[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics said on Aug. 31 it may have self-emitting QLED TVs that do not need a backlight around 2020, claiming the biggest issue is not the technology but price.

“As we cannot release (self-emitting QLED TVs) at extremely high prices, we are making efforts toward full-fledged commercialization,” Samsung Electronics President Han Jong-hui, who heads the video display sector, said during a meeting with reporters at the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin.

Concerning other rivals’ move to release self-emitting QLED TVs, such as China’s TCL, Samsung expressed confidence that it is still ahead of other players in terms of technology capabilities.

Samsung promotes QLED TVs as their premium products, which utilize quantum dot technology. LG Electronics Inc., on the other hand, utilizes OLED displays, which do not need a backlight, for its high-end TVs.

The firm, which showcased its QLED 8K TV at this year’s IFA, said it will also make efforts to maintain its leadership status in the premium segment.

“We can see that our 8K TV stands out from previous products,” said Samsung Electronics President Kim Hyun-suk, who heads the consumer electronics business. “We have been a dominant leader in the TV industry for the past 13 years, and we will remain here going forward.”

Considering its Mirco LED TVs, Samsung said it has been receiving a “significant” amount of orders from the Middle East, Europe and the United States.

Samsung added the company will also put an emphasis on the built-in kitchen appliances market overseas.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that if we do not succeed in the built-in market in the U.S. and Europe, we cannot succeed in the home appliances business,” Kim said.

“Although it may take some time for us to become the top player, these are markets we cannot give up.”

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)