Samsung Electronics today unveiled its 2025 Smart Monitor, Odyssey Gaming Monitor and ViewFinity Monitor lineups, all of which will be on display at Samsung's First Look at CES on January 5. The 2025 models raise the bar for monitors by bringing AI features, industry-first sizes in the OLED market and new form factors that ignite the passions of users worldwide—whether they're working, gaming or creating.

"With the new monitors in our industry-leading lineups, we're giving people more ways to explore the content and connections that they love in new ways," said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "Because of our new AI capabilities and size options, 2025 will see users across the world find the right monitor that fits them."

Your favorite shows, movies, series, live TV, and games are in your space on the screen of your AGON by AOC Q27G4XY SMART GAMING MONITOR. The AGON by AOC Q27G4XY 27" SMART GAMING MONITOR is a pioneer in this field, bringing the convenience of Google TV to your monitor screen. This 27" QHD 2560x1440 WLED monitor, featuring a 180 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms GtG response time, AMD FreeSync, NVIDIA G-SYNC, and HDR10, combined with Google TV, delivers an immersive gaming and streaming experience—ideal for any dorm room!

Google TV
When you're done gaming, there's no need to switch devices. The AGON by AOC Q27G4XY Smart Gaming Monitor, powered by Google TV's built-in operating system, brings all your entertainment to one place. Instantly browse movies, shows, live TV, sports, and more across your favorite apps. Google TV brings together everything you stream on one screen, so you can find what to watch without jumping from app to app. Not sure what to watch? Just ask Google Assistant and search across apps with your voice to find what you're looking for. Finding your next watch is now as easy as ever.

Applied Materials, Inc. today introduced the MAX OLED solution, a patented OLED pixel architecture and revolutionary display manufacturing technology designed to bring the superior OLED displays found in high-end smartphones to tablets, PCs and eventually TVs.

OLED is the display technology of choice for the world's leading smartphone manufacturers because it offers superior display quality, light and flexible form factors, and durability. However, until today, it has proven challenging to scale OLED display manufacturing to the larger glass panels used to make displays for tablets, PCs and TVs.

With over 250 million devices sold globally, Amazon expands its Fire TV lineup with a brand-new Omni Mini-LED Series and refreshed 4-Series—plus, the new Soundbar Plus Series.

Since launching Fire TV 10 years ago, we've been on a mission to make TVs more intelligent, accessible, and connected. Our approach is unique: We put content—not apps—at the center of the experience, and make it incredibly easy to find something to watch, including with just your voice. What started with the first Fire TV device in 2014 has evolved into a versatile lineup of devices, from Cubes and Sticks to smart TVs made by some of the world's strongest TV brands including Panasonic, Hisense, Toshiba, and TCL. And it's no understatement to say customers love Fire TV—customers around the world have purchased well over 250 million Fire TV devices.

ASUS today announced ZenScreen Smart MS27UC, the brand's first Google TV smart monitor. Google TV brings together movies, shows, and more from a variety of streaming services and offers users a personalized entertainment experience. ZenScreen Smart MS27UC boasts a 27-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) IPS panel with wide 178° viewing angles, a 99% sRGB gamut, VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification, and dual front-facing 5 W Harman Kardon-certified speakers. Plus, a source control feature enables viewers to easily switch between Productivity or Play modes.

With ZenScreen Smart MS27UC, there's no need for a dedicated PC. Users can conduct online meetings and browse content via the web browser, and logging in to a Google Account allows them to create and sync work and documents on Google Workspace. The monitor also offers seamless connections to multiple devices, including PCs and smartphones through Miracast or Google Cast, with the multi-control feature enabling seamless navigation via a single Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

LG Electronics (LG) announces that its webOS Hub platform is now available for third-party gaming monitors. This expansion follows the company's previous rollout of the webOS Hub platform to third-party smart TVs and smart monitors, addressing the increasing trend of gaming monitors and smart monitors being equipped with OTT streaming services.

The new platform features, customized for gaming monitors, include VRR 180 Hz, providing gamers with an optimal environment free from stuttering or tearing. The platform also maximizes user convenience with various connectivity options, including wired and wireless keyboards and mouse, DisplayPort and USB-C type. Additionally, the Game Dashboard and Game Optimizer allow users to easily configure the optimal settings for each game. The Game card app provides easy access to content, including cloud games.

LG Electronics USA today announced pricing and immediate availability of its LG OLED B4 4K TV lineup. Benefitting from more than a decade of unparalleled excellence in the OLED domain, LG's B4 OLED TV Series enhances the viewing experience through self-lit pixels, the Alpha 8 AI-driven processor, and an upgraded webOS platform that offers an array of smart features, alongside access to a continually expanding library of free content with LG Channels.

With over 8 million self-lit pixels - LG's OLED technology is a masterclass in creating rich and accurate picture quality. Available in three screen sizes (77-, 65- and 55-inches) - the LG OLED B4 Series features Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for an immersive sound and vision experience. The B4 also includes an updated processor. The Alpha 8 AI Processor 4K with AI Picture Pro automatically adjusts the ideal settings and fine-tunes the picture based on the content being watched.

Formovie Technology, Chinese maker of laser TV and smart projectors, unveiled its latest innovations at CES 2024 this week. The company showcased several new projectors leveraging cutting-edge laser technology to deliver new visual experiences. The star of the Formovie lineup was the new Formovie Theatre 4K Triple-Laser UST Projector. As the world's first 4K ultra-short throw projector with triple laser technology, it produces a staggeringly bright 2800 ANSI lumens image with 3000:1 contrast ration at a spectacular 150-inch scale. Viewers can expect true-to-life colors and infinite contrast thanks to Formovie's advanced laser light source. The company touts the product as the world's 1st Dolby Vision & Atmos UST projector, which also features ALLM and MEMC for smoother gaming. The sound system is a bespoke work by Bowers & Wilkins. A few booth demos were available to paint the picture of the technology.

In addition, Formovie introduced the slim and portable Formovie S5 projector. Weighing only 6.5 pounds, it's an ultra-compact model ideal for on-the-go use. The S5 still outputs a bright 1100 ANSI lumens image with smooth 4K quality enabled by ALPD laser technology. Rounding out the product showcase, Formovie displayed the award-winning Formovie V10 home theater projector. Recently honored with a CES 2023 Innovation Award, the V10 stands out for its 240 Hz refresh rate, 12 ms low latency, and 2500 ANSI lumens brightness—making it a top choice for gaming and movies.

LG Electronics (LG) is introducing the company's 2024 OLED TV lineup, taking home entertainment experience to a new level. Powered by the company's latest AI processor with 4-fold higher AI performance, these new additions to the OLED lineup deliver unparalleled viewing experiences with even more vibrant, lifelike picture quality.

Driven by a customer-centric approach, LG's "Sync to You, Open to All" vision expresses the company's aim to create personalized experiences for every lifestyle, with products that are accessible to all. To this end, LG's webOS smart TV platform provides tailored solutions and services with an expanded ecosystem featuring extended connectivity, offering unique encounters as a media and entertainment platform company to provide the ultimate TV experience for all.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023. Total consolidated revenue was KRW 67.40 trillion, a 12% increase from the previous quarter, mainly due to new smartphone releases and higher sales of premium display products. Operating profit rose sequentially to KRW 2.43 trillion based on strong sales of flagship models in mobile and strong demand for displays, as losses at the Device Solutions (DS) Division narrowed.

The Memory Business reduced losses sequentially as sales of high valued-added products and average selling prices somewhat increased. Earnings in system semiconductors were impacted by a delay in demand recovery for major applications, but the Foundry Business posted a new quarterly high for new backlog from design wins. The mobile panel business reported a significant increase in earnings on the back of new flagship model releases by major customers, while the large panel business narrowed losses in the quarter. The Device eXperience (DX) Division achieved solid results due to robust sales of premium smartphones and TVs. Revenue at the Networks Business declined in major overseas markets as mobile operators scaled back investments.

LG Electronics announces the newest addition to its LG MAGNIT lineup of premium Micro LED displays. The new model (LSAL006) provides immersive home entertainment experiences via an expansive 118-inch, 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution screen featuring LG's Micro LED technology and a miniscule 0.68-millimeter pixel pitch. Possessing the elegance and scale befitting a super-luxury residence, the impressive display offers a seamless user experience with webOS, a wealth of content services, and convenient streaming from a wide range of devices.

Delivering unparalleled picture quality through the brilliance of Micro LED technology, the new LG MAGNIT allows customers to enjoy complete viewing immersion in the comfort of their own homes. The cutting-edge display's micro-scale pixels and the integration of LG's Surface Treatment technology ensure excellent image reproduction with vivid colors and outstanding contrast.

We've been focused on creating a great gaming experience for our members since 2021 when we added mobile games to Netflix. Our goal has always been to have a game for everyone, and we are working hard to meet members where they are with an accessible, smooth, and ubiquitous service. Today, we're taking the first step in making games playable on every device where our members enjoy Netflix - TVs, computers, and mobile.

We are rolling out a limited beta test to a small number of members in Canada and the UK on select TVs starting today, and on PCs and Macs through Netflix.com on supported browsers in the next few weeks. Two games will be part of this initial test: Oxenfree from Night School Studio, a Netflix Game Studio, and Molehew's Mining Adventure, a gem-mining arcade game. To play our games on TV, we're introducing a controller that we already have in our hands most of the day - our phones. Members on PCs and Macs can play on Netflix.com with a keyboard and mouse.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023. The Company posted KRW 60.01 trillion in consolidated revenue, a 6% decline from the previous quarter, mainly due to a decline in smartphone shipments despite a slight recovery in revenue of the DS (Device Solutions) Division. Operating profit rose sequentially to KRW 0.67 trillion as the DS Division posted a narrower loss, while Samsung Display Corporation (SDC) and the Digital Appliances Business saw improved profitability.

The Memory Business saw results improve from the previous quarter as its focus on High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and DDR5 products in anticipation of robust demand for AI applications led to higher-than-guided DRAM shipments. System semiconductors posted a decline in profit due to lower utilization rates on weak demand from major applications.

LG Electronics (LG) announces the global rollout of its new Smart Cam (model VC23GA). A Full HD (FHD) video camera with built-in dual microphones and multi-view function, the Smart Cam seamlessly integrates with LG's webOS-powered smart TVs to provide enhanced user interaction with a host of premium apps and services. The pairing offers convenient video calling and conferencing, an elevated home fitness experience and much more to cater to the diverse needs of customers as they enjoy various services offered by LG Smart TVs.

Compatible with many of the services available on LG TV's webOS platform, LG Smart Cam opens up a range of diverse and compelling interactive experiences. For example, users can now conveniently connect with co-workers, clients, family or friends via RemoteMeeting, an innovative web-based video conferencing service that also works across PCs, laptops and smartphones. The FHD resolution (1,920 x 1,080) Smart Cam provides smooth, crisp video that looks remarkably clear and lifelike when displayed on LG's large screen TVs, which are known for their excellent picture quality. Setting up the RemoteMeeting app on LG TV is fast and simple and conveniently eliminates the need for a laptop or PC connection. Moreover, the Smart Cam's built-in mics mean no extra peripherals are required.

TrendForce reports that inventory reduction in Q1 fell short of expectations and coincided with the industry's traditional off-season, leading to overall subdued demand. However, due to new product release and a surge in urgent orders for specialized specifications, Q1 revenue of the global top ten IC design houses remained on par with 4Q22, with a modest QoQ increase of 0.1% for a total revenue of US$33.86 billion. Changes in ranking included Cirrus Logic slipping from the top ten as well as the ninth and tenth positions being replaced by WillSemi and MPS, respectively. The rest of the rankings remained unchanged.

The smartphone supply continues to grapple with overstock, but AI applications are entering a period of rapid growth
Qualcomm witnessed an uptick in its revenue, largely attributed to the launch and subsequent shipments of its latest flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8Gen2. The company saw 6.1% in QoQ growth in its smartphone business, which effectively offset the downturn from its automotive and IoT sectors. As a result, Qualcomm's Q1 revenue increased marginally by 0.6%, cementing its position at the top of the pack with a market share of 23.5%.

Sony has announced that Zoom Video Communications, Inc. will be coming to Sony's BRAVIA TVs that are compatible with BRAVIA CAM. This partnership will allow users to easily connect with friends, family, and colleagues for video calls and meetings from the comfort of their living room. Sony's BRAVIA is the first TV brand to support the Zoom for TV app on Google Play Store.

With Zoom on BRAVIA TVs, users will be able to take advantage of all the features that make Zoom one of the leading video communication platform. This includes video communication on a TV screen, screen sharing, and collaboration tools. Users will also be able to use BRAVIA CAM's advanced features - it recognizes where you are in the room and how far you are from the TV, then adjusts sound and picture settings so they're just right. All of that is possible with a very simple setup - when using a compatible TV with a BRAVIA CAM, it only takes downloading the Zoom app from Google Play and launching it with the TV's remote.

Select Samsung Smart TV and Smart Monitor owners will now gain access to nearly 3,000 games as Antstream Arcade and Blacknut have been added to the Samsung Gaming Hub partner lineup, with the rollout starting today. Samsung makes it easy for players of all ages to find content and choose apps from industry-leading game streaming partners: Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna, Utomik, and now over 1,400 games with arcade classics from Antstream Arcade, and over 500 premium family titles and exclusive games from Blacknut.

"Samsung Gaming Hub offers players more ways to access the titles they love and discover new ones to play from our game streaming partners, no console required," said Mike Lucero, Head of Product Management for Gaming at Samsung Electronics. "With Antstream Arcade and Blacknut, we've made games even easier to jump into. Now all you need to do is pick up your Samsung TV remote to enjoy great games like "Pac-Man" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?", or pair your Bluetooth controller to access thousands of world-class games across genres. With more games and more ways to play, there has never been a better time to play games on Samsung Gaming Hub."

According to a newly published study, by market analysts at Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), TV OLED panel production costs are set to fall consistently over the next two years. Thanks to increased efficiency and improved yields at key manufacturing facilities, premium TV models could drop in price within a few months (maybe in time for Christmas) - according to FlatPanelsHD. The DSCC report indicates that production costs per 55-inch OLED panel are predicted to decrease by roughly 20% (when compared to data from 2022), with the same percentage reduction lined up for 2024. LG Display's "white OLED" panel is the given example here - it is featured on many 2023 TV ranges including LG's own C3 and G3 models, as well as units from competing brands: Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Hisense, etc.

Samsung's proprietary QD-OLED TV technology is also forecasted to become cheaper to produce - by 30% - according to the market analysts at DSCC. The Display division's South Korean factory lines are capable of pumping out 65-inch QD-OLED panels at greater efficiency this year - with a reported higher overall yield when compared to 2022's results (from 68% to 84%). Samsung's quantum dot panels are usually reserved for flagship level TV models, but lower production costs could lead to more mid-range televisions adopting the high-end display technology.

Imagination Technologies is bringing seamless visual experiences to cost-sensitive consumer devices with the new IMG CXM GPU range which includes the smallest GPU to support HDR user interfaces natively.

Consumers are looking for visuals on their smart home platforms that are as detailed, smooth, and responsive as the experience they are accustomed to on mobile devices. At the same time, ambitious content providers are aligning the look and feel of their applications' user interfaces with their cinematic content, by integrating advanced features such as 4K and HDR.

LG Electronics USA announced pricing and availability of the latest addition to its LG CineBeam lineup, the LG CineBeam PU700R. Featuring an intuitive and interior-friendly design that doesn't compromise on picture quality, the PU700R is available now at LG.com for $1699. Consumers who purchase an LG CineBeam PU700R projector through June 11 will receive a free LG XBOOM 360 Bluetooth speaker XO3QBE ($299.99 ARV).

The PU700R allows for content to be cast up to 120 inches in exceptional 4K UHD picture quality, and with optimized brightness levels and HDR support, users can enjoy high-quality picture in ambient lighting environments.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023. The Company posted KRW 63.75 trillion in consolidated revenue, a 10% decline from the previous quarter, as overall consumer spending slowed amid the uncertain global macroeconomic environment. Operating profit was KRW 0.64 trillion as the DS (Device Solutions) Division faced decreased demand, while profit in the DX (Device eXperience) Division increased.

The DS Division's profit declined from the previous quarter due to weak demand in the Memory Business, a decline in utilization rates in the Foundry Business and continued weak demand and inventory adjustments from customers. Samsung Display Corporation (SDC) saw earnings in the mobile panel business decline quarter-on-quarter amid a market contraction, while the large panel business slightly narrowed its losses. The DX Division's results improved on the back of strong sales of the premium Galaxy S23 series as well as an enhanced sales mix focusing on premium TVs.

TPU doesn't normally cover TVs, but at Touch Taiwan had a new gaming focused TV panel that might very well end up in some very high-end gaming "monitors" as well. The panel is a 65-inch model that supports 7680 x 4320 resolution at up to 120 Hz. However, the high-end specs don't stop there, as the panel has a 4,608 zone full array local dimming backlight, which gives it a typical brightness of 400 cd/m², but it can go up to 1,800 cd/m² at 10 percent areas in HDR mode.

As with the 4K display panel we wrote about earlier, this TB panel also features AUO's A.R.T. "reflectionless" feature, which should prevent it from being overly reflective in brightly lit areas. The demo panel was powered by MediaTek's Pentonic 2000 SoC, which is currently one of the highest-end 8K TV processors and potentially the only one with support for H.266 video decoding. Sadly we don't have any indication on which TV manufacturers will use the new display, but regardless of the brand, we expect the retail products to be very expensive.

It's been a little more than a year since we launched games on Netflix to bring even more entertainment to our members as part of their Netflix subscription. In this short time, we've released 55 games, with about 40 more slated for later this year and 70 in development with our partners. That's in addition to the 16 games currently being developed by our in-house game studios. Our goal is to develop a broad portfolio of games - in different genres and formats - because we believe everyone can find joy in games if they discover the one (or many!) that is right for them.

This year we're going to continue building our portfolio - and that means new games every month. Members will discover indie darlings, award-winning hits, RPGs, narrative adventures, puzzle games and everything in between, and we're working with the world's leading studios to bring you these games.

TrendForce's recent analysis of the foundry market reveals that demand continues to slide for all types of mature and advanced nodes. The major IC design houses have cut wafer input for 1Q23 and will likely scale back further for 2Q23. Currently, foundries are expected to maintain a lower-than-ideal level of capacity utilization rate in the first two quarters of this year. Some nodes could experience a steeper demand drop in 2Q23 as there are still no signs of a significant rebound in wafer orders. Looking ahead to the second half of this year, orders will likely pick up for some components that underwent an inventory correction at an earlier time. However, the state of the global economy will remain the largest variable that affect demand, and the recovery of individual foundries' capacity utilization rates will not occur as quickly as expected. Taking these factors into account, TrendForce currently forecasts that global foundry revenue will drop by around 4% YoY for 2023. The projected decline for 2023 is more severe when compared with the one that was recorded for 2019.

We don't normally cover TV's at TPU, but this one is so different to anything else out there, that we had to cover it. A US company that goes under the name Displace, will launch the Displace TV at CES 2023 in January and maybe the least strange part of this TV is that it'll have a CPU from AMD and a GPU from NVIDIA, although technically speaking, neither is actually inside the TV itself. The display itself doesn't seem to be particularly remarkable, as it's a 55-inch 4K display based around an unknown OLED panel. However, Displace claims that the sub 20 lbs (9.07 kg) panel features "proprietary active-loop vacuum technology" which allows it to be stuck to any wall without the need of mounting hardware.

If that wasn't crazy enough, the Displace TV is powered by an interchangeable battery pack and the company claims that the TV has a month's worth of battery life, assuming you don't use it more than six hours a day. The company provides four batteries and a charging station with the TV, as well as a base unit, which houses the AMD CPU and NVIDIA GPU. The only other thing the company mentioned about the base station is that it supports Wi-Fi 6E. The Displace TV also supports gesture control, as well as voice control and a remote. For those that find a 55-inch TV a bit on the small side, Displace claims that up to four panels can be connected together to create a 110-inch 16K TV, although it seems like they've counted wrong here, as four times 4K resolution is only 8K, not 16K. It all sounds a bit too good to be true, but we'll have to wait and see if the company really shows up at CES and if it has a product that delivers on all its claims.