The world’s leading television manufacturer Samsung Electronics Co. has decided to form an alliance that will promote its quantum dot-based TV, dubbed QLED TV, technology with Chinese peers and retailers in a move to take a hold in the rapidly growing premium TV market.

According to multiple sources from the TV industry on Wednesday, Samsung Electronics next week will officially launch the so-called “quantum dot-based light emitting diode (QLED) TV” alliance with nine other firms including China’s TV manufacturers TCL Corporation and Hisense Co., as well as major retailers GOME Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd., Suning Group, and JD.com at an international forum on QLED technology in Beijing, China.

The new alliance will also be supported by the academia including Peking University and Tsinghua University, as well as Chinese government agencies such as China Electronics Chamber of Commerce.

During the forum, Samsung Electronics is expected to preach that QLED is a more adapted technology for premium TVs than OLED and pledge to more than double the quantum dot TV market that rounded up to 3 million units last year. To enable that, the Korean tech behemoth will share its QLED TV technologies with its nearly-formed alliance members.

Samsung Electronics’ decision to launch the official QLED TV alliance comes after its long-time rival LG Electronics Ltd. formed an OLED alliance, which is not official, with 12 other members including Japan-based Panasonic Corp., Sony Corp., Toshiba Corp., and three Chinese makers Skyworth Digital Holdings Ltd., Changhong Electric Co., and Konka Group.

Currently, the global premium TV market is tightly contested by Samsung Electronics with QLED TVs and LG Electronics with OLED TVs. According to market data provider IHS, the global premium TV market is expected to reach $4.3 billion this year, up from $3.5 billion last year. A premium TV is a TV set that cost $2,500 or higher.

Samsung Electronics’ bold move to cooperate with Chinese rivals to promote its QLED TV technology is expected to change the premium TV industry landscape, industry insiders said.

The international QLED forum - organized by China Household Electrical Appliances Association (CHEAA) - will be attended by about 300 industry and media participants. CHEAA is a government-led association that lays down regulations for the electronic goods industry.

By Park Man-won and Lee Dong-in

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