Samsung Electronics began as a humble manufacturer of black and white televisions in Taegu, Korea.
By 1972,
it had earned a solid reputation among the Korean market for the quality of its product. Four years later Samsung realized its first major milestone, as it turned out its one-millionth television.
By 1978, it became a world leader when it sold record numbers totalling four million units. Over the years, Samsung has developed a standing as an innovator of new technology. Although the company has diversified into other industries, it has continued to grow at an astronomical rate. Since 2001, it has held first place in the worldwide market share.
Today, Samsung is a common household name. Its products have introduced everyday people to a new standard of living with fast and affordable technology. Although it has numerous groundbreaking achievements, some of the most prominent ones have occurred during the last ten years. These include:
- Mass produced the first 40 and 54 inch TFT LCD, 46 inch LCD, and 40 inch OLED television in the world.
- Created the first 240 Hz 3D LCD display.
- Invented the thinnest television in the world, which measures 3 millimetres.
- The first company to mass produce 3D Televisions.
When the Crystal Rose LCD television was released at the start of 2010, Samsung sold ten million units in the first six months. No other manufacturer can come close to matching these figures. With the introduction of the Smart TVs in 2011, Samsung has once again revolutionized the industry. This latest technology turns the television into a computer, but has the same glossy appearance of a big screen.
By incorporating a processor that can handle software code, the Smart TV becomes a couch driven content wizard. Users are able to utilize Samsung's downloadable application, stream content from Netflix, watch U-Tube videos, and connect with Facebook or Twitter.
Plasma televisions were the first flat screens to become commercially accepted. The picture is high quality, with deep blacks and good contrast. Samsung offers three 1080p plasma models with Smart TV and 3D capabilities- the 8000, 7000, and 6500 series. The 550, 530, and 490 are lower resolution 2D models.
LCD TVs use liquid crystal technology to create images. Since it filters white light, is more energy efficient than plasma. The primary advantage is that it offers true 1080p. The Samsung LCD models 630 and 610 have the highest Clear Motion Rating (CMR), which is an indication of how well the unit handles fast moving images. The 550 series has about half of the CMR, but is still 1080p. The more economical and lowest resolution series is 403 and 405.
LED refers to the backlighting used inside the television. The ultra-thin panels offer very bright displays and contrast. It uses 20 to 30 percent less power than an LCD. The 8000 series is the top of the line, with built in Wi-Fi, Skype, and 3D capability. The CMR is 960. Models 7000, 6000, and 5000 have less features and decreasing CMR ratings. These are the thinnest televisions that Samsung makes- only 1.2 inches thick.
