From Jan. 9 to 12, at the CES 2024, the world’s largest IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, leading Chinese home appliance companies TCL and Hisense showcased AI processors prominently at their exhibition booths. A TCL spokesperson mentioned, “Never before have we highlighted processors in this manner,” emphasizing, “We leverage AI to analyze TV images, enhancing brightness, sharpness, visual effects, and more.” TCL intends to extend AI functionality to budget-friendly TV models by categorizing the AI processor ‘AIPQ’ into three segments based on features.
Likewise, Hisense unveiled its in-house developed AI processor ‘Hi-View Engine X’ and exhibited tangible chipsets at the CES 2024 expo. A representative from Hisense explained, “Hi-View Engine X rectifies the original video to an ultra-high 8K resolution, improves color and contrast, and achieves optimized high-quality images for each scene.” Hisense has been integrating AI processors into TVs since last year.
Korean companies, ahead of their Chinese counterparts by several years in applying AI processors to TVs, have implemented new AI features in TVs this year.
Samsung Electronics revealed the ‘NQ8 AI 3rd generation’ processor, featuring a notable upgrade with 512 neural network networks—eight times more than its 2nd generation predecessor—and a doubling in speed for the AI semiconductor (Neural Processing Unit, NPU). Samsung proudly noted, “We have pioneered the industry by utilizing AI to convert subtitles into real-time voice.” The NEO QLED 8K TV, equipped with this processor, not only upscales low-quality content to ultra-high-definition 8K but also employs AI deep learning to minimize video distortion. It separates desired voices for clear communication.
LG Electronics also introduced the ‘Alpha 11′ processor, boasting a fourfold enhancement in AI performance compared to its predecessors. The Alpha 11, featured in LG OLED TVs this year, sharpens blurry objects and backgrounds, corrects colors based on frequently used hues to match the creator’s intended atmosphere and emotion. The AI audio technology distinguishes and clarifies video voices from ambient sounds, transforming sound from the bottom speakers as if it were coming from the center of the TV. Compared to the previous generation ‘Alpha 9,’ graphics performance has improved by 70%, and processing speed by 30%.
