First OLED, Then QLED, And Now ULED

January 8, 2019 by Dave Haynes

First there was OLED. Then QLED, which looks like OLED but is actually LCD tech. Now there is also ULED, which is like QLED, but different.

The Chinese display manufacturer Hisense has started touting, via its CES appearance, ULED displays – which are conventional 4K LCDs that have a second LCD layer, using Quantum Dots technology (like Samsung’s QLED … hence the Q).

What’s going on here is that second layer is a greyscale LCD that sits between the TV’s 4K panel and the LED backlight, creating deeper blacks and delivering HDR-quality visuals.

These are TVs, not commercial displays. And Hisense is not a big player in signage, at least not in North America. But it markets TVs as indoor digital signage options.

Says Hisense of ULED, in its CES PR:

Leading the pack of powerful ULED TVs is the Hisense U9F, a Quantum Dot TV with an awe-inspiring picture quality experience that tops 2,200 nits of superior brightness, has more than 1,000 local dimming zones to deliver better contrast and features Dolby Vision® to add dramatic detail with HDR-compatible content. Hisense’s proprietary ULED technology, incorporating a Hi-View™ chip set and a series of AI-based picture quality algorithms, further enhance the viewing experience with automatic recognition of how to improve color, contrast, motion and brightness. The impeccable bezel-less design and attention to detail cement the Hisense U9F as the TV that defines incredible.

Viewers will also be awestruck by the Hisense H9F, a 4K ULED TV with more than 1,000 nits of brightness, Quantum Dot and Wide Color Gamut for breathtaking colors reflective of real-world imagery and superior dbx-tv® studio sound. The H9F will be among the astonishing Hisense TVs that set a new standard for Android TV ensuring that fans of the apps, games, movies and TV shows available in Google Play explore the best entertainment on an incredible display. 

The 75-inch U9 has an MSRP of $3,500 USD, and is supposed to be shipping over here by June (so perhaps expect a relaunch/re-announcement around InfoComm).

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