The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK has upheld complaints that advertisements for Samsung televisions were misleading, with the words "LED TV Next Generation TV" singled out in particular. And it ordered the company not to use the advertisements again.

The ads, that appeared on TV (with print versions too), stated "Samsung LED technology brings you sharper images, deeper blacks and brighter colours. The ultra slim Samsung LED TV. The next generation of television has arrived".

Samsung Series 9
Two of the complainants asked whether the advertising misleadingly suggested that the televisions used LEDs (Light-emitting Diodes) to create the display image, when in fact they use them as backlights.

In its defence, Samsung argued that the type of product in question was now commonly known as an "LED TV". It also submitted evidence to show that the phrase had been used by other companies to describe this kind of television.

However, the ASA ruled that the phrase "LED TV" was not adopted consistently throughout the industry and that the adverts were likely to mislead. It found the adverts in breach of the CAP broadcast and non-broadcast codes, ordered Samsung not to re-use them in their current form and told Samsung to ensure that future adverts "described the technology accurately".

The UK ACA is also set to investigate advertising and marketing for 200Hz after receiving complaints that several vendors were not delivering true 200Hz technology.