Samsung faces technical problems with its microLED TVs

Samsung is offering high-end microLED ultra-premium TVs, and has recently made plans to start producing smaller-size LTPS-based panels in an attempt to widen the market (even though prices are still extremely high and volume is very low).

Samsung 2022 MicroLED TV photo

According to a new report from Korea, however, not only that Samsung cannot really find customers for its TVs (which isn't a surprise given the price), the TVs are also suffering from high defect rates - even in units shown in retail or showcase events. The report suggests that the high level of defects in the TVs have caused Samsung Electronics to decide to currently not expand its microLED TV lineup, and has postponed the release of 80-inch and 90-inch products indefinitely.

Towards the end of 2020, Samsung announced it's first "consumer" MicroLED TVs (on LTPS backplanes, rather than PCB used by Samsung for its professional models), including smaller 77-inch to 89-inch models. The smaller models were scrapped later in 2021, and then Samsung further delayed its plans for "consumer" microLED TV production. In June 2022 it was reported that Samsung decided to move its MicroLED TV production from its Vietnam fab to its fab in Korea, and to start producing the TVs in Q3 2022. But now we hear that the production is delayed again, and that there's no real target date to initiate production.

Samsung's LTPS panels were supposed to adopt chips made by PlayNitride, sized 34x85 um. Its current PCB-based microLED TVs use larger chips produced by San'An Optoelectronics.

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Posted: Aug 20,2022 by Ron Mertens