Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM FEBRUARY 2022 50 I hope you'll forgive us electronics nerds for getting excited over tradeshows like CES. For the folks here at Expert Warehouse, the tech distribution arm of the AVB/BrandSource buying group, it's a little like a second Christmas – absorbing the latest-greatest tech while learning how we can better help our members grow profits and educate their customers. This year's annual CE extravaganza in Las Vegas proved to be no exception. While many exciting announcements were bandied about at last month's show (which many shared virtually due to Omicron), keeping the focus on the tech that directly affects the independent dealer is best for this space. First up on our Best of CES list is Samsung's innovative Freestyle portable projector. The Korean powerhouse is making a huge push in 2022 for this product which gives everyone an opportunity to have a screen wherever they need it. The Freestyle can project from 30 feet out to a huge 100-foot viewing area on any surface, and an included stand even allows it to project on the ceiling! Auto-focusing and auto-keystone features are included, so there's no need to fuss with settings, and speakers are built-in as well, which is great for the Great Outdoors. The projector can stream from a mobile device via Bluetooth or a mini-HDMI port, and comes preloaded with the major streaming services. It also has voice controls and can charge its optional battery while you watch. But here's where it gets interesting: it can display included ambient swirls on walls and/or ceilings while listening to music. Best of all is the price: well under $1,000. Truly cool stuff! Display-wise, Samsung was touting its QD-OLED technology, a hybrid QLED and OLED panel that melds the best of both worlds. QD-OLED uses blue OLED along with Samsung's quantum dot tech (the Q in "QLED") for red and green color conversion. The black and color levels of OLED matched with the brightness of QLED could be a game changer, starting in 55- and 65-inch sizes. Samsung also shared its QD-OLED tech with Sony, which deployed it for its latest flagship model. LG was no slouch at CES either. Most important for BrandSource members is the addition to the lineup of 42- and 97-inch OLEDs, which is huge for integrators and retailers alike. LG's A9 processor, the heart of the technology, is on its 5th generation and promises improved scaling and depth for 2022. Also, the C-level OLEDs, described by the company as the bestselling $1,500-plus series in the U.S., along with higher-end models, have all gone on a diet, thanks to a new composite material that has reduced their weight by half. That's great news on the shipping front. LG has also added OLED EX on top of its already ubiquitous evo panels, which will permeate their C2 and higher TV models this year. The EX panels are 30 percent brighter than conventional OLED models, which addresses the Achilles' heel of current OLEDs, and are reserved for LG models only. We do not expect to see EX until mid- 2022 at the earliest. LG will also carry on with QNED, a Mini LED technology that both LG and Samsung bowed-in last year. Greater size selection, v.2 improvements, and lower pricing will be the storyline for both vendors moving forward with this exciting tech. In a nutshell, Mini LED employs thousands (rather than LED's hundreds) of backlight cells to provide greater color depth and better blackness and lumen levels. For some, the most exciting part of LG's lineup may be its flexible OLEDs and transparent OLED concepts. While these technologies are mostly limited to commercial use at the outset, it's not hard to see how they could integrate seamlessly into gaming, exercise and entertain- ment applications. More on that to come as the announcements keep rolling our way! Stephen Paczkowski Consumer Electronic Trends THE TV STARS OF CES Stephen Paczkowski is a Buyer/Channel Manager at Expert Warehouse, the tech distribution arm of BrandSource parent AVB Inc. Steve can be reached at steve.paczkowski@expert-warehouse.com. RO LG's next generation of flexible OLED displays offer count- less gaming, exercise and entertainment possibilities

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