Samsung has figured out a way to almost make your TV magically disappear.
The Korean tech giant unveiled its new line of futuristic smart TVs on Wednesday and one model can blend in with your wall — just like a chameleon.
Its next generation QLED TVs include a feature called Ambient Mode, which enables the TV to blend in to the background whenever it’s turned off.
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Samsung uses a color and pattern matching technology to mimic the QLED TV’s background, making it appear nearly invisible. The firm unveiled the new TVs at an event on Wednesday
To turn on Ambient Mode, open Samsung’s SmartThings app, which is its connected home hub.
From there, you take a picture of your wall — even if it’s patterned wallpaper, brick, wood or a plain white surface.
The feature attempts to make the TV look transparent by using a color and brightness matching process, displaying the same color or pattern shown on the wall behind it, CNN noted.
In order to use Ambient Mode, the TV has to be mounted onto your wall.
‘Ambient mode can mimic the pattern on the wall behind the TV to create an astonishing visual effect in which the TV blends seamlessly into the wall,’ Samsung explained.
In short, Samsung’s clever new Ambient Mode tries to prevent the TV from looking like an ugly black box.
The feature also displays information on the TV screen even when people aren’t watching movies or TV.
It can play music and display the time, news headlines, traffic reports or weather updates.
The new QLED TVs can also be configured to display useful information like the time of day, weather alerts, traffic updates and news headlines. Users control this on the SmartThings app
The TVs have a built-in timer for Ambient Mode so that the devices don’t eat up your electricity.
QLED TVs actually use less electricity because they don’t require a backlight system.
Samsung released five new QLED models on Wednesday, which range in size from 49 inches and 82 inches.
All the models have Ambient Mode.
It’s unclear what the TVs will be priced at, but Samsung says they’ll become available for purchase in the next few weeks.
Samsung’s clever new Ambient Mode tries to prevent the TV from looking like an ugly black box. Users can upload their own photos and set them as the TV’s background
Samsung’s new Ambient Mode echoes many of the same features used in its Frame TV, which was released last year.
The Frame is meant to look like a picture frame that’s hung on a wall.
The TVs are also packed with a few other nifty features, such as thin cables.
Samsung says it’s ‘one invisible connection’ that combines both power and AV data to the TV.
The thin cord then connects to an external input box.
‘It frees consumers from having to place their TV near data or power outlets,’ the company said.
WHAT IS QLED TECHNOLOGY?
QLED, or quantum dot display, is a new type of technology used in screens.
It’s made of quantum dots, or tiny particles that emit sharp colors based on their particular size.
Because the size can be finely tuned, the colors can be very accurate.
QLED, or quantum dot display, is a new type of technology used in screens. Pictured is one of Samsung’s QLED TV models, of which it released five new versions this week
Also, because they five off color, there’s no more need for filters – at least that’s the promise.
Today’s quantum dot sets still do use filters, though because of fine-tuning, they represent reds and greens better than other sets and reduce the amount of power wasted when light gets filtered out.
The technology differs from other screen technologies, such as OLED, HDR10+, HDR, LCD, MicroLED, HD, 4K or 8K.
Like many other Samsung TVs, the newest QLED models can be used to control compatible smart devices, like voice-activated speakers, smart security systems, as well as other internet-of-things devices like light bulbs and thermostats.
To do this, users speak into the TV’s remote, which is equipped with Samsung’s Bixby digital assistant.
Additionally, Samsung said its massive ‘The Wall’ TV will become available in August.
First unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year, the Wall is a radical TV that’s 12 feet wide.
The TV is the first to use a new technology called ‘MicroLED’, which are much smaller than current LEDs in TVs.
The MicroLED technology featured in The Wall eliminates the need for color filters or backlight, yet allows the screen to offer consumers the ultimate viewing experience.