Samsung expands 8K TV to 98 inches at CES, because why the hell not

I guess an 85-inch TV just isn't big enough for *some* people.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech

David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.

Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials

Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.

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David Katzmaier

Jan. 7, 2019 2:17 p.m. PT

2 min read

35-samsung-q900 — Samsung's 98-inch Q900A 8K TV in the flesh.
Sarah Tew/CNET

8K resolution might be so much overkill, but if you ask the TV makers, they'll tell you all those extra pixels are worthwhile in really big TVs .

The 98-inch Samsung Q900 QLED unveiled here at CES is one of the most massive 8K TVs announced so far, tying Sony's own 98-inch Z9G and outgunning Samsung's own 85-inch member of the Q900 series -- first introduced in late 2018 -- as well as LG's new 88-inch 8K OLED TV. It's no 219-inch MicroLED TV, however.

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Watch this: Samsung Q900 85-inch 8K TV hands-on: A beautiful beast

02:30

Samsung also put smaller sizes of the Q900 series up for pre-order. The 65-inch costs $5,000, the 75-inch $7,000 and the 82-inch $10,000. Pricing for the 98-inch version was not announced, but it's sure to be ridiculously expensive. Since the 85-incher costs $15,000, I'm betting the 98-inch set costs around $50,000.

The Q900A has similar features to the 85-inch Q900, including high light output and full-array local dimming. Samsung says it has completely redesigned the upconversion with a new 8K Quantum processor and artificial intelligence to improve texture, smooth jagged edges and reduce noise and blurring. "A database analyses millions of sets of low- and high-resolution content and uses machine learning to develop algorithms" It can update the TV over time with improved formulas.

When I got up close and personal with the 85-inch Q900 I found little benefit to its 8K resolution, fancy upconversion notwithstanding. It still delivered excellent picture quality, although at $15,000 I expected nothing less.

Samsung also confirmed the new sets have full HDMI 2.1.

Samsung just (finally) confirmed that its 2019 8K TVs indeed have the 48Gbps input capability, along with 8K/60 and 4K/120, called for by HDMI 2.1.
— David Katzmaier (@dkatzmaier) January 10, 2019