in their home.
So what’s so special about MicroLED? It’s an emissive display, kind of like OLED, with individual red, green, and blue pixels. Unlike OLED, they’re not organic, so they don’t suffer from longevity problems or the potential for burn-in. They last a really long time, they get true black and get extremely bright, and can handle a huge swath of color volume. Not only that, the display is borderless, so there’s no bezel to deal with.
The other thing Samsung is talking a lot about here is the modular nature of these displays. It has a massive 219-inch version, as well as a second generation of the 146-inch version that we saw last year. Because each TV is made of multiple individual panels, you can build a display in a number of different shapes and sizes.
So what about the seams between panels? We stood in front of the 219-inch TV, saw the seam, then stepped back, and it was about 6 feet before that seam disappeared. If you look closely at the 75-inch version, you can actually see a seam along the bottom where the lower strip seems a little bit darker than the rest of the panel. But I think, when you sit back from the TV and just watch it instead of analyzing it, it’s not all that obvious.
We do wonder about how the consumer applications for this are going to play out. This is mostly aimed at businesses and the commercial installer crowd, for people who have elaborate installations. Is it going to be a consumer TV? Is it going to be an OLED killer? We’re not convinced yet. There’s still reason to be excited, because when you talk about the black levels, the brightness, and the color volume, it’s a spectacular TV. But there is a reason they’re not letting us too close to it.
There are a few things that we’re going to discover when we do a deep dive, and we’re just going to have to wait a few months for that to happen. But it is exciting to know that this is a product that Samsung intends to bring to market, and it’s a sign of where Samsung is trying to move its TV business.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.