Samsung CES Highlights: Luxia LED TVs 2009

By CJ Preece Jan 13th, 2009

The first thing the kind PR gentleman showed me at Samsung's booth was the press kit. Undaunted, I insisted that a true gentleman would show me the latest and greatest TV technology known to man. Luckily for him he proceeded to show me the Samsung Luxia 6, 7, and 8 LED TVs, and fisticuffs were deemed unnecessary. I doubt he had even a passing familiarity with the Marquess of Queensberry rules anyway.

My urge to write in pseudo-Victorian English pacified, let's talk about the awesomeness that are Samsung Luxia LED TVs.

Don't confuse any of this with OLED. The Luxia lines are LED backlit LCD TVs. Not much differentiates the Luxia 8 from the Luxia 7. Both can connect to the internet via wire or Wi-Fi, both are barely 1-inch thick, include a built-in HD tuner, and both have access to a unique content library. The major difference is in the refresh rates. The 8 has a whopping 240Hz rating, while the 7 and 6 have half that at 120Hz. This means the Luxia 8 is much more adept at handling fast motion on the screen with minimal blur. They both share a more efficient power consumption profile, often using 40% less power than traditional LCD TVs.

To me, 240Hz is great, but I think the internet connectivity is drastically overlooked; Using Yahoo's Connected TV, you can download the widgets of your choice directly from Yahoo for weather, traffic, Flickr, news, and more. Click the link for more info.

Samsung had a few LCD TVs displayed close to the Luxia models, and I was impressed with the black levels and crisp picture of all the Luxia models, but the 8 just looked that much better. The Luxia line will be available "1st Half 2009" in sizes ranging from 40- to 55-inches. We've got video of the 82 inch Luxia below, but don't expect to have that in your living room any time soon. As always, no pricing info is available, but you can bet all this new tech will cost a bit more than the regular LCD and Plasma TVs on sale this past holiday season.