The Terrace — Samsung’s versatile and durable outdoor TV is featured right at the center of the Postojna Cave Park, Slovenia — the world’s most captivating cave with magnificent formations and diverse fauna. During the unforgettable visit to a fascinating subterranean paradise shaped by tiny droplets over millions of years, more than one million visitors each year will be able to closely observe, through The Terrace, the life of very unique inhabitants of the cave — the olms. Olms have triggered people’s imagination since time immemorial, and legend has it that they are actually baby dragons. They remain something of a mystery even today and are considered the largest cave-dwelling animal that can go without food for up to 10 years and live up to 100 years.

The olms are now gaining greater attention after The Terrace (65-inch) were installed inside the cave. The Terrace provides visitors with an immersive experience by allowing them to closely observe the olms and their habitat. Moreover, The Terrace is the perfect TV to be placed even in the cave, where the humidity is always high and temperatures are constantly low (around 10 degrees Celsius). This outdoor TV has obtained the IP55 certification from the International Electrotechnical Commission for water and dust resistance. It can also withstand different weather conditions, even when the temperate drops as low as minus 31° to 50° Celsius (minus 24° to 122° Fahrenheit).

Postojna Cave Park frequently hosts many diverse events, from gala concerts to spectacular performances by world-renowned artists. The Terrace can also be used to display other types of content. It is especially fitting, because it offers high visibility thanks to its anti-reflection technology, which reduces the reflection of light off of its surface. The AI picture quality optimization technology adjusts the screen’s brightness automatically, based on changing light conditions.

The Terrace will for sure enhance the visitor’s experience of the underworld and its inhabitants. “Samsung The Terrace added to our dedication to showcase the world-renowned attraction and to preserve the olms. Our efforts were recognized by the E.U. Commission, which has placed Postojna Cave among the top finalists of the international competition Natura 2000,” said Katja Dolenc Batagelj, Managing Director of Postojna Cave.

“We are pleased that Samsung can be a part of the Postojna Cave experience which is about preserving the environment and natural wonders for future generations. We hope The Terrace will allow visitors to have a vivid and immersive experience,” said Matija Savnik, the Head of Samsung Slovenia CE Sales team.

In light of this, Samsung Electronics has introduced The Terrace, a TV that is designed for use in outdoor living spaces. To talk about how The Terrace was brought from the planning stage to the development stage, and then on to being rolled out, Samsung Newsroom met with the product experts who were responsible for bringing The Terrace to fruition.

Below, Samsung Newsroom talks to Giuk Ted Lee (Marketing), BeomEun Kim (Product Planning), Dongoh Kim (Mechanics R&D), Juyong Kim and, Seunghun Lee (Enterprise R&D), to hear exactly what went in to realizing premier outdoor viewing with The Terrace.

Taking the Viewing Environment Outdoors

Research conducted by Samsung Electronics has shown that around 50 percent of American households have an outdoor living space such as a terrace or yard. What’s more, across a range of territories, the habit of watching sports and movies outdoors has been becoming more popular.

Speaking to this trend, BeomEun Kim, who was in charge of product planning for The Terrace, said, “Outdoor living spaces in which people can relax and entertain have been gradually growing more prominent. It was this trend that inspired us to come up with The Terrace, which offers the most optimal QLED viewing experiences in a range of outdoor conditions.”

BeomEun Kim (Product Planning)

And the outdoor TV market has been developing as well. As reported by market research publisher QY Research, global figures for outdoor TV sales – which stood at around 170,000 units in 2018 – are expected to hit 440,000 units by 2024. Giuk Ted Lee from The Terrace marketing team explained that, “When compared to the indoor TV market, the outdoor TV market previously sold more models that were smaller than 40 inches. However, from this year, the uptake of mid-to-large-sized TVs that are 55 inches or larger is expected to grow rapidly.”

Optimal Outdoor Picture Quality Through Synergy With Global No.1 Digital Signage Technology

Juyong Kim (Enterprise R&D)

When it comes to the outdoor viewing experience, few factors are more important than picture quality. According to Juyong Kim, who was responsible for picture quality development, when viewing a TV outdoors it is difficult to make out what is on the screen with a brightness level lower than 1,000 nits. He emphasized that The Terrace delivers a maximum of 4,000 nits and an average brightness of 2,000 nits, which is three times brighter than the brightness levels offered by indoor TVs. This allows users to enjoy vivid images with original picture quality, even when the TV is viewed in broad daylight.

Thanks to Samsung’s leadership in digital signage market, in which it maintained the number one position globally for 11 straight years – The Terrace team was able to deliver an optimal outdoor viewing experience. Seunghun Lee, who was in charge of overall product development, related that, “Digital signage, by its nature, must be equipped to maintain its performance while being subjected to a range of different environmental factors. Our experience in developing digital signage has proved extremely helpful in identifying and applying the optimal brightness levels for outdoor TVs.”

Seunghun Lee (Enterprise R&D)

The Terrace additionally includes the ‘Adaptive Picture’ feature, which allows users to enjoy optimized picture quality that adapts to the surrounding environment. With Adaptive Picture, artificial intelligence analyzes illumination levels in real-time and automatically adjusts screen settings, increasing brightness during the daytime and reducing glare at night and on cloudy days.

The Terrace is also equipped with anti-reflection technology. When watching TV on sunny days, sunlight reflected by the display panel and other surfaces can cause discomfort for viewers, and glare can distort color and picture quality. Thus, The Terrace was designed to minimize discomfort caused by glare even in environments where light is coming from multiple directions. Seunghun Lee explained that this improvement in visibility was achieved by equipping the screen with surface-treated film to reduce glare.

Durability That Withstands the Elements – Water, Dust and Heat Protection

When developing an outdoor television, the issue of exposure to the elements is a key concern. Hence, The Terrace had to undergo rigorous testing during its development phase. Giuk Ted Lee reiterated that, “The Terrace was initially launched in North America, and will be released in a host of other markets soon. Because the outdoor TV will be expected to withstand a broad range of environmental factors, our simulations tested it in the harshest conditions and a range of climates.”

Particular attention was given to water and dust protection, which are essential features for an outdoor TV, as small particles and liquids can enter the device through even the tiniest gaps if it is not properly sealed. Certified with IP 55 water and dust protection, The Terrace maintains its performance even in rainy or dusty conditions.

Dongoh Kim (Mechanics R&D)

Dongoh Kim from the R&D team said, “All areas where individual parts connect were protected with special materials. We have also sealed all of the gaps in the enclosure with waterproof tape and rubber seals. To facilitate the open cell structure, a thin layer of special adhesive was applied between the front of the enclosure and the cell that composes the TV screen.”

Heat resistance is equally crucial for outdoor TVs, given that they are exposed to direct sunlight. Thus, the development team enacted numerous ways to ensure that The Terrace remains heat resistant, even under infrared and ultraviolet light. Although one of the most common means of protecting a TV from heat is through the use of a vent, the team had to explore different solutions, given that the inclusion of vents could have impacted the TV’s water and dust resistance.

The team considered multiple heat resistance solutions for the outdoor television. This led to the development of The Terrace’s sealed enclosure technology, which distributes internal heat over the entire product without the need for a heat sink. The result? An outdoor TV that maintains the highest standard of performance up to an external temperature of 50°C.

Smart Features to Deliver Unique Viewing Experiences

So how was the user feedback following The Terrace’s launch? Giuk Ted Lee commented that, “The Terrace has been garnering great feedback from consumers in the North American market. Sales levels are good, and the reviews from users are positive as well.”

While this feedback is encouraging, many markets still exist in which consumers are unfamiliar with outdoor televisions. We asked for tips on how to leverage The Terrace to empower users in every market to use the product to its full potential. BeomEun Kim noted that, “One of the advantages of The Terrace is that it can be easily connected to a smartphone. For instance, users can connect their phones via Bluetooth while listening to music, and the ‘Music Wall’ feature will display a series of patterns on the TV that complement the music. The ‘Multi-View’ feature also allows consumers to continue using their phones while also using them to watch content on their televisions, delivering a whole new experience.” She added that the ‘Tap View’ feature allows mobile content to be mirrored on the TV screen with a single tap of the bezel.

Despite being pioneers when it comes to the new outdoor television segment, the team responsible for bringing The Terrace to fruition is already up for a new challenge.

“The level of interest in outdoor TVs has been steadily growing. Our next goal is to introduce an outdoor TV that is portable, and can be brought along for activities such as camping trips,” the team related.

We look forward to seeing what is next for Samsung Electronics as they look to continue expanding the definition of what a TV can be.

Starting with the release of The Serif in 2016, Samsung Electronics has been delivering televisions that closely reflect the lifestyles of its users. In May of 2020, Samsung’s first outdoor TV, The Terrace, was launched in the North American market (alongside The Terrace Soundbar) as part of the company’s expanding lifestyle TV portfolio.

According to market research publisher QY Research, the global numbers for outdoor TV sales – which stood at around 170,000 units in 2018 – are expected to hit 440,000 units by 2024.

But exactly how different is an outdoor TV from a regular television? Read on for Newsroom’s deep dive into the features and benefits of Samsung’s new The Terrace and The Terrace Soundbar offerings.

Clean, Sharp Picture Quality in a Range of Conditions

Walking the streets, it is not uncommon to see people shading their phones from the sunlight and struggling to make out what is on their screens. This happens when the brightness of the phone’s display is not high enough to counter the glare caused by the external light source, and is also an issue that affects outdoor TVs.

However, with The Terrace delivering an average brightness level of 2,000 nits (and a peak brightness level of 4,000 nits), users can comfortably view content even in broad daylight. With its QLED display, anti-reflection technology that eases glare and Adaptive Picture feature that automatically optimizes the display’s brightness according to the surrounding lighting conditions, both visibility and top-tier picture quality are ensured.

The Terrace is powered by Tizen, an open-source platform that allows content from Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ to be streamed with vivid picture quality, regardless of which operating system is being used. This service additionally supports the Apple TV app¹ and AirPlay 2.² With built-in Wi-Fi and LAN, The Terrace can be used simply and conveniently without the need for additional purchases or connections.

There are a host of ways for users to enjoy mobile content on a large screen with The Terrace as well. For instance, Tap View feature allows what is displayed on the user’s Galaxy smartphone to be mirrored on their TV screen with a single tap. What’s more, Multi View feature allows the TV screen to play media from multiple sources, allowing users to watch TV on part of the screen while mirroring their phone screen on another part.

When it comes to a TV that is intended for use outdoors, resistance to rain, wind and dust is of high importance. The Terrace carries an IP55 certification from the International Electrotechnical Commission, meaning that it delivers reliable water and dust resistance, and ensures peace of mind for users whose televisions are subjected to adverse conditions. The IP Code rates the level of protection a product carries against the ingress of dust, water or contaminants, with IP55 meaning that the product is highly protected against dust and will work without fault in the rain.

Experience Deep, Rich Sound With The Terrace Soundbar

A TV designed for use outdoors must, by necessity, deliver sound differently from those that are used indoors. The Terrace Soundbar was built to accompany The Terrace television and provide rich sound to complete the premium viewing experience. Distortion Cancelling was applied to The Terrace Soundbar to enable it to deliver deep, powerful low-register output without the need for an accompanying subwoofer. A total of four woofers in The Terrace Soundbar create 210 watts of sound to enhance the sense of immersion for the viewer.

To add convenience to the viewing experience, both The Terrace and The Terrace Soundbar can be controlled by a single remote, which also features support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth^®. What’s more, the Tap Sound feature allows users to enjoy music or sounds from their Galaxy smartphone on The Terrace soundbar with a single tap too. The Terrace Soundbar likewise carries IP55 dust and water protection to allow users to enjoy premium television audio in a broad range of conditions, worry-free.

According to its vision of ‘Screens Everywhere’, Samsung Electronics has been expanding into areas such as ultra-high definition, new form factors and new viewing spaces, and in the process charting new waters as far as the television viewing experience. We expect to see The Terrace make a mark as it stretches the home entertainment experience into the outdoor environment.

¹ Apple’s new video content streaming service, launched in the first half of 2019, which provides access to a range of content including movies and TV series

² A feature that allows music, videos, and images stored on an Apple device to be streamed or viewed on external devices