Samsung's New 98" 4K TV Is Proof That Going Super Big Isn't Just For The Rich
You may not have noticed, but incredibly large TVs are coming within grasp of ordinary individuals rather than being relegated to those who scored big on Bitcoin, or otherwise amassed a fortune. No, we're not talking about 65-inch, 75-inch, or even 85-inch TVs, all of which no longer necessarily command a king's ransom. By "incredibly large," we're talking about 98-inch behemoths such as the one that Samsung is trotting out.
The thought may not even have occurred to look up pricing on obscenely big TVs, because historically those have been reserved for the super rich. More recent history, however, shows that's no longer the case. Samsung's new 98-inch DU9000 carries a $3,999.99 MSRP, and while that's not cheap in its own right, it's far less expensive than it would have been had it released even just a year ago, let alone a few years ago.
We've also seen 98-inch TVs drop as low as $1,999,99 when on sale, which is kind of mind blowing. That being the case, however, we wouldn't be surprised if that $3,999.99 MSRP on Samsung's latest model quickly gives way to a cheaper street price, but that's speculation on our part.
"Just a few years ago, 65-inch TVs were considered ‘big’. Today, people want even bigger screens. In fact, the number of 98-inch TVs sold across the industry has grown nearly 15 times since last year," said James Fishler, Senior Vice President of Home Entertainment, Samsung Electronics America.
"Not all large screens are created equal though. With Samsung, you can count on leading picture quality with advanced connectivity built right in, plus added-value features like endless content with Gaming Hub or free entertainment with Samsung TV Plus," Fishler added.
The DU9000 is a 4K resolution TV. One obvious concern with increasing panel sizes is how images will look when stretched or upscaled. Even with native content, you're looking at bigger pixels to fill a physically larger screen compared to a 65-inch or 75-inch TV.
To help with that, Samsung is pitching its Supersize Picture Enhancer tech, which it claims increases sharpness and reduces visible noise so "you can enjoy what you're watching without any pixel distortion, even at the 98-inch size."
We'll reserve judgement until we've had a chance to see for ourselves. That said, this has the makings of an entry-level model—you won't find OLED or mini LED at play here, and it sports a native 60Hz refresh rate rather than 120Hz (Samsung claims 120Hz via Motion Xcelerator, but that's a true 120Hz refresh rate).
Being an entry-level model is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you're prioritizing sheer size over advanced and pricier features. That's especially true on today's TVs, which look better than ever. As it applies here, other notable features include HDR support, built-in 2-channel audio, FreeSync Premium support, and Tizen OS for smart chores. There's also Samsung Game Bar.
For those interested, Samsung's 98-inch DU9000 is available now direct from Samsung. Its main competition at the moment is TCL's 98-inch 98S550G ($2,720.90 on Amazon) and Hisense's 100-inch class 100U8K that's on sale for $4,701.25.
