Ashwin Rajagopalan
Exactly two years ago, we reviewed The Frame, one of the most innovative and one of the most expensive premium TVs with its ability to swing from Wall Art to a TV with a flick of a switch. Samsung hasn’t dropped the ball for the last few years in the entertainment space at a time when the dynamics for Content Consumption has been evolving; constantly. In 2017, it was the world’s first LED HDR, last year the company launched the world’s first Cinema LED – Onyx in a clutch of premium theatres in India.
The Wall is the latest chapter in the company’s range of dazzling displays, it’s built on a two-pronged market distribution strategy – for homes and commercial users, and is one of the most expensive TVs out there.
This cutting edge, MicroLED display comes in a choice of three sizes that range from a 146-inch option in 4K to a 292-inch version in 8K definition. If you’re looking at a home theatre option that will wow guests and sparks envy, you don’t need to look further. It’s huge, something that I could appreciate only after a long experience session that lasted almost as long as a Hollywood blockbuster. And just like a well-scripted potboiler, I barely noticed the time fly till I ran out of popcorn at Samsung’s Executive briefing centre in Gurgaon, where private screenings can be organised for potential customers.
Like all great gadgets, there are two elements –the actual tech specs and more importantly, the experiences that this tech enables. But above all, a premium gadget like this has to look pretty in your living room, an area where the Wall scores.
It features a slim, bezel-less infinity design with a depth of less than 30 mm and customisable deco frames that complement the artefacts in your den. Tech geeks will totally approve of some of The Wall’s specs – AI up-scaling, Quantum HDR and a staggering peak brightness of 2,000 nits with a 120Hz video rate. The Wall’s 0.8mm pixel pitch technology with true blacks, true colour is further bolstered by Samsung’s AI picture enhancement, high brightness, and high contrast. The upscaling feature is very handy and enhances any Content you throw at it.
We also dig the Ambient Mode option (akin to the Frame) that can display a variety of curated art from paintings, photographs and video art to customisable pictures with digital frames that allow you to personalise the experience when the screen is not in use. More than the specs, it’s the actual user experience; that’s where The Wall truly shines.
Whether it’s gaming with the ultra-smooth 120Hz refresh rate or Content enhanced by Quantum Processor Flex (a machine learning-based picture quality engine that analyses millions of image data to calibrate the original low-resolution image according to the display), this is an experience like no other.
The Wall (costs Rs 3.5 crore to 12 crore; excluding taxes) comes in a Luxury option for homes with a display controller and the ability to customise television sizes and shape to suit your needs. There’s also a Wall Pro for Commercial installations.
