It caused a stir at CES and will be on the market shortly: Samsung's Odyssey Ark curved monitor with a 55-inch diagonal. It combines TV size and format with a strong curvature, 4K UHD, 165 Hz and mini LED backlight.
Curved sometimes the other way around
Above all, the installation of the Samsung Odyssey Ark at the electronics fair in Las Vegas in January caused a stir. Because the monitor was upright. This pivot mode is not common on curved monitors. After all, the display arches almost over the user's head. However, only long-term experience will show whether this is practical or causes more neck pain.
Samsung Odyssey Ark in detail
During the first demonstration, Samsung was still stingy with technical details. Now, shortly before the market launch, there is more information. Accordingly, the VA LCD panel delivers 3,840 × 2,160 pixels in 16:9 format and is equipped with a mini LED backlight with 1,056 zones. As with the Odyssey Neo G9, Samsung markets this as “quantum matrix technology”. With the Odyssey Ark, thanks to the “newly developed 14-bit LED control”, a total of “16,384 different shades of black are possible”. Thanks to the special backlight, the static contrast ratio should be 1,000,000:1. A brightness of 2,000 cd/m² should be achieved selectively.
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Samsung Odyssey Ark (Image: Samsung)
Samsung mentions a response time of 1 ms as additional features, said 165 Hz as the maximum refresh rate and FreeSync Premium Pro. An integrated processor should upscale smaller resolutions to a maximum of 4K. In addition, the Gaming Hub is supported for direct game streaming from providers such as Nvidia GeForce Now, Google Stadia or Xbox.
6-channel speaker with 60 watts
The “Sound Dome Technology” should also provide a cinema atmosphere. According to Samsung, there is a speaker in each corner of the screen, which is joined by two woofers in a central position. This 2.2.2 system is said to deliver deep bass at 45Hz and surround sound with “AI Sound Booster” and Dolby Atmos. The nominal power is 60 watts.
Ark Dial with solar and USB-C charging
The extravagant equipment includes the solar-powered remote control (Ark Dial), with which the screen can be divided into several virtual screens. For example, up to four screen contents can be displayed side by side in horizontal mode and up to three screen windows one above the other in vertical mode. As a result of this and the sheer size, players should be able to do without the use of several individual displays. Four HDMI 2.1 sockets are available for different image sources, including game consoles.
Over 3,400 euros are due
Pre-orders for the Odyssey Ark should be possible from August 24, 2022. The company has so far not disclosed the price, even when asked by the editors. However, there is already a dealer who wants to deliver the monitor directly for 3,400 euros. At Amazon, the Odyssey Ark with the identifier S55BG970NU is available for pre-order for around 3,475 euros*, but according to the shop it should not be released until October 1st.
The official product pages.
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