Samsung Electronics Co. in latest bold marketing initiative for leadership in the next-generation premium TV market amid intense rivalry among two Korean electronics powerhouses has offered 10-year warranty on its ultra HD TVs backed by quantum-dot nano-crystal screen design.

Samsung is in neck-and-neck competition with local rival LG Electronics in the 4K (ultra high-resolution) screen market with its proprietary quantum-dot technology, while LG is the predominant leader in fast-expanding organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology as flexible and efficient alternative to liquid crystal display (LCD).

Samsung Electronics announced on Tuesday that it is offering 10-year warranty on any screen burn-in problems on its curved SUHD TVs, which are 4K ultra HD with backlighting with Samsung’s quintessential quantum-dot technology that enriches the color gamut.

A 10-year warranty is rare for a TV, which usually comes with free-of-charge after-sales service for two years for the panel and a year for parts. Screen burn-in is an image retention problem that occurs when a static image is left on the screen over a long time as the non-moving image or text can create a discoloration and degrade image quality.

“We are offering 10-year warranty to show our confidence in quantum-dot display technology backed by inorganic materials to offer longer-lasting and reliable picture quality than organic material” said Kim Moon-su, vice president of Samsung Electronics’ visual display division.

The battlefield on the premium 4K TV market has gotten heated, with LG Electronics upon inviting local and foreign reporters to tour the OLED display manufacturing factory in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, claiming quantum TV is no match for its ultra OLED counterpart in picture quality.

Samsung with its 10-year warranty may be challenging the OLED camp against its major weakness - question of reliability and life span.

By Song Sung-hoon

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]