Chinese companies look to stay a step ahead to meet high-tech demand

Chinese TV and PC makers have been working to improve users' visual and audio experiences, driven by the demands of a growing middle class.

At this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, major Chinese brands, including Lenovo, Huawei, TCL, Hisense and Changhong, are exhibiting their new lineups featuring high picture and sound-quality technologies, either self-developed or in partnership with Dolby Labs.

Hisense's 2018 TV lineup includes a 4K Ultra HD Smart Laser TV and a 4K ULED (ultra-dense LED) smart TV. The company said it aims to "transform the TV viewing experience" with technologies like ULED, Quantum Dot, Dolby Vision HDR (high dynamic range) imaging technologies and local dimming.

The ULED is Hisense's self-developed technology, which is up to three times brighter than OLED, with better dynamic range and perception of black and white while enhancing color and contrast, according to Huang Fei, a TV R&D engineer of Hisense.

"To viewers, the technology means higher contrast, more brightness, more colors and more vivid," said Huang. "In short, what we are trying to achieve is to render the picture as lifelike as possible."

Premium picture and audio quality also highlight TCL's exhibition at the CES. The company's newly announced 6-Series and 5-Series TV lineups feature Dolby Vision technology, an HDR solution and TCL's Contrast Control Zone technology, which produces higher contrast between light and dark areas.

This TV model allows customers to appreciate details within the darkest and brightest scenes, whether in a dim home theater or a sunlit living room, said TCL.

TCL is the first TV OEM to team up with Dolby in China to manufacture Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos (advanced sound system)-enabled TVs. Two other OEMs, Hisense and Changhong, also have adopted Dolby technologies in their products. This year, Skyworth has plans to bring Dolby Atmos to its TVs, according to Dolby.

Apart from TV makers, PC makers like Huawei and Lenovo also compete for customers by providing improved visual and sound experience.

"Huawei has always been focusing on sound quality," said Yu Chengdong, chief executive officer of Huawei Consumer Business Group. "We strive to offer our customers the best music quality through better sound solutions, such as partnership with Dolby."

Huawei's laptop computer MateBook X on display at CES is enabled by Dolby Atmos. "We hope to create the immersive theater experience for our customers, so that they can enjoy blockbuster films at home," Yu said.

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