Tizen OS Continues To Grow As Reliable Smart TV Platform

Following the launch of Samsung Tizen OS 8.0, the licensing program now includes prominent original design manufacturers (ODMs). This marks an important milestone in the evolution of the Tizen ecosystem and demonstrates strong global demand for Samsung’s acclaimed smart TV platform. In its licensing program, Samsung continues to build strategic partnerships with companies that prioritize high-quality products and reliable support throughout the entire value chain.

Additionally, Samsung Tizen OS will be embedded in new TVs from well-known brands in key markets, enhancing its presence across Europe, North and Latin America, and Australia. Notable new additions include EKO and QBELL (Ayonz) in Australia and Europe, RCA (Kayve Groupo) in Mexico, RCA (Treasure Creek) in the United States and Canada, and Axdia in Germany. Many more brands are expected to join in the second half of 2025 as Samsung continues to expand its strategic partnerships into new markets.

“We are proud to expand our RCA TV portfolio across Mexico and Latin America through our partnership with Samsung’s Tizen OS,” said Jonathan Vera, Head of Marketing & Communications, Grupo Kayve. “The Tizen team provides comprehensive technical and marketing support, enabling an agile go-to-market process.”

“Partnering with Samsung on Tizen OS allows us to deliver high-quality and competitive smart TV solutions to our global brand customers,” said Gerard Louis, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Axdia,

Premium Content and Connectivity at Core of Tizen OS-Powered Smart TVs

Samsung is also dedicated to continuous platform innovation, introducing smart features such as advanced content discovery, integration with Samsung TV Plus for FAST channel services, cloud gaming capabilities via Samsung Gaming Hub, and seamless multi-device connectivity through SmartThings. These enhancements ensure that licensees benefit not only from proven technology but also from a forward-looking platform that adapts to evolving consumer expectations.

To further differentiate Tizen-powered TVs at retail, Samsung offers tailored marketing kits and digital content toolkits for each region, enabling partners to highlight key attributes such as premium content access, fast performance, and smart connectivity—all backed by Samsung’s robust global brand credibility.

As the Tizen OS Licensing Program evolves to meet the needs of global partners, Samsung is broadening regional coverage, introducing more affordable hardware solutions, and enhancing app availability worldwide. Moreover, partners can gain access to Samsung’s specialized R&D support to confidently bring Tizen-powered smart TVs to market.

“Tizen OS is recognized for its performance, reliability, and innovation,” said Jooyoung Kim, Vice President at Samsung Electronics. “This year, we are focused on expanding our licensing program and creating diverse collaboration strategies for our key partners. We are serious about growing our global partner network and enhancing the ecosystem. By offering expanded regional support, an enriched app ecosystem, and tailored marketing resources, we aim to deliver even greater value to consumers worldwide.”

With Tizen OS extending beyond Samsung’s own TV offerings, the company remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering an open, robust, and premium smart TV experience for consumers around the world.

Viewers around the world have come to expect more from their TVs. Today, people don’t just flip through channels but also use TVs to access streaming services, workout routines and social media. They even connect their home appliances to their TVs, expanding what used to be a viewing device into the centerpiece of a smart home ecosystem.

These new experiences require open collaboration with service providers and greater compatibility with a plethora of devices. So 10 years ago, Samsung’s Visual Display Business made the bold decision to forgo its tried-and-true closed operating system (OS) and create an open one. That open OS is Tizen.

▲ Since its launch in 2015, Tizen has become a dominant OS for smart TVs.

Hundreds of millions of TVs now feature Tizen, which is poised to bring more artificial intelligence (AI) features into the fold.

Five developers from Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display Business recently shared behind-the-scenes stories with Samsung Newsroom about how they revolutionized the TV experience. Kwangsub Byun, Jeongsik Cheon and Youngsoo Kang helped the transition to Tizen a decade ago. Sunyong Jung and Seoyoung Hwang currently fine-tune Tizen for Samsung’s TVs.

▲ (From left to right) Youngsoo Kang, Jeongsik Cheon, Kwangsub Byun, Sunyong Jung and Seoyoung Hwang

New Wine, New Wineskin

First deployed in 2011, Orsay was the stable, proven OS that Samsung used for its TVs. As a closed platform, Orsay followed the traditional TV model — focusing on effectively handling signals from each physical input with additional services largely depending on features planned, designed and programmed prior to shipment.

A closed operating system is completely owned and controlled by its primary developer testing, maintenance and quality management easier. But this very exclusivity makes it hard for external players to make contributions.

▲ The evolution of Samsung’s TV operating systems

In contrast, the source code in an open operating system is available to the public and can be more freely modified and distributed. This makes it easier to attract third-party developers as well as create and share development tools.

Tizen is an open platform, running on open-source software. This openness was the main reason Samsung decided to make the switch, explained Byun.

“The concept behind Tizen was to bring in various outside developers and expand the ecosystem,” he said. Rather than imagine and create each and every new TV experience, Samsung would commit to its philosophy of open collaboration.

▲ Youngsoo Kang explains the differences between Orsay and Tizen.

Another difference between the two operating systems is the mode of processing, Kang explained. Tizen is capable of carrying out multiple operations simultaneously, whereas Orsay only handled one task at a time.

Kang used a transportation analogy to explain the difference. Orsay is like a bus that many people share, even though each passenger has a different destination.

“Each person boards the bus with their luggage,” he said. “When one rider encounters a challenge, everyone on the bus is affected.”

Tizen, on the other hand, is more like a road that people travel on in their own vehicles.

“Everyone has their own ride,” Kang continued. “If one driver has a problem, it doesn’t affect the other drivers on the road. Each driver can solve their own problems.”

For a smart TV — which must be flexible enough to meet customers’ varied needs — he said Tizen’s multiprocessing capabilities make it a more efficient choice.

“I wondered why we had to take such a tough path when our TV business was doing well with Orsay. But looking back, Tizen was the right way.”
– Youngsoo Kang, Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics

A Leap of Faith

Buy-in was one thing, but execution was another. A fundamental change such as an OS switch is no small endeavor. Tizen’s multiprocessing design presented several technical complications, and having to comply with open standards added to the challenge. The team was under significant pressure.

“We knew there would be no turning back,” said Byun. “And we were all in. We were going to apply Tizen to all our models, not just some of them.”

Compared to the development of Orsay, not only were processes such as coding, testing and quality checking totally altered, but the sheer number of people involved in the project increased as well. Many of them worked in different time zones.

Yet, there were also advantages to changing to an open-source platform. For one, the work proceeded faster with each step.

“When developing Orsay, developers had to generate lines of code one by one and wait for hours to run simulations,” he added. “Working overnight was a daily routine. We told each other that it was like working with a stone ax.”

With open-source modules and development tools to work with, building Tizen for Samsung TVs became a faster process.

▲ (From left) Orsay developers Youngsoo Kang, Jeongsik Cheon and Kwangsub Byun

To maximize the advantage of an open-source platform, the Tizen team focused on creating a streamlined environment for the developers, publishing the application programming interface (API) and using open standards.

The developers also made efforts to distribute software development kits (SDKs) while opening resources to make the architecture and licensing more accessible. As a result, Samsung Smart TV users now enjoy a wealth of external apps — such as Netflix, Spotify and Apple TV — in addition to Samsung’s own services.

“The transition to Tizen was like breaking out of our shells,” said Kang, one of the more senior developers. “Sometimes I wondered why we had to take such a tough path when our TV business was doing well with Orsay. But looking back, Tizen was the right way. Now, I’m ready for the next step.”

New Smart Experiences Through Tizen

With Tizen, Samsung expanded its sphere of expertise in TVs beyond hardware to software and greatly impacted the TV ecosystem. Tizen is considered the ideal operating system to advance the smart home concept, since it not only connects devices to each other but also gives users access to a broad range of interconnected services and content.

As of the end of 2023, Tizen powered 270 million Samsung Smart TVs — making it one of the most widely deployed operating systems in the TV industry. Given the positive feedback from the market, Jung couldn’t be more proud.

“Samsung TVs are structured very intuitively,” said Jung. “When you look at the menu, you immediately understand the whole interface. There are only a few buttons to press or movements to make to arrange the settings as you want. We’ve drastically reduced the number of steps required to make Tizen superior to other operating systems.”

▲ (From left) Tizen developers Sunyong Jung and Seoyoung Hwang

“Even though it’s an open-source platform, many advantages come from the fact that we developed it ourselves,” Jung continued. “We can freely try out new services and, when they’re ready, provide them right away. Samsung TV Plus is a great example of how we introduced a new streaming and video-on-demand service that’s streamlined with prior TV experiences that users are familiar with. We’re also receiving great feedback about the new Samsung Gaming Hub.”

Tizen has also made smart TV services an important revenue stream. Samsung TV Plus and Samsung Gaming Hub complement TV sales by generating profit after sales, Jung explained.

“We’re constantly making efforts to improve the platform and expand our lineup of licensed products to increase our market appeal,” he said.

“Tizen is a homegrown platform that continues to evolve,” agreed Cheon, who took part in the transition from Orsay to Tizen.

“I want to leave behind something meaningful to those who come after me.”
– Seoyoung Hwang, Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics

Tizen as an AI Champion

▲ Seoyoung Hwang explains how Tizen will allow AI technology to shine.

AI is becoming the focus of increasing attention in the tech industry. Hwang points out that Tizen played a key role in equipping TVs with AI functions.

“Like upscaling, Samsung TVs have been using AI technology to improve picture and sound quality for many years,” she said. “The processing power and flexibility that Tizen provides is a big part of how that’s possible.”

Thanks to Tizen and some dramatic hardware upgrades, Samsung TVs now offer more AI features that holistically improve the user experience.

“2024 Samsung QLED 8K can recognize game genres and automatically set the best screen mode for a particular game,” she said. “The TV can also personalize content recommendations based on the user’s preferences.”

AI functions on the Tizen platform will soon become more advanced and further heighten the user experience, she added.

Since its launch, Tizen was a flexible operating system that supported various other form factors. For Samsung’s Visual Display Business, smart TVs and monitors, beam projectors and business-to-business signage products like The Wall add to the list of Tizen-powered devices. Jung says that newer devices, such as the AI companion Ballie, will also be equipped with Tizen.

“We can use the high-performance computing resources embedded in Ballie as an edge device to complement various in-home uses,” Hwang said. “This is an exemplary case of using AI technology through hyperconnectivity. To provide various AI services, we need platform technologies such as cloud, on-device and edge. I think the Tizen platform will play a pivotal role in this regard.”

Eyes Ahead to the Future of TV

Tizen was born from a bold decision Samsung made to provide the best experiences to its users. This paved the way for smart TVs. Now, Samsung continues to help foster the use of AI across various form factors.

▲ (From left to right) Youngsoo Kang, Sunyong Jung, Byun Kwangsub, Jeongsik Cheon and Seoyoung Hwang

When asked what Tizen meant to her, Hwang expressed respect for the developers at Samsung who took that initial leap of faith.

“Embedded in Tizen is the wisdom of my senior colleagues who paved the way,” she said. “I want to leave behind something meaningful to those who come after me as well.”

“I think of Tizen as a ladder to the future,” Jung added. “The possibilities are infinite.”

“Wellness should be central to our routines, so building healthy habits through Samsung Daily+ makes it convenient to incorporate health and wellness into all different aspects of daily life,” said Demian Hyun, Vice President and Head of the Experience Planning Group of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “This new partnership underscores Samsung’s commitment as the leader in the global display industry to promoting thoughtful, interconnected health experiences aimed at bettering the lives of consumers.”

On the FlexIt app’s online portal, users can find, book and pay for exclusive one-on-one virtual fitness sessions directly on their TVs. With a camera connected — whether it be via a supported webcam³ or a smartphone — virtual health professionals⁴ provide real-time feedback, adjust workouts and offer form modifications to foster a supportive, safe and effective workout environment.

The FlexIt app helps users approach their health in a more holistic way; in addition to workout content, FlexIt offers nutrition training, low-impact wellness activities like meditation and yoga, and physical and occupational therapy. By working virtually with a trainer who understands their personal fitness journey and wellness goals, users craft an attainable routine that suits their needs and lifestyle, all from the comfort of their home or any other location with a connected device.

By housing services such as FlexIt, Samsung Daily+ is paving the way for the future of virtual health and wellness experiences through its convenience and accessibility to build productive and convenient daily routines. Samsung Daily+ serves as a new lifestyle hub for Smart TV users, allowing them to conveniently enjoy a wide range of premium lifestyle services and features — such as home fitness, telehealth services, video calls and more — using one single interface.

“Through the innovative FlexIt app for Samsung, we’re furthering our commitment to making fitness more accessible than ever. By delivering personalized, one-on-one immersive training experiences directly to your living room, we’re extending our reach to a broader audience, empowering individuals to achieve their wellness goals with ease and convenience,” said Austin Cohen, FlexIt’s Founder and CEO.

During CES^® 2024, Samsung gave consumers an early look at Samsung Daily+ and the FlexIt app on its 2024 Neo QLED 8K. Richard Friedman, FlexIt’s Senior Vice President of Technology, joined the Samsung team in Las Vegas to showcase how the FlexIt app integrates with Samsung TVs. Samsung Daily+ is also a 2024 CES Innovation Awards Honoree, having been recognized as a unique smart home service with an open ecosystem that integrates third-party services.

For more information on health offerings on Samsung’s TV lineup, visit Samsung.com.

About FlexIt

FlexIt has revolutionized the fitness and wellness industry through its innovative, cutting-edge technology, offering a comprehensive approach to holistic well-being for consumers and enterprises. Its core solution centers around live, one-on-one, two-way personal health and wellness sessions with fitness and wellness experts, accessible through both web and app platforms. FlexIt’s platform goes beyond just fitness training, embracing holistic well-being through nutrition coaching (led by registered nutritionists with a focus on weight loss), low-impact wellness activities (yoga, meditation, stretching and dance), health coaching, and physical and occupational therapy (covering preventive, pre/post-natal, senior and recovery), offering 28 health modalities on the platform.

Our comprehensive and innovative approach has earned us recognition within the industry. FlexIt has been selected for the Best Budget-Friendly Coaching App of 2023 by Women’s Health, the Best Personal Trainer Apps of 2023 by Forbes, and the Best Fitness Apps in 2023 by Oprah Daily and has been awarded by Men’s Health, Inc. 5000, US News & World Report, among many others.

For media inquiries, please contact:info@flexit.fit

¹ Availability varies by model and region. The FlexIt app will be available through Samsung Daily+ on all 2024 TV models: Neo QLED 8K, 4K, OLED, UHD (above DU7000) and The Frame. OS upgrade is scheduled to be provided for select 2023 TV models during the second half of 2024. 2022 and 2021 TV model users can download the FlexIt app through the app store.
² Starting this year, Samsung Daily+, a hub for lifestyle experiences, provides a wide range of services and features — from personal training and telehealth to video calls and remote PC solutions — in one single interface. With Samsung TVs at the center of the home, users can enjoy the benefits of the latest innovations and seamless connectivity between devices in their day-to-day lives.
³ Logitech Webcam (C930e, C922 PRO STREAM WEBCAM, C925E, C920s Pro HD Webcam, HD Pro Webcam C920, C920-C, C930c, HD Pro Webcam C920, StreamCam), Samsung (SC-FD100B)
⁴ English- and Spanish-speaking FlexIt health professionals and trainers

Samsung Electronics today announced that it has become an official partner for Netflix’s upcoming immersive popup experience, “Squid Game: The Trials.” Powered by Samsung’s cutting-edge technology, the immersive pop culture experience brings one of the most engaging, interactive forms of gameplay with Samsung’s latest Smart TVs and Galaxy smartphones.

Fans of the Netflix mega-hit series “Squid Game” and “Squid Game: The Challenge” can now sign up for a one-of-a-kind experience that takes visitors through the iconic sets and lets them compete in games drawn from and inspired by the shows. The new “Squid Game: The Trials” is currently open to visitors to experience in Los Angeles and will run into the new year with plans to expand to various cities around the world.

“We are thrilled to partner with Netflix to offer industry-leading entertainment experiences,” said Cheolgi Kim, EVP & Head of Sales and Marketing of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Through Neo QLED 8K’s stunning picture quality, fans and participants will be able to immerse themselves in the environment and create unforgettable memories.”

“Squid Game: The Trials” takes advantage of Samsung’s cutting-edge TVs and Galaxy mobile devices across the individual games to provide the ultimate immersive experience. Participants will navigate the experiential zones surrounded by Samsung’s flagship Neo QLED 8K, 4K and The Frame, which are placed to enhance the intensity and excitement of the games.

At the entrance, Samsung’s flagship Neo QLED 8K welcomes guests by showcasing the “Squid Game: The Challenge” trailer. Thanks to the Neural Quantum Processor 8K, the Neo QLED upscales content into breathtaking 8K resolution in real-time, allowing participants to immediately immerse themselves in the vivid and detailed world of the “Squid Game” universe.

Visitors also can enjoy Samsung’s latest mobile innovation through various experiences with the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung provides opportunities to experience the most up-to-date technology by incorporating their key features with the most memorable scenes from “Squid Game.”

“Samsung’s longstanding relationship with Netflix is based on a shared purpose, which is to fuel passions and help people discover new worlds,” said Stephanie Choi, EVP & Head of Marketing of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “It is through our open and collaborative relationship that we are able to open portals into new and immersive experiences.”

While playing “Squid Game”’s most iconic Red Light, Green Light the Galaxy S23 Ultra will capture key moments of gameplay with Hyperlapse video and high-quality pictures.

With the precision it brings, the S Pen serves as a crucial component in the Digital Dalgona Challenge by helping players throw themselves into the mind-gripping and pressure-sensitive task of cutting delicate shapes out of the Korean candy. Visitors can enjoy the game on the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s immersive ultra-wide screen and challenge themselves with five levels of difficulty. Players can also check where they rank against competitors on the leaderboard. Furthermore, the S Pen can also be used to capture in-game photos for sharing after completion.

Photos from both games can be shared instantly via Quick Share¹ or downloaded through email. There will also be a FlexCam Selfie Kiosk, where the Galaxy Z Flip5’s FlexCam enables visitors to take hands-free photos from different angles and download them to be framed.

Following the games, participants can retreat to the VIP room, where they can observe ongoing challenges on The Frame’s expansive 85-inch screen. The Lifestyle TV — with its latest Matte Display technology — offers a premium viewing experience that replicates the commanding ambiance of the Front Man’s quarters in the series.

Availability

Fans of the Netflix “Squid Game” universe can find more information and buy tickets to the Los Angeles “Squid Game: The Trials” at https://www.netflix.com/tudum/squid-game-the-trials or on Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are now available and running for a limited time through the new year.

¹ Quick Share is available on Galaxy Smartphones, Galaxy Tabs, and Galaxy Books, on Android 10 and One UI2.1 and above. Available devices and features may subject to change. Requires BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and Wi-Fi Direct connection to enable Quick Share.

▲ The latest Samsung TV Plus update features new features and a user interface (UI) overhaul to allow for better content discovery.

New UI Dedicated to Expanding Content Discovery

The new Samsung TV Plus update includes a redesigned home screen to provide an overview of content available for viewing, in addition to popular titles and recently watched content.

The updated UI also features newly added categories on the left side of the home screen to include sections such as Live TV, Movies/TV Shows, Music, Kids and Settings, and more. Each category offers a broad range of content that can be easily accessed at any time.

Additionally, region-specific tabs have been added based on each region’s content catalog and user preference to meet the needs of different markets:

• Music tab for the U.S., Australia, New Zealand
• Kids tab for the U.S., Europe, Brazil, Mexico, India
• News tab for India with multilingual support

▲ A Kids tab has been added to the U.S., Europe, Brazil, Mexico and India markets.

Streamlined Channel Navigation

The updated interface features larger UI elements to improve the browsing experience, allowing users to easily navigate through an ever-expanding library of TV channels. Moreover, users can log into their Samsung accounts to easily access their favorite channels in one place at the top of the channel guide.

▲ Channel navigation becomes more intuitive with the new Samsung TV Plus update.

Enhanced VOD Experience

The latest update also expands the Video on Demand (VOD) offerings and features of Samsung TV Plus. Now, users can access VOD from the channel guide, enabling instant playback of select programs without having to wait for a specific episode to come on the channel.²

The new “More Like This” feature offers content suggestion based on users’ viewing history, providing tailored content discovery that aligns with their preferences.

▲ The latest Samsung TV Plus update includes a variety of VOD content.

“Over the past year, we have witnessed a 60% increase in global viewing time on Samsung TV Plus — a testament to the platform’s expansive content library and user-friendly design,” said Yonghoon Choi, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to evolve and enhance our services to provide a more intuitive and enjoyable viewing experience for our users.”

For more information on Samsung TV Plus, please visit www.samsung.com.

¹ The latest update, Samsung TV Plus version 5.2, will be available on all Samsung Smart TVs released in 2019 or later.
² If content is available for both linear channel programs and VOD.

Samsung’s innovative security program Knox secures smart TVs from various threats, ultimately offering consumers a safe and convenient smart home experience. GNUSMAS, the cute blue alien, introduces Samsung Knox as the final piece to complete your ecosystem of connected devices below.

Immersive Entertainment With Phillips Hue Sync

Adjusting the lighting of a room can deliver more immersive experiences — especially when playing games or watching TV shows and movies. With the Phillips Hue Sync TV app, users can seamlessly pair their Phillips Hue lighting to their Samsung Smart TVs and sync lighting to the colors of the content on screen.

Son demonstrates how Phillips Hue Sync changes the color, brightness and intensity of the lighting as he plays a video game on his Samsung Smart TV, putting him right in the center of the action.

※ Compatible lighting must be purchased separately; paid subscription of the Hue Sync app is required through Samsung TV app.

Smarter Workouts With SmartThings

For fitness enthusiasts who want to take their workouts to the next level, SmartThings is helping users exercise more effectively from home. By connecting Galaxy wearables to compatible Samsung Smart TVs, users can view their workout progress and health status in real time or participate in guided fitness or mindfulness programs. Son watches a football match on his Samsung Smart TV while exercising as he views his progress on screen — recorded with his Galaxy wearable.

※ Available from 2024; availability and the timing of support may vary by country and region.

ConnecTime & Chat Together: TV alone can make interaction more convenient and efficient

Abruptly asked to join a meeting with coaches, Son Heung-min turned on TV. ConnecTime, no matter where you are, enables users to take video calls from the Galaxy to a large TV screen. Chat Together allows Son to enjoy a soccer match together with their friends without meeting in person.

3D Map View: Smarter management for all connected devices

Samsung SmartThings helps Son maintain his lifestyle as a homebody. Based on home structure, 3D Map View lets him conveniently see the status and location of the devices registered in SmartThings as well as check and monitor temperature, air quality, and energy usage. This is the perfect feature for people like Son who are busy even at home during holidays.

Check out the video below to view how Samsung’s Smart TVs and SmartThings help Son enhance entertainment at home.

LE Audio, an advanced Bluetooth audio standard, broadens the spectrum of audio experiences to deliver more complex and richer sound that goes beyond providing better-sounding music, but also allows users to share sound with others as they personally experience it. As a pioneer of innovative technologies, Samsung has been leveraging new LE Audio-based features that further elevate sound experiences, including 360 Audio Recording, enabling Galaxy smartphone users to capture sound on video precisely as they hear it without the need for professional equipment. Additionally, the select Galaxy Book3 devices² offer a crystal clear listening experience with improved latency — perfect for immersive gaming and multimedia consumption.

And now, with Auracast broadcast audio technology for Galaxy Buds2 Pro and Samsung 2023 Neo QLED 8K and 2023 MICRO LED, rolling out via software updates starting this September,³ Samsung is again upleveling and expanding connected experiences beyond mobile devices to home appliances. With Auracast, users can turn their device into a shared radio station able to broadcast across connected devices. Leveraging the new LE Audio, it allows users to connect multiple sets of Buds to a TV⁴ while users could only connect a maximum of two devices previously. Auracast opens a variety of potential use cases and possibilities for further device applications — from augmented or assistive listening in a theater or lecture hall for those who want hear better, to sharing a playlist from your smartphone while on a run with friends, to even multi-language support without translation devices by sending different language interpretations via different channels.

“As an innovator across a wide range of electronic devices — from smartphones to wearables, and from TVs to home appliances — we at Samsung are in a unique position to capitalize on delivering more seamless and extended experiences,” said Junho Park, VP and Head of Galaxy Ecosystem Product Planning Team, MX Business at Samsung Electronics. “LE Audio is a perfect example that shows our commitment to connected experiences across our entire library of devices, and how Samsung is introducing new capabilities and technologies that bring them all together.”

The new Auracast feature is just one example of how Samsung is connecting devices and services and offering novel experiences to users. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements of Samsung’s connected experiences to be shared at this year’s IFA event, held this September 1-5 in Berlin.

¹ Available on 2023 Neo QLED 8K and 2023 MICRO LED launched in 2023.
² Supported on Galaxy Book3 Ultra, Book3 Pro, Book3 Pro 360 and Book3 360.
³ Requires software updates on both Galaxy Buds2 Pro and a paired Samsung TV. Availability may vary by market and model.
⁴ The number of Galaxy Buds2 Pro users can connect to may vary depending on the surrounding circumstances such as distance and obstruction.

While CJ ENM’s content distribution businesses — including several cable channels and “TVING,” a proprietary streaming service — were already well-established, the media landscape continues to evolve and one miss could lead to a spiraling downfall. The company is known for keeping its antennae out for new opportunities and Park’s job was to find the next big thing. As searches for new business opportunities always accompany uncertainty, Park’s priorities were twofold — first, to explore fields where CJ ENM’s strengths seem likely to mitigate threats, and second, to find partners that can share the risk and work to expand the field. Enter free ad-supported TV streaming TV (often shortened as “FAST”) and Samsung TV Plus — a global FAST service operated by the leader in the global TV market.

▲ (From left) Jipyeong Cheon, Jiyeong Kim and Eunhye Park from the Content Distribution Strategy team at CJ ENM and Junga Park, Sejin Woo, Yujung Kang from the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics

Samsung TV Plus: Samsung Enters the Content Market

Samsung has continuously strived to enhance users’ lives through ceaseless innovation. While much of the efforts are often highlighted on the product side, the company saw the potential of leveraging TVs already installed in homes to provide further services. “With the vast number of existing Samsung TV users globally, we wanted to take advantage of this opportunity with TV Plus,” said Junga Park.

▲ Junga Park of Samsung Electronics

When Samsung TV Plus was first introduced in 2015, Samsung had maintained its leadership in global TV sales for nine consecutive years — now 17 consecutive years — demonstrating its dominant market position ideal for entering the content service sector. By securing a place within both the TV device and content sides, Samsung sought to provide a new viewing experience for existing users as well as earn ad revenue through its owned platform. With the right partnerships, this would grow into an ecosystem where all parties involved — platform, content and ad partners, and, of course, the viewers — are happy. Recognizing this space, Samsung put forth TV Plus.

▲ Global TV market share for the last nine years. Samsung has maintained leadership in this market for 17 years running (source: Omdia)

For many decades, Samsung has developed several strategic partnerships across different industries­ ­— helping build out its robust portfolio of products and services. Managing content and advertisements became more efficient through Samsung TV Plus, with the availability of valuable data beyond viewer ratings such as when and where consumers watch content, how long they watch for and more. Equipped with these useful insights, Samsung began developing a platform that benefits consumers, content providers and advertisers alike.

Upon its release, the platform initially garnered considerable attention from international users as cord-cutting became more commonplace and streaming platforms surged in popularity. The prevalence of smart TVs helped boost the growth of Samsung TV Plus, with smart TVs accounting for 92% of total TV shipments in the first quarter of 2023 according to market research firm Omdia.

▲ Samsung TV Plus offers more than 2,000 channels in 24 countries

Over the course of eight years, Samsung TV Plus has grown into a massive platform with an extensive content library ­— offering more than 2,000 channels in 24 countries and recording three billion hours of accumulated viewing time worldwide in 2022. After establishing its presence within the market, Samsung expanded Samsung TV Plus to mobile devices starting in April 2021 and to smart monitors and the Family Hub refrigerator in 2022, allowing users to enjoy more connected experiences.

While all this was happening, one key factor in keeping the platform attractive was to diversify content offerings in each of the operating markets. In Korea, partnered with CJ ENM to strengthen its competitive edge.

FAST Market Growth Through Mutual Cooperation

While seeking new ways to expand its global market presence, CJ ENM had been monitoring the growth of FAST, acknowledging it as a potential tool for reaching new audiences. “When I was working in Japan, a senior colleague turned on the TV and introduced me to a platform,” recalled Eunhye Park, Head of Content Distribution Strategy at CJ ENM. “Content was playing but this was not an ordinary broadcast television station nor an over-the-top (OTT) streaming service. Only the power and internet were connected — no additional cables. This was a free ad-supported streaming platform — FAST.”

▲ Eunhye Park, Head of Content Distribution Strategy at CJ ENM

Unlike many OTT streaming platforms, FAST offers free access to ad-supported content on digital channels via smart TVs connected to the Internet. It is a popular option for consumers in North America and Europe who want a more affordable TV plan. In recent years, the global FAST industry thrived as total revenue jumped 20-fold between 2019 and 2022, according to the research from Omdia. The popularity is expected to continue, with revenue predicted to triple to 12 billion USD between 2022 and 2027.

▲ The FAST market is experiencing remarkable growth in North America and Europe (sources: nScreenMedia, Omdia)

After viewing growth trends and market indicators, Eunhye recognized the enormous growth potential in the FAST market. “After seeing the growth of FAST in North America, we knew it had the potential to be even more successful in Korea,” said Eunhye.

Despite its global growth, the FAST market in Korea was still in its infancy — especially as traditional cable TV and OTT streaming services dominated the content industry while other digital platforms were becoming prominent in the advertising space. CJ ENM could have entered the FAST market early to become a leader, but it required a considerable investment of resources and strategic partnerships.

The company also needed data related to the digital industry which was difficult to obtain. While Eunhye’s Content Distribution Strategy team consisted of a group of experts, each bringing considerable experience to the table, the media landscape was becoming more and more complex. With cable TV, OTT streaming services, digital platforms and more, collecting cross-platform data and analyzing user preferences proved to be a challenge.

“A program can be popular on one platform yet fail on another. Short-form and long-form content also perform differently depending on the platform. Clearly identifying users’ preferences is a must when organizing a channel — and a massive amount of data is required,” explained Eunhye.

CJ ENM needed a partner that could shoulder some of the investments and also one to stably provide reliable viewing data. CJ ENM found both in Samsung TV Plus.

Making Everyone Happy — Especially the Viewers

In May 2023, CJ ENM’s brand channel was added to Samsung TV Plus, helping the platform rise to become a top FAST service in Korea.

▲ CJ ENM’s brand channel launched on Samsung TV Plus in May 2023

Since partnering with CJ ENM, Samsung is now targeting existing smart TV users through Samsung TV Plus. “We are focusing on how to improve the viewing experience for users who are already using our products, going beyond selling new TVs,“ said Junga.

To continue providing users with the best content available, Samsung TV Plus is curating a variety of older, fan-favorite content and repackaging them on the platform, in addition to newer more trendy shows. This encourages users to rewatch their favorite programs — even ones they may have forgotten. This, in turn, helps content providers. “Over time, people easily and naturally forget content they enjoyed watching in the past,” said Jipyeong Cheon of CJ ENM. “Samsung TV Plus is helping people rediscover this nostalgia by offering older titles on the platform, helping them become popular again.”

▲ (From left) Jipyeong Cheon and Jiyeong Kim of Content Distribution Strategy at CJ ENM

While platform and content partners benefit from Samsung TV Plus, consumers enjoy the greatest benefits. Users can watch a wide assortment of content for free, and Samsung TV Plus curates a personalized list of content based on unique user preferences, helping viewers find new titles to enjoy. To provide the best and most optimal service, Samsung is constantly working to enhance its offerings. “We are continuing to further diversify content and improve profitability for partners to deliver better experiences for our consumers,“ said Junga.

Mutual Benefits for Continued Business Growth

FAST has experienced incredible growth since its inception, but it is still unfamiliar to many consumers. To continue developing the FAST market, it is important to continue with long-term investments as well as garner relationships with viewers and partners. Samsung is reaching out to content providers to both enrich the user experience and further expand the market in Korea and beyond. In Korea, Samsung is also helping establish FAST as a major digital ad market.

Boasting a variety of advanced features, including optimized content and advertising based on unique user preferences, Samsung TV Plus enables partners to directly reach and connect with consumers. In addition, as the platform is available in 24 countries, companies can utilize Samsung’s expansive international network to target new markets. Recognizing these benefits, CJ ENM chose to work with Samsung to break into the North American market.

“During negotiations, we learn about our partners’ strengths first and suggest various channel strategies. Through our successes, we learned how to strengthen and benefit our partners as well,” said Junga.

Media Outlook for the FAST Market

The future of Samsung TV Plus is bright. Reports from Omdia and Blue Ant suggest that the number of monthly active users of Samsung TV Plus will increase to 58 million in 2027, driven by the rise in the popularity of smart TVs. To meet this demand and showcase diverse content on the platform, Samsung continues to add more content to give audience members something they’ll love watching. Recently, Samsung globally added FIFA+ on Samsung TV Plus to celebrate the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.

▲ To celebrate FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, Samsung globally added FIFA+ on Samsung TV Plus and expanded sports content.

In line with constantly changing content consumption patterns and streaming environments, Samsung and CJ ENM are working to spearhead the FAST market not only in Korea but also in North America and beyond. And with more partners and projects in the works, Samsung TV Plus continues to grow as a platform.

¹ CJ ENM is a leading entertainment company based in Korea. Since 1995, the company has engaged in a wide array of businesses across the industry spectrum including media content, music, film, performing arts, and animation, providing its top-notch original content to various media platforms. CJ ENM has created, produced and distributed globally acclaimed content including Oscar-winning film Parasite, Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots, record-breaking Korean box office hits Roaring Currents, Extreme Job, Ode to My Father, along with sought-after television series such as Mr. Sunshine, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Grandpas over Flowers, I Can See Your Voice and more. To offer the best K-Culture experiences worldwide, CJ ENM presents KCON, the world’s largest K-culture convention & festival celebrating Hallyu and Mnet ASIAN MUSIC AWARDS (MAMA), the world’s No.1 K-pop music awards. With regional offices in Asia, Europe and the U.S., CJ ENM currently employs over 3,600 people. For more information, please visit: http://www.cjenm.com.

Samsung Electronics today announced that FIFA+ is the latest global addition to the list of channels on Samsung TV Plus,¹ its free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service. This new addition forms part of the continued growth of Samsung’s sports offerings available to its users.

The free FIFA+ channel on Samsung TV Plus² will feature FIFA+’s rich collection of Originals, the Archive and highlights from the Men’s and Women’s game. Additionally, users in Brazil and Italy can access full live matches of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Samsung TV Plus.

The tech tie-up builds upon the existing sports content available on Samsung TVs, which includes the DAZN Tizen app, DAZN FAST+ (Austria and Germany), the DAZN Women’s Football Channel (Australia and New Zealand), the Tennis Channel (Austria, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the U.K.), DraftKings Network (the U.S.), CBS Sports HQ (the U.S.) and other channels on Samsung TV Plus.

Samsung TV Plus is Samsung’s free, go-to source for entertainment and sports that delivers thousands of TV shows, movies and sporting events to millions of Samsung Smart TVs, Galaxy devices, and in several markets select Family Hub refrigerators and the web.

“Samsung is delighted to be adding the FIFA+ channel to Samsung TV Plus, thereby expanding the roster of sports content available on Samsung TVs and Galaxy devices,” commented Richard Jakeman, Head of Business Development at Samsung Electronics Europe. “Launching globally with a rich lineup of curated FIFA+ content will add incredible value to our customers, and with the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 continuing, they’ll also be able to experience content that marks the next exciting chapter in the Women’s game.”

The announcement comes as the highly anticipated Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand continues apace.

FIFA+ will offer customers access to thousands of hours of content about football’s greatest stories. The channel’s Originals are full-length documentaries, docuseries and shorts, delivering global storytelling around the Men’s and Women’s game. They include “The Happiest Man in the World” (the genius, maverick, mentor and rebel that is Ronaldinho), “Croatia: Defining a Nation” (the story of how a group of footballers defined a new nation through football) and “Bravas de Juárez” (the inspiring sacrifices behind the dream of a Latin American women’s football team), among countless others — in both long- and short-form.

The Archive, meanwhile, will become home to every FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup match ever recorded on camera. In addition to full match replays, editorial style programming will also be available, including tournament match highlights, goal packages, team-focused programming and dedicated player profiles.

“Collaborations like this are helping us transform the face of FAST,” said Alex Hole, VP & GM of Samsung Electronics Europe. “With the inclusion of live content from major sporting events, our TVs are turning into hubs of premium sports content, redefining our understanding of what FAST can offer.”

About Samsung TV Plus
Samsung TV Plus is Samsung’s free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) and video-on-demand service which offers nearly 2,000 channels globally as well as thousands of shows and movies on-demand spanning news, sports, entertainment, auto, design and more. One of the first FAST platforms from a device manufacturer, Samsung TV Plus is directly integrated into all 2016-2023 Samsung TVs, available on Samsung Galaxy mobile devices and completely free without any subscription or login required on the web. It is also available on Samsung Family Hub refrigerators in the United States.

¹ Samsung TV Plus is a free, go-to source for entertainment and sports, available to Samsung Smart TV, Mobile and Tablet customers. Samsung TV models manufactured after 2016 and mobile devices with access to Android 8.0 or higher will have Samsung TV Plus already built in. If your device is compatible, you will be able to download it directly from the Galaxy and Google Play stores. Samsung TV Plus is available on select Samsung refrigerators and the web only in the U.S.
² Samsung TV Plus is only available in South Korea, the U.K., Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Brazil and Mexico. The mobile app is only available in South Korea, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and India.

This is the first time Samsung is a major partner and sponsor at the biannual gaming and streaming convention, which highlights technology’s role in bringing together people and closer to their passions. Samsung is providing an opportunity for gaming enthusiasts to immerse themselves in an exceptional gaming experience powered by the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung’s powerhouse mobile gaming smartphone.

“We’re incredibly excited to be the main sponsor at TwitchCon Paris 2023,” said Saejin Kim, VP and Head of Marketing Strategy Group, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “This event is a testament to technology’s power to unite people in celebration of shared passions such as gaming, and at Samsung, we believe the experiences we create are all the more epic and memorable when we do it together.”

Empowering Epic Gaming, Together

TwitchCon Paris 2023 will be packed with exciting activities and zones, including Samsung’s #PlayGalaxy Lounge. Here, visitors can get their hands on the latest Samsung products and features for an unforgettable gaming experience with the wider mobile gaming community.

Samsung #TeamGalaxy gaming influencers such as rewinside (@rewinstagram) and Gee Nelly (@Geenelly) will be challenging other gamers and documenting the event for their fans. They will play demo matches that attendees can watch and host meet-and-greets for their followers in person. Visitors will also have a chance to use the high-performance Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone to test mobile games such as “Brawl Stars,” “Asphalt 9” and “PUBG Mobile.” A tournament will let guests compete among themselves and against #TeamGalaxy.

The Samsung Booth will also feature Samsung’s 85-inch Neo QLED 8K TV and 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 gaming monitor, and visitors seeking large-scale immersion can marvel at their breathtaking image quality and response speed. TwitchCon attendees can also experience the Samsung Gaming Hub on Samsung smart TVs and monitors, where thousands of games can be played instantly from Xbox and other top game streaming services, with no console required — just a controller.

The state-of-the-art Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200MP camera will also be used for a photo booth and studio setup, providing the perfect backdrop for memorable portrait photos. A reward awaits those who complete all the #PlayGalaxy Lounge activities. All they have to do is present their Boarding Pass at each area to show they’ve participated.

▲ WW Kim, President of the Consumer Electronics Division at Samsung Electronics Brazil, welcomes attendees to Unbox & Discover 2023

At the core of Samsung’s partnership with LOUD is the concept of providing screen options that match the preferences of every user — a goal that is also at the heart of the new 2023 TV and display solutions portfolio. There is something for everyone in Samsung’s latest lineup: From the Neo QLED 8K category that features the apex of screen technologies for revolutionary viewing experiences to the Crystal UHD TV that marries ultra-high-resolution screen quality with design elegance.

▲ Samsung Brazil’s collaboration with LOUD will feature two squads of e-Sports athletes as well as influencers representing Samsung in various competitions and events

Bringing Brazilian Fans Closer to the Community They Love

Featuring screen technologies for optimized gaming performance, Samsung’s TV lineup helps game enthusiasts all over the world make the most out of the games they love. As such, it’s a natural choice for Samsung to partner with Brazilian professional e-Sports and entertainment organization LOUD to help gamers access even more of their favorite titles.

The partnership is set to showcase a range of focused campaigns and exciting activations with two squads of local gaming influencers going head-to-head at fan-favorite games made even more compelling with the outstanding performance of Samsung’s latest TVs and monitors.

The Neo QLED Gaming TV squad will consist of pro gaming athletes from LOUD’s VALORANT team while the Odyssey Squad will include local League of Legends influencers.

Unique Functionality for Fluid Display Experiences

Another highlight from Unbox & Discover 2023 was the announcement of the Samsung Neo QLED 4K Gaming TV (QN90C), a new member of the Neo QLED 4K lineup available in 43-, 50-, 55- and 65-inch models. Fitted with an enhanced Neural Quantum Processor 4K that features AI and 20 neural networks exclusive to Samsung and a Super Ultra-Wide screen available in multiple formats, users can enjoy premium gaming experiences even when upscaling content.

With up to 144Hz¹ in the 43- and 50-inch models, the TV’s panel Mini LEDs create the ideal viewing environment to watch and play with maximum fluidity. The Motion Xcelerator Turbo Pro² feature also ensures high performance during matches, with low response time and 4K images on any of the four HDMI 2.1 ports.

▲ An illustrative concept image of the all-new Neo QLED 4K Gaming TV QN90C

The Neo QLED 4K Gaming TV’s processor converts any SDR content to HDR using Deep Learning technology, ensuring all scenes feature accurate luminosity and brightness. In addition, FreeSync Premium Pro² and Quantum Dot technologies deliver 100% color volume,³ while Dolby Atmos⁴ technology paired with Sound in Motion Plus² offers truly immersive sound. Alongside these functionalities, the NeoSlim Design² of the TV ensures cinematic, distraction-free gameplay experiences.

“I got to know about gamers and the products that serve both users looking for high-investment hardware and those who want more affordable options. The highlight of the event was LOUD’s sponsorship announcement with Samsung,” said Raphael Batista of Meu PlayStation. Paulo Barba of Barba Sou Eu added, “There was also a lot of emphasis on the gamers’ part, and I was happy to know that the presence of the Gaming Hub is so relevant today.”

The Next Evolution of Samsung Smart TVs and Display Solutions

▲ Unbox & Discover 2023 in Brazil introduced the latest TV and display products from Samsung, including interactive hands-on experience zones.

Apart from the Neo QLED 4K TV, Samsung’s Unbox & Discover 2023 showcased other products from the latest 2023 Smart TV and Soundbar product line, including the Neo QLED 8K, Samsung OLED and QLED TVs and Crystal UHD 4K models.

A major highlight of the lineup, the Samsung Neo QLED 8K⁵ features cutting edge innovation for large screens with outstanding sound performance from Dolby Atmos. The 85-inch model (QN900C) features groundbreaking Mini LED technology, 64 AI-powered neural networks in its Neural Quantum Processor 8K⁶ and SDR to HDR conversion for upscaling.

The Samsung OLED 4K (S90C) features 20 neural networks for optimal image upscaling and an AI-powered Neural Quantum Processor 4K that scans and improves on-screen brightness and depth for lifelike, 3D viewing experiences.

Among the new models announced as part of the UHD lineup, the Crystal UHD 4K (CU8000) is a stand-out Smart TV featuring Dynamic Crystal Color for new levels of color display in ultra-high resolution.

Samsung also showcased the latest smart features of its Lifestyle line, including the all-new 2023 models of The Frame, The Serif and The Sero TVs as well as The Freestyle and The Premiere projectors.

▲ Unbox & Discover 2023 attendees learn about all the latest innovations and products.

A Step Forward Into the Future of the Samsung Smart TV

Unbox & Discover 2023 attendees expressed excitement around the announcements, with many looking forward to experiencing the latest products and innovations set to bring premium viewing, gaming and entertainment to users of every lifestyle in the coming year.

▲ Unbox & Discover 2023 visitors receive first-hand information about the latest products.

“Samsung continues to bring new premium devices, offering more consumers the opportunity to choose between a Neo QLED or an OLED,” said Dante Baptista of Terra. “Samsung is truly consolidating its complete offering within the Smart TV space,” agreed Jacson Boeing of Mundo Conectado. “My experience with the S90C showed it to be a superior OLED product, further establishing Samsung’s leadership across many industry segments.”

Junior Nannetti of Loop Infinito echoed the excitement for the latest announcements. “This moment is an important one for the OLED segment as we are seeing industry leader Samsung enter,” they noted. “Ultimately what this does in the long run is offer consumers the power of choice.”

Stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom for the latest on Samsung’s all-new 2023 Smart TV and Soundbar lineup.

¹ The refresh rate of the display will adjust based on the type of content or game being viewed.
² Feature names may differ across regions.
³ The maximum brightness may vary depending on the model and size of the TV. Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker (VDE) has officially recognized Samsung’s QLED TV as the first TV in the world capable of producing 100% of the available color volume. Samsung’s QLED TVs are based on Quantum Dot technology.
⁴ To experience this, users must connect their Soundbar to their TV via HDMI cable, purchased separately. Wireless Dolby Atmos via Wi-Fi works with select Samsung 2022 TVs.
⁵ The Neo QLED 8K portfolio includes the QN900C model, available in a 85-inch version, the QN800C model, available in 65-, 75- and 85-inch versions and the QN700B model, available in a 55-inch version. Playback of 8K materials can vary by 8K streaming, connectivity and other decoding standards.
⁶ Viewing experience may vary by content type and format. Upscaling may not apply to Computer and Game Mode.

Select Samsung Smart TV and Smart Monitor owners will now gain access to nearly 3,000 games as Antstream Arcade and Blacknut have been added to the Samsung Gaming Hub partner lineup, with the rollout starting today. Samsung makes it easy for players of all ages to find content and choose apps from industry-leading game streaming partners: Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna, Utomik, and now over 1,400 games with arcade classics from Antstream Arcade, and over 500 premium family titles and exclusive games from Blacknut.¹

“Samsung Gaming Hub offers players more ways to access the titles they love and discover new ones to play from our game streaming partners, no console required,” said Mike Lucero, Head of Product Management for Gaming at Samsung Electronics. “With Antstream Arcade and Blacknut, we’ve made games even easier to jump into. Now all you need to do is pick up your Samsung TV remote to enjoy great games like ‘Pac-Man’ and ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’, or pair your Bluetooth controller to access thousands of world-class games across genres. With more games and more ways to play, there has never been a better time to play games on Samsung Gaming Hub.”

Antstream Arcade is the world’s largest cloud retro gaming service that provides players access to over 1,400 classic games and 500 mini-challenges. Play classic arcade games like “Galaga,” “Dig Dug” and “Double Dragon” through your Samsung Smart TV or Monitor via the Samsung Gaming Hub.

Antstream Arcade is currently offering 12 months of access to the platform for $12 (or £12 or €12 depending on the region), a significant discount to play the platform’s extensive catalog of retro games.

“Antstream Arcade delivers the best retro arcade video game streaming experience, and we’re proud to align with strong partners like Samsung Gaming Hub that can help us reach more players,” said Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream Arcade. “We’ve experienced firsthand the excitement people have playing the games of their youth and sharing those games with the next generation of gamers.”

In celebration of the launch, Antstream will be running a Samsung global tournament on the classic platformer spin master for a chance to win a lifetime subscription of Antstream and enter a prize draw to win one of three annual subscriptions. Anyone can enter the tournament at antstream.com.

Blacknut is an online video game streaming service that offers instant access to hundreds of games. With a monthly subscription, players can choose from more than 500 premium games for the whole family, five simultaneously accessible player profiles and a game library available on a variety of screens.

Curated and equipped with optional parental controls, the Blacknut gaming catalog also offers a wide range of options for younger users. A separate pin-protected profile allows junior gamers to delight in options such as Outright Games’ great adventures based on the most beloved children’s TV Shows including “PAW Patrol”² and the “Gigantosaurus” series.

Exclusively for Samsung consumers, thanks to its incorporation into the Samsung Gaming Hub, Blacknut will offer new users a 15-day free trial³ to explore the catalog and play any of its 500+ premium video games on select 2022 and 2023 Samsung TVs.

“Blacknut is thrilled to partner with Samsung Gaming Hub and introduce our catalog to the popular game streaming platform,” said Nabil Laredj, VP, Business Development & Licensing at Blacknut. “With over 500 games and options for everyone, we are excited to be able to bring cloud gaming to the whole family in a whole new way.”

Samsung Gaming Hub returns to Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles next week with more games, more screens and more ways to pick up and play than ever before — giving players a wider variety of choices in how they want to play. Antstream Arcade and Blacknut will be featured at the Samsung Gaming Hub booth, alongside Samsung Gaming Hub game streaming partners Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce Now, Amazon Luna and Utomik.

¹ Service availability for partners may vary by region. Antstream and Blacknut will be available in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Brazil.
² PAW Patrol and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Spin Master Ltd.) Nickelodeon and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. — GIGANTOSAURUS TV SERIES. © CYBER GROUP STUDIOS. All trademarks and copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
³ Until August 30, 2023, only available for new subscribers to Blacknut joining on the Samsung Gaming Hub.

“We are raising the bar for Smart Monitors globally with our new lineup and especially our enhanced M8 model,” said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Within a single monitor, users can enjoy the best of entertainment and gaming, productivity, design and personalized convenience and comfort.”

Elegant Designs for Every Style and Space

The full lineup is comprised of nine versatile monitors to meet the needs and styles of a wide range of users. The M8, M7 and M5 Smart Monitors come in a variety of colors and sizes. The M8 and M7 models are available in 32-inches, while the M5 model is available in both 32- and 27-inches. The M8 with UHD resolution and 400nit brightness is available in Warm White, Daylight Blue, Sunset Pink and Spring Green options. The M7 with UHD resolution and 300nit brightness comes in Warm White while the M5 with Full HD resolution comes in a sleek Black or White.

Introduced with a new Iconic Slim Design, the M8 and M7 models are super slim, measuring 11.39mm at the thinnest point on the monitor. To elevate the look of the monitor and the room surrounding it, an organic, chic herringbone pattern has been applied to the back of both the M8 and M7 models. The height-adjustable stand with tilt support helps M8 users adjust the angle whenever they need to, while creating a clutter-free environment. The screen can also pivot 90 degrees to reduce the fatigue of scrolling down long files.

Monitors That Redefine Smart Entertainment

The 2023 Smart Monitor M8 has received multiple upgrades and feature enhancements from the previous generation. Thanks to 4K resolution, HDR 10+² and 400nit brightness, the M8 delivers brilliant, vivid pictures to offer the best of smart entertainment in a monitor. M8 users can enjoy easy access to Samsung Gaming Hub,³ the all-in-one streaming platform, as well as Smart Hub for services such as Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube. Both the M8 and M7 also support color coverage up to 99% sRGB color gamut to bring all content to life in brilliant color for designers and creators.

Upgraded Monitors for Maximum Productivity

The 2023 lineup has been enhanced to make remote work seamless and effortless. The PC-less workspace allows remote access by wirelessly connecting to and mirroring PCs. The M8 has a magnetic and removable camera so users can connect wirelessly with no additional purchase necessary. Its SlimFit camera⁴ supports FHD resolution and video conferencing features. Additionally, Multi View has been upgraded and now allows you to use Microsoft 365 and the Browser app in full-screen mode to reduce switching between apps.⁵

To enhance the interface of all the 2023 Smart Monitors, mouse and keyboard control functionalities have been added to many apps, including SmartThings and Smart Hub. Users can now maintain full control, while exploring their favorite content without needing a remote.

Next-Level Monitors With New Personalized Features

Users can easily control all their in-home IoT devices from a single monitor thanks to the built-in IoT Hub, supporting Zigbee and Thread.⁶ The M8 and M7 both include built-in voice assistants, including Bixby and Amazon Alexa,⁷ enabling users to control the monitor with their voice. Far-field voice is also supported in the M8 and M7 models with a built-in mic, allowing users to speak directly to the monitor.

The new My Contents feature, now available across the 2023 Smart Monitor lineup, allows users to quickly access helpful information. When the monitor is on standby mode and detects a registered smartphone through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the screen lights up with the user’s photos, weather and more at a glance. The monitor resumes standby mode when the smartphone is out of range.

Specifications

* The content was revised on Feb 28, 2024 to provide more accurate information.

¹ Launch schedule will vary by region.
² M7 and M5 models support HDR 10.
³ Samsung Gaming Hub is available in select countries: Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. In other European countries, cloud games can be accessed through the Samsung Smart Hub. Service and content availability may vary by region and partners.
⁴ Camera is included with M8. For M7 and M5, camera must be purchased separately.
⁵ Full screen Multi View is supported with M8 and M7.
⁶ M7 and M5 require a dongle for Zigbee.
⁷ Bixby supports 9 languages: EN (US/GB/IN), KR, GE, FR, IT, ES, PT (BR). Amazon Alexa supports 13 languages: EN (US/GB/IN/AU), DE, ES (ES/US/MX), FR (FR/CA), IT, PT (BR), HI.

In June of 2022, Microsoft’s Xbox joined Samsung Gaming Hub,¹ the world’s first smart TV platform to include the Xbox App on Smart TVs.² With this partnership, Samsung Gaming Hub users are now able to stream over 100 high-quality games through the Xbox App by subscribing to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

▲ Visitors can play the Minecraft Legend at the Cloud Gaming Zone in London

To bring the experience to more gamers, Samsung Electronics has teamed up with Microsoft to introduce a dedicated space where gamers can play their favorite Xbox games on the Samsung Gaming Hub. Multiple Samsung Smart TVs and gaming monitors have been installed in the Microsoft Experience Center to provide an exciting and unique gaming experience.

The Gaming Zone in both London and New York City across the Microsoft Experience Centers on Regent Street and Fifth Avenue, now have three dedicated gaming areas incorporating a wide range of Samsung gaming screens³ for everyone to enjoy — either as a seasoned gamer or those new to cloud gaming.

▲ The Living Room Zone in London features three 98-inch Neo QLED 4K HDR Smart TVs

The three gaming areas are:

1. Cloud Gaming Zone — featuring 55-inch Neo QLED Smart TVs for game streaming via the Samsung Gaming Hub. Visitors can instantly play the biggest games from Xbox and other top gaming partners with no downloads, storage limits or console required. Just switch on your TV and play.
2. Living Room Zone — showcasing 98-inch Neo QLED 4K HDR Smart TVs in London and an 85-inch Neo QLED 8K TV at the store entrance in New York.
3. Tournament Zone — with 24-inch Odyssey G3 Gaming Monitors (London) and 27-inch Odyssey G5 Gaming Monitors (New York) that give gamers the option to play games on the Xbox app or Xbox console, providing flexibility for all gamers.

Powered by Tizen, the Samsung Gaming Hub is an all-in-one game streaming discovery platform bridging hardware and software for a better player experience. Instantly play thousands of games from Xbox, Amazon Luna, NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Utomik, with Antstream Arcade and Blacknut coming in 2023.⁴

The Samsung Gaming Hub is the new home for gaming and entertainment with Twitch, Spotify and YouTube Gaming integration that gives players easy access to enhance their experience. No storage limits, no downloads, no console or PC required — all players need is a Bluetooth-enabled gaming controller and an internet connection to start playing.

▲ Gamers can compete simultaneously at the Tournament Zone in London

“It is a great pleasure to work with Microsoft to deliver the impressive experience of Samsung Gaming Hub to global gamers,” said Sangsook Han, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung Gaming Hub is a manifestation to Samsung’s evolving screen experience. Going forward, Samsung will expand its partnerships and innovative technology to create an even more mature service that is loved by gamers all over the world.”

From London to New York, Samsung Gaming Hub is inspiring and connecting global gamers in new and exciting ways. In its collaboration with partners such as Microsoft, Samsung Electronics is helping to create next-level gaming experiences by leveraging its advanced Smart TVs and monitors in Microsoft Experience Centers.

▲ Samsung Electronics introduced a new free-to-play “Gaming Zone” with Samsung screens in collaboration with Xbox at Microsoft Experience Centers in London and New York

▲ Visitors can instantly play the biggest games from Xbox and other top gaming partners with no downloads, storage limits or console required

▲ Gamers at the Tournament Zone in London

¹ Samsung Gaming Hub is only available in select countries: Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, the U.S. and the U.K. In other European countries, cloud gaming apps can be downloaded from the TV App Store and accessed through the Samsung Smart Hub. Service and content availability may vary by region and partners.
² As of 2023 new models, Samsung Gaming Hub is supported by Samsung Smart TV models above CU7000, Smart monitors and Odyssey gaming monitors with smart features.
³ Installation products in London Microsoft Experience Center include three 98-type Neo QLED 4K (QN90A), six 55-type Neo QLED 4K (QN95B) and 12 24-type Odyssey G3 (G32A). Two additional Odyssey Ark will be installed within May. Installation products in New York City Microsoft Experience Center include one 85-type Neo QLED 8K (QN800B), four 55-type Neo QLED 4K (QN85B) and 10 27-type Odyssey G5 (G55A).
⁴ Service availability for partners may vary by region. Service subscription can be required by partners.

With opening remarks from Jong-Hee Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of Device Experience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics, the presentations revealed how Samsung is crafting systems that help make lives smarter, safer, more convenient and more connected than ever before.

▲ Attendees take their seats at SDC 2022 in anticipation of the day’s wide-ranging Keynote

Read on to see Samsung Newsroom’s recap of the innovation and inspiration revolutionizing how we live and work both now and in the future.

Opening: A Seamless, Frictionless Experience

Jong-Hee Han opened up the day’s talks by underscoring the importance of convenience in an age of brilliant yet complex technologies. “At Samsung, our goal has always been to make our lives easier through technology innovation,” said Han. “But innovation can also be burdensome for users if convenience is not at the forefront. Our teams are determined to deliver devices that are as smooth and accessible as they are advanced.”

▲ Jong-Hee Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of DX Division at Samsung Electronics, welcomes attendees to SDC 2022.

Covering everything from Calm Technology to Knox Matrix to holistic household platforms like Bixby Home Studio and SmartThings, Han outlined a device and systems ecosystem that puts the user experience at the center. “The goal of all this is to give you an easier, seamless and more frictionless experience,” Han emphasized. “So you can focus on what matters most.”

A Home That Learns and Adapts Through SmartThings

Following Jong-Hee Han, Jaeyeon Jung, Vice President and Head of SmartThings, Mobile eXperience Business, discussed how Covid-19 galvanized teams at Samsung to prioritize the important things in life, particularly in the home. “If you’re like me, the past few years have been a time to prioritize what matters, to find moments to pause and refresh,” said Jung.

▲ Jaeyeon Jung, Vice President and Head of SmartThings, Mobile eXperience Business, outlines how the platform is helping realize a truly seamless, intuitive household device ecosystem.

Samsung’s SmartThings platform, Jung explained, is the perfect way to do this in your home. Thanks to a wide range of improvements to the household ecosystem platform, finding, setting up, onboarding and synchronizing new devices into your household will be easier and more efficient than ever. This includes Galaxy Quick Pair, Matter Hub connectivity, SmartThings Energy and SmartThings Music Sync, as well as boosted integration with partner systems and an expanded SmartThings website.

Matter: A Truly Harmonious Household Experience

At the end of her talk, Jung introduced Matthew McCullough from Google, who provided an overview of Matter, a system that lays the groundwork for true interoperability between devices in the home. Samsung is committed to Matter integration, and confident it will make the dream of a fully integrated household a reality.

▲ Google’s Matthew McCullough explains how the Matter interoperability system works, reinforcing Samsung and Google’s collaborative efforts to expand its integration.

By working closely together, Samsung and Google aim to make life for both users and device makers simpler and smoother, with multi-admin features that cut down on manual management and make Google Home and Nest Hub more accessible. “This ease of use across Samsung and Google is just the start, and we’re looking forward to delivering a more seamless, delightful home experience,” said McCullough.

Industry Collaboration Making Device Ecosystems More Open

▲ Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings U.S. at Samsung, expands on the company’s enthusiasm for Matter adoption and introduces the SmartThings Matter Early Access Program.

Continuing with the theme of interoperability, Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings U.S., emphasized Samsung’s commitment to supporting Matter. “To accelerate Matter adoption, we created the SmartThings Matter Early Access Program, where we work with major device manufacturers to ensure their Matter-enabled devices work seamlessly with SmartThings,” said Benson.

The SmartThings app, SmartThings Hub Core and SmartThings Cloud, Benson pointed out, are already prepared to support Matter. “It’s all about delivering interoperability right out of the box,” he said.

The Expanding Role of Bixby

Anil Yadav, Head of Bixby Lab at Samsung Research¹ America, took to the stage to discuss SmartThings’ bespoke speech platform and de facto voice in the home, including its exciting new feature: Bixby Home Studio. “With Bixby Home Studio, you can create experiences that span multiple devices and respond more intuitively to user commands,” said Yadav. “For example, if you ask Bixby to turn on your air conditioner, Bixby can check if you have any windows open and let you know to close them, saving energy.”

▲ Voice system expert and Head of Bixby Lab Anil Yadav lays out the platform’s evolving role in the home and celebrates the launch of Bixby Home Studio.

Ready to do everything from queuing up your next action movie on your Samsung Smart TV to boosting your mobile security with On-Device AI, Bixby is smarter and more powerful than ever.

Premium Security and Privacy for an Integrated Household

▲ Shin Baik, Principal Engineer of Security Team, Mobile eXperience Business, underscores the significance of strong security and personalized privacy, as exemplified by systems like Samsung Knox and Knox Matrix.

Samsung envisions more than just a convenient and integrated home experience. Its teams are also creating an experience that is as safe as it is smooth, as private as it is proactive. After Yadav’s Bixby talk, Shin Baik, Principal Engineer of Security Team, Mobile eXperience Business, discussed with the audience how top-notch innovations need top-notch security to go with them. Unwavering in its three security and privacy principles — transparency, choice and protection — Samsung has worked hard to develop platforms like Samsung Knox. This will keep everything from your phone to your refrigerator safe and secure, said Baik.

A new platform called Knox Matrix, in particular, is now on the frontline of multi-device protection. “Knox Matrix is your own private blockchain,” Baik explained. “Multiple devices share credentials, turning the ecosystem of devices into a shield that protects everyone.”

In step with these developments, of course, is Samsung’s insistence on a customizable privacy experience, which is provided by Samsung’s comprehensive Security and privacy dashboard. “We believe that you — and only you — should be making decisions about how your information is managed and stored,” said Baik.

A More Vibrant Content Ecosystem Than Ever

Sang Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Product & Marketing at Samsung Electronics America, shared important insights on Samsung’s extensive media network, covering a range of recent successes.

▲ Sang Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Product & Marketing at Samsung Electronics America, provides a roundup of Samsung’s diverse — and rapidly expanding — media network.

Samsung Gaming Hub, launched in June, is an all-in-one gaming solution that, thanks to partnerships with industry leaders like Xbox, lets players connect their controllers to Samsung TVs and access all the games they love without even needing a console or PC.

Samsung TV Plus, the FAST streaming TV and video platform that relaunched this summer, now reaches 24 countries and 465 million devices globally. It is projected to clock in an impressive three billion hours streamed by users by the end of 2022.

Thanks to broad reach, smooth monetization integration and an advertising environment optimized for both clients and users, Samsung streaming also offers an ideal platform for premium advertising.

“Today, Fortune 500 companies from around the world have leveraged Samsung TV Plus and our other advanced TV advertising solutions to reach valuable consumers,” Kim said.

Tizen’s Global Conquest

▲ Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President and Deputy Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business discusses all things Tizen, from the operating system’s global reach to its growing spectrum of applications.

Following Sang Kim, Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President and Deputy Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business, took to the stage to talk about Tizen, Samsung’s open source, Linux-backed operating system. Kim took the audience through a huge variety of developments in the Tizen journey, which is growing its capabilities to an ever-wider spectrum of uses and applications.

Leveraging partnerships with gaming leaders like Xbox, NVIDIA and Utomik, Tizen is helping bring a truly consolidated, uninterrupted gaming experience to users with Samsung Gaming Hub, with fantastic performance and image quality, Kim explained. It delivers stunning visual displays and blockchain wallet integration to Samsung TVs for better at-home art experiences, while also helping Smart Hub deliver the best in content searches and recommendations. Tizen Enterprise, meanwhile, is boosting B2B partners’ display and signage options, while Tizen Everywhere aims to expand licensing and bring the system to more countries.

“Since its launch ten years ago, Tizen now powers more than 330 million TVs, refrigerators and other smart devices,” said Kim. “At Samsung, we will continue to create Tizen experiences that transform and go beyond what many thought possible.”

One UI 5 and the “Your Galaxy, Your Way” Philosophy

Next up was Sally Hyesoon Jeong, Vice President of Framework R&D Group, Mobile eXperience Business, whose theme for the day was the company’s latest leap forward in the UI experience: One UI 5.

▲ Sally Hyesoon Jeong, Vice President of Framework R&D Group, Mobile eXperience Business, introduces One UI 5, the next stage of Samsung’s UI evolution and a distillation of the “Your Galaxy, Your Way” philosophy.

“On this stage three years ago, I shared our vision for One UI, the essence of the Galaxy experience,” Jeong began. “One UI truly captures the ‘Your Galaxy, Your Way’ philosophy by bringing users an intuitive, connected experience that is uniquely yours.”

Splitting the new UI update’s advancements into three areas — Personalization, Productivity and Possibility — Jeong shared a host of new and improved features. Personalization included deep customization enhancements, like Dynamic Lockscreen for smartphones, Watch Face Studio for Galaxy Watches and custom-built Modes and Routines, while health and security functions are also more adaptable than ever. The Productivity section included Bixby Text Call, improved phone-to-PC connectivity and multitasking upgrades like Taskbar improvements. Possibilities covered One UI 5’s integration with innovative Samsung Foldable devices and related functions like Flex Mode.

A Look Over the Horizon: Robotics and Health in Tomorrow’s Homes

The final talk before the wrap-up was from Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research. While many of the day’s talks focused on recent improvements, Seung has his eye on the innovations of tomorrow, aiming for no less than the merging of the physical and digital worlds.

“I’d like to invite you to look over the horizon, to a future dreamed of but not yet realized,” said Seung, who divided his presentation between the future of robotics in the home and Samsung’s ambitions to contribute to health & wellness research.

In the home robotics field, Seung discussed the company’s continued success with a household supported by advanced, AI-enhanced devices, including the object-detecting JetBot AI+ vacuum, the Bot Handy chore assistant prototype and even future plans for Samsung’s latest robot arm manipulation code, which will soon be available on GitHub.

▲ Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research, discusses the company’s plans for a future where advanced robotics technologies support households and outlines Samsung’s ambitions in health & wellness research.

Moving on to the subject of health, Seung introduced Samsung Health Stack, an open source project from Samsung that aims to actively advance health & wellness research. “This is a full stack SDK, a mobile app for patients, a portal for researchers and a backend database,” said Seung. “A complete package of open-source tools designed for the easy creation of digital systems for the research of health and wellness.”

Closing: Building a More Sustainable Future With Samsung

To round off the talks, Jong-Hee Han returned to the stage to offer a final word, summarizing the technologies showcased at SDC and the course of the company’s future of innovation.

▲ Jong-Hee Han returns to the stage to conclude the day’s talks, ending on a proactive vision of a future driven by sustainable, eco-conscious technologies.

“I would like to talk about the future one more time,” he added. “The future of something very dear to my heart: our planet. I believe we have a responsibility to help create a sustainable future. We do that through Everyday Sustainability, a belief that every stage of the product lifecycle can be more sustainable.”

Han presented a range of Samsung sustainability commitments and environmental research directions, including responsible material sourcing, recycling, disposal, renewable energy and billions in investments toward meeting carbon emissions reductions.

“By 2027, we will run all DX operations on renewable energy,” Han said, ending the day on an optimistic note and a glimpse of a future for customers that is easier, more seamless, more frictionless and — crucially — more eco-conscious.

Watch the video below to see the complete recording of the SDC22 Keynote.

▲ Attendees explore the latest Samsung products at SDC22 booths.

¹ Samsung Research, acting as Samsung Electronics’ advanced R&D hub, leads the development of future technologies for the company’s Device eXperience (DX) Division.

Samsung Electronics held its annual Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) today in San Francisco, bringing together developers, creators and designers to explore seamless, connected experiences powered by Samsung.

During the event, Samsung shared more about its commitment to creating simplified, game-changing customer experiences, including the company’s updated vision for SmartThings as it evolves from a connectivity platform to an enabler of smarter lifestyles. From deeper integration with Bixby to seamless connectivity with Matter-compatible devices, SmartThings is creating a richer, more open world that empowers all users to streamline their connections and their daily lives.

“At Samsung, we continuously innovate our devices, platforms and services to be simpler and more convenient. I am proud to share the next generation of our work, like SmartThings, to further our collaboration with partners and developers,” said Jong-Hee (JH) Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics. “As technologies become more complex, we will always search for ways to make life easier, more connected, and more flexible, so our consumers can focus on what matters most.”

Connecting Platforms and Devices With Calm Technology

Samsung’s vision of seamless connectivity is inspired by the philosophy of Calm Technology — where devices instantly work together, so consumers can save time on setup and get right into the experience. To realize this vision, Samsung reimagined SmartThings and its connected services and partnerships, including Samsung’s Hub Everywhere, extending its capabilities to the entire smart home with audio and visual data as well as SmartThings Energy, SmartThings Pet and SmartThings Cooking. Samsung also partnered with Philips Hue to integrate Philips Hue Sync right into Galaxy devices so smart home lighting can match with music.

The seamless experience will extend beyond Samsung’s ecosystem through SmartThings’ integration with Matter and Samsung’s membership in the Home Connectivity Alliance. Google and Samsung have worked together to enable users to find and link their devices across platforms by building multi-admin feature on Matter devices. The collaboration will bring more devices and users into the connected home in the future.

Bixby has been integrated more deeply with SmartThings, a tool for developers to build more intelligent voice user interface experiences. As Samsung’s representative voice assistant platform, Bixby has evolved to become the on-device AI solution able to control individual Galaxy devices, as well as the cross-device experience throughout the Samsung ecosystem. With the new Bixby Home Studio, developers can now build differentiated, customized experiences for the SmartThings platform. In addition, Bixby will be even more widely available to users with support for Latin American Spanish, starting in November.

As the smart home is becoming more advanced, Samsung is introducing a new security paradigm, enabling Samsung devices to protect each other. Samsung Knox Matrix¹ is a private blockchain based platform that turns eligible Samsung devices into a shield to protect users’ entire device ecosystem — from Galaxy devices to TVs and home appliances. Plus, users can customize personal privacy settings with the new Security and privacy dashboard, which scans for vulnerabilities, recommends security updates and gives users data management options to keep privacy and security top of mind.

Personalized Services for Better Experiences

In the past year, Samsung TV Plus — Samsung’s free, ad-supported streaming TV and video (FAST) platform available on Samsung Smart TVs² and mobile devices — reached 100% growth in viewership,³ and projects three billion hours streamed by the end of the year. To build on this momentum, Samsung TV Plus has expanded its offering by adding partnerships with Lionsgate and Vice Media, providing 8K video on demand. Samsung TV Plus has also gone through a redesign, to reflect its extraordinary variety of content with more than 1,600 channels across 24 countries. Samsung TV Plus is the premium choice for a seamless ad experience, where stream stitching makes ad playback simpler than ever.

After 10 years of service, Samsung’s Tizen operating system (OS) continues to offer best-in-class user experiences. The Samsung Gaming Hub brings better, faster and more convenient access to gaming on Samsung Smart TVs, provided by industry-leading partners, such as Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Utomik and Amazon Luna. Samsung Gaming Hub bridges expertise in hardware and software to integrate features like AI Upscaling and multitask functions to make gaming on Samsung Smart TVs an immersive, optimized experience.

Tizen OS is also expanding to offer NFTs support with partners like Art Token, laCollection and Nifty Gateway. For B2B customers and developers, Samsung is providing B2B APIs specific to industries and use cases like Syncplay, which allows content to be synchronized and played in multiple signages. Tizen is also introducing SALT, a new content conversion solution to display the highest-quality HDR10+ content on supported TVs.

Your Galaxy, Your Way With One UI 5

By introducing the new One UI 5, Samsung has empowered users to easily customize their device’s look and feel, while enhancing productivity and providing amazing experiences across devices and platforms. One UI 5 brings more personalized experiences with custom-built Modes and Routines, and a Dynamic Lock screen that displays multiple visuals on your phone, your Galaxy Watch and other One UI 5 devices. With the new Bixby Text Call feature, Bixby Voice will answer calls on your behalf and share typed messages with the caller, speaking aloud as if you had answered. One UI 5 also introduces new daily health solutions to help track health and wellness in one place. This includes the Samsung Privileged Health SDK, which enables developers to build apps that leverage the BioActive Sensor on the Galaxy Watch.⁴

Future-Forward Investment and Research

Samsung Research is looking beyond today’s horizon to innovate for a better tomorrow, full of relentless innovation and open collaboration. Samsung Research is making its robot arm manipulation code available on GitHub, enabling academics, researchers and developers to examine new ideas in robotic manipulation.

The team at Samsung Research was also inspired by the new wellness features Samsung has introduced, particularly on the Galaxy Watch5. To find new use-cases leveraging these features, Samsung Research is working with universities and healthcare institutions that will explore areas like heart health, stress, blood pressure, lung health and neuroscience. As a result, Samsung is offering a full stack SDK — the Samsung Health Stack — which will jumpstart research into important health fields and spark new development.

Samsung invites developers, creators, partners and more to join in on its commitment to open collaboration and seamless experiences. For more information about the Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) 2022, please visit developer.samsung.com.

¹ Starting as early as late 2023, Samsung Knox Matrix will be initially available on selected Samsung devices. Support for other manufacturers’ products will follow later.

² Samsung TV Plus is available for selected Samsung Smart TVs only.

³  Viewership from September 2021 to August 2022 compared to viewership from September 2020 to August 2021

⁴ Available on Galaxy Watch4 series and Galaxy Watch5 series.

The new smart TVs powered by Tizen follow the announcement of Samsung’s Tizen TV Platform Licensing program at the Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) in 2021. The licensing program allows other TV brands to take advantage of Tizen OS, which provides industry-leading smart features, content discoverability tools, apps and modern user interface for the ultimate smart TV experience.

To support the seamless adoption of Tizen OS, Samsung collaborates with a selection of partners on content licensing and hardware optimizations. These partnerships give many TV brands access to a whole world of entertainment that Samsung Smart TVs exclusively provide, while also allowing Tizen to leverage its ever-expanding ecosystem to strengthen its offerings. Key features that the users of the licensed TV brands will gain access to include:³

• Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s free streaming TV and video platform that will allow users to enjoy hundreds of live channels, entertainment, news, shows and sports — for free.
• Universal Guide, allowing easy browsing and discovery of all content across different streaming apps, along with personalized recommendations so users can spend more time watching and less time searching.
• Bixby, a voice assistant platform that will provide users with more convenient way to explore smart TVs. Users can tell Bixby to search, watch, or perform various features.

Since Samsung teamed up with the Linux Foundation to unveil the first version in 2012, Tizen OS has made an exponential growth over the past decade. To date, around 200 million people from 197 countries are using Samsung Smart TVs powered by Tizen, and, the number is expected to expand with the latest addition of Tizen-powered smart TVs.

“2022 has been a memorable year for Tizen OS as we celebrate its 10^th anniversary and the very first Tizen-powered smart TVs available from other brands,” said Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Starting with these new Tizen-powered smart TVs, we will continue to expand the licensing program and introduce Tizen OS and its ecosystem to more products and brands around the world.”

For more details, please visit www.samsung.com.

¹ Tizen TV brands include Akai, Bauhn, Linsar (distributed by Tempo), RCA, Vispera (distributed by HKC) Sunny and Axen (distributed by Atmaca).

² Akai, Bauhn, Linsar Tizen TVs are available as of September 2022 in Australia. Other brands will be available later in Q4 2022.

³ Available smart features may vary depending on country.

Samsung recognized the importance of OS early on and subsequently began research and development. In April of 2012, Samsung unveiled the first version of Tizen, a Linux-based open-source platform. 10 years later, at this year’s SDC, Samsung will unveil its new vision for Tizen 7.0.

▲ The team behind the research and development of Tizen OS at Samsung Research: VP Jinmin Chung, Head of the Platform Team (center), and researchers Seonah Moon of the MDE Lab (left) and Jin Yoon of the Tizen Platform Lab (right)

Since the first version of Tizen was released, much time has passed and Tizen has evolved in a variety of ways. To learn the details behind the development of Tizen, Samsung Newsroom met with Samsung Research’s Vice President Jinmin Chung and researchers Jin Yoon and Seonah Moon, who have been working on Tizen since the beginning.

The First Step in Providing a Universally Connected Experience

Tizen is a Linux-based open-source platform led by Samsung and it also supports all types of smart devices. With the aim of being utilized in various types of Samsung products to support smooth product operation, Tizen has been equipped in about 330 million smart devices as of the end of 2021.

“We needed Tizen to differentiate Samsung’s devices from others and to provide a different service and user experience,” VP Chung said. “It’s already been 10 years since Tizen was first developed. We experienced challenges in the initial development stage, but we felt supported by the people who believed in the possibility and usability of Tizen and rooted for us. We focused on the research proudly knowing that we were leading Samsung’s own independent OS development project,” he added.

In 2014, for the first time, Tizen was equipped in Samsung’s Gear 2, a wearable device, proving its viability through its commercialization. Furthermore, a year later, Tizen was used in the 2015 Samsung Smart TV product line up that set a new bar of smart TVs.

Why Tizen?

Tizen has many advantages that enable it to offer the highest performance across Samsung’s devices. First, Tizen’s flexibility allows it to be easily applied to a variety of smart devices. In order to make this possible, Tizen went through multiple platform improvement processes. Several profiles were established based on the different types of products. Then, Tizen Common, which is the common module for all products, and the Specialized Module, which is needed for certain products only, were created. The structure is designed in a way that allows the platform to be quickly modified and applied to new products as well. This enables Tizen to be utilized in a wide range of products, including smart TVs, refrigerators and air conditioners.

Additionally, Samsung utilized its advanced know-how and experience in commercializing embedded system software when developing Tizen. The Tizen platform is optimized to perform well while using minimal memory and low power. It’s an open-source platform that can be used by anyone, and it supports optimized performance for immediate commercialization.

Tizen is also convenient for new product development because it is Samsung’s own independent OS. The platform can be modified as desired to add new features and services to products in a timely manner.

“Across the world, only a handful of companies own their own independent OS,” Chung said. “The fact that Samsung has its own OS called Tizen means that Samsung has become a company proficient in developing not only hardware but software as well,” he emphasized.

The People Behind Tizen: 10 Years of History

Many developers put much effort into the development and evolution of Tizen.

Researcher Jin Yoon has been participating in the Tizen project since its early stages, meaning he has witnessed the growth of Tizen firsthand. “Starting with Smart TVs, the applications for Tizen are gradually increasing, and the system is evolving and advancing further,” Yoon said. “In addition, the implementation of a new development language, framework and infrastructure makes development more convenient and increases the productivity of developers. Now, we’re working hard to secure usability that is appropriate for each product group that uses Tizen,” he continued.

“The code sources of Tizen are very stable because they’ve gone through actual commercialization. On top of that, they come with performance-specific details and security as well. This means third party developers can trust and find these sources,” Yoon said.

Expanding the application of Tizen to more devices and creating an ecosystem for Tizen is important for improving the usability of a product, but active participation in open-source communities is also crucial. This is because open-source communities enable community members to share problems and come up with solutions together, directly contributing to the improvement of software. In order to manage this, Seonah Moon from the MDE Lab, who’s been developing Tizen for eight years, is responsible for tasks involving open-source maintenance. Countless open sources were also used for Tizen’s development. Moon monitors each open source, analyzes its errors and shares her opinion on them to help outside developers access Tizen more easily.

A Bridge That Connects All of Samsung’s Products Together

Tizen is more than just an OS for Samsung’s developers and researchers.

Since the platform’s development requires constant maintenance, this means developers must continue to hone their skills. Tizen motivated each member of the development team to continue learning and improving their software skills. The developers of Tizen have grown into experts specializing in different areas. Since the team’s initial start, they have grown to accumulate many platform codes over the last 10 years. They also constantly learned by voluntarily participating in study group meetings.

“Tizen is like a bridge that connects all of Samsung’s products together,” Moon said. “Cooperation among business divisions is a must for utilizing the OS in different products. Through this cooperation, we can share our development knowledge with one another and also create a new service based on our OS,” Moon continued.

An Interconnected Device Experience With Tizen

Tizen has continued to evolve to allow all devices around us, including wearables, TVs, refrigerators and even robot vacuum cleaners, to provide new user experiences. When asked about what the future of Tizen will look like, the developers explained their ambitions to continue connecting devices using Tizen.

“We’re now living in an era where everything is connected to one another through the Internet of Things (IoT),” said Yoon. “By increasing the productivity of Tizen app development, I’d like to provide an innovative user experience where all Samsung products are connected to one another, creating an interconnected product ecosystem,” he explained.

“I’d like to lead the efforts in expanding Tizen’s use in a variety of ways by discovering new scenarios and utilizing even more advanced technologies,” said Moon when explaining her ambitions. “By growing together with Tizen, I’d like to become the ‘maintainer’ or the key contributor to the open-source project,” she continued.

“I dream of a future in which Tizen is equipped in all the devices that people use in their daily lives, enabling various devices to operate organically as if they’re one and providing intelligent services, like the metaverse,” Chung said. To enable this, Samsung Research is developing various technologies with many teams in order to manifest a future in which various Tizen devices are all connected through the OS, providing a Multi-Device Experience (MDE), modular AI and more.

The infinite possibilities of Tizen will be showcased at SDC 2022 this year. At the conference, Samsung Research will share how easy it is to make new devices based on the flexibility of Tizen 7.0, and how the new version of Tizen can strengthen intelligent services. As it continues to evolve in line with the era of hyper-connectivity and intelligence, the future of Tizen is bright and its applications are limitless.

To discuss these changing industry trends and the future of consumer preferences, Samsung Newsroom sat down with Kang-il Chung, Vice President and Head of Future Planning Group at Samsung’s Visual Display Business. Read on to learn more about how Samsung’s continuous TV innovations keep up with rapidly changing consumer lifestyles.

Opening Up a New Era of Streaming

Samsung launched Samsung TV Plus as a free streaming TV and video service in 2015, and as of August 2022, users from 24 countries can easily access connected TV and enjoy a wide range of content including news, sports, entertainment and more.

Since April 2021, the service has been available on Samsung mobile devices and Smart monitors, as well as on the company’s TV lineup. Now, select Family Hub refrigerators can also be connected to Samsung TV Plus¹ in the U.S. and Korea.

According to internal research, Samsung TV Plus ranks third among the over-the-top (OTT) apps used by owners of Samsung Smart TVs. In the last 12 months, Samsung TV Plus has seen a nearly twofold growth in consumer viewing, including nearly 3 billion hours streamed,² by highly engaged users worldwide.

Amidst this global growth, Samsung is opening up a new era for its free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) and video-on-demand service, with Samsung TV Plus now reaching 24 countries and 465 million devices globally across the company’s TV, smart monitors, mobile and Family Hub refrigerator lineups.

Enhancing Visibility for Viewing Versatility 

Samsung TV Plus’ new logo reflects the platform’s cross-device capabilities, with a blue and orange logo design on a black background providing improved visibility that signals the versatility of the platform.

Samsung TV Plus’ redesigned logo.

In line with the coloration of its logo’s redesign, Samsung TV Plus’ UI will also be available in a Dark Theme with enhanced visibility. Users can more easily browse what’s on now, recommended programs and channel lists.

The interface of Samsung TV Plus’ Homepage, featuring the Dark Theme UI.

Bringing Users More of the Content They Love

Along with these redesigns, Samsung TV Plus will unveil a host of new programming partnerships. In the U.S., Top Gear, Law & Order Special Victims Unit, NCIS and other popular content will is set to be available, and viewers can also enjoy the exclusive premiere of the trailer for Demi Lovato’s new music video.

Samsung Plus TV will offer Top Gear in the U.S.

In the U.K., Samsung TV Plus is exclusively offering viewers the 2022 season of America’s Got Talent, as well as all previous seasons from 2019 to the present. This will eventually include the season finale, which is set to be aired in September. Furthermore, the first native 8K produced TV series, Das Boot, has launched exclusively in 8K on Samsung TV Plus in Germany. It was produced by Bavaria Fiction for Sky in partnership with Samsung Electronics Germany and has been available to watch on Samsung Neo QLED 8Ks via Samsung TV Plus from 2020 onwards.

The new season of America’s Got Talent is coming to the U.K. exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, while viewers in Germany can look forward to Das Boot, the first native 8K TV show.

For Samsung TV Plus users in Australia and New Zealand, the first exclusive, owned and operated (O&O) channels have been launched. These offer fan-favorite shows from the eighties, nineties and noughties — collected under the umbrella channel Throwback TV — as well as competitions and reality shows from around the globe under its Entertainment Hub channel. In India, Samsung TV Plus viewers can enjoy even more content from some of the top national and regional channel partners as Samsung continues to strengthen its relationship with channel partners including Discovery, Republic TV, Aaj Tak, Mastiii, Q TV, Pitaara and Balle.

Growing relationships with channel partners mean viewers can enjoy the best in local and regional content, both retro and current.

As Samsung TV Plus expands its global scope, Samsung will continue to invest in premium content, exclusive premieres and key partnerships for its users. Not only does the platform see Samsung providing a diverse offering of channels and shows across a wide variety of countries and languages, but it also sees the company continuing to strengthen its global partnerships in order to provide its viewers with the very best content, free of charge.

¹ Samsung TV Plus compatible devices as of August 2022 include:
– TV: Smart TVs released after 2016 (availability may vary by country)
– Mobile: Devices supporting Android 8.0 OS and above
– Smart Monitor: M8, M7 and M5 Smart Monitors
– Family Hub: Products of Model 2.0 or above released after 2017

² From July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022

Samsung Electronics recently rolled out its #YouMake campaign, a campaign centered around customizing the color, design and even the combination of your Samsung products according to your lifestyle.

From refrigerators and TVs to smartphones and smartwatches, you can now make your Samsung experience your own across the full range of the company’s products. Going beyond simply expanding the product options available, this campaign lets you enjoy customized and connected product experiences through the Internet-of-Things (IoT)-powered SmartThings platform.

The #YouMake campaign empowers consumers to take the lead in customizing their own product experiences however they want. Samsung Newsroom has explored how the #YouMake campaign can transform different spaces in your home through combinations of different devices to help you embrace your individuality, so read on to discover how this campaign can inspire you to discover seamless product experiences that are truly tailored to your lifestyle.

#Scene 1, Transform Wherever You Work Into A Home Office

Due to the pandemic, the traditional ideas of how and where we work have fundamentally changed. Today, many people work from home or operate on a hybrid schedule, which combines working from home and commuting to the workplace. Now, #YouMake offers another opportunity to revolutionize how we approach the way we work at home. By connecting your smart devices through SmartThings, workers can create a new home office culture by breaking the stereotype that “work equals computer.”

Through #YouMake, you can start the day by working in your study with your Smart Monitor M8, but then step into the living room for a conference call using your Neo QLED TV. With its large screen, you can get a vivid sense of being in a meeting with your colleagues, as you easily read the meeting agenda and clearly see your coworkers’ faces. For materials that need to be shared during the meeting, you can quickly share them through your Galaxy S22.

With the SmartThings’ screen compatibility and connectivity features, including file sharing, you can choose the best products to use for different tasks in a simple, unified way.

#Scene 2, Customize Your Home With Design That Speaks to You

Your home is the one space that truly reflects your personality and style. Just like how you would select the wallpaper and furniture to decorate your home, you can now customize the colors and finishes of home appliances and electronics, such as your refrigerator, TV and smartwatch.

You can easily sync your style and your devices across your home with the #YouMake campaign.

For instance, if you’ve already chosen Bespoke Refrigerator panels to match your kitchen’s bright, pink-hued wallpaper, you can add a further splash of color to your home by installing The Frame and choosing bezel colors that coordinate with the Bespoke Refrigerator.

When having guests over, you can then select the perfect painting for any special occasion and display it with The Frame. You can also opt for a Galaxy Watch strap and watch face in matching colors for a stylish look that meets any dress code.

#Scene 3, Make Any Get-Together a Night To Remember

With the #YouMake campaign, you can transform wherever you are into a movie theater or a pumping party scene. The Freestyle, a lightweight and easy-to-carry portable screen, can display a large movie screen or provide mood lighting for parties. Simply turn on Ambient Mode on The Freestyle to display images that elevate the atmosphere and transform the vibe of the party.

If you’re in the mood to stream a video from your favorite OTT platform, you can also connect The Freestyle to your Galaxy S22 using the Tap View feature to utilize the UI of a Samsung Smart TV. With 360-degree surround sound that fills up the entire space, you can enjoy truly high-quality sound from anywhere.

Samsung is offering consumers the opportunity to take the lead in tailoring their product experiences to fit their lifestyles. Learn more about these compelling connected device experiences by following Samsung’s #YouMake campaign.

During the event, Samsung highlighted its consumer-centric approach to innovation. In particular, the company showcased how advancements in AI, IoT and security work alongside the breadth of Samsung’s portfolio to create experiences that fit into how people live, ultimately unlocking a new era of connectivity and collaboration.

“We are proud of the pioneering work we are able to do in partnership with the creative developer community,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “As society becomes more closely connected through new tools and devices, we want to make people’s lives easier and smarter – wherever they are.”

Platforms Designed for Connected Experiences

A strong platform of technologies across AI, IoT and security enhances the consumer experience and accelerates the ability of developers to build creative applications. Samsung detailed its plans to strengthen core platform technologies such as Bixby, SmartThings and Samsung Knox.

During the SDC21 keynote, Samsung announced improvements to Bixby, which has become a central part of the user experience for more than 300 million Samsung devices. Bixby now uses on-device AI and deep neural networks to process commands on devices themselves. Thanks to on-device AI, this development makes the service up to 35% faster than before.

For developers, Samsung also announced the Bixby Home Platform, which serves as an intelligent layer between Bixby’s natural language processing and SmartThings. With the platform, voice commands can now be executed more intelligently, taking into account the state and context of various devices.

Samsung made further announcements with regard to SmartThings, including how the platform will be fully integrated with Matter, the newest standard in smart home compatibility. Matter solves developer interoperability challenges and with an expansive list of partners, will be the catalyst that makes smart home connectivity nearly effortless. SmartThings Hub software will also be embedded into the Samsung product portfolio, which includes Samsung Smart TVs and Family Hub refrigerators.

Samsung believes that consumer data and personal privacy is just as important as the experiences they enable. Samsung is committed to providing a seamless consumer experience, and to ensuring that its devices and services are secure from beginning to end. Samsung Knox, the company’s defense-grade security platform, offers built-in protection for more than 100 million Samsung devices. To further secure consumer data, the Samsung Knox Vault comes in a combination of security-specific hardware (a new secure processor and isolated secure memory) and new integrated software that shields the most secure data from the Android OS and applications. During the SDC21 keynote, Samsung highlighted the importance of collaboration and its philosophy of open innovation to improve security and privacy, reiterating its work to continue releasing security analysis tools as open source projects.

Samsung also outlined its Privacy Principles at SDC21, highlighting the three commitments that guide all innovation at the company: Protection, Choice and Transparency. With these principles, consumers, developers and partners are given the information needed to make decisions about how data is managed. The company offers users the option to review and manage their permissions from the privacy setting on their Galaxy devices and Smart TVs and discloses Samsung’s privacy policies through the Privacy Portal. Going forward, Samsung will collaborate with global security experts while continuing to release open source security analysis tools to make its ecosystems more secure.

Tizen Takes Smart TV to New Heights

Based on its ‘Screens Everywhere, Screen for All’ vision, Samsung continues to build on its position as the world leader in TVs by developing new experiences that enhance connectivity, functionality and immersive entertainment. At SDC21, Samsung introduced various ways that Samsung TVs are enabling new experiences, including:

• Video communication based on partnership with Google to allow users to enjoy better video calling on TVs via AI-enabled focus and zoom features.
• Samsung Health on Smart TVs that connects with a webcam to analyze movements and provide real-time feedback during a workout.
• More realistic gaming thanks to HDR10+, with automated settings for low latency and HDR calibration.

For enterprises, Samsung will launch Tizen for Business. This service supports interactive e-boards in schools, kiosks in malls, and even displays in restaurants, airports and subways. With new management portals, businesses can conduct real-time monitoring and control screens remotely, easily applying settings to multiple devices with one simple touch.

With the Tizen TV Platform Licensing, manufacturers who want to introduce a premium TV platform like Tizen can do so quickly with minimal cost. This enables them to use the Tizen TV presence to promote their products in the Smart TV market, and ultimately, help more consumers enjoy Tizen.

Innovating Across the Galaxy Ecosystem

Samsung provides a user experience that meets the needs of all users and devices. And with an expanding range of device types and form factors, developers have a breadth of opportunities to innovate in new ways.

At SDC21, Samsung introduced the new One UI 4, the latest version of its user interface for mobile devices. One UI 4 will provide new levels of customization to enable users to create an experience and a device that is truly theirs. It combines Samsung’s leading privacy and security features with options for users to personalize permissions so that they are always in control of their data when using a Samsung device.

Samsung demonstrated the possibilities of One UI 4 to developers at the event, particularly for foldable devices such as the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3. Thanks to One UI 4, users will be able to make use of features such as Flex mode and Multi-Active Window, which enable users to enjoy more intuitive and user-friendly experiences that are unique to the foldable form factor. SDC21 also included a Galaxy Watch session that showcased developer tools to help them build new apps in the new watch app ecosystem.

Samsung invites developers and partners on its journey to bring new and secure experiences to life. For more information about the Samsung Developer Conference 2021, please visit developer.samsung.com.

Voice Recognition With Bixby: More Convenient Than Touch

Artificial intelligence (AI) enhances the performance of all kinds of devices essential to our daily lives, including smartphones, tablets, TVs and more. In particular, AI-powered voice recognition facilitates more seamless interactions between these devices. Principal Engineer Joohwan Kim from the AI ​​Client Development Group, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics, shares below how the Bixby voice assistant platform is set to enable more convenient experiences – using just your voice.

Q: What does the newly updated Bixby voice assistant platform look like?

Bixby aims to be the best voice interface able to control multiple Samsung devices using only a small amount of data. From this standpoint, we focused on providing a unique user experience that only Galaxy can provide when developing Samsung’s latest devices. For example, Galaxy Z Flip3 provides a Bixby function that allows users to utilize the Cover Screen, and Galaxy Watch4 series includes hands-free functionality.

Bixby has advanced in many ways as an AI platform, and, in terms of the engine, it supports Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) on-device. Because it processes users’ voices immediately from within the device itself, it is fast and secure in terms of privacy protection. Moreover, the development of Bixby Home Platform further expands the range of supported devices. What used to require multiple voice commands is now possible with only a single command that the device understands and performs accordingly.

Q: What are the areas of possible collaboration with developers around the world for the Bixby Platform?

There are several ways third-party developers can participate in Bixby. They can develop various voice services using Samsung’s AI engine in our smartphones, watches and Family Hub. This service, called a capsule, is provided by the Bixby Developer Center. We have also updated the developer tools to make debugging and natural language learning easier, and to allow convenient use of various UI components, all of which will be presented at SDC21.

The update being announced will make it possible to use for developers to harness multiple contexts when adding devices. Smarter device control has been made possible by Bixby Home Platform, an intelligent layer which sits between Bixby Voice – which provides natural language understanding and issues commands – and SmartThings’ Internet of Things (IoT) layer – which provides connection and operation between devices. Commands that previously had to be made individually for separate devices can now be more efficiently undertaken using the Bixby Home Platform. We are introducing this tool at SDC21 and currently working on providing it to third-party developers in the future.

Enjoy More of the Content You Love: Samsung Smart TV’s Tizen

In the past, TVs were evaluated only on their resolution and design, but given changing lifestyles and user demands, the kind of content a TV is able to provide has become paramount. Thanks to the Tizen platform, Samsung’s Smart TVs are able to provide users with a wide range of content able to suit any taste. Ju-hyun Choi, a Staff Engineer at the Software Development Group, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, describes below how Tizen has evolved to provide partners with the optimal environment in which they can develop with wide compatibility and stability.

Q: What are the new functions of Tizen Web Platform for Samsung Smart TV?

Through a powerful web standard technology called WebAssembly, high-performance web apps can now be developed on Samsung Smart TVs. For SDC21, we have prepared an upgrade plan that allows for the installation of the very latest web features for previously-released Smart TVs.

Q: The competitive edge held by Tizen-based display products has been strengthened thanks to the cooperation of partners from various fields. What are your future collaboration plans?

We are currently working on web-based cloud games, with the goal of allowing users to play the latest games on their Samsung Smart TV equipped with the Tizen platform – all without the latest consoles or expensive graphic cards. In order to achieve this, we are working closely with our current service partners. The Tizen platform, an open source-based operating system (OS), is open to everyone and we are working to provide the best possible development environment to developers that features a wide range of compatibility and development tools.

A Must for Innovative User Experiences: On-Device Personalized Neural Networks

Recently, on-device AI technology has been garnering attention. In the past, a high-performance cloud server capable of performing complex calculations was required in order to run AI-based apps, but when the neural network used in AI apps runs within the device, many advantages for users emerge. Jihoon Lee, an Engineer at the On-Device Lab at Samsung Research, explains below the role of on-device AI and cooperation with developers.

Q: On-device AI is considered a must for powerful and innovative consumer experiences. What kind of benefits will users enjoy from using it?

The biggest advantage offered by on-device AI is that the privacy of the users is maintained since all processing occurs on-device. Developers, too, will be able to provide services that are that much closer to the users, while also free from privacy concerns. For example, a camera app that harnesses facial recognition will not share sensitive data with a server if the AI is run on-device.

Another advantage is that on-device AI models can be used without an Internet connection or any mobile data consumption. For example, if a certain on-device AI model is required to be on constant low-power standby, the necessity of an Internet connection or data consumption could be a big limitation. With on-device AI, user application experiences are improved since there is no need to send data to a server and wait for results – resulting in reduced response times.

Thirdly, one is able to create custom AI directly on their device. Previously, the concept of personalizing the already-deployed AI firsthand was unexplored, as there was no framework to help train a deep-learning model on-device. Moving forward, we expect that NNTrainer, which we are presenting at SDC21, will play a big role in better recognizing a user’s face, their accent and even their pets to automatically create photo albums based on their furry friends – and more.

Q: In the future, what kind of synergies can be expected in this field through cooperation with the developers present at SDC?

Ultimately, we hope to bring users closer to AI through on-device training and personalization. We look forward to developers who attend SDC21’s sessions recognizing and utilizing NNTrainer in order to provide AI that is closer to users. Following such collaboration, NNTrainer, currently in its initial stages will become an even more mature framework. Since it is being developed as an open source, anyone can search for it and contribute directly.

Developing Watch Apps for Wear OS Powered by Samsung

Won-Hee Seo, a Staff Engineer at the Strategic Partner R&D Group, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics, below introduces the new developer tools and benefits of creating watch apps for the Wear OS Powered by Samsung platform, running on the Galaxy Watch4 series.

Q: It’s now easier to develop a great watch app for the Wear OS ecosystem. What are some new helpful experiences that will be available to users?

With the Galaxy Watch4 series, the most loved and used watch apps and services have been optimized for the new Wear OS Powered by Samsung platform. In addition to Samsung and Google services and apps such as Google Maps and YouTube Music, users will also have access to their favorite watch apps available for download in the Google Play Store. In particular, health-related apps, including Sleep Cycle, are starting to launch and are growing in popularity.

Many developer partners have started to work with the new tools available for the Wear OS platform, which has led to the release of many useful apps.

Moreover, we have launched Watch Face Studio, a new developer tool that makes it easy to design watch faces. Thanks to this tool, designers and developers will be able to create more watch faces, which provides users with a greater variety of watch faces to choose from, helping them to further personalize their watch with their own tastes.

Q: Throughout this session, you discussed the development of new watch apps with other developers. What was at the center of the discussion?

A total of four watch-related sessions were arranged for SDC21: one Highlight Session and three Tech Talk Sessions. They provide all the necessary information for developers, such as the developer guide, in order to help them more easily create diverse watch apps and services. In order to help stimulate the watch face market, a session was also added to SDC21 to provide a detailed introduction to the Watch Face Studio tool that is set to allow designers and developers to easily design and create faces.

Powered by the Tizen OS, Samsung Electronics’ TV lineup provides users with a central hub for seamless streaming experiences. Along with Samsung’s cutting-edge picture quality, state-of-the-art sound and user-friendly OS, the company’s partnerships with leading content providers such as HBO are bringing users’ at-home streaming experiences to the next level.

In order to learn more, Samsung Newsroom sat down with Jennifer Mirgorod, Head of Partner Management and Marketing for WarnerMedia, to hear about the state of streaming, the future of the industry and how HBO’s partnership with Samsung is bringing users a truly premium experience.

Q: Please introduce yourself and your role at WarnerMedia.

A: As head of partnership management and partner marketing, I’m responsible for the distribution and marketing of WarnerMedia’s streaming services including HBO Max, its transactional video business and the linear television networks. I lead the team managing our multichannel video programming distributor partners in North America as well as our global platform partnerships, including with Samsung.

Q: Streaming services have seen massive growth over the last year. What are some notable trends the industry has seen over the past year?

A: Since my career in media began more than 25 years ago, I’ve witnessed the entirety of the streaming industry’s lifespan. We’ve seen massive increase in its popularity over the years and the global over-the-top services market size is projected to reach $86.8 billion by 2026.¹

As more streaming platforms emerge, content is so critically important to any platform. This trend, then, has been of rising importance for ensuring that the most iconic titles – from Warner Bros. and across our entire portfolio – live on HBO Max. The relative scarcity of premium content in our industry has made owning franchises like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and the DC Universe, among others, has been an incredibly powerful differentiator for WarnerMedia.

Q: With more consumers “cord cutting” and moving to OTT services, how do you see the market for premium content playing out over the next decade?

A: The past few years have been described as the era of “peak TV”, with hundreds of new television series being released each year, and one thing has remained clear: consumers crave premium content. It’s premium stories that make their way into the zeitgeist and resonate with large audiences, regardless of the platform on which they premiere. HBO has long been the home for exactly that type of content and, with HBO Max, we fully expect to build on that.

Q: What changes has HBO made to its platform to promote growth and provide subscribers new experiences?

A: There are quite a few things we’ve done both to the product itself as well as our approach to provide the best possible experience to our customers.

Throughout HBO Max’s first year, our product team has focused on evolving the app by adding new features to ensure that the platform provides a premium experience that is fitting for the premium content it houses. That means adding new personalization features including “For You” trays, age-targeted kid profiles, improved design, improved content details pages, accessibility features and others. We also took a bold step late last year and decided to release our 2021 Warner Bros. theatrical slate in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day, giving customers the ultimate choice on how they wanted to consume content, which proved to be a solid strategy.

Our tech team is also working hard to deliver the best viewing experiences which includes support for HDR10 and 4K streaming. As we regularly update and release new content via HBO Max, you’ll see more and more content available in these formats.

Q: What have been some of the biggest benefits of HBO Max being available on Samsung Smart TVs?

A: There have been plenty of benefits we’ve found in partnering with Samsung and leaning into Tizen’s distinct operating system. Thanks to Tizen OS, Samsung’s TV and projectors allow us to take HBO Max into many different large-format surfaces and enable high-quality as well as varied interactions with users.

It also offers an integrated, streamlined experience for users for more enjoyable viewing. The HBO Max app will be featured on the launch bar for 2021 and 2022 televisions for convenient access, and we’re leveraging the strength of Tizen’s Universal Guide feature in those regions where it’s available. We have also deepened our integration of HBO Max content into Tizen’s search functionality to provide a more seamless experience for customers from start to finish.

Q: Is there anything you can share on the HBO Max roadmap that, along with Samsung’s Smart TVs, will help provide consumers with more valuable experiences?

A: Samsung is a valued partner of ours and we’re looking forward to building on a solid foundation we’ve built together since the launch of HBO Max. Samsung customers can expect key updates to the app experience in the coming weeks including the addition of 4K, Dolby Atmos and 5.1 audio. Also on the roadmap are enhanced functionality with Bixby, as well as the addition of ‘Continue Watching’ and ‘Personalized Preview’ features that will help to create an even more seamless and customized viewing experience.

Q: Lastly, are there any exciting movies and shows that HBO Max subscribers can look forward to later this year?

A: Absolutely. We are excited about a number of new series and movies set for release throughout the second half of this year and plans for expansion into new markets.

Our team is excited about the recently launched Gossip Girl series reboot, as well as the original film No Sudden Move, plus new Max originals The Sex Lives of College Girls from Mindy Kaling and the next chapter of Sex and the City called And Just Like That. There’s also the return of HBO-favorites including Succession, Insecure and Curb Your Enthusiasm. On the movie front, new Warner Bros. theatrical releases have been and will be released on the platform on the same days as theaters with titles including Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, The Many Saints of Newark and Dune, among others.

¹ Over the Top (OTT) Services Market Latest Industry Trends, Size, Share, Statistics, Applications and Competition Strategies by 2028, Fortune Business Insights

Below, Samsung Newsroom dives into the Samsung Smart Monitor series, which delivers all the key functions of both a TV and a monitor, allowing you to utilize the solution as a monitor when working, and then as a TV when it’s time to kick back. After we unbox the monitor, Newsroom delivers some handy tips on how to get the most out of your Samsung Smart Monitor, which allows you to do it all while maintaining a minimalistic aesthetic.

Unboxing and Setting Up the Samsung Smart Monitor

Samsung Electronics has recently added a larger 43-inch, UHD resolution widescreen product to its M7 Smart Monitor lineup, and has also introduced white editions of its M5 line of products. The picture above shows the unboxed 32-inch M5 monitor. As pictured, the box includes the monitor, remote control, HDMI cable, stand, power cable, and the stand base.

Setting your monitor up is very simple, with set-up instructions included in the box. First, attach the stand neck to the base and then screw it in at the bottom. After that, simply screw the stand neck into the bottom part of the monitor, place the monitor on a desk or table, and you’re ready to get started!

After assembly, connect the power cable and press the power button located below the logo to turn the monitor on. Select your language of choice, connect to the Wi-Fi, and then connect your Samsung account. You are now good to go! If you’d like to utilize the remote control’s voice recognition feature, it’s a good idea to register your voice at this time as well.

Useful Tip ① Simply Establish a Wi-Fi Connection to Enjoy OTT Services

▲ Watching a high-definition video on the 32-inch M5 model

While most other monitors require you to connect them to a PC or other device, the Samsung Smart Monitor allows you to enjoy a broad range of content with just the monitor itself once you complete the initial set-up. This is because all Smart Monitor models are equipped with the Tizen OS-based smart hub, which removes the hassle and only requires you to establish a Wi-Fi connection in order to enjoy all of your favorite OTT services,¹ including Netflix and YouTube, in stunning high definition.

▲ The 43-inch M7 model provides optimized multitasking and an immersive experience with its large screen

If you don’t subscribe to a particular OTT service, you can utilize Samsung’s TV Plus app, which is provided on Samsung Smart TVs. Select the Samsung TV Plus icon on the main screen, and you are instantly connected to a wide range of content, including movies, series, variety shows, news and sports shows. If you’re not sure what to watch, then the Universal Guide feature, which offers content recommendations based on AI analysis of the user’s preferences and what’s popular at the time, can be of enormous help.

▲ The 32-inch M5 model, which supports FHD resolution and the 43-inch M7 model, which supports UHD resolution

Whatever kind of content you like to watch, display resolution remains a very important factor when it comes to high-level viewing experiences. Samsung’s 43-inch M7 Smart Monitor supports 4K resolution, which enhances the quality of your content to an astonishing extent. The M5 model, which supports FHD resolution, also puts vivid, lifelike content right before your eyes. This high degree of resolution also allows you to closely analyze and minutely alter high-quality images when you are working on graphics or videos.

Also useful for when you are using the monitor for extended periods of time is the Adaptive Picture feature, which automatically adjusts brightness across 42 levels according to changes in the surrounding environment. This allows you to always enjoy your content in sharp, vivid resolution as the feature optimizes brightness according to various factors like the presence of sunlight, fluorescent lighting and darkness.

Useful Tip ② A Host of Connectivity Options for Laptops and Smartphones

Whether you have must-share photos and videos to upload, or you need to quickly access a work file, the Samsung Smart Monitor has a connection option to suit you, with the lineup offering connection support for a broad range of portable devices.

The Smart Monitor M7 series features a USB Type-C port on the back that allows it to be easily connected to a smartphone or laptop so that you can get down to work quickly.

▲ A laptop is connected to the 43-inch M7 model with a USB Type-C cable

With USB Type-C cable connection, you can even recharge your device with up to 65W charging while you’re working, thus removing any concerns about running out of battery while you’re hard at work. This reduces the need for cables, allowing you to enjoy clutter-free desk space devoid of messy cables and connectors.

Another handy way to use screen mirroring is with Samsung DeX, which connects the monitor to a smartphone or laptop with just a single touch. First, pull down the menu from the top of the smartphone screen, then select the DeX icon. From the list of wireless devices, select ‘Smart Monitor’ to connect. After that, you can open up the application you were using on your smartphone right on the Smart Monitor. From there, your smartphone can be used as a touchpad or to do something else if you prefer to use it to multitask.

For an even faster mirroring experience, use the Tap View feature, which activates mirroring with just a quick tap of the mobile device on the edge of the monitor. Simply open the SmartThings app on your smartphone and turn on the Tap View and Tap Sound features, and you’re good to go! After that, simply tap the edge of the monitor with your smartphone, and you’ll see a pop-up window for the connection between your device and your monitor.

Apple users might also want to check out the Smart Monitor series’ first-of-its-kind Apple AirPlay2 integration. This allows you to view movies, music and photos saved on your Apple smartphone or laptop on the big screen. Connect your smartphone to the same Wi-Fi network as your Smart Monitor, then pull down the top menu on the smartphone. Select Screen Mirroring, and locate the ‘Smart Monitor’ option. When you connect your laptop to your monitor in this way, you can even create a dual monitor setup for even more precise completion of design and editing tasks.

Useful Tip ③ Optimize Your Remote Work Set-up

After a long day at work, you arrive home intending to take it easy. But then, you suddenly remember that you forgot to complete a task while at work! Is there a way you could complete that task from home with just your monitor, and no PC available? With your Samsung Smart Monitor there is.

From Home, navigate to the Remote Access menu to find a range of remote connection options. Select the Remote PC icon, then enter the IP address and PC information of your work computer. From there, you will be able to remotely access your work computer and all the files on it. What’s more, save the accounts that you use frequently as separate profiles on your monitor to allow you to access them quickly and easily without having to enter your information each time.

By connecting your Microsoft 365 account you can even work on files on an external PC without having to connect to the PC itself. Select the Office 365 icon and log in to your personal account to access a cloud platform in which you can open and edit documents that you were previously working on without restrictions. Then, when you’re back in the office, simply access the cloud system on your office computer to continue working on the document you were working on from home. With your Samsung smart monitor, as long as you’ve got a mouse and a keyboard, you can work remotely with just the monitor alone, with no need for a PC connection.

Useful Tip ④ The All-purpose Remote That Gives You Complete Control

Let’s say you want to display something or play a video on your Samsung Smart Monitor but it isn’t convenient to connect a keyboard or mouse. In this situation, the Samsung Smart Monitor’s multi-purpose remote control is a lifesaver. This remote allows you to use the up, down, left and right buttons on the remote to control the mouse cursor and access all of the monitor’s functions from wherever you are. For frequently used web browsing and OTT viewing applications, there are even built-in buttons on the remote control that allow you to access them directly.

The remote control for the Smart Monitor series also supports a voice assistant that features nine different languages, for those times when it’s more convenient to speak your commands. This voice assistant can be used to control the monitor, as well as to access and navigate the settings, search, and Q&A menus. To use voice control, simply press the mic-shaped button at the top of the remote and say your commands. In addition to Samsung Bixby, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are also enabled on the remote control, allowing you to access a vast range of services whenever you want.²

And the Samsung Smart Monitor 43-inch M7 model even comes with an environmentally friendly solar-cell-powered remote control that does not require you to use disposable batteries. A solar voltaic panel on the back of the remote control contributes to protecting the environment by generating energy even in low-lit, indoor settings.

Whether you’re looking to work or play, the Samsung Smart Monitor is there to underpin your experience. In addition to being suitable for use as a TV when you want to lay back and watch your favorite content, the solution can also be used as a top-level monitor that you can complete tasks on. Optimized for the home-based, minimalistic lifestyles of today, Samsung’s Smart Monitor is enabling a smarter, more comfortable stay-at-home lifestyle.

¹ Google Assistant will be enabled in June, and Amazon Alexa will be enabled in July following an OTN (Over The Network) update

² Availability of services may vary by region and each OTT service or platform is available after subscription

The hidden secret behind the multifaceted offering of the Samsung Smart TV is Samsung Electronics’ smart operating system (OS) Tizen. Tizen is a Linux-based, open-sourced web OS that is open to everyone, and supports a range of devices including TVs, mobile devices, home appliances and even signage.

As of now, over 190 million people in 197 countries around the world are enjoying Tizen OS through their Samsung Smart TVs – though given the TV’s communal role in the family space, the number of actual users is expected to be much more. Tizen is a platform that truly encompasses Samsung’s user-driven values of “Screens Everywhere” and “Screens for All”, and the company is set to further expand the Tizen experience through collaboration across various fields including those of video, art and gaming.

Take a look six advantages of Tizen OS on the Samsung Smart TV in the infographic below to learn more.

Following the recent rollout of Samsung TV Plus to Australia, Brazil and Mexico, the service will be available in India and 9 new European countries – the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland and Portugal – starting from March 30^th with India. Users around the world will also be able to enjoy enhanced mobile app experiences, as well as exclusive arts contents.

Samsung TV Plus launched in India on March 30th

Samsung TV Plus: A Truly Global Streaming Service

Delivering instant access to news, sports, entertainment and more, Samsung TV Plus has become one of the fastest-growing streaming services in the world following its debut in 2015. By May, users in these 10 new countries will be able to gain access to Samsung TV Plus’s free Live TV content across the Smart TV platform, bringing the service’s offering up to 23 countries and comprising of over 1,000 channels worldwide.

For users in India, Samsung TV Plus will be available on any Samsung Smart TV model launched from 2017 to 2021. On March 30, the regional Samsung TV Plus service will launch with 27 channels, including 22 global channels and 5 Indian local channels including Republic, 9xm, and The Q.

Expanding the Samsung TV Plus Experience

In addition to the 10 new regions added to the Samsung TV Plus service, viewers can look forward to a more refined TV Plus app experience, new Smart TV features and never-seen-before art and lifestyle content.

The Samsung TV Plus mobile app,¹ launched in the U.S. in September 2020, will see an expansion of its service to Canada, the U.K., Germany and India this April. App users in France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Austria will also be able to enjoy mobile Samsung TV Plus experiences within the first half of 2021.

Samsung TV Plus mobile app

Samsung TV Plus is also bringing new content to arts enthusiasts the world over. Launched last week in the U.S., Samsung TV Plus is adding a variety of new channels to its global linear TV lineup, including ‘Loupe 4K’, the art platform’s first-ever 4K streaming art channel.

Loupe 4K, 24/7 art and synchronized music linear channel launched in US

“The growth of Samsung TV Plus has everything to do with the quality of the content, the ease of access and the multi-screen experiences offered,” said Sang Kim, SVP of Product & Marketing for Samsung Electronics. “We are working hard to deliver more to our customers wherever they are – including our mobile offering.”

Samsung TV Plus is regularly being updated in order to provide the best possible user experiences. Users can now take advantage of improvements made to the app’s Player UI, including a simpler player bar for more intuitive control. As Samsung TV Plus’s video-on-demand (VOD) offering continues to expand, users can expect to enjoy even more VOD content seamlessly and free-of-charge with the Samsung TV Plus Smart TV and mobile apps.

New player bar updated this week

¹ The Samsung TV Plus app is available free of charge on the Galaxy Store and Google Play in applicable regions for select Galaxy device users running Android O OS or higher.

Since launching in 2015, Samsung TV Plus has become one of the most popular OTT streaming services. Integrated into Samsung’s Smart TV platform, TV Plus is 100% free, no subscriptions or credit cards needed. The service comes pre-installed on Samsung Smart TVs dating back to 2016 and has recently launched the service on select Samsung Galaxy devices² in the U.S., making it even easier to watch live and on-demand TV anytime, anywhere.

TV Plus now partners with around 300 of the world’s leading broadcast networks, content platforms and digital creators to provide Samsung Smart TV owners a premium at-home viewing experience. With the new expansion, Samsung continues to add top tier channels and content familiar with TV viewers.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have seen how consumers spend time at home and how much they value access to great media content,” said Seline Sangsook Han, Senior Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We have seen TVs become the center of entertainment – from being a source of news to a streaming on-demand partner. With our latest expansion into new markets and content line-up, we hope that TV Plus continues to be a premium at-home destination for Samsung Smart TV users all over the world.”

Recent platform expansions have brought the total market presence to 12, with new additions that include Australia and Brazil; existing markets include the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Korea.

In 2021, Samsung will continue to expand TV Plus to other markets, with plans to launch in Mexico, India, Sweden and more European countries. Samsung Galaxy device users can also expect added functionality and additional devices to become available in the coming months.

Earlier this month, the Consumer Technology Association awarded Samsung 44 new product and service innovations, with TV Plus honored as a CES 2021 Innovation Award Honoree for Streaming.

For more information on Samsung TV Plus, please visit www.samsungtvplus.com.

¹ Samsung TV Plus is currently available in select regions including the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Korea, Australia, and Brazil. Service availability may vary by region and product.

² Galaxy users in the U.S. who own a smartphone from the Galaxy S9, S10, S20, Note 9, Note 10, Note 20, Fold, Z Flip, Xcover, A51, and A71 devices are able to enjoy free TV.

In order to make sure you never miss a single moment of the action of all the upcoming matches this season, Samsung QLED 8K is the perfect companion for avid sports fans thanks to its ultra-large screen, immersive display and revolutionary sound quality.

Enjoyment Without Boundaries

The roar of the crowd, the coordinated choreography of your favorite athletes and the sheer adrenaline of a win – nothing quite beats a sports game. But with Samsung QLED 8K, you can get closer to the action than ever before thanks to the ultra-wide TV’s revolutionary screen and sound technologies.

Samsung QLED 8K provides users with the best viewing experience currently available in the market thanks to its 100% Color Volume capable of creating around 1 billion different colors, along with AI Quantum Processor 8K technology, which enhances even low-resolution streams into 8K quality content.

Not only is the Samsung QLED 8K’s picture quality capable of transporting you right into the stadium or venue where your favorite game is being held, your QLED 8K further provides new levels of immersion and realism thanks to its ultra-large screen, Infinity Screen edges and ultra-slim design that ensure the screen blends right into the background and doesn’t distract from the action.

Furthermore, it wouldn’t be a true sports match without the engaging running commentary of the referees or those satisfying impact noises – which is why QLED 8K’s dynamic sound makes it the optimum screen to enjoy your favorite match on. Samsung’s QLED 8Ks come with Object Tracking Sound+ (OTS+) feature that intelligently follows an object’s movement around the screen and projects it into the space around it with the TV’s built-in speakers for lifelike, three-dimensional audio experiences.

Round-The-Clock Adrenaline With TV Plus and Smart TV

In terms of finding all your favorite games, be they live or on-demand, the QLED 8K range has you sorted. Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s free Smart TV video service automatically installed on Samsung Smart TVs in select regions, offers users access to over 100 channels including 13 leading on-demand sports programming channels. With no downloads, additional devices or credit card needed to use Samsung TV Plus, users can simply relax and tune into beIN SPORTS XTRA, fubo Sports Network and more without any inconvenience.

Furthermore, Samsung Smart TV users can easily navigate the major Over the Top (OTT) content service applications with just a few clicks thanks to the Universal Guide feature, which harnesses the power of AI to provide personalized recommendations tailored to your viewing preferences.

Avid fans should be sure to harness their Smart TV to enjoy Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video, a range of primetime and college sports including NFL, MLB, MLS and NASCAR on FOX Sports and world championship boxing on DAZN.¹ And if you’re up at a late hour in order to catch an international match, you can rely on the Samsung QLED 8K’s Adaptive Picture feature to automatically adjust the TV’s settings to the light conditions around you in order to maintain the optimum screen quality, whatever the time of day.

¹ Content services may vary by country.

Make Control and Discovery Effortless

Thanks to a wider range of voice assistant options, Samsung Smart TV users now have faster access to their favorite entertainment, real-time answers on screen, and the ability to seamlessly control their smart home devices with a voice assistant of their choosing. By activating voice commands, users can easily browse channels, adjust the volume, control playback, open apps and much more.

“The use of voice assistants on our Smart TVs has grown exponentially since Bixby’s launch in 2018,” said Seline Han, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “With Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa now supported, we are inviting our consumers to ask even more of their Smart TVs.”

Entertainment lovers can now use their preferred voice assistant to discover new content instantly with an effortless search by genre, director or actor. In addition to finding new TV programs and films to watch, viewers can ask Alexa, Bixby or Google Assistant to provide the weather forecast, find out the latest game scores or play their favorite tunes. With Google Assistant, viewers will also have access to the Google services they know and love to help streamline their days, including Google Search, Photos, Maps, Calendar and more.

“By bringing Google Assistant to Samsung Smart TVs, we want to connect your living room with the rest of the smart home and help you better manage your day, across your favorite Google services,” said Jack Krawczyk Director, Product Management for Google Assistant. “With our collaboration with Samsung, we are able to offer help from Google assistant to more people around the world right from the big screen.”

Users can add another hub to any room in the house with Samsung Smart TVs which can now be used to control the lights, set the thermostat, set an alarm or perform any other tasks under the command of a household’s existing voice assistant.

“Amazon Alexa on Samsung Smart TVs is designed to delight customers with an enhanced entertainment experience. Beyond navigating video and music content with ease, customers can also connect their Alexa built-in TVs with over 100,000 smart home devices, to make everyday tasks more convenient,” said Aaron Rubenson, Vice President of Alexa Voice Service and Alexa Skills. “Our collaboration with Samsung continues to bring customers the convenience of voice control on Smart TVs while giving customers access to their voice service of choice.”

Samsung Smart TVs Speak Your Language

Since the integration of Amazon Alexa across Samsung’s Smart TVs earlier this year, voice assistant support has been made available to Samsung Smart TV users in 14 countries globally.

Google Assistant is now available in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and will be rolling out to 12 countries by the end of this year.¹

For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

¹ Available in the UK, France, Germany, Italy by late October and in Spain, Brazil, India and South Korea by late November.

Samsung Electronics unveiled its first Samsung Smart TV in 2011. In 2015, the company introduced its Tizen OS and has continued making progress in this field with a view to provide users with differentiated services. But how exactly has Samsung adapted to recent changes in the way people are consuming content? What efforts have been made to advance Samsung Smart TVs into becoming better platforms? Samsung Newsroom spoke to Seline Sangsook Han, Vice President of Service Business Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, to learn more.

Q. Recently, a growing number of consumers have been putting more value on user experience instead of TV price or design when purchasing TVs. What is driving this change in purchase trends?

In the past, a user’s media experience came just from watching the broadcast programs provided by their set-top box or TV tuner. Under these conditions, the resolution of the TV’s screen and the way it matched the space it was placed in was the top priority for those purchasing TVs.

However nowadays, the way we consume media content is diversifying and the content itself is becoming richer and more varied. As such, users are now prioritizing their own unique experiences and considering how their devices fit into their own individual tastes and environments. On top of this, TVs are evolving into smart devices, meaning that the scope of their experience offering is expanding. All of these factors are driving the current change in trends.

Q. Are industry insiders noting an experience-centric user trend?

Samsung Electronics started to provide smart TVs in 2011 and emerged as the industry leader. However, back then, users were less involved with the smart TV trend and there were few partners active in the market. These days, smart TVs are becoming increasingly important, and Samsung’s Smart TV has become a pivotal partner. Trend analysis shows us that, today, people are enjoying binge-watching shows more than they are watching shows in real-time. According to our internal research, people are spending more time watching Over-the-top (OTT) content on Samsung Smart TVs than they are watching live content. U.S. users subscribe to an average of three OTT services, demonstrating that smart TV markets are on the rise globally.

Q. How is the Samsung Smart TV adapting to these changing trends?

Samsung is committed to keeping up with changing trends and the Samsung Smart TV has gone through extensive research for better user experiences. One of our top priorities has been figuring out how to provide users with the best possible experience of finding and enjoying the content they want to consume.

Samsung offers a content forwarding discovery service called Universal Guide to help consumers make choices easily by recommending content tailored to individual user preferences. In addition, Samsung TV Plus is available for users to enjoy a variety of channels on – news, entertainment, movies, TV shows and more. This is a free TV service, with no strings attached.

On top of this, users can also appreciate leading art works on their TV via the Art Store of lifestyle TV The Frame and enjoy indoor workouts through Samsung Health, a functionality that was released this year. These services particularly benefit those who have experienced unexpected changes in their day-to-day lives this year and are thus finding themselves staying at home more.

Q. What does it take to make a great TV platform?

Nobody can make a great platform while working alone. When we appreciate what an ecosystem means, a great platform can emerge.

From the perspective of partners, high quality technologies and user convenience should be ensured. Furthermore, for the sake of a platform’s users, enriching and useful content and user convenience are essential features, as these factors are what drive an engaging user experience. Samsung, as a platform provider, needs to create a viable marketplace with which to build a mutually beneficial business model in order to drive continued investment and partner growth and ultimately improve user satisfaction. At the end of the day, relentless efforts driving strategies tailored to one’s platform is what can bear fruit.

Q. What makes the Samsung Smart TV unique in terms of its platform?

The Samsung Smart TV was created as a television device. Over the past 14 years, Samsung has been ranked number one in the TV industry, and during these years, Samsung has continued to build its leadership across the markets as well as cultivated a robust user base. As a service platform, the Samsung Smart TV was not a leader at all in the beginning. Thanks to Samsung’s market leadership and product offering as a TV manufacturer, we have been able to reach users around the world, and this user base helped the company attract partners. Considering that TVs are a home necessity and play a pivotal role in consumers’ media consumption, the Samsung Smart TV has an unbeatable position and capabilities in terms of product manufacturing and supply, user experience design and ecosystem operation based on its own platform.

These days, fewer people are watching TV in programs real-time, but are still tending to consume other types of media content on their TVs. Many consumers choose bigger and higher quality TVs in order to enjoy more immersive watching experiences. Today, TVs are more than just viewing screens. TVs have seen their uses expanded into the fields of workout, productivity, entertainment and home Internet of Things (IoT). Samsung’s Smart TVs are becoming an integral part of their users’ daily lives, displaying the product’s boundless potential as a platform.

Q. The 2018 Samsung Smart TV was presented as a device capable of supporting various activities, while the 2019 Samsung Smart TV was defined as a provider of customized services for any and all user preferences. How would you define the 2020 Samsung Smart TV?

The 2020 Samsung Smart TV prioritizes delivering a next-generation screen experience to users. This year’s Samsung Smart TV enables users to harness new services, a range of partner applications and Samsung TV Plus in order to bring the content they want right in front of them easily and quickly. What defines the 2020 Samsung Smart TV is the facilitation of services like Bixby, Alexa and Google Assistant for easy access to such areas as art, fitness and gaming features across such applications as Samsung Health and Art Store.

Q. Can you share one useful tip for Samsung Smart TV users?

I prefer to pick the content I want to watch and enjoy it whenever I find it convenient to. I make good use of both Korean and international OTT services, as well as Samsung TV Plus, from Friday night through to the following morning and have developed my own TV guide packed full of exactly the content I want to enjoy. While streaming, I am also able to get my laundry done, as my Smart TV will let me know when my machine’s cycle is complete so that I don’t forget to take my laundry out of the machine.

I also want to recommend the Art Store of The Frame, one of Samsung’s lifestyle TVs, as this lets you curate artworks that not only match your tastes, but also your mood or even the weather – a small luxury I very much appreciate in my home.

Q. With the advancement of technologies, things we have previously only imagined are increasingly becoming a reality. Would you share how you think the Samsung Smart TV will evolve in the long term?

The Smart TV I dream of is one with a constraint-free experience, whatever and whenever you want to do. This means a literally seamless experience when watching, playing or working with screens, controlling your devices and connecting to the world, for each and every consumer, regardless of their situation. I believe that this is the beauty of the technologies and innovations that Samsung can do better than any other.

* Service availability may vary by region, service provider, language.

Samsung has ranked number one in the global TV market for 14 consecutive years due to the ultra-high definition picture quality, immersive sound and rich user experiences provided by its televisions. And at the heart of it all has been Tizen OS, an open-source operating system that makes it easy for users to enjoy an expansive range of services quickly and conveniently.

Samsung Newsroom looked into the key features offered by Tizen that are driving premium TV usability and elevating the experiences of both users and partners.

User Experience – Access Vast Amounts of Content Easily

When you use a smart TV powered by Tizen, most forms of content are just a few clicks away. Smart TVs equipped with the Tizen OS support major OTT (Over the Top) services applications by default. When hooked up, the TVs also provide access to Samsung TV Plus, which lets you view a range of content including variety shows, TV series and movies free of charge. This experience is further enhanced by the ‘Universal Guide’ feature, which harnesses the power of AI to make intelligent, personalized recommendations that are tailored to your preferences.

* Universal Guide screen displayed above is available for European users only.

With Tizen, quickly selecting the videos you want to watch from among the flood of content becomes a breeze. The operating system spares users from frustration by minimizing input lag, which is the time required for the TV to reflect commands. Tizen-empowered smart TVs also feature Auto Game Mode, which allows the TV to detect and automatically change settings for an optimal gameplay experience when the user is using a gaming console.

Content Developer Experience – Streamlined Content Supply Across Devices

To best enrich the smart TV experience, collaboration with a host of partners and developers is crucial.

At Samsung Developer Conference 2019, Samsung Electronics unveiled a range of development tools that streamline the app building experience for the Tizen OS. ‘EasyST’ enables users to quickly test online video content on TVs, while ‘Wits’ helps with monitoring apps in development in real-time on a television. These and a range of other tools are available for anyone to access.

What’s more, through use of ‘Samsung Checkout on TV’ users can easily subscribe to an app or purchase content using just their Samsung Smart TV, regardless of which kind of IPTV connection they have. This removes the need for the establishment of an independent payment system by developers.

This platform also enables partners of Samsung Electronics to conveniently provide content to more than 140 million users in 197 different countries around the world. Since Tizen OS supports a broad host of TV models that range from FHD to QLED 8K, the operating system has made reaching a wider user base easier and more efficient. Tizen OS also offers support for a number of virtual assistants, including Bixby, Alexa and Google Assistant, which further facilitate easy access to a diverse array of content.

* Service availability may vary by region, service provider, language.

Across a vast range of locations and user types, Tizen connects users with development partners in order to expand the depth and scope of TV experiences. Going forward, the multi-faceted operating system will strike partnerships in areas such as arts, fitness and games in order to continue expanding the role that our televisions play in our lives.

Samsung Electronics today announced that the company has received ‘Tried and Tested Accreditation’ for its 2020 Smart TVs from the United Kingdom’s Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) which is the first time this accreditation has been given in the TV industry.

RNIB awards its “Tried and Tested” accreditation to products, websites, apps or services which meet RNIB criteria for accessibility for consumers with impaired vision. This distinction enables the users to make easier purchase decisions and also underscores Samsung’s commitment to improving accessibility features on its TVs.

Samsung has worked with RNIB since 2013 to ensure that Samsung products are suited with the proper features to offer accessibility for all consumers.

Since 2014, Samsung has focused on enhancing accessibility features for users who are visually impaired, providing features such as ‘Voice Guide’ that enables the TV to read aloud program information and ‘High Contrast’ mode that displays graphic information with opaque black backgrounds and white font for enhanced visibility. In recognition of these features, RNIB presented its ‘Inclusive Society Award’ to Samsung Electronics in 2016.

Since then, Samsung Electronics has continued to improve and expand the accessibility features on its TVs to better achieve digital inclusivity for deaf and hearing impaired people as well as blind and partially sighted people. Features include:

• With upgraded Voice Guide feature, users can listen to key information on programs as well as instructions for the remote control and accessibility features. Users also can adjust the pitch and speed of the Voice Guide to suit their preferences.

• The Digital Magnifier which enhances and expands text and images on large screens while mirroring the Samsung Galaxy smartphone to a TV.¹

• The Focus Enlarge feature magnifies specific fonts related to TV control, volume and menus.

• Automatic recognition and enlargement of the sign language area for the hearing-impaired as well as ability to adjust and move the subtitle positions.

“With a growing variety of content and features, people are now having more fun with their smart TVs,” said Kangwook Chun, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is fully committed to providing comprehensive accessibility features on its TVs so that every user can enjoy their favorite content much more easily,” he added.

David Clarke, Director of Services at RNIB, said, “RNIB is delighted to award our Tried and Tested certification to Samsung in recognition of the accessibility features within their TV. RNIB and Samsung have worked together since 2013, and each year the accessibility features on their televisions have been improved and expanded.”

¹ Digital Magnifier may not be available on some Samsung mobile devices.

Samsung Electronics is further expanding its HDR10+ streaming content offering with the addition of Google Play Movies to the services that support its next-generation picture-quality technology.

Google Play Movies, the video streaming service operated by Google, started to support HDR10+ content in July this year. The HDR10+ service is now available on Samsung Smart TV in 117 countries including North America, Europe and Korea.

Users can now enjoy high-resolution HDR10+ 4K HDR content on the Google Play Movies, with numerous HDR10+ titles available such as Joker, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Shazam!, and Crazy Rich Asians. Google Play Movies plans to support HDR10+ technology on other additional platforms in the future as well.

HDR10+, which is the HDR industry standard led by Samsung Electronics, brings consumers perfect picture quality experience by optimizing brightness and contrast scene by scene for enhanced three-dimensional videos and accurate color expression.

Samsung Electronics formed HDR10+ LLC (HDR10+ technology joint venture) in 2017 and started to engage in certification programs in 2018.

Google Play Movies’s support for HDR10+ is expected to accelerate the expansion of the HDR10+ standard alliance, which already has 108 partners worldwide.

“We are pleased to expand partnerships with the top global streaming providers,” said Younghun Choi, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to strengthen the leadership of our HDR standard and lead the innovation in TV technology in the global market.”

With its TVs, Samsung provides a range of accessibility features so that every user can enjoy their favorite content without issue. From the Voice Guide feature, which provides an audio guide for TV settings, to the Audio Multi-Output functionality, which lets multiple users establish personalized volume settings, to a feature that automatically zooms in on the sign language interpreter screen, Samsung TV’s accessibility features have been developed through the consistent incorporation of user feedback into the development process.

Have you ever wished it was possible to take your favorite fitness class from your living room? You’re not alone — according to a recent survey conducted by Samsung Electronics, 76% of respondents say that, since social distancing measures were put in place, they have either started exercising from home or increased the time they had previously spent exercising at home.

That’s why this May, Samsung Electronics launched the Samsung Health Smart TV app, which allows users to utilize their televisions as portals to help keep their minds and bodies healthy from home.

So, what helpful and innovative features does Samsung Health offer on your Smart TV? Samsung Newsroom followed a day in the life of a mother and daughter to see firsthand how the Samsung Health Smart TV app was able to keep them moving and motivated from sunrise through sunset. We’ve shared some of the highlights from their day below:

# 7:00 AM Waking Up with Sun Salutations

Since they started using Samsung Health, this mother and daughter’s morning routine has been completely transformed. Instead of rushing around from the moment they wake up, they now start each day with a yoga flow. Thanks to Samsung’s ‘routines’ feature, they’ve set a daily alarm which triggers a pop-up message at their preferred time to help them maintain consistent with their practice. With a simple click of the ‘start now’ button, users can begin their chosen content without the need for further input.

On days they wake up feeling energized and want a bit more intensity, they simply open the Samsung Health app to see a host of top-tier recommendations. Samsung Health provides free access to various content from several premium fitness brands, such as barre3, Fitplan, Jillian Michaels, obé fitness and Echelon. What’s more? The suggested programs are systematically classified and organized on the screen, making choosing the right workout program quick and simple, even for beginners.

After a quick 30- minute yoga routine, they’re ready to start their day.

# 11:30 AM – Taking a Moment to Relax, Focus and Meditate

The daughter returns home, excited to share her workout data with her mother and turns on the TV. With Samsung Health, users can quickly and conveniently display their daily data, which includes total step count, daily activities, and total calories consumed, on the large screen of their Smart TVs. Users can also view these stats on their mobile devices anywhere, at any time, keeping motivated on the go.

It’s been a hectic morning full of work, so when a reminder pops up for the pair’s meditation break it’s a welcome one. Samsung Health offers mindfulness content in partnership with the world-renowned wellness app Calm, which offers audio content to guide users into blissful meditation, sleep or relaxation.

# 6:00 PM – It’s Time for a ‘Family Fitness Challenge’

It’s time for their mother-daughter fitness challenge! For the past week, the duo has been competing against each other to see who will win the muscle endurance training program. Using the ‘Challenge Program’ feature, users can motivate themselves by comparing their workout stats with their family members and friends. This particular competition ends with the mother claiming a razor-thin victory.

When not competing against each other, their favorite workout of the day is the ‘Balancing Exercise.’ Because they set ‘stretching’ as their preference, today’s recommended content is the ‘Balancing Your Body’ program. Samsung Health provides recommendations that are tailored to the user’s preferred workouts. Whether they want muscle training, dance workouts, mindfulness content or cardio/HITT programs, Samsung Health has the exercise program for them with over 250 instructive videos from an array of premium fitness brands. When it comes to muscle training and stretching, the user can additionally select from beginner, intermediate and advanced versions of the workouts.

# 8:30 PM – Let’s See How We Did – A Recap of the Day and Plan for Tomorrow

Starting with morning meditation through to their evening exercise challenge, the mother and daughter have had a full day of healthy living. Before going to bed, they review their workout stats on the TV and, together, plan for the days ahead.

Their Smart TV displays stats that include daily step count, number of calories consumed and number of active hours. It was easy to meet their personal goals today thanks to Samsung Health providing reminders and easy access to content they need in order to stay healthy. On the days they don’t, Samsung Health showcases the stats they should focus on for improvement. As they go over each other’s stats, they go to bed proud and determined to make tomorrow a healthy day as well.

For more information on Samsung Health, please visit: https://www.samsung.com/us/samsung-health/tv/.

Earlier this year, Samsung was the first TV brand to integrate Apple Music on its Smart TV platform. Now, that experience is enhanced and expanded as the time-synced lyrics function of Apple Music is introduced on Samsung Smart TVs.

Bring Every Verse to Life

As the anchor of the home entertainment experience, Samsung Smart TVs are designed to deliver stunning visuals combined with crisp sound quality. With time-synced lyrics on Apple Music, each song is brought to life through a unique, colorful, and dynamic background that is generated from the album art.

Effortlessly Navigate Favorite Songs

Time-synced lyrics on Apple Music is seamless and intuitive on Samsung Smart TVs. Users can easily scroll through a song by flipping through the lyrics, jump to a certain verse, skip straight to the chorus or see where they are at in the song whenever they want.

What if a user has a single lyric stuck in their head but can’t quite figure out what song it’s from? With Apple Music on Samsung Smart TVs, they can search for the lyric, find the song, and learn the rest of the words simply by hitting play.

Whether singing along to a hot new song for the first time, or revisiting a classic throwback, using time-synced lyrics on Apple Music will help make sure users are not missing a beat – or a line.

“Me & You Together Song” written by Adam Hann, George Daniel, Matthew Healy, and Ross MacDonald

How to Access Apple Music’s Time-Synced Lyrics on Samsung Smart TVs

Owners of Samsung Smart TVs can download Apple Music from the Samsung Smart TV App Store, sign into an existing account with their Apple ID, or begin the subscription process right from their TV. Samsung Smart TV owners can try Apple Music free for 3 months with an individual, family, or student subscription.¹

As soon as a user begins playing a song with time-synced lyrics available, each verse will automatically appear on screen along with the music so users can follow along as they listen.

For more information on Samsung’s Smart TVs, please visit www.samsung.com/tvs/.

¹ No commitment. Plan automatically renews after trial until canceled.

As people around the world continue to spend more time than usual at home, reports suggest that they have not stopped prioritizing their fitness. In a recent study from Global Web Index 85% of global consumers reported undertaking some form of exercise in recent months, with 51% relating that home workouts are their preferred form of exercise.

A March 2020 survey found that 16% of adults in the U.S. were watching an increased number of online exercise videos, in another study 60% of young people in the U.K. said they had been finding exercise helpful in managing their mental health these days.

All across the globe it can be seen that spending more time at home has not robbed people of their passion for staying fit and healthy. Below, we discuss three leading fitness brands whose services Samsung Health has made available through the 2020 Samsung Smart TV platform¹ to ensure that consumers are empowered to stay healthy from home now, and into the future.²

Thanks to the fully immersive picture quality of Samsung’s 2020 QLED 8K TV range, Samsung Health users can now enjoy a whole new standard of at-home wellness content on vibrant, ultra-large screens.

Calm – Making the World Happier and Healthier

‘Calm’ is a leading global health and wellness brand whose app ranks number one in the mental fitness category. The Calm app contains an extensive library of mindfulness, meditation and sleep content that Samsung Smart TV consumers receive access to free of charge.

Calm provides a range of meditation programs, music tracks and sleep stories that offer a wide array of durations and difficulty levels. The app’s mindfulness programs, for instance, offer a 7-day option for beginners and a 21-day option for advanced users. What’s more, Calm’s services are delivered to you through the pleasingly familiar voices of Hollywood celebrities including Matthew McConaughey and Stephen Fry and singer Leona Lewis, who have all recorded their voices for the app. Calm Kids content available on Samsung Smart TVs also allows families to get immersed in mindfulness, featuring everything from meditations with Thomas & Friends to piano lullabies from Disney classics like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Mulan.

Fitplan – Empowering You to Become Your Best Self

Fitplan is a dynamic mobile app that partners with world-class trainers to allow them to share their proven workout methods and empower users. With Fitplan users can identify their ideal physique, and ensure that they are working towards attaining it while also embracing a healthier and fitter future.

Using their Samsung Smart TVs, consumers can get free access to six workout plans and 50 different classes featuring five professional trainers – Melissa Alcantara, Natalie Jill, Brittne Babe, Jana Webb and Cam Speck. Through the Fitplan app users can set weekly goals, keep track of their stats, upload progress photos and add friends to share progress and plan joint workouts. What’s more, the app’s ‘form check’ feature helps users ensure that they’re performing each exercise properly.

Jillian Michaels – Giving You the Keys to a Healthier Life

Jillian Michaels is a well-known American personal health and fitness expert, author and television personality. The Jillian Michaels Fitness App provides users with access to interactive daily workouts, and additionally offers a premium paid service that provides customized exercise programs in multiple modalities that cater to individuals of all fitness levels.

Currently, Samsung Smart TV users can access a 28-day, curated workout plan, with adjustable beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. For users who are short on time, the app provides brief 7-minute workouts so that consumers can inject a little movement into their days when and where they can.

If anything, staying fit and active has only become more important as people spend increased amounts of time at home. Now, with Samsung Smart TV partnering with leading fitness brands, users can rest assured in the knowledge that a wide array of workout and wellness materials are available at their fingertips.

¹ 2020 Samsung Smart TV – Premium UHD TU8000 above and Lifestyle TVs
² Service availability and content partners may vary by country.

“The whole intention of Samsung Health is to motivate our consumers to live healthier lives by meeting them wherever they are, across Samsung platforms,” said Won-Jin Lee, Executive Vice President of Service Business at Samsung Electronics. “We knew that to do this, we needed to develop a user-centric and immersive platform that offered a variety of in-home fitness and wellness options. Given the current climate, we hope that the launch of Samsung Health makes it easier for our consumers to prioritize their physical and mental wellbeing on a daily basis.”

Wellness Your Way

Samsung Health enables consumers to customize their own health journeys by connecting them to premium content, a personalized performance dashboard, goal-based challenges, and intelligent features that keep them motivated and focused on achieving their wellness goals – both at home and on-the-go.

Personal custom features of Samsung Health include:

• Personalized Profiles: Consumers can create individual accounts for themselves as well as for family members. Each account receives personalized workout recommendations based on preferences.
• Dashboard: Users can connect to Samsung wearables and accompanying mobile app to see their personal stats flow through into one centralized place. They can keep track of the daily stats synced from all devices, analyze progress, and achieve desired goals.
• Content Browse: Samsung Health on TV provides a content-forward experience that allows users to access and consume fitness and wellness content from leading industry partners on the biggest screens available. Everyone has an option to choose from a diverse range of workouts provided by Samsung Health partners, whether in need of a daily meditation or a HIIT workout.
• Routines: Samsung Health helps keep the day energized with individual routines. After consumers set a routine and when the TV is on, it will give a reminder to play personal fitness or mindfulness content according to the schedule. Whether indulging in a morning workout or finishing the day with an evening relaxation session, the routines ensure that every workout plan is carried out easily.
• Challenges: Samsung Challenges also adds cheer and fun to the activities. Users can commit to a personal goal or invite family members to participate in a shared goal. Ranging from workouts to meditation goals, users can enhance motivation and performance throughout the journey to a healthier lifestyle.

Home Is Where the Health Is

Samsung Health also provides fitness and mindfulness content to create a comprehensive workout routine from the comfort and privacy of home. Consumers can browse a range of modalities including yoga, mindfulness, strength training, stretching, barre, pilates, dance, cardio and more.

The immersive app experience provides content-first discovery and personalized recommendations across meditation and fitness routines from premium brands that users know and trust – including Calm, obé fitness, barre3, Echelon, Fitplan, and Jillian Michaels Fitness. Only on Samsung Smart TVs can users enjoy select free content from all partners for the first year including more than 5,000 hours of free, in-home content and upwards of 250 instructive videos that vary in terms of exercise level and discipline. Following the launch of Samsung Health, the partner ecosystem will continue to expand, so that consumers are always able to discover something new or find content that suits their specific fitness needs.

Select Free Premium Content From the Best Fitness and Wellness Brands

Free mental fitness content including Meditation, Sleep Stories, and Music, in addition to the brand’s popular 10-minute daily meditation offering, the Daily Calm.

Free fitness and training content including six “plans” and 50 classes, access to five trainers with high quality audio and video tips, progress tracking, and in-app community features.

Interactive daily workouts and paid premium customized exercises for all fitness levels including an exclusive 28-day workout plan curated for Samsung TV owners.

20 free trial classes including boutique cycling and rowing classes, strength training, boxing, yoga, pilates and more.

20 free classes for Samsung Smart TV users including Strength, Sculpt, Circuit, Dance, HIIT, Dance-HIIT, Pilates, Yoga, Barre, Bounce, Boxing, prenatal and holiday/event themed classes – refreshed every 2 weeks.

50 pieces of free content to take care of the body and mind including full body workouts, strength & conditioning, mindfulness, cardio and more.

Samsung Health redefines at-home fitness by delivering additional utility right from Smart TVs and across other devices. It combines convenience, quality and analytics to create an all-in-one fitness system for every member of the family, with customized recommendations and suggested challenges. Between lively Zumba classes, invigorating HIIT workouts and calming sleep stories, there is an option designed to fit every consumer’s needs, goals and preferences.

For more information on Samsung Health, please visit: https://www.samsung.com/us/samsung-health/TV.

Samsung Electronics announced today the expansion of its award-winning lifestyle Home Entertainment portfolio with the addition of The Terrace, its first outdoor 4K QLED TV and accompanying soundbar. The Terrace is a Samsung Smart TV that is specifically designed to bring the full indoor entertainment experience outside. A consumer model of The Terrace is launching in the U.S. and Canada today, followed by rollouts to Germany, Australia, New Zealand and other regions later this year. And for businesses, a professional model will be launching this summer.

Available in 55-, 65- and 75-inch models, The Terrace fits perfectly with any outdoor living space and delivers Samsung’s industry-leading QLED 4K display technology and Smart TV features. Designed with weather in mind – with an IP55 rating, The Terrace’s display boasts weather-resistant durability against water and dust, and comes fitted for easy installation outdoors across a variety of settings.

“Today, new lifestyle habits and trends are evolving faster than ever before. Consumers are using screens to work from home, exercise using online platform, stay in touch with loved ones, and engage with many other activities. Screen should also be evolving in line with these lifestyle changes,” said Jonghee Han, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “With the introduction of The Terrace, we are thrilled to transcend the connected living room experience to the outdoors by delivering on engineering feats and content experiences that only Samsung can achieve.”

The Best Outdoor Entertainment Experience With Ultra Bright Picture Quality

The Terrace offers a crystal-clear display to increase visibility in all sorts of outdoor conditions. It provides a brightness level of 2,000 nits, ensuring that users will be able to enjoy content in vivid picture quality, even in broad daylight. Its QLED 4K display is perfect for sports fans: with a high motion rate¹, it provides clear, lifelike picture quality, ideal for motion-intensive content. Also, the display is coated with anti-reflection and adaptive picture technology which optimizes content by analyzing its surroundings to minimize unwanted glare.

Moreover, The Terrace also has acquired high standards in water and dust resistance (IP55) so it performs well in various environments. The product boasts durability, while offering a slim and sleek design at a mere 59.8mm.

Outdoor Smart TV Built-In Experience

The Terrace offers various content and browsing experiences that deliver seamless entertainment even outdoors. The Terrace comes equipped with Tizen, Samsung’s Smart TV platform, which powers features such as Samsung TV Plus, a free linear TV video service with over 120 channels, Samsung Health, a comprehensive fitness and wellness platform as well as the leading subscription streaming services.

In addition to supporting mobile viewing capabilities like Multi View and Tap View, The Terrace also supports multiple voice services including Bixby, Amazon Alexa and the soon-to-launch Google Assistant, helping it fit naturally into the smart home ecosystem.

The Terrace Soundbar Creates the Best Harmony With the TV

Finally, The Terrace and The Terrace Soundbar offer dynamic sound that redefines the dimensions of home theater. Right out of the box, The Terrace delivers high-quality sound and a deep and clear bass sound from its built-in woofers. For those who want to customize their TV’s sound output, The Terrace has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing it to be paired with The Terrace Soundbar or other devices. To offer the clear, rich sound for immersive audio experience, The Terrace Soundbar features distortion canceling technology regardless of the surrounding environment.

Featuring IP55 level durability, The Terrace Soundbar can be mounted to a wall, or directly to The Terrace TV. It packs powerful and crisp audio for a truly immersive outdoor home theater experience.

The Samsung 2020 Lifestyle TV Line

The Terrace is the latest evolution of Samsung’s award-winning Lifestyle TV portfolio first introduced in 2016 with the debut of The Serif. Samsung’s Lifestyle TV portfolio combines impressive technical performance including picture quality with personalized experiences for today’s consumers.

The 2020 Samsung Lifestyle TV line includes:

• The Frame: For consumers who want their TV to be part of and enhance their decor, The Frame is a high-performance TV when it’s on, and a dazzling art display when it’s off. It features a growing library of over 1,200 pieces of artwork from world-renowned artists and galleries including the Museo del Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, The Albertina, Saatchi Art, Artspace, Sedition, Magnum Photos, LUMAS and more. From beloved masterpieces to stunning photography, the Samsung Art Store² helps users turn their space into an art gallery. This year, Samsung debuted new 32 and 75-inch sizes to add to The Frame’s line of 43-, 50-, 55- and 65- inch models, providing more options to enhance the look and feel of any home.

• The Sero: The Sero, which means “vertical” in Korean, brings what people love about smartphones to the TV. It gives users the ability to rotate between horizontal and vertical orientations with their television – just like a smartphone or tablet. The Sero connects with users’ mobile devices to seamlessly display content in portrait or landscape, and it features a modern design that stands out in any living space. Available at a 43-inch model, The Sero displays an optimized aspect ratio so users can enjoy their favorite content, apps, and social media on a bigger screen.

• The Serif: The Serif was developed as an aesthetic-focused collaboration with world-famous industrial designers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec. With a 360-degree design perched on a floor stand, The Serif is a stunning centerpiece created for home decor aficionados who want to make a bold statement with their television. This year, it is available in 43-, 49- and 55- inch models.

For more information on Samsung’s The Terrace, please visit https://news.samsung.com/us/video-2020-lifestyle-home-entertainment-product-launch.

¹ High motion rate may vary by country.

² $4.99 per month. Art can also be purchased a la carte.

Introduced in 2015, Samsung TV Plus offers Smart TV users access to 518 channels¹ spanning news, sports, entertainment and more completely free, with no strings attached. Now available in a total of 11 markets around the globe, the service makes it that much easier to enjoy the content you want, when you want it.²

Check out the infographic below to learn more about Samsung TV Plus’s evolution and offerings.

¹ As of April 2020

² To learn more about Samsung TV Plus and its channel offerings, visit samsungtvplus.com.

As people worldwide spend more time at home, Samsung has been adding more entertainment and wellness options to its Smart TV platform. With Apple Music – available on models from 2018 through 2020 – subscribers can stream over 60 million songs ad-free, watch top music videos, and explore thousands of playlists curated by world class music experts and tastemakers.

Apple Music subscribers can also get customized daily recommendations and tune in to the innovative Beats 1 radio station, a global live stream with exclusive shows by artists like Frank Ocean, Nicki Minaj, The Weeknd, DJ Khaled, and Elton John. Plus, subscribers will also have access to new “At Home With Apple Music” content that includes new editorial playlists, group FaceTime chats with artists at home, special artist interviews and playlists and more to help create a sense of connection and community during this time of distancing.

“Our goal has always been to deliver the best entertainment experiences to consumers – and as people spend more time at home, we are more committed to that mission than ever,” said Salek Brodsky, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development for Samsung Electronics. “Last year, we were the first TV manufacturer to offer the Apple TV app, and today, we are the first to offer Apple Music. Our partnership with Apple has been instrumental in bringing consumers an unparalleled lineup of different entertainment options, especially as they seek out more content choices from their Smart TVs.”

Owners of Samsung Smart TVs can download Apple Music from the Samsung Smart TV App Store, sign in to an existing account with their Apple ID, or begin the subscription process right from their TV. Samsung Smart TV owners can try Apple Music free for 3 months with an individual, family or student subscription.

In addition to Apple Music’s vast catalog, subscribers can also watch original shows, trending concerts, and other exclusive content on their Samsung Smart TVs.

For more information on Samsung’s Smart TVs, please visit www.samsung.com/tvs/.

About Apple Music

Apple loves music. With iPod and iTunes, Apple revolutionized the music experience by putting a thousand songs in your pocket. Today, Apple Music takes this to the ultimate with over 60 million songs, thousands of playlists, and daily selections from the world’s best music experts including Beats 1 Radio, a global live stream. Since 2015, Apple Music has welcomed tens of millions of subscribers in 167 countries. Streaming seamlessly to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac, HomePod and CarPlay, Apple Music is the most complete music experience on the planet.

The TVs’ immersive displays are just as suitable for streaming heart-pumping workouts as they are for catching up on the latest binge-worthy show. And with simple controls for managing apps and connected devices, they make it that much easier to stay productive when working from home.

Read on for our tips on getting the most out of your Samsung Smart TV.

1. Enjoy Free Live TV

With Samsung TV Plus,¹ Smart TV users get instant access to over 100 channels spanning news, sports, entertainment and more – so they’ll never be at a loss when sitting down to stream.

Samsung TV Plus is 100% free, and comes pre-installed on all 2016 to 2020 Samsung Smart TVs. No downloads, additional devices, or credit cards required. With a simple internet connection, you can pick up where you left off on recently watched shows, discover new ones, and access video-on-demand services with ease.

With an ever-growing list of free channels – including CBS News, Bon Appétit, PlayersTV, and The Movie Hub in the U.S., as well as Rakuten TV’s Spotlight, Action Movies, Comedy Movies, and Drama Movies channels in Europe – Samsung TV Plus offers entertainment for every taste.

Along with this wide selection of leading channels and network favorites, there is also a wealth of free content for those interested in the arts. With a variety of concerts, tours and exhibits on offer, users can, from the comfort of their home, enjoy a high-definition concert by the Berlin Philharmonic,² or marvel at one of the Metropolitan Opera’s nightly opera streams.³

2. Work Up a Sweat

As much as we might enjoy our commute-free routines when working or studying from home, it’s still important to stay active throughout the day – even if that means turning your living room into a workout studio.

Luckily for Samsung Smart TV users, at-home workout videos catering to virtually all interests and abilities are just a few taps away.

Simply click on the exercise service of your choice, choose a workout to stream, and get started. It’s as simple as that. With the TVs’ high resolutions, you’ll never miss a step while working up a sweat. And with a variety of services available and more on the way, it’s easy to find the content you need to take your fitness routine to the next level.

Samsung’s new Samsung Health service offers a simple solution to satisfy Smart TV users’ fitness needs. Set to launch at the end of May in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Korea, with more markets on the horizon, Samsung Health combines free fitness content from world-class partners including the popular meditation app, Calm, as well as obé Fitness, Fitplan, Echelon, barre3 and Jillian Michaels. Compatible with 2018-2019 Samsung Smart TVs, the apps make it easy for users to workout at home.⁴

With Samsung Health, users will also enjoy access to the service’s wide-ranging content catalog completely free for one year after the service’s launch.

3. Work More Comfortably From Home

In addition to offering a range of options to help keep users active and entertained at home, Samsung Smart TVs make it that much easier to stay productive when it’s time to get to work.

In 2019, Samsung introduced its exclusive Remote Access feature. Available on the company’s latest Smart TVs, it allows users to remotely access and manage their personal computer(s) through their TV, regardless of their PC’s location.⁵

Remote Access also offers a wide variety of cloud-based documentation services that can make it easier for students to continue studying at home. They can even use a web browser to view online courses and live lectures on their TV’s spacious screen, so they won’t miss a single note or detail.

Remote Access also comes equipped with Wi-Fi Direct, which facilitates seamless screen sharing between TVs and PCs, mobile phones and tablets. This versatile feature opens the door for users to enjoy a wide range of content on their TV’s larger screen.

4. Find Some Peace and Quiet

Even the most media-savvy among us occasionally find ourselves needing to take a break from staring at screens to enjoy some peace and quiet instead. Thankfully, Samsung TVs’ Ambient Mode can help us do just that.

Ambient Mode enables Smart TVs to foster a relaxing environment by displaying works of art, family photos and other calming content when turned off. For those times when you’d like to completely tune out, you can program Ambient Mode to match the wallpaper or background of the space behind your TV, so your screen will blend seamlessly into its surroundings.

Transforming your TV into your own personal photo gallery has never been easier thanks to Tap View. Available on Samsung’s latest TVs, Tap View lets you mirror photos and other media to your TV’s screen with a simple tap of your smartphone. And with QLED displays’ revolutionary image technology, you can rest assured that your favorite snaps will be showcased in the full, high-res quality they deserve.

We’ve only just scratched the surface of what Samsung’s Smart TVs can do. Click here to learn more about the lineup’s latest updates and innovations.

¹ Samsung TV Plus is available in select regions including the U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Korea, and Thailand. Service availability may vary by region. TV Plus is available on 2016-2020 Smart TVs in the U.S., Europe and Thailand. In Canada, the service is available on 2017-2020 Smart TVs. In Korea, the service is available on 2013-2020 Smart TVs.

² Service is compatible with 2016–2020 Samsung Smart TVs.

³ Instead of downloading the app, users can choose to access the service via their Smart TV’s web browser.

⁴ Service availability and content partners may vary by country. Samsung Health will be launching on 2020 Samsung Smart TVs in the near future. Users with 2018–2019 models will be able to access the apps mentioned above via their Smart TV’s Apps section.

⁵ Available on 2019 and newer Smart TV models. Both the TV and PC must be connected to a network.

“As our community grapples with unprecedented disruptions to their daily routines, it is important for homebound consumers to have access to free high-quality health and wellness offerings,” said Salek Brodsky, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development for Samsung Electronics. “Our partnership with these premium brands redefines the boundaries of what free streaming services can provide, and we look forward to enhancing these offerings by bringing a full Samsung Health experience to our TVs later this year.”

Over 250 instructive videos are available now – from barre classes and guided meditations, to celebrity-led personal training sessions –  for Samsung Smart TV consumers to access from home.

These premium health and wellness apps will be fully integrated into Samsung Health, which will launch soon on 2020 Samsung Smart TVs, and will expand upon the suite of apps available today. Samsung Health will provide consumers with more alternatives to traditional exercise options, like gyms and group classes, and adapt to each consumer’s unique schedule – allowing it to become a crucial pillar of our consumers’ daily routines for years to come.

Our Partners

“Our mission at barre3 is to teach people to be balanced in body and empowered from within, and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to share it with the entire Samsung community. With workouts ranging from 10 to 60 minutes, plus bonus content to complement your practice, barre3 has everything you need to support your health goals, both body and mind. With this partnership, we invite the Samsung community to share in the barre3 movement, founded on body positivity, authentic connection, and celebrating inherent strength.”

– Sadie Lincoln, CEO and Co-Founder of barre3

About the App:

Build strength and discover remarkable results with free full-body barre3 workouts, taught by world-class instructors. Stream barre3 workouts combining strength conditioning, cardio, and mindfulness, and enjoy restorative B3 Foam Rolling videos to help you feel balanced in body and empowered from within. Samsung Smart TV consumers can take care of both their bodies and minds with 50 free pieces of content.

Availability:

• Available now on all 2018 and 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States and Canada.
• Available this summer on all 2020 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States and Canada as part of Samsung Health.

“Being able to train millions of people from the comfort of their own home on the Samsung TV, gets me one step closer to my mission of helping millions of people live a better life through health and fitness. Thank you Samsung.”

– Cam Speck, co-founder and president of Fitplan Technologies

About the App:

Fitplan brings the world’s best fitness trainers together on one platform and provides members with the exact training methods of those who inspire them. Fitplan offers high quality video and audio tips, progress tracking and in app community features bringing members an elite personal training experience at an affordable price. Samsung Smart TV consumers can work out to 6 “plans” and 50 classes, with access to 5 trainers – all for free.

Availability:

• Available now on all 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia.
• Available this summer on all 2020 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom as part of Samsung Health.

“Truly an at-home fitness brand, Echelon has always focused on inclusivity and accessibility. Our commitment to connection through workouts is about to go one step further. Through a partnership with Samsung, the number one brand in television, and available on Samsung Smart TVs, we are now able to make our offerings even more widely available through just the push of a button. There’s never been a more vital time for connectivity and Echelon is honored to have been hand-selected by Samsung to help keep people across the country connected, active, and well in trying times.”

– Echelon CEO Lou Lentine

About the App:

The Echelon FitPass app delivers the most immersive and diverse experience in connected fitness. Powered by world-class coaches, a full schedule of live daily studio classes & a library of thousands of on-demand workouts, the Echelon FitPass features boutique cycling & rowing classes, strength training, boxing, yoga, pilates, stretching, Zumba and much more. With new classes and workouts filmed every day, the Echelon FitPass can help people of any fitness level get in the best shape of their lives. All with one membership. And all from the convenience of your home’s Samsung Smart TV. Samsung Smart TV consumers can enjoy 20 free trial classes.

Availability:

• Available now on all 2018 and 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia.
• Available this summer on all 2020 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom as part of Samsung Health.

“While families are home, I hope access to my app with Samsung will be another useful tool to stay fit, healthy, and strong.”

– Jillian Michaels, founder of Jillian Michaels Fitness

About the App:

Jillian Michaels Fitness App provides an infinite variety of free interactive daily workouts and paid premium customized exercise programs in multiple modalities for individuals of all fitness levels. An exclusive 28-day workout plan curated for Samsung Smart TV consumers is available now.

Availability:

• Available now on all 2018 and 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Available this summer on all 2020 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom as part of Samsung Health.

“Our workouts offer a fun, effective way to get a premium fitness experience without leaving your home, and our digital community allows members to build connectivity while physically apart. It’s our priority to continue to keep our community fit, connected, and occupied now and always. We’re excited to grow our audience further through our partnership with Samsung, and look forward to bringing obé into new homes across the country.”

– Mark Mullett and Ashley Mills, Co-Founders of obé.

About the App:

obé is a premium fitness platform, offering immersive, live workouts, with more than 14 live classes per day and a library of 4,000+ workouts taught by the most sought-after instructors. obé’s signature 28-minute complete-body workouts include Strength, Sculpt, Circuit, Dance, HIIT, Dance-HIIT, Pilates, Yoga, Barre, Bounce, Boxing, prenatal and holiday/event themed classes. Samsung Smart TV consumers can enjoy 20 classes, refreshed every 2 weeks, for free.

Availability:

• Available now on all 2018 and 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States and Canada.
• Available this summer on all 2020 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States and Canada as part of Samsung Health.

About the App:

Calm is a leading global health and wellness brand with the #1 app for mental fitness, with a robust library of mindfulness, meditation and sleep content, on a mission to make the world happier and healthier. Samsung Smart TV consumers can access all content, 100% free.

Availability:

• Available now on all 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Brazil, Portugal, UAE, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco.
• Available this summer on all 2020 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Korea as part of Samsung Health.

Samsung is proud to work with leading brands to help consumers stay active and healthy at home. Stay tuned as we launch the Samsung Health platform early this summer.

* The Samsung TV Plus home screen displayed above is available for U.S. users only

Samsung TV Plus, Samsung Electronics’ free Smart TV video service, is continuing to expand its free linear TV line-up. Automatically installed on Samsung Smart TVs in select regions¹, Samsung TV Plus now offers over 100 channels to users across news, sports, entertainment, and more.

Samsung TV Plus has also expanded its movie offering with the launch of its owned and operated channel, The Movie Hub. With its growing linear TV offering, Samsung TV Plus has something to suit every interest thanks to its diverse range of channels. For example, in the U.S. market, the service offers users the likes of CBS News, Yahoo Finance, Reelz, Lively Place and Crime 360 (from A+E Networks), Kitchen Nightmares, The Design Network, Bon Appétit, Tastemade, Fuse, VEVO, beIN SPORTS EXTRA, fubo Sports Network, Outside TV+, and many more.

Samsung TV Plus offers users free TV, no strings attached. No download, additional device, or credit card is needed – just an internet connection. With its new user interface (currently available on all 2019 Samsung Smart TVs with availability for 2017 – 2020 models in the U.S. coming later this year), users can easily pick up where they left off of on their recently watched shows, discover new ones, and access video-on-demand services. Plus, with the addition of the Samsung TV Plus button on all 2020 Samsung Smart TV remotes in the U.S. and Canada, users can easily access the full gamut of content Samsung TV Plus has to offer with just one click.

* Remote design and button layout could vary by model and region

To learn more about Samsung TV Plus and its channel offerings, visit samsungtvplus.com.

¹ Samsung TV Plus is available in select regions including the U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Korea, and Thailand. Service availability may vary by region. TV Plus is available on 2016-2020 Smart TVs in the U.S., Europe and Thailand. In Canada, the service is available on 2017-2020 Smart TVs. In Korea, the service is available on 2013-2020 Smart TVs.

Samsung is always working to find ways to make your smart home even more personalized, automated and fine-tuned to the way you live your life. Our Internet of Things (IoT) vision for SmartThings is to create an open, intelligent and global platform that can improve the way users manage their lives, and so we are constantly working to expand on SmartThings’ tools and capabilities so that we, together with a global community of developers, can expand the capabilities of IoT for your smart home – and beyond.

In order to improve your SmartThings experience, at SDC 2018 we introduced Works With SmartThings (WWST) to deliver a better connected living experience across more devices. At this year’s SDC, we are introducing the new Rules API to bring the full power of SmartThings to developers, making the process of device automation that much easier for users to enjoy the most seamless smart home experience yet.

Making Your Smart Home Work for You

Setting up your smart home with SmartThings and enjoying all the conveniences Samsung and partner devices have to offer is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Simply create a SmartThings profile after downloading the app, let the app automatically connect all your supported devices, and configure custom automation for your daily routines.

The portfolio of devices that can help you control your smart home is ever growing. Thanks to Works As a SmartThings Hub (WASH) program, which lets you transform your existing hub device into a SmartThings Hub, and WWST, which lets you integrate a growing number of devices into your Samsung SmartThings ecosystem, your smart home can do more for you than ever before. Today, SmartThings brings together more than 5,000 different smart home products, including those from over 100 different partners for over 45 million monthly active users.

We also understand that, when managing your household, security is always key, which is why we have introduced a new range of smart home products and services, such as the SmartThings Cam, SmartThings Vision, SmartThings Video, and SmartThings Home Monitor to provide real-time data and monitoring straight to your SmartThings app for 24/7 control.

SmartThings Automation

Samsung is constantly working to bring more power to SmartThings users’ fingertips through collaboration with partners and developers. At last year’s SDC, we introduced a new suite of tools for the redesigned SmartThings Developer Workplace, and this year, we are bringing even more SmartThings tools to developers, such as the Rules API. With Rules API, developers are able to create and manage complex automations within the SmartThings Cloud, meaning that the number of services and products available to users with automation built into their capabilities is set to expand.

Automation with SmartThings not only allows you to control individual devices, but also to create a variety of personalized smart home sequences that will automate complicated processes for you.

For more information on how to get started with SmartThings and which devices are compatible with it, visit the SmartThings website.

HDR10+ technology optimizes brightness and maximizes the contrast ratio, making bright areas brighter and dark areas darker. The feature is available on all UHD TV and 2019 8K TV models, including Samsung’s lineup of QLED TVs.

“With HDR emerging as one of the most important technologies for ultra-high picture quality, our HDR10+ format enables every image to be accurately displayed on screen just as the creator intended,” said Hyogun Lee, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to strengthen our industry leadership through establishing partnerships with top streaming service providers and equipping our televisions with the technology needed to support the world’s first 8K HDR10+.”

“Our main goal in this partnership with Samsung is to offer the highest-quality content services available to our customers,” said Victor Chekanov, CEO at MEGOGO. “We will maintain our initiative in the Russian OTT service market and plan to provide dozens of HDR10+ movies to Samsung Smart TV users starting late this summer.”

Aside from the aforementioned OTT streaming services, several other industry-leading content partners are collaborating with Samsung. Rakuten TV, Deutsche Telekom’s Magenta TV and Videociety are all expected to adopt HDR10+ support for its respective VOD services between Q4 2019 and Q1 2020. Also, Molotov, the first French OTT streaming service to offer live and on-demand TV channels all in one place, is also considering to adopt HDR10+. The growing list of premiere content partners is a testament to the industry’s commitment to the best viewing experience possible for consumers.

HDR10+ content availability continues to expand. Recent announcements from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment debuting HDR10+ on UHD Blu-ray with “The Secret Life of Pets 2” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, respectively, add to the UHD Blu-ray discs already released from Twentieth Century Fox and others.

Since Samsung began the HDR10+ logo certification program with Panasonic and 20^th Century Fox last year, 81 companies have joined the program, boosting the program’s influence in the industry. Samsung has also strengthened its effort with the new opening of an HDR10+ center in China last December, following Korea, Japan and the U.S. With TV manufacturers such as Hisense obtaining HDR10+ certification in China, the HDR10+ alliance is expected to expand even further.

Along with HDR10+ certifications of existing TVs and smartphone products, Samsung is working to implement the program for its B2B products. For example, micro LED models such as The Wall Pro and The Wall Lux have been HDR10+ certified, and the company plans to expand the ecosystem to include Samsung’s line of LED products.

For more information on Samsung’s HDR10+-supported products, please visit https://hdr10plus.org/.

https://hdr10plus.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/IFA-2019-HDR10-FINAL-CLEAN-b2.pdf

Samsung Electronics announced that beginning today, all 2019 Samsung Smart TVs and select 2018 TV models with a firmware update will feature the all-new Apple TV app in more than 100 countries and offer AirPlay 2 support in 176 countries. Samsung customers are now able to enjoy Apple TV channels and iTunes movies and TV shows on Samsung Smart TVs.

“For the last decade, Samsung has been at the forefront of offering the broadest selection of content available to consumers on our Smart TV platform.” said Won-Jin Lee, Executive Vice President, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “As the first TV manufacturer to integrate the Apple TV app on a Smart TV platform, Samsung continues to offer our customers incredible value and access to the Apple TV app experience on the largest screens available today.”

Fully integrated into Samsung’s Smart TV platform, users can simply select the Apple TV app icon to access all of their iTunes movies and TV show purchases and browse more than 100,000 iTunes movies and TV shows to buy or rent, including titles available in 4K HDR, in pristine picture quality. Customers around the world can also subscribe to Apple TV channels within the Apple TV app — paying for only the ones they want — and watch on demand directly in the app. Samsung Smart TV users will be able to enjoy Apple TV+, Apple’s original video subscription service, in the Apple TV app across the same model lines when the service launches this fall. With AirPlay 2-enabled Samsung Smart TVs, customers can now also effortlessly play videos and other content from their iPhone, iPad or Mac directly to their Samsung Smart TV.

The Apple TV app will work seamlessly with Samsung’s Smart TV Services, such as Universal Guide, Bixby and Search, to create a consistent experience across Samsung’s platform.

For more information on Samsung’s Smart TVs, please visit https://www.samsung.com/tv.

Showcased at CES 2019, Samsung’s 2019 Smart TVs signify the next stage in the evolution of intelligent displays, as the screen becomes a hub for content and device connectivity in the home. This year’s lineup builds on the innovations of previous years, including the Universal Guide and the One Remote Control, to bring an enriched experience to the home. Equipped with the new Bixby, a conversational AI platform, not only do the 2019 Smart TVs enhance your content experience, but they also widen the reach of connected living.

Below are three key developments for Samsung’s 2019 Smart TVs that will change the way you think about content and connectivity at home.

1. Stronger Partnerships, Even More Content

Samsung has expanded its partnerships to provide a greater variety of content to viewers in 2019. From Over The Top (OTT) and live TV streaming, to free channels and lifestyle media, a large range of content and services are now available to choose from.

What’s more, in March a landmark partnership with Apple will come into effect, allowing iOS devices like iPhone, iPad and Mac to stream directly to Samsung’s 2019 Smart TVs via Airplay 2, without the need for Apple TV or an additional connection. Samsung customers in over 100 countries will have exclusive access to Apple’s new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app on Samsung TVs when it is launched.

2. A More Intelligent Search for Content

With such a vast library of content, sometimes you need a little help finding just what you want to watch, when you want to watch it. The 2019 Smart TVs are equipped with an advanced Universal Guide that analyzes a user’s preferences and viewing patterns to provide personalized content suggestions.

New Bixby is an AI platform that asks intuitive questions, encouraging sequential conversations to better understand what users have in mind. Just like how people get to know each other better through each conversation they have, new Bixby learns more about a user’s preferences from each interaction, so the AI platform can make informed suggestions about what to watch. New Bixby on Samsung 2019 Smart TVs also covers a wider range and can hear voices from a greater distance, so you no longer need to press the speaker button on your remote control to talk to the intelligent assistant.

The seamless experience of searching for content with new Bixby is demonstrated on stage at the CES 2019 Samsung Electronics Press Conference.

3. Seamless Connectivity Throughout the Home

2019 Smart TVs can act as a hub for the home, allowing you to control devices around the home with the SmartThings dashboard. SmartThings seamlessly connects and controls devices around the home, creating a comprehensive IoT ecosystem. Users can create automations that control devices or run scenes whenever certain conditions – such as the time of day, device status or the locations of family members – are met. For example, an air conditioner might turn itself off when open windows are detected, or a smartphone might switch on the lights at home when its GPS indicates that it is close by.

Samsung’s 2019 Smart TVs can also strengthen home security systems. Whereas smaller displays can only show the feed from one CCTV camera at a time, this year’s Smart TVs have larger screens that can simultaneously display footage from several cameras, giving users a more comprehensive view of their security environment.

Another key development for the 2019 Smart TVs is Remote Access control for peripheral devices. Remote Access can provide users with wireless control over connected PCs, laptops, smartphones and tablets, allowing users to remotely access their programs and apps on a larger TV screen. The feature works when the connected devices are both close at hand and in another room.

Thanks to their open ecosystem, 2019 Smart TVs are able to have seamless interactions with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. Users can navigate a range of simple operations such as turning the power on/off, controlling the volume and changing channels all with their pre-existing voice assistant.

Whether it’s by expanding content partnerships, enhancing AI capabilities or strengthening device connectivity, Samsung is committed to providing users with individual personalization and tailored services for its Smart TVs in 2019.