Samsung used the opportunity at IFA 2016 to launch its largest ”SUHD TV” in Europe. KS9800 is an extension of the KS9500 range and features the same technology but a different design. However, during the event Samsung was busier talking down OLED.

88” Samsung KS9800
Samsung did not have a lot to share regarding new TVs at IFA 2016 in Berlin so instead it used the event to talk about the advantages of quantum dots. At first, the company gave off the impression that it was about to launch an entirely new display technology (fueled by rumors of QLED) but it soon became clear that Samsung was talking about its current 2016 LCD TVs.


Samsung also used the event to launch its largest 2016 ”SUHD TV” – Samsung’s word for LCD TVs with quantum dots. The 88-inch KS9800 is an extension of the much-acclaimed KS9500 (the European version, not to be confused with the US KS9500). In Europe, Samsung has chosen to call it KS9800 because it has a different design, the company told us at the annual Samsung Forum event in Monaco earlier this year.

KS9800 will represent the largest and best picture experience that Samsung has to offer today. It is a curved LCD TV that employs a quantum dot filter in the LED backlight in order to increase brightness and widen the color gamut. The most distinctive feature of KS9800 (and KS9500 in Europe), however, is that it offers full-array local dimming (FALD) unlike the rest of the SUHD line-up.

The combination of these technologies, together with Ultra HD and HDR (high dynamic range), should deliver stunning picture quality, says Samsung.


You can obviously connect any UHD Blu-ray player to the TV via HDMI but KS9800 also comes with integrated apps for services such as Netflix, Amazon and YouTube. Netflix and Amazon started streaming movies and TV series in 4K HDR earlier this year.

Busier talking down OLED
Samsung promised that all of its SUHD TVs bought between August 2016 and March 2017 will come with a “10-year burn-in warranty”. The risk of burn-in on LCD is very low so this was obviously a shot at LG’s OLED.

For the presentation Samsung had brought the CEO of Nanosys, Jason Hartlove, who explained that quantum dots are made up of ”inorganic material”, which makes them "stable and durable". OLED was not mentioned specifically in his speech but the slide behind him clearly made his intentions known. Nanosys has also openly spoken about the potential in using quantum dots inside the cathode-anode structure of OLED TVs.


The general vibe during the IFA presentation was that Samsung was busier talking down the competitor’s OLED technology than unveiling new products or technologies of their own; an unusual role for the world’s largest TV manufacturer who has, over the last three years, started to lag behind.

Of course Samsung’s comments are somewhat ironic since the South Korean company is the world’s largest manufacturer of OLED displays; just in mobile format.

The 88” Samsung UE88KS9800 is available to order in Europe now for 19.999 Euro.