For decades, the TV has been a static object, confined to sit on the outer edges of a room or inside a cupboard, never moving from a single space as we attempt to hide away the cables that bring it to life. Yet Samsung Electronics believes that the TV should be an agile and dynamic device, with the flexibility to be positioned anywhere within in space and moved whenever desired. Combining cables into a single line, the One Invisible Connection was thus conceived to eliminate clutter and free the TV from its past.

Recently the Newsroom sat down with the One Invisible Connection managers to take a closer look at the journey from product planning to development, as they created this innovative solution.

Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display Division, who planned and developed the One Invisible Connection. (From left) Junghwa Choi, Mingu Roh, Duhee Jang, and Seungbok Lee.

First-of-its-kind Flexibility

The first development in Samsung’s dramatic reduction of cable clutter was the One Connect Box, a hub for connecting various A/V components to the TV, introduced in 2013. Building on this work, in 2017, the company debuted the Invisible Connection, which combined all data and A/V lines into a forked cable. This year, it unveiled a first-of-its-kind innovation: a new One Invisible Connection that integrates everything – data and power – into a single cable.

“Invisible Connection” for 2017 QLED TVs (left) and “One Invisible Connection” for 2018 QLED TVs (right) Last year, there was a separate power line, but it was completely integrated into one cable this year.

The new One Invisible Connection is the culmination of the team’s combined efforts to overcome numerous obstacles. “Last year, we focused more on the appearance to create a design that seems invisible. But this year, while developing the newer version, we looked closely at real households to see how the cables were actually installed,” remarked Mingu Roh from the Product Strategy Team. “People would twist and mold the cables to hide a power line out of sight. So, we thought integrating the lines into one single cable would be fundamental to increasing the TV’s freedom.”

The greatest technical hurdle was to allow a customer to freely change the location of their TV around a room, without being hindered by bulky power or data cables. Junghwa Choi from the R&D Team explained, “We developed a solution which uses high-speed SerDes, optical communication, and error compensation technology to integrate the power and data lines into one thin cable.” Seungbok Lee from the R&D Team added, “We decided on this route after careful deliberation.”

The cable provided with the TV is 5 meters in length, but if needed, the line can be extended up to 15 meters, with the separate purchase of a longer One Visible Connection.

This is how Samsung 2018 QLED TVs were freed from spatial restrictions. With the One Invisible Connection, users can easily move their TVs, avoiding the tiresome process of reorganizing tangled lines and unplugging the powerline from the outlet. No longer required to be positioned close to sockets or in front of a sofa in the living room, the TV can be enjoyed anywhere in the room.

Safety First

The One Invisible Connection has piqued public curiosity and raised certain questions concerning safety for small children and animals. Keeping these considerations at the forefront of their minds, the R&D Team undertook the sizable task of designing an ultra-thin cable that safely allows high-voltage transmission.

Customer safety was the team’s top priority in any situation. Focusing on the management and reduction of various safety risks led them to develop a new piece of technology: an over-current protection circuit that shuts off power in the rare case of overheating. In risky situations, the One Invisible Connection immediately cuts off power. “If it is unplugged or disconnected, power is cut off within two seconds for safety purposes,“ said Duhee Jang from the R&D Team.

Samsung was approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL)*, guaranteeing the safety of the One Invisible Connection. Nevertheless, the certification process itself was challenging, as there were no pre-existing standards to measure the new development against. In fact, Samsung created a new standard.

“We worked closely with UL from the beginning of the project to define customer needs and standards. Given the time constraint, the Planning and R&D Teams had to work simultaneously and these profound efforts are why the successful development and optimization of the One Invisible Connection are particularly meaningful,” said Lee. “UL Marks are the most widely recognized safety certification marks in the world. We are proud of the fact that we were able to present these new standards,” he added.

First Impressions

Resolving the shortcomings of traditional cables, the developers of the One Invisible Connection paid close attention to consumer preferences. On their home visits, they had also gained insights about consumer perception of cable thickness.

Roh said, “There was feedback that thin cables seem vulnerable and unstable. People even asked me, ‘Is it OK to have a cable this thin?’ So the team began its research and verification process to find an optimal thickness that would also assure users.”

As the product evolved into a hybrid cable containing both power and data lines, the team enhanced durability by swapping materials. “The major changes include switching the cable material from Kevlar to the more durable Teflon on the outside,” Choi elaborated. “It successfully integrates several important technologies.”

In their desire to blend it seamlessly into the home, the team went beyond the traditional boundaries of the TV. Some may doubt the importance of a cable, but Samsung’s One Invisible Connection is at the forefront of the evolution of the TV from simple audio-visual medium to a lifestyle product.

In consideration of the growing trend of consumers seeking greater convenience from their products, maximizing mobility is the future of TV design. The team hopes it will soon be the norm that people move their TVs anywhere around their homes.

^*UL is a global safety consulting and certification company, approved to perform safety testing by the U.S. federal agency Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

As TVs get bigger, their design has become ever more important. According to a Samsung Electronics survey of US consumers last year, almost eight out of ten (77%) of the respondents who plan to purchase premium TVs over $2,000 answered that they consider ‘design’ to be important.

Continuing its design innovation for TVs since the launch of the Bordeaux TV in 2006, Samsung has once again created something beautiful in the QLED TV. The QLED TV is a work of art that naturally melts into a living space. Of its features, Ambient Mode, which turns the “off” screen into a new display, and the Invisible Connection, which combines power and data lines into one, best accentuate the TV’s beauty and its harmony with the surrounding environment.

1. ‘Ambient Mode’, the Revival of the Black Screen

TVs are turned on for only five hours a day on average, yet they occupy a large space on the wall in the living room. This means TVs hang on the wall just as a black screen for more than 19 hours every day. With a TV turned off, it is easier to see dust or fingerprints on the screen – especially when the screen is large.

This year, Samsung Electronics unveiled Ambient Mode for the QLED TV, turning an empty screen into a display that depicts images and information. Ambient Mode is unique and unparalleled as it literally allows the TV to blend seamlessly into the room.

“See the Sun in the Morning and Hear the Raindrops – All via TV”

Using just a picture of the wall taken by SmartThings, a mobile app which connects IoT home appliances, and a pattern generator to square the color with the wall’s texture, Ambient Mode can mimic the pattern behind the TV to complement the consumer’s home styling with a chameleon-like visual camouflage. Details of the photo, such as contrast and brightness, can be adjusted and further edited to make the display more authentic. What’s more, users can display family pictures on their TV screens, blending naturally with the patterns of their walls, like a picture in a frame.

The new model arrives along with features that sense the conditions of the outside surroundings such as weather and brightness, and changes decorative content to deliver valuable information throughout the day. For example, the TV display can show sunrise at six in the morning and play chirping sounds of crickets in the evening. If it rains, users can even hear the sound of rain via the QLED TV.

“The Freedom from Burn-in”

Ambient Mode also increases the QLED TV’s operation efficiency significantly with energy-saving functions that turn off the screen if users are not nearby. The SmartThings app detects mobile signals (Bluetooth Low Energy) and passes on the information to the TV. With an auto-dimming sensor, the TV’s brightness and color can be adjusted according to the viewing environment. In the dark, Ambient Mode is automatically turned off to prevent unnecessary power consumption.

In addition, the QLED TV’s inorganic quantum dot technology is free from burn-in, letting users appreciate Ambient Mode as much as they want without seeing afterimages, even after a static picture has remained on screen for an extended length of time. Samsung Electronics is the only company in the industry that offers a 10-year burn-in warranty.

2. Invisible Connection, Integrating TV Cables into One

As the number of TV peripherals increases, messy cables are exposed around the TV – and are often hidden inside the wall for aesthetic reasons. To gracefully harmonize the device into its surroundings, Samsung devised the One Visible Cable for its QLED TVs. Following the introduction of ‘Invisible Connection’ which combines complex connection lines into a single cable last year, Samsung unveiled the first-of-its-kind innovation by merging power lines into one line.

“The First TV to Integrate Power and Data”

With high-speed SerDes and optical communication technology, the Invisible Connection transmits audiovisual signals and data as well as power. Often, transmitting sensitive data at high speeds through an optical cable with a power line is likely to cause interference and noise. This, however, can be reduced by Samsung’s error compensation technology.

Made of inconspicuous transparent materials, the Invisible Connection is the perfect solution to tidy up the area around the TV and eliminate visual distractions. The cable offered is 5 meters in length, but if needed, the line can be extended up to 15 meters with separate purchase of a longer One Visible Cable. Thanks to the cable’s color and material easily blending in with the wall, users can now truly appreciate minimalism in interior design in their living rooms.

Accentuating safety as a key aspect of the Invisible Connection led Samsung Electronics to develop a new piece of technology. The over-current protection circuit cuts off power automatically as soon as users unplug or disconnect the cable. Samsung successfully stabilized high-voltage transmission and was approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a global safety testing and certification company.

“Ambient Mode makes the invisible visible, and the Invisible Connection makes the visible invisible. Despite the two features’ roles being seemingly different, they both share the same purpose: to maximize spatial value and alter the lifestyles of consumers,” said Taeyoung Huh, Vice President of Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s QLED TV and its technologies remains at the heart of creating a better-than-ever TV experience for all of our users.”

* Product specifications may vary depending on models and locations.