Samsung's QD-OLED 4K TV may have to lose brightness to meet EU energy rules

[Source: Samsung Electronics Co.]

After 8K, more mass-market 4K high-definition TVs from top premium brand Samsung Electronics Co. also could be face sales setback in European Union under stricter green and energy-saving requirements.

The world’s top TV manufacturer’s flagship QD-OLED TV in 4K with four times greater pixels than Full HD TV for stunning picture quality has been selling in North America and Europe since March. The 65-inch screen is priced at about $3,000.

The model received warm response right after the release. North American IT magazine Rtings.com raved the Samsung S95B OLED is the best Samsung TV that it has tested as it gets bright enough to make small highlights stand out even more than a regular OLED.

The company had planned to expand the QD-OLED TV market from next year.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and DX division CEO Han Jong-hee said the company will ramp up QD-OLED TV output and add more to the product lineup at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) in Berlin, Germany last month.

Samsung Display has successfully bolstered its production yield in QD-OLED panels to 85 percent. Its monthly output is expected to reach 40,000 units by the end of this year.

The plan may have to be modified under stricter energy regulations recently in Europe. To meet the new requirements fast, Samsung Electronics would have to sharply lose brightness, the winning feature of 4K TV.

Samsung Electronics and other TV makers have been lobbying for a grace period through government and related associations. The Korean government has sent out a letter and expressed concerns through bilateral discussions.

“The ministry is delivering the industry concerns and calling for regulatory reviews with official letters and meetings. We’re making efforts to draw up measures that can fit both sides,” said an official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Samsung Electronics shares were trading 0.54 percent higher at 55,800 won in the morning trade Friday.

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