At CES, Samsung showed off a new LCD TV prototype they’re referring to as “Micro RGB.” But unlike true MicroLED TVs which have individually self-lighting pixels (like OLED TVs), these new TVs use an LCD panel to create the image, but use an RGB LED-based backlighting system with individual red, green and blue lighting elements in order to create the visible on-screen image.
Let’s get this out there: this is not a MicroLED TV. This is an LCD TV with an LED backlighting system. Yes, the backlighting system is different from most LCD TVs in that it uses individual red, green and blue LED lighting elements. And this can lead to significant improvements in picture quality and color reproduction. But, because it is a transmissive TV technology that requires that light be transmitted through the LCD panel, and does not have a one to one relationship between the light source and the pixel, it will likely be subject to the usual defects of LCD picture reproduction, namely haloing around bright objects and issues with lighting uniformity (the so-called “Dirty Screen Effect”). These artifacts happen in virtually all LED/LCD TVs to a greater or lesser extent when the backlight source bleeds around or through the LCD panel.
Even if the individual lighting elements are smaller or more dense than competitive models, it would be more accurate to use the term RGB MiniLED/LCD to define this type of television. That’s how competitors Hisense and Sony refer to the technology. But as they have been known to do from time to time, Samsung decided to coin a new term instead, so… Introducing the World’s First MICRO RGB TV!
Primaries For the Win!
Our brief experience with Samsung’s prototype RGB-backlit LCD TV at CES 2025 impressed us with its vibrant colors and detail. Having a separate lighting element for each primary color does seem to have a big impact on color reproduction across the board. As with the recently unveiled Hisense 116UX, Samsung also claims a much wider bandwidth of color reproduction on this new RGB-lit TV. In fact, Samsung says the new set can reproduce a full 100% of the BT.2020 color gamut. This would be a rare feat indeed. While BT.2020 content is not widespread, the TV’s ability to reproduce wider color volume can help in overall color accuracy. So this production version of the set should have impressive colors on a wide variety of content.
The version we saw at CES was 98 inches, but the one that’s going into production will be 115 inches, just one inch shy of Hisense’s 116UX we tested a few weeks ago at a Hisense press event. Samsung says that each RGB lighting element is “less than 100µm in size” and these lighting clusters are arranged in an “ultra-fine pattern.”
Per Taeyeng Son, Executive Vice President and Head of the R&D Team of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics, “Micro RGB achieves unprecedented precision in the control of micrometer-sized RGB LEDs, raising the bar for color accuracy and contrast in consumer displays. With this launch, we’re setting the standard in the large-sized, ultra-premium TV market and reinforcing our commitment to next-generation display innovation.”
The set will feature Samsung’s glare-free matte screen as seen on the company’s S95F QD-OLED TV, QN990F and QN900F 8K TVs and QN90F 4K Neo QLED TVs. This screen treatment eliminates those annoying direct light reflections we normally see when viewing a TV in a bright room, but it can lead to an increase in perceived black levels in bright rooms.
Smart… Very Smart
The Samsung MICRO RGB TV is powered by the new “Samsung Micro RGB AI engine.” This processor uses AI to control the individual red, green and blue backlights for optimized color and picture processing, as well as enhanced sound. It analyzes each frame in real time and automatically optimizes color output for a “more lifelike and immersive picture.” The set also includes Samsung’s Vision AI to enable smarter viewing experience such as “Click to Search” which enables intelligent dynamic content searches as well as “Live Translate” which can translate subtitles into various languages in real time.
The 115-inch Micro RGB TV offers four HDMI ports each supporting up to 4K/144Hz sampling rate as well as support for HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ high dynamic range.
Samsung’s MICRO RGB TV is expected to begin shipping soon at a retail price of $29,999.
The Bottom Line
$30K is a lot to pay for a TV, but at 115 inches and with next generation RGB LED backlighting, Samsung’s MICRO RGB TV is sure to win over buyers looking for one of the biggest and most advanced TVs currently available. We look forward to taking a closer look at one soon.
Related Reading:
- It’s Here! Check out the Hisense 116UX 116-inch RGB LED-lit LCD TV
- TV Shootout 2025: A New King of TVs is Crowned
- Best Improvement to LCD TVs? RGB Backlighting (Best in Show CES 2025)
