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Samsung Q9S 85-inch TV uses AI to make its own 8K video at CES

Sure, 8K sounds like a logical step up. But is it really twice as good as a 4K TV?

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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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Now that 4K TVs are dirt cheap, it's apparently time for the next step in resolution.

Samsung is unveiling the Q9S, which it calls the first 85-inch 8K TV with artificial intelligence.

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Sarah Tew/CNET

With a futuristic design that resembles previous "easel" style high-end Samsung TVs, the Q9S's claim to fame is more pixels than 4K TVs. Of course, more pixels doesn't necessarily mean a better picture, especially since 4K at normal seating distances already approaches the limits of human visual acuity.

More to the point, there's no 8K content available, which is where Samsung's AI comes in. Here's the claim:

"The Q9S incorporates AI technology to deliver clear and pristine 8K resolution for any type of content. Using a proprietary algorithm, the Q9S continuously learns from itself to intelligently upscale the resolution of the content it shows -- no matter the source of that content -- to gorgeous 8K."

Further details, including pricing and availability, were not immediately disclosed, but for reference Samsung priced its last 85-inch easel-style TV, the UN859AF from 2014, at $40,000.

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