Samsung Electronics, the leader in home entertainment for over 10 years, today announced that the Samsung SERIF TV has been selected by Oprah Winfrey and the editors of O, The Oprah Magazine as one of Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things for the 2016 holiday season.  A collaboration between Samsung and Parisian design duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, the Samsung SERIF TV aesthetically and technologically pushes the boundaries of what’s expected from a television.

Oprah recognized the Samsung SERIF TV this year for its unique design that blends harmoniously in the home, either on top of a credenza or via attachable legs that transform the TV into a piece of furniture. With 4K UHD resolution, the Samsung SERIF TV offers the best picture quality available in a 40” TV*, making it just as beautiful to watch as it is to experience. Additionally, the SERIF TV features the exclusive Curtain Mode interface that veils content on the screen to give an abstract impression of what is happening in the background, shutting down content without turning off the TV itself. Even when Curtain Mode is active, viewers can still access services such as a clock, Bluetooth speakers, apps and their photo gallery.

“From top to bottom, Samsung partnered with the Bouroullec Brothers to reimagine not just how the TV looks but also how it functions to meet the needs of consumers who care just as deeply about design as they do about picture quality,” said Dave Das, Senior Vice President, Home Entertainment, Samsung Electronics America. “We are so honored to be recognized by Oprah and her team this holiday season for this unique approach to television design.”

Every holiday shopping season, Oprah and the editors of O, The Oprah Magazine compile a list of standout products released throughout the year. One of the most respected annual gift guides in the world, Oprah’s Favorite Things list gives consumers access to Oprah’s trusted opinion on the year’s best products as they shop for their loved ones.

“Whatever you’re binge-watching looks better on this truly elegant smart TV, which your guests just might mistake for modern art,” said Winfrey. “Whether on a counter or on its stand, this TV isn’t just a pretty face: It has apps, a full web browser, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and so much more.”

The Oprah’s Favorite Things list, including the Samsung SERIF TV, can be viewed online at Oprah.com and in the December issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, on newsstands November 8.

For more information, please visit Samsung.com/SERIFTV.

*Among Samsung 40″ TVs

Source: US Newsroom

In fact, the television has consistently made appearances at some of the biggest fashion and design weeks in Europe, where it has been recognized as a meaningful object for the interior, rather than just a TV.

Take a look at some of the Serif TV highlights from the events below.

UK: London Fashion Week S/S 2017

Samsung’s Serif TV was named as the official TV for London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017. The television was positioned as an interior accessory in the Press & Buyers’ Lounge and was used to livestream the event’s top fashion shows.

Jenico Preston, Commercial Director of the British Fashion Council, noted that, “The Samsung Serif TV represents the best of design, trend and technology and has what it takes to do justice to the color and creativity of the world’s most inspiring designers.”

An exhibit at London Fashion Week showcased how the Serif TV acts as a piece of furniture rather than a technology product, and blends seamlessly into any living environment.

Belgium: Brussels Design September

Serif TV was also the focus of a series of exhibitions, events and lectures at Brussels Design September, the festival and meeting place for Belgian and international designers and design enthusiasts.

It was featured at the entrance of the Brussels Design Market, the biggest vintage design market in Europe, and was displayed at Vitrapoint, a Belgian furniture showroom. The Commerce Design Awards, a ceremony that recognizes well-designed, Brussels-based retail spaces, was also presented on the Serif TV at Château d’Eau.

Denmark: CHART Art Fair and HAY House

CHART Art Fair, the leading Nordic contemporary art fair and the first in Denmark to focus exclusively on contemporary art, was held in Copenhagen from August 26 to 28.

Here, Danish contemporary furniture and accessory brand HAY, in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, held a special Mini Market that featured a series of exclusive products designed and interpreted by selected CHART artists. Among them, Serif TV was a focal point. The TV was integrated into the Mini Market as an art installation, and featured artwork by Douglas Coupland.

The Serif TV was also introduced to the public at HAY House design store in Copenhagen.

France: Paris Design Week and Maison&Objet

From September 3 to 10, Serif TV was featured at Paris Design Week, a city-wide expo that brings together 3,200 brands to promote first-rate design. The booth was designed in collaboration with the Bouroullec brothers, and highlighted the features of Serif TV, including its unique user interface and bold, colorful frame that allows for greater interaction with other objects.

Serif TV was also a show-stealing product at Maison&Objet, the major French trade fair for professionals dedicated to lifestyle, decoration and design. Over 30 Serif TVs were exhibited throughout Maison&Objet’s exhibition hall, from the promotion area to the café and designer’s studio, demonstrating how it fits a wide variety of lifestyles.

Samsung’s continued collaborations with leading design brands, events and artists reflect the company’s commitment to pioneering design while offering customers the very best in innovative technology.

Samsung Electronics America, the leader in home entertainment for over 10 years, today announced that the Samsung SERIF TV is coming to the U.S. this summer. A true collaboration with acclaimed Parisian design duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, the Samsung SERIF TV redefines the television experience. It will be available starting in August at high-end design-centric retailers including Vitra, Bo Concept NY and Ligne Roset stores in major markets. Today, it is available for presale through Samsung.com and the MoMA Design Store.

The partnership marks the first time that Samsung has aligned with a designer to not only re-envision how the TV looks but also how it functions. From top to bottom, inside and out, the Bouroullec Brothers re-imagined every aspect, from its minimal yet solid exterior form to its refined user interface and even its simplified remote control. The Samsung SERIF TV is just as beautiful to watch as it is to experience, with the best picture quality available in a 40” TV*.

“Stunning picture quality and crisp sound clarity are what consumers expect from Samsung. However, our research also tells us that there is a subset of consumers, largely underserved by the TV industry thus far, who care just as deeply about design and how their TV complements the aesthetics of their home environment,” said Dave Das, Senior Vice President, Home Entertainment, Samsung Electronics America. “The Bouroullec Brothers share and embrace our vision of merging design and technology and we are pleased to introduce the SERIF TV to the U.S. market via a strategic group of retail partners in the design and furnishings world.”

Drawing inspiration from the simple elegance of typography, the Samsung SERIF TV forms a distinct capital “I” shape in profile, its slim body broadening to form a flat surface like a shelf at the top. This form enables it to be displayed seamlessly in the home, either on top of a credenza or via attachable legs that transform the Samsung SERIF TV into a piece of furniture. By design, the Samsung SERIF TV blends harmoniously with its surroundings, whether in a den or in a bedroom, an urban oasis or a suburban retreat.

Together with Samsung, the Bouroullec Brothers approached the design of the SERIF TV user interface not only from a practical perspective by developing a bespoke Smart TV menu that is simple and accessible but also delivered a unique and interactive visual display experience unlike any other. They created an exclusive Curtain Mode interface that veils content on the screen to give an abstract impression of what is happening in the background, shutting down content without turning off the TV itself. Even when Curtain Mode is active, viewers can still access services such as a clock, Bluetooth speakers, apps and their photo gallery.

“From the onset of designing the Samsung SERIF TV, we aimed to craft a modest and accessible object that fused our furniture design expertise with technology,” said Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Samsung and bring the SERIF TV to U.S. consumers.”

The Samsung SERIF TV includes all of the features that consumers desire from a Samsung television: a 4K UHD resolution which provides four times the resolution of full HD TVs and HDR Premium technology to enhance the picture’s color and brightness while creating a more natural, realistic image. As a Smart TV, it also includes a quad-core processor for a fluid browsing experience and seamless switching between live TV, apps and streaming content.

The 40” Samsung SERIF TV (UN40LS001AFXZA/UN40LS001CFXZA) will be available starting in August 2016 for an MSRP of $1,499. It is offered in white across all retail partners and in blue, exclusively through the MOMA Design Store and on Samsung.com. For more, visit Samsung.com.

*Among Samsung 40” TVs.

Source: Samsung Newsroom US

Serif TV, which the brothers developed in collaboration with Samsung, boasts a bold, wide frame and minimalist design that naturally melts into its surroundings without being overly dominant. Like the television, its parts and the packaging that contains it are just as simple and refined, as seen in the unboxing photos below.

Serif TV’s eye-appealing packaging hints at the minimalist design of the product inside.

Even the box is different—clean and elegant with little very little product description. After all, it’s what’s on the inside that matters most.

The clear, black screen and bordering frame of the TV give the impression that the device is a high-end decorative item more so than a home appliance.

The 32-inch “Medium” model of Serif TV is one of three size options that users can choose from to suit their preferences.

The eye-catching attributes of Serif TV extend beyond the television itself. Even the designs of the accessory kit, user manual and stand packaging are consistent with the Bouroullecs’ concept of minimalism.

The functions of Serif TV are easy to understand, even without instructions. However, should users be curious about the hidden features of the television, they can consult the user manual.

The remote control has also been designed to be a tasteful device that is at once familiar and entirely unique.

Another accessory that draws attention is the television’s stand, which works in unison with Serif TV’s design.

Serif TV features a striking frame, which when viewed from the side looks like a stylish capital “I” in a serif font.

Serif TV can be self-installed in just five minutes. Simply screw the stand into the four corners of the television for hassle-free set-up.

Serif TV can be placed anywhere, such as on a table or desk, but the long, spindly legs of the stand let it blend more naturally into the interior space.

The flat, shelf-like top of Serif TV allows for greater interaction with other objects, like vases, books and other decorative items.

A woven fabric panel is incorporated on the rear of the device to conceal the connectors, making Serif TV attractive from all angles.

Serif TV boasts two HDMI ports, two USB ports and can connect to one’s mobile device for displaying content. The 3.5-millimeter audio port allows for the connection of headphones or a high-end sound system. The TV is also compatible with Bluetooth speakers and has screen mirroring capability.

Although modern televisions require multiple cables and connectors, the Bouroullecs cleaned up the look by using as few wires and ports as possible without affecting Serif TV’s functionality.

The Bouroullecs designed the Serif TV to be something simple, natural and inviting—from the frame and the interface of the device down to its parts and the packaging that contains them all. In doing so, Serif TV is not just a television, but instead a meaningful device for the spaces we live in.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have designed a new television for Samsung, which the French designers claim they approached “like a piece of furniture.”

While this is the duo’s first digital appliance design project, the brothers have worked together as joint partners for about twenty years and currently work from their Paris-based studio. Their work ranges from small utilitarian objects to spatial arrangement and architectural projects, and is defined by the brothers’ distinct personalities and shared notion of diligence. In addition to collaborating with leading design companies, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have had their work featured in numerous exhibitions around the world.

Called “Serif”, the Bouroullec brothers’ television features a case that flares out into a base at the bottom and a shelf at the top. The culminating effect is a form that resembles a capital “I” in a serif font when viewed from the side, a truly unique aesthetic for any living space—one that can be likened to a decorative furnishing more so than an appliance.

“One of the challenges was to make the design stronger than the technology itself,” Erwan noted of the design process. “The key value is that Serif sits naturally into any environment, in any place.”

One of the ways the brothers accomplished this was through the addition of the Curtain Mode setting to the user interface. The design-centric feature displays a translucent graphic effect which covers the images on the screen. This enables users to temporarily hide the image without having to completely turn off the TV so that the device can more naturally blend and harmonize into its surroundings.

“Of course design interacts with your day, so design is everywhere. Objects are everywhere,” remarked Ronan. “We tried to give to this technological object a charm and qualities that make you happy to live with.”

In doing so, the Bouroullec brothers, along with their Serif TV, have most certainly redefined the role that technological design plays in our lives, sparking a new way household electronics fit into our living spaces altogether.

Samsung Electronics has for years been at the forefront of the television industry thanks to constantly pushing the edges of innovation and design. Today’s SUHD and UHD TVs are clearer, brighter and bigger than ever, in a form that’s incredibly thin.

But, at the same time, Samsung has never been afraid of shaking things up and dramatically rethinking everything about its TVs, especially when it finds the right partners. Enter the renowned French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, who have teamed up with Samsung to create Serif TV, a radically different approach to the user experience of TV.

Launching at the London Design Festival (Sept. 21-27), Serif TV is defined by its I-shaped frame—a serif font “I”, of course. Wider in the top and bottom, the unique shape gives the TV solidity, turning into furniture that is a part of the room, rather than disappearing into the walls. This is a TV that can sit on a flat surface, and that can hold vases, books, or other decorative objects on top. The TV even has attachable legs, allowing it to sit comfortably and prominently within the home.

It’s been three years since Samsung approached the Bouroullec brothers about working together on televisions. It was the brothers’ first foray into electronics, and over that period, many concepts were tried out and models built, until they at last came up with Serif TV. “From the outset of designing Serif TV our aim was to craft an object that fused technology with our knowledge in furniture design and to create a solid presence that would sit naturally in any environment,” said Erwan.

Not only has the frame been drastically redesigned, but the back is very different, too. Now a woven fabric panel covers the back of the TV, concealing the connectors and wires.

Ronan and Erwan didn’t just redesign the outside of the TV; they even redesigned the user interface, coming up with an abstract but enticing setting called “Curtain mode.” Curtain mode takes whatever is being shown on the screen and blurs it, transforming it into shimmering abstract shapes like a digital curtain.

In addition, they created a new remote control device that also reflected their design approach.

“In every aspect Serif TV could only come into existence by artisan spirit and the project has been truly meeting of passions between Samsung and the Bouroullec’s,” said Yun-Je Kang, head of the design team in Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

Although the Bouroullecs are more known for designing furniture, lifestyle accessory and art installations, Serif TV appears to have made a big splash in the design world. Fast Company’s popular website Co.Design called it a “design masterpiece” and “the most beautiful TV ever.”

The Serif TV is scheduled to go on sale in the United Kingdom, France, Sweden and Denmark beginning November 2, 2015. It will be available in three sizes (40-inches, 32-inches and 24-inches) and in three colors (ivory white, dark blue and red).

Samsung has teamed up with great designers before to come up with cutting edge and unusual concepts in TV. It partnered with Giorgio Armani in 2008 for the Armani/Samsung LCD TV, then with artist Yves Béhar in 2009 for the abstract, high-tech installation “Anima Terra” at the Art Institute of Chicago, and again with Yves Béhar earlier this year for an 82-inch, extra-wide-screen curved SUHD TV.