Antstream and Blacknut Joining Samsung’s Game Streaming Offer

Antstream Arcade is the world’s largest cloud gaming service that provides players access to over 1,500 iconic games and weekly new multiplayer challenges and tournaments. Select Samsung TV owners will soon be able to battle their friends and the global community at the best games from the 80s, 90s and 00s, from Pac-Man to Mortal Kombat and Metal Slug.

“Antstream Arcade believes that combining gaming’s past with gaming’s future will push the industry forward to the next era of video games,” said Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream Arcade. “What fulfills that promise better than retro arcade games played on Samsung’s most advanced Smart TVs? Game streaming provides gamers with more opportunities to play games they love or classics they missed out on.”

With a growing catalog of 500+ premium PC and console games, Blacknut’s Cloud Gaming subscription based service offers the largest unlimited access to gaming content for TV screens. Blacknut allows a “click and play” experience, allowing up to five players to play simultaneously on any compatible smartphone, PC or Smart TV. Blacknut’s library focuses on core and casual family members, delivering a wealth of titles spanning classic AAA games, indie favorites, story-driven adventures, strategy and also the largest collection of racing and sports games. Blacknut’s members can enjoy acclaimed hits, such as Metro Exodus, Overcooked as well as a vast collection of Disney games.

“Blacknut is now bringing the largest Cloud Gaming catalog included in one subscription to Samsung, the number one game streaming destination,” said Nabil Laredj, VP, Business Development & Licensing at Blacknut. “We designed Blacknut as a family gaming platform including five player profiles that can play simultaneously. Bringing our service to Samsung devices allows more gamers to experience the future of gaming.”

Launching in 2023, both Antstream and Blacknut game streaming will become available to owners of select 2021, 2022 & 2023 Samsung TVs.

Bringing Cloud Games to Millions of 2021 Samsung Smart TV Owners

Rolling out through the end of the year, Samsung is giving more players access to game streaming through select 2021 Samsung Smart TVs. Samsung will make available individual apps from game streaming partners Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Utomik, with Blacknut and Antstream Arcade coming in 2023. By expanding the game streaming experience to select 2021 Samsung Smart TVs, existing Samsung customers will now have instant access to the same games available through the Samsung Gaming Hub on 2022 Smart TVs and Monitors.

“When Samsung Gaming Hub rolled out earlier this year on 2022 TV models, the number one question we received was ‘when is game streaming coming to my 2021 TV.’ Today we are happy to share with our eager fans that they will be able to play the games they love before the end of this year,” said Mike Lucero, Head of Product for Gaming at North America Service Business Team, Samsung Electronics. “With any leading Bluetooth-enabled gaming controller and internet connection, millions of players will be able to access an expansive library of games ranging from the best AAAs to the hottest indies and retro games directly through partner apps on select 2021 Smart TVs, making Samsung devices a preferred destination for game streaming.”

Once available, the individual gaming apps can be downloaded from the Samsung App Store via the Media Hub directly on the TV.

4K Games Available on Samsung Smart TVs via NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW

Rolling out in a few weeks, the offer will enable GeForce NOW players to stream PC games at up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second natively in 2022 and select 2021 Samsung Smart TVs without waiting for downloads, installs, patches or updates. GeForce NOW premium membership is required for an enhanced experience including 4K resolution, faster frame rates, RTX ON, priority access to NVIDIA gaming servers and extended eight-hour session lengths.²

For more details on the Samsung Gaming Hub, please visit https://www.samsung.com/tvs/gaminghub.

To learn more about the latest Samsung Gaming TV’s visit samsung.com/us/gamingtvs.

¹ Eligible 2021 models include: QN800, QN850, QN900, WS1A, QN700, LS03A, AU7000, AU8000, AU9000, Q50, Q60 & Q95-Q70.
² GeForce NOW premium membership subscription requirement may vary by countries.

As people become increasingly more health-focused, tech industry realized the value in pursuing projects that help individuals monitor their health and fitness. Principal Engineer Jinwoo Song from Samsung Research’s Data Research Team explained how Samsung Health Stack project helps developers and engineers optimize app development and more.

Q1. What does Samsung Health Stack do and what benefits does it ultimately provide?

Samsung Health Stack is an open source project that provides help in conducting research related to digital health using wearable devices, developing applications needed and creating tools for backend server and analysis in Android and Wear OS environment. By utilizing Samsung Health Stack, IT developers and engineers can save time and cost needed for developing the right environment, and researchers can focus more on conducting research studies that utilize new digital data. I believe that such convenience for development will be a great foundation for various forms of digital health care research and new data-based technologies.

Q2. What was the focus of the open source when designing Samsung Health Stack?

We designed it by analyzing the user experience of everyone involved in healthcare research so that the solution can accommodate the entire process of recruiting participants, collecting data and analyzing data. When there were some difficulties during the course of the development, we found solutions through health care-related cooperation with many research institutions.

In addition, we made effort to provide the structure that can continue to be scaled up to handle new forms of data and devices that become the interest of digital health researchers. In particular, we’ve designed the structure so that only certain necessary parts can be selected and expanded for use in order to enable application in various cases that go beyond clinical research, such as the area of care, etc.

Q3. What do you think the direction of development will be going forward for data-based health-care technologies?

Due to the technological advancement including AI, and the transition to aging society, the digital technology that centers on consumers and data is becoming more important in the field of health care. In order to respond to such changes, it is important to have the capability to safely manage and precisely analyze various data on users.

We believe that a world in which everyone will be able to receive customized, optimal health care solutions with data on users’ everyday life will come in the future. We’ll continue to make effort to develop technologies and products to make this possible, and we look forward to seeing many developers participate in this effort.

In order to create the best product experience, Samsung’s One UI platform offers a simple and intuitive interface across all of its devices, putting the user at the center of its unified device experience. Content Strategist Josh Ross from Samsung’s Core UX Group of MX Business shared the inspiration behind One UI and how it was created with users in mind.

Q1. What is One UI and what experiences does it provide to users?

One UI is the unified platform for Samsung Galaxy products, from phones and tablets to watches and Galaxy Books. It creates a single, seamless experience that empowers users to get the most from their Samsung products.

Q2. To create an intuitive and easy-to-use interface for users, One UI adheres to four key principles: simplicity, effortlessness, consistency and authenticity. Can you explain why these principles are important for development of One UI and how you think this enhances the mobile experience for users?

You need principles so you can be sure your design is heading in the right direction. We’ve chosen these four principles because they put the focus on the user, which is what we always want to do. Simplicity helps users focus on what matters. Effortlessness means that you don’t have to struggle to get things done. Consistency means that things work the way you expect them to, which helps to make things effortless. And authenticity is about creating experiences that feel natural, like a part of your own self-expression. When these principles come together, the result can be very powerful but also subtle. You don’t always notice all the work that goes into the design, and that’s actually good. The best design is almost invisible.

Q3. Why are partnerships an essential part of One UI? What are the benefits of partnerships for One UI development?

Partnerships are a huge part of the One UI experience. As good as Samsung is, we need the insight and expertise of others to deliver the best experience to users. Partnerships make apps like SmartThings and Samsung Wallet possible, so that you can do amazing things like control your car or your lights, make payments, board an airplane and so much more, right from inside One UI. Partnerships enrich our Samsung Health content with fitness expertise about everything from sleep coaching to body composition to mindfulness. Partnerships add flavor to your chats with GIFs from Giphy and Tenor, stickers, fun camera features on Snapchat and much more. Partnerships like the Global Goals app, a collaboration between Samsung and the UN, help bring awareness to important causes.

We want to empower our users to do things the way they want, with the apps and services they love. Partnerships are a huge part of that.

Q4. Going forward, what are some things users can expect from Samsung’s One UI?

We have a lot of things we’re announcing at SDC this year, so I don’t want to give everything away, but you can always expect further refinement and improvement. We look at everything from icons and animations to how you organize and find things and so much more. We’re learning more and more from our users about how the foldable experience changes things, so keep looking for exciting developments in the area of unique features for the Galaxy Flip and Galaxy Fold.

Samsung has also partnered with HealthTap to provide telemedicine services through its Smart TVs. Samsung’s Tizen, an open-source operating system, helped developers optimize the service for use on Smart TVs. Sean Park, Senior Product Manager from the Experience Planning Group of Visual Display Business, explained more about accessing telemedicine through Samsung’s Smart TVs.

Q1. How did Tizen help with the development of this service?

Samsung Electronics’ smart operating system (OS) Tizen provided the grounds for easy navigation on the large screen display. Tizen is very quick to deploy as evidenced by what we were able to achieve in three months’ time.

Q2. What are the benefits of accessing telemedicine services through Samsung Smart TVs?

Everything nowadays has gone remote. We want to provide Samsung users with a more convenient way to access medical care, which is telemedicine.

Samsung’s collaboration with HealthTap allows you to see a doctor through a large screen from the comfort of your home, creating a more immersive telehealth experience. If you want to access services including mental health counseling, you can do that with Samsung Smart TVs. For those who are a bit older and whose vision makes it difficult to use a small mobile screen, or for those who need to hold small children while consulting a doctor, they can easily access telehealth services through Samsung Smart TVs. We want everyone to be able to easily see a doctor from home, which we believe is not only convenient but necessary.

Ultra-wideband technology (UWB) has been recently gaining more and more attention in the smart device industry. Principal Engineer Haeyoung Jun from Samsung Research’s Standards Research Team talked about the importance of standardization of UWB and how it could shape the future of the industry.

Q1. What is the role of the FiRa Consortium that Samsung Electronics established in 2019 with key industry players, and what specific activities does it do?

The FiRa Consortium develops the interoperability standard and certification program to enable consumers to use services powered by Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology in smart devices across devices made by different manufacturers.

After the FiRa Consortium was initially established by only a few companies, including Samsung Electronics, there are now more than 115 member companies participating in defining the interoperability standard together. Furthermore, FiRa is exploring various applications that utilize UWB, and is cooperating with multiple standard organizations across various industry verticals for the standardization of these applications.

Q2. We’d like to know why UWB technology is gaining attraction again recently and how it is moving forward.

As many service providers and manufacturers investigate use scenarios utilizing relative location information obtained by direct communication among devices without heavy infrastructures, the barrier to implementing UWB technology and applications have been lowered. Along with Samsung Electronics, global companies are also implementing UWB into their devices. As the number of UWB enabled products increases in the market, there will be motivation to install UWB infrastructures as well. We anticipate that, if just one or two game-changing UWB applications emerge in the market, the UWB ecosystem will expand rapidly.

Q3. We’d like to know what the new era of wireless communications envisioned through UWB technology standardization would look like in detail.

UWB technology allows your own devices to detect the location, including distance and direction, of other UWB devices in proximity. It also enables the secure data transactions among devices as well as secure internal interfaces, therefore UWB can provide different type of location-based services that GPS is unable to. For instances, UWB brings the same effect as tagging NFC to a reader even with the smartphone placed in a pocket or bag. With the standardized UWB technology, consumers will be able to access new convenient services across multiple verticals.

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

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/.

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.

Samsung Electronics is leading the change by strengthening the intelligent function of its 2018 QLED TVs with artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). This year’s QLED TVs have dramatically simplified the consumer process for utilizing their TV, from the first set-up to connection with other devices. What’s more, the TVs are now able to share content with, and control, connected devices. These are the result of Samsung’s efforts to innovate the user experience based on the company’s understanding of consumer usage and by incorporating the intelligent assistant Bixby and the SmartThings IoT platform.

Effortless Set-up

The first step, of course, is to get the system set up – by taking just a few simple steps. When setting up for the first time, the TV will automatically connect to a user’s Samsung smartphone, or any mobile device with the SmartThings app installed, and take the user to the set-up step. The network information on the user’s smartphone will be shared, instantly connecting the TV to the Wi-Fi network it is connected to. If the user’s mobile is already linked to a Samsung Account, that information will also be shared with the TV.

Users can also select their apps of choice from their smartphones to enjoy them on Smart TV, and their favorites can also be added to the launcher for easy access. Once set up is complete, users won’t have to worry about it again. Unlike in the past where users had to sign in to each app on the TV, the Effortless Login feature will share and store the login information from a users’ mobile in the 2nd half of this year. The QLED TV allows users to instantly access their favorite social networking or music streaming apps.

IoT Devices Connected by a Single App

According to a survey by business solution provider CSG, 9 out of 10 consumers already own IoT devices, and half of consumers expect IoT to make tasks easier around the home. But, the process of connecting the TV to the peripherals tends to be a hassle for many. The 2018 QLED TV has tackled such challenges once and for all with ‘SmartThings,’ an integrated IoT platform that’s available now.

Users can run the SmartThings app on their smartphone and click ‘Add Device’ to automatically find all the IoT devices in the house that users can connect to. When turned on, SmartThings detects IoT devices at home ranging from traditional home appliances like washing machines and air conditioners to baby-cam, lights, doorbell, and locks. Device information in these connected homes can be viewed at a glance on the TV using the SmartThings Dashboard. The TV immediately becomes the control tower of the living room. Users can, for example, operate the air conditioner after checking the home temperature. Or check the remaining laundry time on the washing machine. Users can also choose to charge or run the PowerBot robot cleaner, and take a look at what ingredients are in the Family Hub refrigerator.

New Family Messenger in the Living Room

TV has made it easier than ever to review the pictures and videos taken on a smartphone through the Gallery app. Photos and video clips can be uploaded on Samsung Cloud which is connected to the user’s Samsung account, ready to be viewed on a big screen. When you take a picture on your mobile while you are traveling, you can immediately share your memories with your family as soon as a notification is uploaded to the TV. The Gallery app enables users to share the same content on the family hub.

The QLED TV will play the role of a special mediator in the living room to help family members communicate easily on a deeper level.

No More Multiple Remote Controls. Just Speak to Bixby.

The QLED TV has been equipped with ‘One Remote Control’ function which can control various peripherals with one remote control. In particular, this year, it supports not only game consoles, OTT (Over the Top) boxes and speakers, but also audio products connected with optical cables.

Bixby Voice also helps make navigating the QLED TV easier. By pressing and holding the remote control voice recognition button, it is possible to search content as well as set up a TV without having to operate it several times. It is a strength that users can find various VOD (Video on Demand) contents such as Amazon, Hulu, and HBO as well as the contents of the set-top box. Users can also get additional information like the soundtrack while watching TV. For example, say “What is this song” to find out what music is playing in the background.

Also, devices connected on SmartThings are voice-controlled. With Bixby, users can have a home IoT experience where everything flows smoothly.

“This year’s smart features of QLED TV have made it easier for users to enjoy the TV experience more conveniently.” said Heeman Lee, Vice President of Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display Business. “We will realize home IoT that changes the lifestyle by various connected devices communicating organically.”

^* The SmartThings app is supported on Android 7.0 and above and iOS 10 and above (On Galaxy smartphones, the SmartThings app is available from Android 6.0 and above)

^**Specific features and availability may vary by region and market

Samsung Electronics today unveiled its 2018 home entertainment lineup at the company’s First Look in New York event. Samsung highlighted details about its flagship QLED TV models and its expanded lineup of UHD, Premium UHD and Ultra-Large Screen TVs. With groundbreaking design elements, enhanced picture quality, and intuitive smart capabilities, Samsung’s 2018 QLED line empowers consumers to enjoy content without distractions – even when viewers are not actively watching.

“Our 2018 lineup of televisions are truly our most innovative and sophisticated yet, designed for today’s consumer who is mindful of the aesthetics of their space,” said Jonghee Han, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are excited for consumers to experience our new TV lineup and features that offer more freedom to decide where and how the TV can be best enjoyed within the home.”

Samsung’s 2018 line features new innovations that enrich the lives of consumers by reimagining how TV integrates into the living room, how consumers enjoy their content, and how they interact with their devices.

Highlights of the 2018 lineup include:

Ambient Mode

Ambient mode provides useful information throughout the day – even when consumers aren’t actively watching movies and TV. It can play music as well as display news headlines, traffic reports, and weather updates. For wall-mounted TVs, Ambient Mode can mimic the pattern on the wall behind the TV to create an astonishing visual effect in which the TV blends seamlessly into the wall.

One Invisible Connection*

The new One Invisible Connection is one slim cable that combines both consumer’s power and AV data to the TV. Available up to 15 meters, it frees consumers from having to place their TV near data or power outlets.

Smart TV, Featuring Bixby

The QLED line’s smart capabilities offer revolutionary ways to set up the TV and find content. Effortless Login uses the new SmartThings app* to drastically reduce the time it takes to set up a new TV. The new Universal Guide enables consumers to navigate across supporting streaming services and live TV through one intuitive menu. And with Samsung’s intelligence platform, Bixby,** consumers can use voice commands to bring up their favorite shows and control compatible devices.

Direct Full Array

The Q8F and Q9F QLED TVs deliver stunning images with pristine contrast through Direct Full Array (DFA) technology. Direct Full Array uses a panel with zones of smartly controlled backlighting that adjust automatically to deliver deep blacks and pure whites.

Audio Lineup

Samsung offers four new audio products that offer clear and immersive sound tailored to the different ways that individual consumers set up and use their home theater systems.

• HW-K950: With front-firing, up-firing and new side-firing speakers, the HW-K950 Dolby AtmosÒ soundbar creates an extraordinary cinematic experience that delivers 7.1.4 surround sound.
• HW-N650: Designed for gamers, the HW-N650 soundbar features Acoustic Beam Technology that puts consumers at the center of the action.
• HW-NW700: The HW-NW700 soundbar features a wall-mounted design that perfectly complements QLED TVs so that they both blend beautifully into any home environment.
• VL550: The VL550 includes a unique metal dial that consumers can attach to any metallic surface and use to control music with the sound of their voice.

Samsung 2018 TV Line Details***

In response to rising consumer demand, Samsung is reinforcing its commitment to ultra-large screen televisions. The 2018 Samsung TV line features 9 series across the QLED TV, Premium UHD, UHD and Ultra-Large Screen display range, available in a variety of sizes. Models in the 2018 lineup feature both flat and curved display options.

• QLED TV: Models in the 2018 QLED TV lineup include – Q9F (65”, 75”, 88”), Q8F (55”, 65”, 75”), Q7C (55”, 65”), Q7F (55”, 65”, 75”) and Q6F (49”, 55”, 65”, 75”, 82”). The QLED TVs feature enhanced color and contrast, HDR10+ compatibility, Ambient Mode, Smart TV enhancements with Bixby Voice, One Remote Control and the One Invisible Connection.****
• Premium UHD: Models in the 2018 Premium UHD TV lineup include NU8500 and NU8000. The Premium UHD TVs include features such as dynamic crystal color, HDR10+ compatibility, clean cable solutions, and Smart TV enhancements with Bixby Voice and One Remote Control.
• UHD: Models in the 2018 UHD TV lineup include NU7100 (75”, 65”, 55”, 50”, 43”, 40″) and NU7300 (65”, 55″). These UHD TVs include features such as 4K UHD and HDR picture capabilities, clean cable solutions, slim design and Smart TV capabilities.

Samsung’s 2018 home entertainment line will be available in stores beginning March 2018. For more information and pricing on Samsung’s TV and Audio products, please visit www.samsung.com.

*SmartThings is available on iOS and Android-powered devices.

** Bixby service ability may vary by country or carrier. Voice Command recognizes English (U.S.), Mandarin Chinese and Korean. Not all accents, dialects and expressions are recognized. The list of features that can be controlled by voice commands via Bixby will continue to expand. Mobile functionality compatible with Samsung Galaxy 8 series or higher with Bixby function. Samsung Account log-in and data network (wifi or internet connection) required to fully operate Bixby features.

***The product line, details and availability vary depending on the region.

****One Invisible Connection applies to Q7 and higher models except Q8F. One Remote Control applies to NU7400 and higher models.

Yes, uniting Samsung’s industry-leading ecosystem of Internet of Things (IoT) offerings – which spans the company’s latest Family Hub refrigerators, TVs, and even its new Digital Cockpit vehicle-display interface – is SmartThings, Samsung’s open and powerful IoT platform designed to connect smart devices and simplify daily life.

And offering users a simple, personalized platform to help them fully utilize this expansive IoT device network is Bixby, making it easy to manage these devices in ways that work for you.

Bixby: A Key Piece of Intelligent IoT

Bixby was introduced, in part, to address an issue that has limited IoT technologies’ widespread adoption: the perception that their interfaces are too complicated for users to comfortably take advantage of them.

Bixby adds intelligence to Samsung devices connected to the SmartThings platform. Adding Bixby’s voice support to a wide range of household products will not only make them easier to use, but will also allow users to speak to Bixby on one device and command it to access and control multiple others.

At this year’s CES, Samsung has pledged to integrate Bixby into all of its connected devices by 2020, with select 2018 Samsung Smart TVs and Family Hub refrigerators in 2018. This will ultimately allow more consumers to enjoy harmonized IoT experiences at home.

Bixby Makes Smart TVs Smarter

Samsung has announced that beginning this year, select Samsung Smart TVs will be Bixby-enabled. Bixby’s command-driven interface creates a smarter and simpler approach to controlling your TV and other connected devices, and allows you to streamline how you access the information you need and enjoy your favorite content.

For example, the interface lets you seamlessly transition viewing sessions between your Bixby-enabled smartphone and displays, so you can pick up right where you left off when you finish your commute or move to another room.

And when a new episode of your favorite TV show is about to start, Bixby’s intelligence will allow it to automatically send a notification to your phone that, if tapped, will instantly command your Samsung Smart TV to tune in to the right channel. You can even ask Bixby to dim the lights and pull up one of your favorite films for movie night.

In addition to streamlining entertainment, the TVs’ Bixby support allows users to reduce the number of steps required to carry out everyday tasks like preparing dinner – by commanding their TV to peek inside their Family Hub, for instance.

It’s Making Seamless Connection Routine

Bixby integration has made Samsung’s powerful Family Hub refrigerators even more so.

Unveiled at CES 2018, Samsung’s latest Family Hub refrigerators feature a variety of intelligent ways for users to manage their food, entertainment and IoT devices. Having Bixby in the mix allows for even more ways for families to keep their household connected and organized.

For a start, the new Family Hub’s Bixby support and multiple voice recognition technology allow the refrigerators to provide individual family members with customized information based on their preferences. So, for instance, if a user asked Bixby “What’s new today?”, it would pull up a personalized morning brief that included their schedule for the day as well as news and weather from their preferred sources, and tell them how long it will take to get to the office.

For those times when you can’t quite decide what to cook, Bixby will allow Family Hub to recommend a recipe for a delectable dish based on what you have in your fridge and in accordance with your dietary needs. You’ll also be able to command Family Hub to check on the status of compatible connected devices like your Samsung QuickDrive washing machine, and Bixby will let you know exactly how much time is left in your wash cycle.

Looking Forward

Samsung’s advancements in artificial intelligence and smart technologies are helping the company usher in an era of more open and connected IoT experiences.

Integrating Bixby into more devices, and exploring ways to make more objects intelligent, will eventually allow more households to experience the benefits of a seamlessly connected IoT ecosystem.

IoT interactions will be natural, and our smart devices will be so seamlessly woven into the fabric of our lives that we’ll spend less time managing them and more time enjoying our day.

We caught up with Geunbae Lee, the Head of the AI Center, to talk about how Samsung plans to lead the field of artificial intelligence.

Q. The integrated AI Center, with Samsung Research, was officially launched last November. What is your vision for the center?

With technology innovation rife within the AI sector, our vision is to prepare industry-leading AI-based solutions in the areas of recognition, thinking and movement to compete with other key market players by 2020. We will also enhance the competitiveness of our existing businesses. Furthermore, the AI Center will contribute to not only new business and product creation but also effective management, as we are applying AI throughout the manufacturing, marketing and data analysis processes.

Q. What projects are the AI Center currently working on?

In 2018, the first year of the AI Center, we plan to focus on establishing AI platforms which will serve as the foundation for Samsung’s AI technology. We will achieve this first by collecting AI research capacity from within Samsung and recruiting global talent. Our mid- to long-term goal is to show leadership in AI technology development along certain major themes including virtual assistants, robotics and data.

Q. What are your thoughts on how AI will progress in the future? How will Samsung lead the conversation within the industry?

Samsung has already demonstrated its leadership in the field of virtual assistants through Bixby. In order to maintain and expand this capability, we are going to not only develop innovative AI-related products and services, but also establish global AI hubs around the world. For example, we can cooperate with the world’s best universities and communicate with external industry talent through regular, open forums. By doing so, we are planning to take the world’s awareness of Samsung’s AI capabilities one step further.

Q. How is Samsung integrating AI into its various products, including home appliances (Chef Collection, Family Hub, Smart TV, etc.)? Any examples of how it is being used?

Bixby, which supported only Korean and English at the beginning, is now provided in Mandarin Chinese, and it will support more languages in the future. It is also innovating the user experience by connecting itself not only to smartphones but to multiple devices and services. Moreover, based on sensor data in appliances like air conditioners, unusual signals are caught and addressed before they develop into severe issues. This shows that through innovation, combined with existing devices and services, smart electronics are evolving into intelligent electronics.

Q. Samsung has AI research labs in Korea, Canada, the UK and Russia. How will you expand upon these labs and what kind of synergistic effect do you expect?

Samsung is conducting AI research based on local insights through 22 overseas research labs in 15 countries, including the US and the UK. Samsung is also planning to establish new hubs in areas with specialized AI capabilities and will focus on finding the best talent to increase competitiveness. By strengthening our global networks, Samsung will continue to build a single robust, flexible and expandable platform to integrate and optimally utilize AI technology. The AI Center will be at the center of this development by working closely with our global network based on each region’s individual competitive advantages and capabilities.

Samsung Electronics today at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) outlined its vision and strategy for intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) experiences.

During today’s press conference, Samsung demonstrated its unique ability to make seamlessly connected consumer experiences across Samsung devices at home, at the office and on-the-go. Samsung has been working to make all Samsung products IoT ready by 2020. In addition, the company announced today its plan to advance IoT adoption via an open, consistent and intelligent platform.

“At Samsung, we believe IoT should be as easy as flipping a switch. With the new products and services announced today, we’re making IoT easier and more seamless,” said Hyunsuk (HS) Kim, President, Head of Samsung’s Consumer Electronics Division and Samsung Research. “We’re committed to accelerating IoT adoption for everyone and making all Samsung connected devices intelligent by 2020. These advancements will help consumers realize the benefits of a seamless and simple connected life.”

Hyunsuk (HS) Kim, President, Head of Samsung’s Consumer Electronics Division and Samsung Research

Intelligence of Things for Everyone 

Samsung’s IoT philosophy is built on open innovation making it accessible to more people and when infused with intelligence, can personalize their experience. Today’s fragmented and complex IoT ecosystem is a barrier to adoption. For IoT to be approachable and accessible it requires scale and open innovation. Thanks to a robust portfolio of products including TVs, appliances and smartphones, and Samsung’s leadership to deliver 5G connectivity, Samsung is well-positioned to deliver an open IoT ecosystem via SmartThings.

Tim Baxter, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America

Samsung is working with partners such as the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) to set common industry standards. OCF is the largest IoT standardization body in the world and Samsung’s ARTIK chip, air conditioner and Family Hub refrigerator have already been certified by the association for interoperability criteria needed for IoT.

In spring 2018, Samsung will unite its IoT applications, including Samsung Connect, Smart Home, Smart View and more into the SmartThings app to connect and control any SmartThings-enabled device directly from their phone, TV, or car from a single application. Additionally, Samsung announced plans to connect HARMAN Ignite to the SmartThings Cloud, moving the IoT experience beyond the smart home to the car. As a result, consumers will be able to manage their connected home from the car and vice versa.

Yoon Lee (left), Senior Vice President of Samsung Electronics America and Joe Stinziano (right), Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics America

An integral part of Samsung’s vision is to connect devices and make them intelligent. With Bixby, Samsung is bringing its personalized intelligence service to more devices. In 2018, select Samsung Smart TVs and new Family Hub refrigerators will have voice control via Bixby to make everyday tasks easier. With devices and services working together and infused with intelligence, in-home activities become easier.

Alanna Cotton, Vice President of Samsung Electronics America

Because increased connectivity requires improved security, Samsung announced that it has incorporated its trusted Samsung Knox technology into its connected devices, including Smart TVs and Smart Signages, additional mobile products and Smart appliances. Knox technology includes a hardware security system and firmware updates to help ensure devices are protected.

Dinesh Paliwal, President and CEO of HARMAN International

Building the Connected Future

Samsung highlighted its ongoing commitment to investing in breakthrough technologies. In 2017, Samsung spent more than $14 billion on R&D. The company also increased investments through Samsung NEXT – a key initiative to accelerate its transformation into an integrated hardware and software company.

Samsung also created a new AI Center as part of its newly consolidated Samsung Research unit. The AI Center, which includes four labs in Toronto, Montreal, Cambridge (UK) and Russia in 2018, will be coupled with Samsung’s ongoing work in Korea and Silicon Valley and the company’s M&A activities to drive its AI ambitions forward.

Seamless Device Experiences

New products and services announced at CES 2018 highlight exactly how Samsung is making progress to create seamless IoT experiences.

• Home: Starting this year, Samsung Smart TVs will create a connected fabric between devices to provide effortless log-in for users from the moment the TV is unboxed. The new Family Hub refrigerators offer a wide range of smart features like syncing food storage with meal preparation, and keeping family members better connected and organized. Samsung Smart TVs and Family Hub refrigerators features Bixby, giving TVs greater access to applications, the ability to easily search movies by genre and actors, and display personal photos while Family Hub refrigerators will be able to recognize individual voices of family members and give personalized information such as news, weather and calendar updates. Samsung Smart TVs and Family Hub refrigerators will also operate on a single connected cloud platform, the SmartThings Cloud, serving as a smart dashboard to monitor and control connected devices.

• Office: Samsung is redefining the concept of the traditional office with flexible solutions that fit the needs of the modern mobile workforce. The Samsung Notebook 9 Pen brings power, portability and performance to the notebook PC for those whose jobs don’t end when they leave the office. The 55-inch Samsung Flip interactive digital flip chart, simplifies office collaboration by connecting seamlessly with group members’ smartphones and notebooks for faster content and idea sharing. Up to four different participants can introduce content or annotate directly on screen at the same time using either their fingers or an embedded pen.

• Mobility: Samsung is helping to lead the transition to 5G networks that will usher in a new set of connected experiences. Samsung is partnering with wireless carriers and broadband providers to conduct the first customer trials of 5G connectivity with up to 100 times faster speeds than the 4G LTE available on phones today. With 5G connectivity, Samsung demonstrated its vision for more comfortable driving. The Samsung Digital Cockpit shows how cars will become seamlessly connected with other ‘things’ as part of IoT. The new dashboard design, along with Bixby, allows drivers to easily control the in-car experience and connected devices at home through voice, touch, gesture and context-based triggers. Passengers can also enjoy ultra-fast streaming movies on the go. The industry-first 5G-capable Telematics Control Unit (TCU) can download and upload data faster and enables vehicle-to-everything communications, laying the groundwork for better autonomous driving.

For more information about Samsung at CES, please visit https://news.samsung.com.

With that in mind, here’s a handy rundown of features to consider before buying your next TV.

1. Color Volume

What it is: A standard for evaluating a TV’s ability to produce accurate colors at all luminance levels. The higher the color volume, the better the TV will be at expressing vivid, accurate colors.

Why it matters: Manufacturers in the fiercely competitive TV industry are constantly exploring ways to deliver standout picture quality. The color volume measurement emerged as a way to evaluate a UHD (or 4K) TV’s ability to produce immersive viewing experiences, focusing on how the TV performs under various lighting conditions. Color volume matters because if a depicted image exceeds a TV’s peak luminance, it may appear washed out or faded, and the quality of the viewing experience suffers.

How Samsung’s innovating with it: Samsung’s QLED TVs, which feature a peak brightness of 1,500 to 2,000 nits, are the first displays to reaches 100 percent color volume. This means that in typical viewing environments, the TVs produce brighter and deeper colors that allow content to be displayed in the manner that producers intended. In addition, QLED TV’s screen-coating technology reduces reflection by 98.5 percent, providing a more comfortable viewing experience even under strong sunlight or lighting.

2. HDR

What it is: HDR, or “high dynamic range” technology adds more color, brightness and contrast to content displayed on standard HD or UHD TVs.

Why it matters: HDR was introduced to provide whiter whites, blacker blacks, and colors that are more detailed and true-to-life. The difference between HDR and the preceding SDR (standard dynamic range) standard is night and day, as HDR allows details that might be lost in shadows or glare when depicted on an SDR TV to truly stand out.

How Samsung’s innovating with it: QLED TVs come with support for the new open standard for HDR video, HDR10+. HDR10+ adds more dynamic range (the ratio of light and dark) to images to deliver greater contrast and more vibrant colors, and allows images to be enhanced on a scene-by-scene basis. The results are lifelike visuals that portray content precisely as the producer intended.

3. Refresh Rate

What it is: A TV’s refresh rate, expressed in hertz (Hz), is the number of times that an image on the screen is refreshed per second. The higher the hertz, the smoother the picture.

Why it matters: The standard refresh rate for TVs today is 60Hz, or 60 times per second, with 120Hz and 144Hz representing the higher end of the spectrum. TVs with high refresh rates generally provide more seamless visuals with minimal motion blur, creating more immersive viewing experiences. If you’re a gamer, or you watch a lot of fast-paced action films, a TV with a high refresh rate may be just what you need to take your experience to the next level.

How Samsung’s innovating with it: In addition to boasting a wide range of game-optimizing features including a short input lag (20-millisecond), three types of QLED TVs with the Q7, Q8 and Q9 models feature a 120Hz refresh rate that ensures seamless and fluid in-game visuals. 

4. HDMI and Connections

What HDMI is: HDMI, short for “high definition multimedia interface”, is an industry-standard, all-digital interface that transmits visual and audio data between devices such as TVs, streaming media and Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, and more.

Why it matters: Higher-quality HDMI cables generally support higher data transfer speeds (measured in gigabytes per second), providing more bandwidth to enjoy 4K UHD and HDR content. The manner in which a TV handles its HDMI and other connections can directly influence its setup, and the ease with which the device integrates into a living environment.

How Samsung’s innovating with it: All QLED TVs are optimized to deliver 4K UHD content thanks to their support for HDMI 2.0. HDMI 2.0 makes it possible to increase frame rates and maximum bandwidth (to 18Gbps), and deliver high-resolution visuals, allowing for the transmission of 4K video at 60Hz with 32 audio channels (up from eight).

In addition to HDMI 2.0, QLED TVs feature a practically invisible optical cable that seamlessly connects to external devices via the HDMI, USB 3.0 and coaxial port-housing One Connect box. The result is a TV setup that’s free of messy wires and truly designed for living.

5. Smart TV

What it is: A “smart” TV is capable of connecting to the internet to allow users to stream video content, browse the web, and run compatible apps.

Why it matters: Streaming shows and movies through over-the-top (OTT) services like Netflix has quickly become the new normal, with more and more people enjoying a wide range of dynamic entertainment via convenient apps. Smart TVs typically incorporate support for these services, offering users more freedom to enjoy their favorite content.

How Samsung’s innovating with it: Samsung has equipped its QLED TVs with a range of smart apps, services and features that make it easy to enjoy high-quality UHD and HDR content. Particularly handy features include the TV PLUS app, which neatly organizes on-demand content in an interface that mirrors the channel menus of traditional cable or TV providers, and the One Remote, which allows you to manage your smart TV and other connected devices via a single, intuitive control.

6. Durability

What you should expect: No TV will last forever, but these days you should typically expect anywhere from 7 to 10 years of reliable service from your new TV. The expected lifespan for a premium TV may be even longer.

What Samsung’s TVs deliver: There are many factors that can ultimately prove detrimental to a TV’s longevity, and burn-in may be chief among them. Burn-in is a form of permanent damage that’s caused by leaving a static image on a screen for a long period of time. While image retention refers to any image that stays on a screen temporarily, burn-in lasts permanently, seriously affecting the lifespan of a television.

Samsung’s QLED TVs are certified to be burn-in-free, thanks to their utilization of inorganic quantum dots. In fact, each is backed by a 10-year warranty against burn-in* – a quality guarantee that recently expanded to global markets, and demonstrates Samsung’s commitment to delivering premium performance with its premium TVs.

*Details of the burn-in guarantee for QLED TVs vary by country, and the policy will gradually be introduced to other countries as the QLED TV is launched in each market.

Among the key trends discussed included the rapidly increasing demand for UHD quality large screen TVs, as well as ongoing consumer pain points related to TV convenience.

Demand for Large Screen UHD TVs

According to market research firms GfK and NPD, global market revenue for big screen TVs, larger than 55 inch, occupied over 40 percent between January and August 2017. In North America, 60 percent of TV sales were for big screen TVs larger than 55 inch, with 30 percent for TVs larger than 60 inch.

Related to TV resolution, the market is also experiencing a shift from FHD to UHD. Between January and August of this year, according to GfK and NPD, revenues for UHD TVs accounted for over 50 percent of the global TV market, and 60 to 70 percent in North America, Europe and Korea.

Desire for Easier-to-Use TVs

Consumers also continue to desire TVs that are easier to use. Samsung recently conducted research into the U.S. and German TV markets, involving more than 1000 consumers in each region who indicated willingness to purchase a new TV product. The results show that 23 percent and 15 percent of the respondents in the U.S. and Germany respectively pointed out “complicated cable wires” as the first pain point. Research participants also indicated continuing difficulty in linking external devices to their TVs, typing via the TV screen, and navigating smart TVs.

Strong Positioning Aligned with Global Trends

Based on these trends, Samsung continues to strengthen its leadership in the global TV market. According to GfK and NPD, between January and August 2017, Samsung was the number one player, recording 34 percent of total global TV market revenue, higher than the market shares of the second and third largest players combined. The company also recorded 42 percent for big screen TVs, 60 inch and larger, and 38 percent for UHD TVs. Samsung also led in market share based on TV pricing, with 44 percent in TVs, priced over USD 1500, and 37 percent for TVs over USD 2500.

Samsung’s strategy revolves around providing consumers with the broadest options for big screen TVs, such as QLED TVs and premium UHD TVs in 65-, 75-, 82- and 88- inch sizes, as well as curved and flat screen options. Samsung’s TV accessories have also received positive reviews, including the clean and clutter-free cable solution, Invisible Connection; auto recognition and control function, Auto Detection; and One Remote, providing an easy way to access many different remote controls in one.

“With a significant increase in QLED TV sales in the second half of this year, there is no doubt that the position of Samsung as a leading player in the premium TV market continues to grow,” said Yoon Lee, Senior Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung will continue to lead global TV market trends with a business strategy that meets the rapidly changing needs of global consumers.”

Samsung Electronics announced today the release of a new update for its 2017 Smart TV platform to support Shazam, one of the world’s most popular music apps. Shazam provides users with a customizable service and is available on Smart Hub of 2017 Samsung Smart TVs.

“We are thrilled to provide our Smart TV users with the ultimate music service through our partnership with Shazam,” said Hee-man Lee, Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Smart TV capabilities are constantly evolving with the addition of innovative apps, and we are committed to continually delivering advanced technology through partnerships with highly capable software companies like Shazam.”

Shazam grants Smart TV viewers the ability to identify songs that are playing in TV shows or films easily and quickly. With a single click, users are able to access song titles, artists, lyrics and albums while watching content, whether it’s live TV or content delivered over HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface).

Users can also utilize voice recognition technology in the Samsung One Remote to identify songs. By speaking into the remote and asking, “What is this song?”, Shazam instantly provides information about the music being played.

Additionally, Shazam offers viewers the option to stream the music they identify and creates playlists that can be accessed at any time without having to run an external app. Samsung’s Smart Hub provides music content through streaming partners, including Spotify, Napster and Deezer, for those who subscribe to these services.

“We are excited to integrate Shazam’s functionality with another medium that’s enjoyed by so many people around the world, and we couldn’t think of a more fitting partner than Samsung,” said Fabio Santini, Shazam Chief Product Officer. “Smart TVs felt like a natural evolution for the Shazam experience, and Samsung has always been a leading innovator in the space. We can’t wait for viewers and Shazam users alike to try this new feature.”

Shazam is one of the most popular music-discovery apps across the globe, reaching hundreds of millions of mobile users. Shazam music service is available in Samsung’s Smart Hub in Korea, the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany.

For more information on Samsung Smart TVs, please visit www.samsung.com.

About Shazam

Shazam is one of the most popular apps of all time, used by hundreds of millions of people to magically connect to the world around them. Building on its pioneering leadership in music identification, Shazam now helps people discover, interact with, and share audio, video, printed or augmented reality content—and lets music fans follow their favorite artists to share in the thrill of discovery. The app has been downloaded over one billion times, in over 190 countries, and users Shazam over 20 million times each day. For more information, please visit www.shazam.com.

Instead of connecting Steam Link hardware to the TV, this technology enables users to stream their favorite games from their in-home PC directly to their Samsung Smart TVs via an app in the Samsung Smart Hub. If users connect the in-home PC and TV and run a Steam Link game service on their PC, they can play the game on their Samsung Smart TV screen via the Steam Link app.

The Steam Link app, which was previously available as a free beta version in the U.S. market, is now available in 55 countries, including the U.S., the U.K. and Korea. It supports full 4K streaming on 2017 TV models, and allows Samsung Smart TV users to enjoy thousands of PC games through their big-screen TVs.

“We’ve received incredible feedback on our Steam Link feature and are excited to bring it to our consumers around the world,” said Heeman Lee, Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We’re thrilled that our Smart TVs are helping redefine the PC gaming experience by providing players the opportunity to utilize large-screen displays that deliver true-to-life picture quality.”

Samsung’s 2017 QLED TV models are also highly optimized for gaming. The TVs boast extremely low input and display latency together with the superb image quality of quantum dot technology. Also highly durable, Samsung’s QLED TVs do not suffer from burn-in or image retention issues, even over a prolonged period of game playing.

To learn more about Samsung’s Smart TV offerings and Steam Link, please visit www.samsung.com.

Similar to the way viewers already navigate the channel menus for their traditional cable or TV providers, Samsung Smart TV users in Europe will be able to easily find their favorite content using the TV PLUS interface. The video on demand (VOD) shows and movies will be delivered via the users’ internet connection.

Wide Range of TV in UHD

Thanks to TV PLUS, viewers will be able to enjoy the highest quality UHD and HDR movies through multiple channels directly on their Samsung Smart TVs. And because the TV PLUS app has been designed to have a familiar user interface, retrieving UHD and HDR content is both simple and enjoyable.

“Our goal at Samsung is to create innovative and valuable technology that makes our consumers’ lives easier and more enjoyable when it comes to watching their favorite content,” said Heeman Lee, Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “With the European expansion of TV PLUS, we are thrilled to provide additional consumers access to new movies in UHD and HDR quality.”

VOD movies provided by TV PLUS are broken down into three categories: New Releases, Family and UHD. New Releases include titles that have been released within the past six-to-eight weeks, while the Family category includes newly released family-friendly titles as well as best-selling movies. The UHD category features movies that were recently released in UHD. Each category is refreshed weekly with new and top selling content.

Samsung’s partnership with Rakuten TV, a leading provider of UHD∙HDR movies and VOD content, delivers a wide range of options for movie enthusiasts and families to enjoy. Among the various UHD movies available via TV PLUS are titles such as “Passengers,” “Moneyball,” “Hotel Transylvania” and many more.

A Growing Platform

TV PLUS was first launched in 2015 in South Korea and its reach continues to grow. It’s already available across North America and Southeast Asia. In January 2017, TV PLUS was also made available in Germany.

Since its release, TV PLUS has continued to gain popularity across all available markets thanks to its volume and quality of content. TV PLUS has more than 8,900 titles available in the US, and its partnership with the BBC means that masterpiece documentaries such as “Planet Earth II” are available for Korean users. As of June 2017, TV PLUS is used by more than 480,000 people in Korea and Southeast Asia. 70% of Smart TV users in Korea are watching TV PLUS channels, and 41% of Smart TV users in Vietnam are using TV PLUS.

As TV PLUS is expected to additionally expand its influence in European markets such as France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, Samsung Electronics will be further enhancing its smart TV content competitiveness in the world.

Samsung Electronics GmbH has launched a campaign with German soccer star Oliver Kahn to promote its smart TVs ahead of the start of the upcoming soccer season. Oliver Kahn, the former goalkeeper, football expert and entrepreneur, is the new face of Samsung’s QLED TV, and representative of the new ways in which sports fans can enjoy the digital soccer experience, right from the comfort of their living room.

In addition to serving as brand ambassador for Samsung, Kahn features in his new Goalplay app available exclusively on Samsung’s QLED TVs. The app helps users discover soccer content across a range of sources on the TV, from broadcast to streaming video on demand (VOD). It also offers insights from Kahn such as goalkeeping tips and match analysis.

With true-to-life picture quality, a beautiful design that provides both an ambient viewing experience and the freedom to be put wherever users want it, as well as smart features that make accessing and discovering content easier, the QLED TV was built with the user’s lifestyle in mind. Exclusive content such as Goalplay only adds to these features, opening up even more possibilities for the future of TV entertainment.

“The QLED TV’s Smart Hub interface is one of the most mature on the market, and the One Remote Control makes navigating the platform incredibly intuitive,“ said Oliver Kahn, CEO of Goalplay. “As someone who enjoys watching television, I find this to be a key criterion in addition to picture quality and design. That’s why I decided to launch my new app exclusively on Samsung’s QLED TVs.”

The Goalplay app will be launched on Samsung’s QLED TVs from the beginning of 2017/18 season in Germany this summer.

Source : Germany Newsroom

Samsung Electronics together with 30 partners, kicked off this year’s Tizen Developer Conference (TDC) 2017 at the Hilton Union Square Hotel in San Francisco, running from May 16-17. In addition to software developers, more than 1,000 service/content partners, device manufacturers and others engaged in the Tizen ecosystem will be participating at the conference.

Centered on the theme “Ready To Connect, Get Involved!”, TDC 2017 will present a vision for the IoT era via expanded opportunities for the attendees to experience the key features of the Tizen 4.0 platform, various technologies and products, and the evolving development environment required for UX and product/application development.

TDC, as an annual technical conference for global developers, is a showcase of Tizen’s new technologies and products. It was held in San Francisco in 2012 for the first time when Tizen 1.0 was launched as an open source project. Since then, and over the past five years, the Tizen OS has evolved into Tizen 4.0 supporting a wide variety of Tizen devices.

“Since launching, Tizen has become the OS for nearly all of Samsung’s products, and with its record of sales growth, proven itself as the most successful Linux-based embedded OS in the world. Among open collaborations, and as we enter the IoT era, we expect Tizen will open new opportunities for the future of IoT,” said Hyogun Lee, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics and Chair of the Tizen Technical Steering Group.

Extending Tizen Device Ecosystem with Tizen 4.0

The key changes in Tizen 4.0 are optimizations made on the platform for IoT developers to enable rapid creation and commercialization of various applications. While the existing Tizen platform was limited in distribution to devices such as TVs and smartphones, Tizen 4.0 will provide a development environment that can be refined according to the characteristics of various devices by subdividing functional modules. In addition, the Tizen 4.0 platform has been extended to Tizen RT (Real-Time) to involve high-end products such as TVs and mobile devices as well as low-end products such as thermostats, scales, bulbs, and more.

With Tizen Project’s collaboration with Microsoft, developers are now able to more easily develop Tizen applications with popular programming languages. Specifically, the Microsoft .NET and Xamarin UI framework have been introduced to Tizen so that C# language-based applications can be developed in the Visual Studio environment for increased productivity.

In order to expand the ecosystem of Tizen-based IoT devices, Samsung is planning to strengthen cooperation with chip makers such as Samsung ARTIK and Broadlink in China; smart home device manufacturer Commax in Korea; and the location based service provider Glympse in the U.S.

New Tizen Services and Products: ARTIK053 Module and Samsung Z4

At TDC 2017, Samsung will unveil the new ARTIK053 module, a lightweight IoT chipset with integrated real-time processing utilizing the Tizen RT for the first time. The ARTIK 053 module is an affordable IoT solution with high-performance and hardened security for next-generation products like connected home appliances, building products, health care devices, and industrial automation. It also dramatically reduces development time via a 320MHz ARM® Cortex® R4 core with 1.4MB RAM and 8MB Flash, and a pre-certified Wi-Fi radio.

Around the introduction of the ARTIK053 module, an IoT Hands-On Lab session will also be held to develop software for the IoT on the new module utilizing Tizen Studio for RT, which is a lightweight real-time operating system (RTOS) based application development environment.

The Samsung Z4 smartphone will also be showcased at the conference. The Z4 is equipped with a front and rear camera optimized for social media and a wide range of features focused on convenience and productivity, including quick and easy access to the most frequently used functions.

In addition, for Tizen ecosystem enhancement, the Tizen Mobile Incentive Program has been introduced for global application developers to offer a one million dollar prize every month when the app is sold and placed in the Top 100 on the Tizen Store from February to October 2017.

Smart TV Ecosystem and Smart Home Appliances for IoT

Samsung will also showcase a variety of its recent products at the TDC 2017 Exhibition Zone. In particular, attendees will be able to experience display products including QLED TV, and the Frame introduced at CES 2017, as well as Samsung’s diverse and expanding smart TV ecosystem. Additionally, attendees will be able to see various smart home scenarios where products such as Family Hub 2.0 are integrated with IoT standard technology.

Also, a Game Zone within the Exhibition Zone will offer even more fun, allowing attendees to take part in a Gear Maze escape game using a Gear S3.

In addition, a 1:1 Tutorial Zone that enables developers to instantly develop smart TV applications and run them on the TV with the help of experts is also available for developers to experience the benefits of using the Tizen .NET development environment.

For more information, please visit the official conference website: www.tizenconference.com.

Samsung Electronics introduced an expanded Tizen platform for Smart TVs at the fifth annual Tizen Developer Conference (TDC) today in San Francisco at the Hilton Union Square. Samsung executives will discuss the new business opportunities that have been created as a result of its Smart TV platform and share case studies of businesses that have helped develop the Tizen ecosystem at the two-day event.

The event, which boasts the theme “Ready to Connect! Get Involved!” is set to feature keynote presentations from industry leaders, technical discussions and tech showcases for app developers, platform designers, hardware manufacturers as well as hardware and software vendors.

“Leveraging the conference, we remain focused on working with our partners and developers to encourage expansion on the Tizen platform,” said Hyogun Lee, Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics. “By developing a system that delivers value and new experiences to Smart TV users, we will continue to build a more solid Tizen ecosystem.”

As part of its efforts to encourage increased participation in the development of the Tizen platform, Samsung will discuss the policies that have been made in collaboration with partners and developers for Voice Touch, Samsung Checkout, Sports/Music services and the security solutions for its 2017 Smart TV lineup.

The benefit of using the latest Tizen 3.0 Platform is the software, which provides new functionality thanks to an updated graphics engine and Wayland computer protocol. These deliver enhanced graphics, improved stability and an improved user interface, creating a more desirable Smart TV user experience.

Voice Touch, one of the new Smart TV ‘touch’ capabilities, provides owners a more intuitive way to use the voice recognition function. When users speak just into the remote only the title on the TV Apps screen, the icon is activated without navigation or any other process. Samsung Checkout is a pre-installed payment system on Samsung Smart TVs that allows users to conveniently make payments for digital content.

Samsung Smart TVs also provide consumers with access to sports and music services, ensuring they don’t miss their favorite live broadcasts. Through the music service feature, consumers can easily access details about the music played on their favorite TV shows, so that they can enjoy it whenever they want. Under partnership with Glympse, the location sharing service for families will be also available on Tizen-running devices such as Gear S3. A range of sync scenarios for Tizen platforms will be also presented at the event.

Samsung Smart TVs provide a three stages of security solution from the platform and application to the hardware that protect the TV’s system against external attacks, while also offering a security API to Tizen developers, making it safe to develop a range of services, from content to payment and workplace, which are all subject to strict security requirements.

By the end of 2017, Samsung plans to make Tizen.NET (http://developer.tizen.org) a public network for Tizen developers who can now try a preview version of Tizen Smart TV SDK on the site. Since announcing its collaboration with Microsoft on .NET open-source projects such as .NET Core and Xamarin.Forms last November, Samsung has steadily released preview versions of the Tizen.NET SDK to help developers build more powerful apps. This allows them to practice on it and encourage them to participate in its ongoing development.

For more information on Samsung’s Tizen Smart TV platform, please visit http://developer.samsung.com/tv.

Recent surveys conducted by Samsung Electronics on the determinants of consumers’ purchasing decisions when buying a new television show that consumers’ priorities have changed noticeably over the past few years.

Smart Function – A Significant Factor in Choosing a Television

In the past, picture quality, price and screen size were the foremost factors considered by consumers when buying a television. According to a survey on the usage and attitude (U&A) of American consumers conducted by Samsung Electronics in 2014 and 2016, the significance of the aforementioned factors decreased whereas the importance of smart function doubled from 15.1 percent to 29.6 percent within the two years.

On a separate survey* conducted in June 2015, American consumers were asked the question “Why do you want to upgrade your television?” The options ‘picture quality’ and ‘smart function’ tied at 46 percent, followed by ‘screen size’.

Are Smart TVs Truly Smart?

Starting in 2010, Samsung has made various attempts to make the television smarter by incorporating features like a TV app store, search and web surfing, multi-screen capabilities and even support for shopping. Today, however, an average of 2.8 devices such as set-top boxes, game consoles and blue-ray players are connected to the television, while the average consumer has about four remote controls lying around their living room. Such an environment hinders the user experience, and leads consumers to wonder if smart TVs are, in fact, truly smart.

Rethinking Smart TV

These days, countless live TV and Over-The-Top (OTT) companies broadcast content. In fact, the number of television content and application partners for Samsung alone exceeds 1,000.

So, what exactly makes a television smart? Through a project called EDEN, Samsung decided to rethink the answer to this question.

“Whereas the television used to be a device that changed broadcast signals into an image on a screen, today’s TV is a device that connects various multimedia sources,” said Sangsook Han, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Thus, we have come to the conclusion that a true smart television should be able to provide a range of content in a quick and easy manner and allow users to enjoy supreme picture quality.”

3.3-Fold Increase in Smart TV App Usage

Samsung has improved the smart TV by enabling it to automatically recognize connected devices and making it possible to control these devices via one integrated remote control. Searching and accessing content has also been facilitated through a clean, well-organized smart television menu that displays content and apps in a single row at the bottom of the screen.

Since incorporating the concept of ‘Single Experience’ to our TVs, the usage of Samsung Smart TV apps and services has increased 3.3-fold, and the frequency of controlling set-top boxes with an integrated remote control has increased 1.6-fold.

What’s Next?

But this is only the beginning, as Samsung is planning to develop technologies to enhance the smart television even further.

“We will extend the user experience by going beyond using a smartphone as a remote control to select and display content on TV,” said Han. “We will strive to enhance the Samsung Smart TV ecosystem – which already exceeds 100 million devices – by intensifying voice recognition and artificial intelligence, utilizing big data, and more.”

*Respondents were allowed to select more than one answer choice

An enhanced user interface facilitates access to content and settings from the very first screen, while the intuitive One Remote Control automatically detects connected devices and displays them via easily recognizable device icons. Together, the QLED TV’s smart, easy-to-use entertainment features provide seamless viewing experience that truly fits your lifestyle.

Learn more about the TV that goes beyond TV in the infographic below.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled new details surrounding its premium line-up of QLED TVs and The Frame at a global TV launch event in Paris, further demonstrating Samsung’s leadership in defining the future of home entertainment with advanced cutting-edge technology.

“At Samsung, we strive to provide our customers with the most advanced technology to deliver unrivaled viewing experiences and cutting-edge designs that complement their everyday lives,” said HS Kim, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “With state-of-the-art style, smart features, and picture quality, our 2017 lineup is truly ushering in a new era for television.”

Samsung selected Paris, “the City of Lights,” to unveil the “TV of Light,” a name given to the QLED TV for its delivery of optimal brightness levels and stunning visual experience. The venue choice for the event at the Carrousel du Louvre also highlighted Samsung’s focus on the Lifestyle TV concept, represented by two works of arts, the Samsung QLED TV and The Frame.

The latest QLED TVs were designed with the consumer in mind and focus on addressing three key consumer pain points through the solutions known as Q Picture, Q Smart and Q Style. Samsung once again worked with Yves Behar, a renowned Swiss designer, to create the innovative TV, The Frame and offer consumers an elegant masterpiece that seamlessly blends into the interior of any home.

Q Picture : Perfect combination of light and color

The newly-announced QLED TV takes quantum dot technology to the next level with advancements in light efficiency, stability and a wider color spectrum. With new metal quantum dots, the QLED TV addresses all the major aspects of picture quality, including viewing angle, color volume, brightness and bold contrast. The QLED TV can express accurate color and achieves a 100 percent color volume – the highest on the market today, earning accreditation by Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker (VDE), one of Europe’s largest technical-scientific associations.

In addition, the QLED TV’s rich, deep black levels and bold contrast provide a consistent viewing experience regardless of a room’s lighting. The QLED TV’s advanced HDR 1500 functionality allows users to see every hidden detail as it was meant to be seen, with no loss or distortion of color.

Q Smart : Elevating the home entertainment experience

Samsung’s Smart Hub has been expanded to offer an even more intuitive and unified experience, directly via the QLED TV. The enhanced Samsung One Remote Control now supports more devices and offers voice control capabilities across more Smart TV features. Paired with the latest Smart View App – available on Android or iOS mobile devices – users will enjoy their personalized Smart Hub.

Additionally, the TV Plus service offers the easiest and fastest way to find, purchase and watch the latest 4K films and entertainment. The new Music service also allows for easy searching and identification of songs heard in the background of TV shows and films.

Q Style : Designed to fit every lifestyle

This year, Samsung introduced new design elements that can fit into any home – regardless of the interior aesthetics or setup. The all-new Invisible Connection cable helps manage unsightly cords and clutter with a refined, single cord system. Consumers can now design their space with a single optical cable that brings all devices together, reclaiming the living room space once occupied by set-top boxes and external devices.

Samsung has also introduced the No Gap Wall-mount which brings the TV flush against the wall, closer than ever before, with a 15-minute installation process. For those who do not wish to mount their TV onto the wall, there is also a range of stylish Samsung TV stands. Designed like an easel, the Studio Stand is an ideal accompaniment for any artist-inspired living space, and with the Gravity Stand, the TV can be rotated easily and allows for optimal viewing at any angle.

The Frame: A new way to look at TV

Continuing its focus on premium design, Samsung announced more details surrounding its newest innovation – The Frame. Teased at CES 2017, The Frame was curated with an artful approach meant to elevate any room or viewing environment.

Based on the new innovative technology, The Frame looks like a picture frame hanging on a wall when ‘Art Mode’ is on. Instead of fading to black like a conventional TV, the Lifestyle TV’s display transforms into a work of art, letting the users select custom-designed digital art pieces from The Frame. With more than 100 art pieces in multiple categories – including landscape, architecture, wildlife, action, drawing and more – to choose from, it is sure to please every design preference. Paired with the numerous options for art layouts and colors, as well as customizable accessory options including interchangeable bezels and an optional Studio Stand, it truly complements the user’s living space.

Furthermore, The Frame is outfitted with Samsung’s new Invisible Connection and No Gap Wall-mount, allowing users to hang it anywhere because it can blend seamlessly into any living space without unsightly cables or wires.

Photos of the launch event may be found on Samsung Newsroom’s official Flickr page. For more information on Samsung’s QLED TV, check out these infographics exploring the devices’ new features as well as the evolution of Samsung’s Smart TVs.

One Remote Control, One Unified Experience

One way Samsung’s new QLED TV simplifies the viewing experience is with One Remote Control. Whether connecting to a game console or enjoying a movie on a Blu-ray player, One Remote Control can control almost all media devices, removing the need for multiple remote controls, thus reducing media clutter.

Furthermore, One Remote Control’s auto detection capabilities take the guesswork out of toggling between devices. When a device is connected via an HDMI port, the Samsung QLED TV automatically detects the device and lets users know what it is with instantly recognizable icons and names, such as ‘Xbox.’

Enhanced with voice control and an intuitive design with just a few buttons, One Remote Control allows users to quickly and comfortably access essential television functions and contents. The Home button, for example, leads users directly to the Home Screen so they can easily navigate the television’s Settings or Sources menus, Live TV or Smart Hub contents.

The Voice Recognition button, meanwhile, lets users conveniently initiate a voice command. The Color Button allows viewers to access additional options specific to the feature in use, and Play/Pause displays playback controls. The four-way button at the center of the remote control can be used to navigate each of these functions easily.

Easy and Intuitive Control—From Your Smartphone

With a simple tap on the latest Samsung Smart View app – available on both Android and iOS devices – users can not only search contents easily, but also access essential functions on their smartphone through an interface like the one on their TV.

Not only can users browse and control the content they want to watch from their phone, but they can do so without blocking programming on the TV with annoying menus and boxes, allowing other viewers in the room to watch their favorite shows without interruptions.

Users can also send content from their mobile device, such as personal videos and photos, to their QLED TV in original resolution. Even better, viewers can continue to use their mobile device for other tasks, such as sending an email or updating their social media status, while connected.

Offering seamless navigation and a unified experience for almost all services and devices, the new smart features of Samsung’s QLED TV provide a more seamless and intelligent way to enjoy a variety of contents.

※ The feature and service may vary by country and model.

“It is a pleasure to bring the world’s social network to Samsung Smart TV users, as well as continue to see the value of Samsung Smart TV, as a platform, growing,” said Sangsook Han, Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue in our innovation on various fronts, including technologies and partnerships, to make sure our consumers can enjoy a wider variety of services.”

The new Facebook video app for TV is a new way to enjoy Facebook videos on a bigger screen. Through the app, users can watch videos shared by friends or Pages they follow, top live videos from around the world, and recommended videos based on their interests.

To access the app, users can simply log into their Samsung Smart Hub and download the application. Following a prompt for a one-time Facebook login, they can begin enjoying and discovering new content.

Earlier this year, Samsung announced its elevated Smart TV offerings, which focus on a unified, simple user experience tailored to address consumer pain points. With the new features, users will be able to control all devices connected to their TV via one source, the Samsung One Remote. Additionally, users can now enjoy their favorite live TV programs and video-on-demand services directly on TV with a simple click on Smart View mobile app.

This enhanced Smart Hub platform was rolled out on the company’s new QLED TV lineup at CES 2017. Among its many standout features, the QLED TV lineup includes dramatically revamped color performance, and was the first technology in the world to be verified by one of Europe’s largest technical-scientific associations Verband der Elektrotechnik (VDE) for reproducing 100% color volume.

A Streamlined Viewing Experience

That’s why Samsung’s Smart TVs feature the Smart Hub platform, which offers a single access point allowing users to easily navigate a diverse range of content, from live TV to VOD and apps. Smart Hub’s latest, enhanced UX delivers a unified viewing experience that streamlines users’ enjoyment of all their favorite content.

Released last year, One Remote introduced a seamless solution for users to control their TV and the multiple devices they connect to it. Instead of having to toggle through different display ports and guessing which device it is, Samsung’s Smart TV automatically recognized the source and identified whether it’s a set-top box, a console, or a Blu-Ray Disc Player, and allowed the user to control them with the One Remote.

SmartView app

This year, Samsung is taking that convenience a step further, bringing Smart TV users access to their favorite Smart Hub features directly through their smartphones.

Compatible with both iOS and Android, the Smart View app looks very much like what you see on the TV which makes it intuitive and easy to use. The app also makes accessing such content simple, allowing users to type the names of their favorite titles using their smartphone’s keyboard. In short, the popular elements of Smart Hub on TV is combined with the familiar smartphone interface for a totally new kind of virtual remote experience.

Together with the Smart Remote’s enhanced voice control across more Smart TV features and One Remote support for a greater range of devices, these enhancements ensure that each user’s content is always easily accessible.

Enjoy Your Favorite Content, and Discover More

Sometimes, users know exactly what kind of content they’re looking for; sometimes they want to be inspired. Either way, Smart Hub help users discover and enjoy more dynamic content by allowing users to search for and switch between programs from a single streamlined page, or by recommending shows you may like based on your viewing patterns.

Sports navigation page

For example, The ‘Sports’ service integrates content regarding your favorite team, whether it be live games, scores or VOD clips, and shows it all in a single navigation page – no more flipping through different sports channels trying to figure out which network your team’s game is on.

Choose the teams and sports to follow

‘Sports’ also alerts users whenever their favorite teams are playing, and with notifications in the SmartView app, you can get these alerts even when the TV is powered off.

Notification on TV(left) and smartphone(right)

Apart from video, an increasing number of users are consuming music directly from TV. The new ‘Music’ feature on Smart Hub will help you identify, find and enjoy your favorite music, showing suggestions in a single navigation page, just like your favorite teams on Sports, to help you reach your content faster and easier.

Find the music playing on TV, access it on your music services

With so much content on offer and more flexibility than ever to enjoy as one wishes, viewers today require versatile TVs that allow them to watch what they want, when they want and how they want. Being the leader in the TV market for over a decade, Samsung continues to strive to move the industry forward to align with the consumer.

“Despite some challenges, we’ve made big strides in 2016, gaining market share in TVs, home appliances, wearables and smartphones,” said Tim Baxter, President and Chief Operating Officer of Samsung Electronics America. “By listening to our consumers and building on our heritage of innovation, we are delivering on our vision of the future – one that is powered by connected and elegantly-designed products and services that put consumers firmly at the center.”

Samsung QLED, the Next Innovation in TV

Featuring incredible advancements in the development of Quantum dot technology, Samsung unveiled the 75-inch Q8C QLED TV, which adds new metal material to nano-sized semiconductor quantum dots to deliver the perfect mix of light and color currently available in display technology. The result is a stunning large-screen QLED TV, with an incredibly accurate and precise picture that can be viewed from any angle or in any environment.

Samsung QLED TV takes Quantum dot technology to new heights with advanced light efficiency and stability, as well as a wider color spectrum than ever before. The new QLED TV also features truly deep black levels, perfect 100% color volume when measured with DCI perfect match, and HDR optimal brightness of 1,500 – 2,000 nits. Samsung QLED TV’s new panel design also reduces reflection so consumers can see every bold detail with unbelievable levels of contrast. Finally, QLED delivers this level of performance regardless of where one is sitting, with consistent color and picture quality from any viewing angle.

New design elements introduced by Samsung enhance the QLED TV experience even further.

The practically invisible optical cable helps to solve the issue of unsightly cords and clutter that can be found in the home with a sleek, single cord system. Additional accessories include the optional “No-Gap Wall Mount,” which makes mounting a TV flush against the wall simpler and faster than ever before. Finally, for those who desire a variety of stylish options when displaying their TV, Samsung introduced two new optional elegant TV stands – Gravity and Studio – that appeal to the consumer who prefers an un-mounted TV.

In addition to the new TVs, Samsung also detailed plans to deliver a more unified experience for customers using various services and devices. Last year’s hit Samsung One Remote has been enhanced to support even more devices and offer voice control capabilities across more Smart TV features. And Samsung SmartView app – available on Android and iOS – allow users to get their personalized SmartHub experience right on their phone, as well as notifications of new content even when the user’s TV is off.

New to the Smart TV experience in 2017 is the Samsung Sports service. The Sports Service ensures that sports fans will never miss a moment, with customizable content and alerts based on a user’s team preferences, powered by real-time partnerships with the biggest content players in sports today.

Rounding out this year’s new Smart TV portfolio of offerings, Samsung has extended its popular global service, TV PLUS, to the U.S. market. A new entertainment app exclusively available on Samsung Smart TVs, TV PLUS conveniently brings high quality content into a single app on your TV for the most premium viewing experience. Paired with Samsung Checkout, TV Plus is the fastest way to connect with the entertainment consumers love, right out of the box. In addition, Samsung has also partnered with FandangoNow in the U.S. to bring instant access to rent or buy more than 40,000 movies and shows, including new releases in 4K HDR.

Additionally, Samsung announced their newest lifestyle TV innovation. The new Lifestyle TV offers a sleek, stunning design that was curated with an artful approach. This new TV was designed to appear just like a picture would appear on a wall, outfitted with an invisible cable that allows it to hang anywhere in the home, and blend seamlessly into any living space without those unsightly cables or wires. The Lifestyle TV was awarded a “2017 Best of Innovation Award” at CES 2017 and will be launched later this year.

Samsung showcased its 2017 lineup of home audio visual products, including the new Soundbar Sound+ which features a built-in sub-woofer, H7 Wireless Audio and the latest UHD Blu-ray Player. The products reflect a comprehensive suite of premium features with an eye toward heightened integration, as well as a premium, simplistic design that complements the user experience across multiple devices. Finally, the new Soundbar and H7 feature the rich and detailed sound of UHQ 32bit, which upscales from any source that provides 8-24bit sound.

Unprecedented Flexibility in the Home

Samsung unveiled a truly differentiated line of home appliances to give consumers more flexibility and choice in how they cook, clean and connect.

Bringing more flexibility into the laundry room, Samsung introduced FlexWash + FlexDry to meet the needs of today’s busy families. FlexWash is equipped with a 5.0 cu. ft. capacity front load washer, the largest in its class¹, to handle normal or bulky loads. It adds another cubic foot of capacity in a separate compartment on top for washing smaller loads separately from the main load. Both washers can run separately or simultaneously with different settings.

Meanwhile, FlexDry has the ability to tackle large laundry loads while gently drying a few delicate items at the same time at the top of the dryer. Suitable for items like athletic wear or a silk scarf, the unique Delicate Rack zone adjusts the heat automatically depending on the type of fabric being dried.

Signaling the company’s commitment to investing in categories in which its expertise and innovation can enrich and empower the lives of consumers, Samsung also introduced its line of new smart built-in appliances. This includes a new combination wall oven microwave, upgraded dishwasher, and matching line of premium refrigerators.

During the press conference, Samsung also announced Family Hub 2.0, the next generation of its award-winning refrigerator. Building upon Family Hub 1.0, which was introduced to wide acclaim last year, Family Hub 2.0 expands from four to 10 refrigerator models, so consumers can choose the refrigerator that best matches their household needs. It also features enhanced usability with intuitive app integration and new app partners to help families stay connected, manage food, and access more entertainment features on the refrigerator’s 21.5” LED touchscreen. For added convenience, Samsung’s advanced voice technology has also been integrated across many of Family Hub 2.0’s apps.

Fueling Passions with New Mobile Devices and Computers

This year at CES, Samsung introduced the next generation of mobile computing, with a range of new premium PCs that reflect the company’s commitment to design, craftsmanship, and choice. They include the Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro, a 15-inch Notebook 9 with a discrete GPU, and Samsung’s first-ever gaming laptop, the Notebook Odyssey.

The Samsung Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro are premium convertible laptops designed for Google Play, and can run millions of apps from the Google Play Store. The new Chromebooks feature a sleek yet durable metal body, and also go from notebook to tablet in a single snap. Thanks to Quad HD screen, the Samsung Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro perform equally well as both tablet and laptop, and are also the very first Chromebooks to come with an embedded digitizer pen. The Chromebook Plus will be available with an ARM CPU, and for those looking for even stronger performance, the Chromebook Pro will be powered by an Intel core M3 CPU.

Samsung’s new 15-inch Notebook 9, which will be available in the U.S. this year, is built for maximum performance and exceptional mobility. Powered by the 7^th-generation Intel Kaby Lake processor, it also features a discrete GPU to tackle even the most hardware intensive tasks, from photo and video editing, to running programs on multiple monitors.

Lastly, Samsung’s first-ever gaming laptop, the Samsung Notebook Odyssey, offers a mobile experience that rivals a desktop rig for power, speed and comfort while still being light enough to carry in a backpack. The laptop will be available in 15 and 17-inch screen sizes. The 15-inch Odyssey is powered by Intel’s 7^th-generation Core i7 processor, with up to 32 GB of 2400 Mhz DDR4 RAM, up to 256 GB SSD and HDD dual storage, and an NVIDIA GTX 1050 graphics card. More details on the17-inch Notebook Odyssey will be unveiled later this Spring.

Usability has also been enhanced with a built-in shortcut to maximize performance. At the push of a button, supercharge the Odyssey’s processor, graphics, and memory to realize the absolute best gaming experience.

For more information on this press release including photos, videos and relevant Samsung Newsroom articles, please visit news.samsung.com/global. Samsung’s CES booth #15006 is on Level 1 of the Central Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center, and will be open from January 5-8, 2017. To learn more about CES 2017, please visit www.ces.tech.

¹ Based on product dimensions.

Samsung Electronics today announced it will introduce three new Smart TV services at CES 2017, to be held January 5 through January 9, 2017 in Las Vegas. The new services – including ‘Sports’, ‘Music’ and ‘TV Plus’ – will offer personalized content to consumers based on their TV preferences through Samsung’s Smart Hub platform.

“At Samsung, one of our top priorities is ensuring that we are closely in tune with what consumers want and need from their smart devices and electronics,” said Won Jin Lee, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “With that in mind, we continue to innovate our Smart TV offering in order to provide the content experiences that our customers have come to know and expect from Samsung.”

Samsung’s Smart TV ‘Sports’ service will provide sports fans with information on when their favorite teams are playing, where they can watch it as well as scores – all in one navigation page. Instead of having to flip through dozens of channels to find the big game, all details will be curated by the customized ‘Sports’ user interface.

Samsung plans to further expand the range of content offered through the ‘Sports’ service with additional content partners including NBC Sports, UFC and more.

The Samsung ‘Music’ service will allow Smart TV customers to easily search and identify songs on live TV or directly from television programs. ‘Music’ will also make recommendations in the ‘Preview’ section of Smart Hub’s user interface for customers to discover new music and play songs as they please.

The Samsung ‘Music’ service currently offers content from eight music app partners including Spotify, iHeartRadio, Napster, Deezer, Sirius XM, Vevo, Melon and Bugs. The service will be available starting in France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

Lastly, ‘TV Plus’ will offer IP-based channels focused on premium content services through a new Smart Electronic Program Guide (EPG) solution. Samsung customers will no longer have to wait for cable services to offer marathon sessions of their favorite TV shows and can watch immediately just by turning on a TV Plus channel.

Samsung first launched ‘TV Plus’ in South East Asia, is now also available in the U.S., and will be available in Europe in April, 2017. Samsung will partner with Fandango and Rakuten to provide premium T-VOD content in the U.S. and Europe, respectively, and with Funke to A-VOD content in Germany.

Samsung Electronics announced that its line-up of 2016 Smart TVs has been certified by world-class German testing and certification authority, TÜV Rheinland, for their usability. TÜV Rheinland also validated Samsung Smart TVs for their remote features. The certification and validation was awarded to Series 7 and higher Samsung Smart TVs, citing the auto-detect feature that identifies external devices connected to the TV, and the Smart Remote that controls multiple devices.

All of Samsung’s 2016 Smart TVs are designed to make the viewing experience more comfortable and intuitive for the consumer. Through the auto-detect feature, which recognizes external devices including OTT, set-top boxes, home theater systems and game consoles, along with the Smart Remote that can control multiple devices with a single remote, the TV viewing experience has never been simpler.

“We are proud that the excellence of the Samsung Smart TV has been recognized by such a prestigious testing authority as TÜV Rheinland,” said Jungkil Lee, Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “At Samsung, we continue to strive to provide the highest-quality and most comfortable viewing experience for our consumers through our Smart TVs.”

At IFA 2016, Samsung highlighted its Smart TV offerings in a dedicated exhibition zone, where visitors experienced first-hand the exceptional usability of Samsung’s Smart TVs. Samsung’s improved Smart Hub, powered by Tizen, gives users instant access to a wider range of content – including TV shows, internet streaming services and games – faster and easier than ever before. Visitors were also able to experience the TV PLUS service, which was scheduled to be released during the fourth quarter in the United States, after having been previously launched in Thailand, Vietnam and Korea.

With a 140-year history, TÜV Rheinland is one of the most respected testing and certification authorities in Europe. The company assesses product safety and quality for a range of different industrial products, including electronic devices, automobiles and medical devices.

Samsung Electronics publically released its Smart TV Software Development Kit (SDK) Preview UI guide on June 30, 2016, securing developer content exposure and expanding the consumer’s single access experience. Previously, the Smart TV SDK Preview UI was only available to a limited number of applications from a select group of partners.

The Smart TV SDK is used by developers to write applications for Samsung Smart TV’s Tizen TV OS platform, and the Preview UI guide serves as an important function for the single access content experience.

“Continuing Samsung’s commitment to our consumers and developers, we’ve decided to open the Smart TV SDK preview guide,” said WonJin Lee, Executive Vice President, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to provide more access and additional content as we strive to expand our smart TV application ecosystem.”

Moving forward, anyone can develop an application with the Smart TV SDK Preview UI, giving the consumer a better single access content experience through a wider range of applications. Additionally, with preview functions, developers are given the opportunity to get more exposure and promote their services through Samsung’s Smart TV’s Smart Hub home screen.

Samsung’s Smart TV SDK preview development guide is available on the Samsung Developers Forum website, www.samsungdforum.com/TizenGuide.

Samsung Electronics today announced that its TV PLUS service is now available in Thailand and Vietnam on 2016 Samsung Smart TV UHD Models. All other Smart TV models, including Full HD Smart TVs, will be supported by the end of June. The TV PLUS service enables users to find exciting video clips by simply moving to designated channels, instead of having to toggle between different apps.

As a part of the TV PLUS upgrade, users in Thailand and Vietnam will automatically receive four popular Korean Pop channels of CJ E&M’s ‘Tving TV’ including Awesome Singers (Channel 101/555), KPOP Boy Group Stage (Channel 102/556), KPOP Girl Group Stage (Channel 103/557), and M Countdown (Channel 104/558). Further ahead in 2016, Samsung plans to collaborate with additional global and local content partners to expand the channels and variety offered on the service.

“We are thrilled to offer TV PLUS and exciting K-POP content to our users in Thailand and Vietnam,” said WonJin Lee, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “TV PLUS is a new kind of Smart TV service that creates a better user experience, and enables consumers to watch their favorite programming in a more integrated way. We are committed to continuing to develop and launch new services that meet the unique needs of our Smart TV owners.”

TV PLUS can be enjoyed by simply connecting an eligible Smart TV to the Internet through a LAN-line or Wi-Fi network. For those who have agreed to the Smart Hub terms of use, relevant software upgrades are automatically initiated once connected to the internet so consumers can use the service instantly and without the need for further installment or registration. Users with cable TV and IPTV can join the fun by selecting TV PLUS on their Smart Hub home screens.

Samsung Electronics today announced that celebrated music video game Just Dance Now is now available globally on 2015 and 2016 Samsung Smart TVs.

Just Dance Now, the mobile version of the most popular music video game franchise in history with more than 118 million players worldwide, is accessible on Samsung’s 2015 and 2016 Smart TV lineups via the Smart Hub, where Smart TV users will be able to connect quickly and easily to the game. Connection through the Smart Hub also enables users to access the game’s subscription service and conveniently pay through Samsung’s Smart TV billing system.

By simply launching the app via the Smart Hub, players can enjoy countless hours of dancing fun on a huge catalogue of hundreds of songs, including top Billboard hits and classic favorites, with friends and family. Being able to access the game in stunning picture quality on a large TV screen, Just Dance Now will offer a new aspect of the ultimate viewing experience.

“As the leader in the TV industry, we’re committed to providing our users with the premium gaming options they desire,” said YougChan Kim, Vice President of Visual Display at Samsung Electronics. “We’re thrilled to offer one of the most popular music video game franchises of all time to users on our home entertainment ecosystem, including our Smart Hub, which provide the most streamlined and intuitive TV user experience.”

The game, developed by Ubisoft, is available on Samsung Smart TVs more than 50 countries worldwide, including South Africa, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Australia, among many others.

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2015-16 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,394 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

With a robust and easy-to-use API system, Samsung Checkout on TV promises to bring a whole new world for developers. Using this native billing option, Samsung aims to help make TV app markets more dynamic and fruitful, just as mobile and online payment systems have already transformed transactions for consumers.

As the world’s No. 1 TV maker for the past 10 years, Samsung has sold more than 427 million TVs worldwide over the past decade. The fact that it has the largest base of TVs installed puts Samsung in a great position for this new era in TV. Samsung Checkout works on all Smart TVs from 2014 to 2016, and 2013 models will also be supported by the end of this year.

For developers, this represents a huge opportunity. Without having to rely on a complicated, totally separate billing system, they can offer paid features right from Samsung Smart TVs. For consumers, being able to purchase goods, apps and services directly from their TVs could be a vastly richer experience, bringing together many aspects of life together in one easy package. Now, when viewers see something they like – whether it be extra content, offers in a game, etc. – they don’t have to hunt around for their mobile phone or haul out their computer to make a purchase; they can buy it right away, right from their TV screen.

What Is Samsung Checkout on TV?

Samsung Checkout on TV is a payment system specially created for the TV experience. Available in 53 countries and still growing, Samsung Checkout has a simple management system for items and transactions, as well as handling payments, settlements, etc. It can handle a wide range of payment methods, including credit cards, and depending on the region, mobile carriers and PayPal as well.

How It Works

Samsung Checkout is a fast and simple two-step system designed to work with the TV remote control. Once consumers register their credit card, they just need to click “Pay Now” to buy an item, then enter a four-digital PIN.

Samsung Checkout on TV: When you use your credit card.

And what can consumers actually buy? There are in-app purchases, paid apps and subscriptions. In addition, Samsung Checkout can be used for promotional tools, like coupons and vouchers, as well as free trial subscriptions.

Already there are more than 50 games consumers can download and more than 500 they can stream, though GameFly and Playstation Now. HBO Now is allows users to sign up for subscription information via Samsung Checkout simply by entering the user’s email address.

How Samsung Checkout on TV Helps Developers

Samsung Checkout is designed to work smoothly with app developers, integrated through REST API and Client API. It can operate with several app types, including web apps, native apps (like G-Player) and Unity. All told, there are six APIs to manage the payment process. One client-level API, BuyItem, to invoke the payment UI on the screen, and five open APIs: Request purchase List, Request Products List, Verify Purchase, Apply Product, and Subscription Cancel.

Protected with Samsung’s Leading Security

Of course, any system that deals with purchases and payments has to be incredibly secure, protecting both the data and consumers’ peace of mind. Samsung Checkout on TV employs Samsung’s Smart TV security solutions including Samsung Secure Keyboard and Samsung Secure Numpad to secure financial information in the payment process.

For more information about Samsung Smart TV SDKs, check out: https://www.samsungdforum.com/

* Samsung account, as well as initial activation, including credit card/PayPal account registration, and other authorization process required for Samsung Checkout on TV.

** Availability of apps, services, promotions and payment methods subject to change without prior notice or obligation.

During the 2016 Samsung Smart TV session, the Samsung Smart View SDK will be introduced to developers as a new feature which enables seamless connection and communication between mobile devices and Samsung TVs. And, in an effort to enable Samsung partners to increase accessibility to their content, the new Smart TV SDK will feature a Preview title, which can be set to appear directly on the first screen of the Smart Hub.

Samsung is also making a new Smart TV-optimized payment solution, Samsung Checkout on TV, available to all developers. Previously, Samsung Checkout on TV has been offered to select key partners only. But following the announcement, all game and app developers will be able to create services that can accept payments from consumers and monetize efficiently and effectively on Samsung Smart TVs, the largest installed base of TVs in the world over the last decade.

A new open source project called TOAST was another developer resource introduced during the conference. This allows developers to target a broader range of devices such as 2012-2014 Smart TVs and prevents them from having to rewrite TV apps for different operating systems. TOAST will be extended to other operating systems including WebOS TV and Android TV.

“We are constantly aiming to advance the Smart TV viewing experience by streamlining how users access their favorite applications and smart content,” said Sang Kim, Vice President of Visual Display at Samsung Electronics. “Our new enhancements will not only improve the viewing experience for the user, but also for developers who are creating new content on a regular basis.”

Neil Heslop, Director of RNIB Solutions demonstrates the accessibility functions of Samsung Smart TV.

Samsung Electronics was acknowledged by the United Kingdom’s Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) for outstanding progress in accessible technology for 2015 Samsung TVs. The RNIB’s prestigious “Inclusive Society Award” recognizes RNIB partners for innovations in technology that allows people with sight loss to live more independently.

Samsung has closely worked with RNIB since 2012 for testing and reviewing products for ease of use and accessibility, specifically to improve viewing experiences for the people with sight loss.

Samsung’s drive to constantly evolve its TV technology with advanced yet intuitive functionality and new accessibility features helps to provide an improved TV viewing experience for all consumers. Samsung offers features specifically designed for partially sighted or blind users, including text-to-speech Voice Guidance and a high contrast user interface.

Samsung’s Voice Guide feature makes a range of TV functions easier to use for the people with sight loss. It includes all day-to-day operations such as channel changing, describing programs displayed in the Electronic Program Guide (EPG), setup, web browsing and other steps typically only shown on screen. Partially sighted and blind users can now more easily interact with their TVs using a conversational voice to manage applications, record upcoming programs and request information like upcoming show times. The graphical user interface in Samsung TVs offers better overall readability with high contrast levels and improved picture quality.

“Our organization offers resources and information that better the day-to-day lives of the people with sight loss,” said Neil Heslop, Director of RNIB Solutions. “Samsung has partnered with us to improve the TV viewing experience year after year and we are recognizing their contributions with this award.”

“Samsung recognizes the importance of creating an easy and seamless user experience for everyone, regardless of their physical abilities,” said Steve Park, Managing Director of Samsung Electronics Research Institute UK (SRUK). “Our products aim to have the best accessibility implementation in the marketplace today, and we are honored to be recognized by the RNIB. We will continue to work with our partners to improve the technology and accessibility offerings for all of our products and services.”

Since implementing the first iterations of Voice Guidance and the high contrast user interface, Samsung has continued to improve the functionality each year. Most recently, the 2016 Samsung Smart TV accessibility features were recognized at CES. The latest TV model was awarded a CES 2016 Best of Innovation Award in the Accessible Tech category, the second year in a row that Samsung TVs have been awarded in this category.

Samsung recently launched a dedicated accessibility web page (www.samsung.com/uk/accessibility/main.html) which informs users about the accessibility capabilities of all its products.

Neil Heslop (left) with Steve Park, Managing Director of Samsung Electronics Research Institute UK (center), and Robin Spinks, Principal Manager of Digital Accessibility at RNIB (right).

Located in Mountain View, California, Samsung’s Customer Experience Lab created the new Smart Hub UX, which is designed to make finding and viewing content more convenient than ever. The video embedded below shows the passion of the Customer Experience Lab’s researchers and how they conduct their research.

“It was very apparent that the traditional TV model is changing,” said Sophia Sung, Project Lead at the Customer Experience Lab, in the video. “Because we watch a lot of TV ourselves, we experience the same pain points that our users go through every day.” Sung added, “We are crazy about TV”.

Understanding the difficulties people go through with their TV inspired the lab to rethink the whole viewing experience. These days, people are using ever more devices to connect content to their TVs. There is broadcast TV, Video-on-Demand (VOD) services, Over-the-Top (OTT) services, game consoles and more, creating a complicated jumble of wires, remotes, formats and menus.

But the Samsung Smart Hub eliminates all of that, unifying all of people’s devices into one easy-to-use interface right on the TV screen, operated through a single remote control.

“In 2016, this is the first time we’ve really put the user’s content front and center,” said Jonathan Gaiser, Design Lead. “We have a vision to create an end-to-end, seamless content experience.”

Check out this video to learn more about how Samsung’s Customer Experience Lab is transforming the TV experience for all viewers.

TV PLUS is a kind of video-on-demand (VOD) service that enables users who have their Samsung Smart TV connected to the Internet to watch a wide selection of content for free. The “channels” are added automatically when the TV detects an Internet connection, without the need to subscribe to the service or install an application.

The service is designed to seamlessly and conveniently combine the linear TV experience with VOD service.

Starting soon in Thailand and Vietnam, then expanding to other countries around Southeast Asia, Samsung’s TV PLUS will feature K-pop and music content, as well as programs about education, food, travel and beauty.

Samsung launched TV PLUS in Korea in October 2015, featuring 33 channels and a wide range of content, including dramas, music and education. One-fifth of Samsung Smart TV users have watched TV PLUS, and their rate of revisiting the service exceeds 80 percent.

Samsung’s TV PLUS service made its debut in Korea in October 2015.

“TV PLUS is a new concept in smart TV services, enabling users to watch their favorite programs more easily,” said Won Jin Lee, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will offer a variety of services that will make smart TV feel more familiar to customers.”

The new Samsung 2016 Smart TVs for Southeast Asian countries will also feature All Care Protection, an enhancement to Samsung’s Triple Protection that guards against damage caused by unstable conditions, such as electrical surges, lightning and humidity.

With All Care Protection, Samsung TVs are designed to minimize ventilation, to limit dust and insects. Samsung All Care Protection also restricts the types of files permitted to be played, minimizing the risk of viruses.

In addition, Samsung’s lineup of TVs, from premium to entry-level, utilizes a feature called Clean View, which automatically eliminates noise from TV signals by analyzing the video source. With Clean View technology, analog broadcasts can be enjoyed with a much-improved picture quality.

Samsung is working to develop services and features for its products based on an in-depth understanding of the evolving tastes and unique needs of consumers in each region.

Yong Sung Jeon, President & CEO of Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia & Oceania, talks about the 2016 Samsung TV lineup to a full house at the Samsung Southeast Asia Forum 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2016 Samsung Smart TV

Samsung Electronics reinforced its position as the number one Smart TV brand in the UK with news that its Smart TV platform has now passed the 2.5 million weekly unique users mark – a 33% increase in users over the past six months.

Samsung’s Smart TV platform content offering compliments the incredible viewing experience of Samsung’s award winning SUHD TVs, elevating home entertainment to new levels. The innovative SUHD TVs surpass the limitations of previous displays, delivering superior picture quality with stunning contrast, striking brightness and spectacular colour.

The growing popularity of the Samsung Smart TV platform is not only down to the great content and viewing experience on offer but also due to its simple and easy to use functionality and the fact users can access the apps they want without being locked into a long term contract.

Rhian James, Content Product Manager at Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland, commented: “2015 was an exciting year for content, we have seen a significant shift in the way people consume content which has been reflected in the remarkable growth in users of the Samsung Smart Hub over the past year.

 People are engaging with the content we have to offer more than ever and as the number one TV brand in the UK, we at Samsung want to ensure that we are offering consumers the widest choice of content possible. We are pleased to be working with an amazing range of partners to extend our quality offering, giving our Smart TV users access to the content they want more of.‘’

https://youtu.be/U8WxpJA4bX0

The Internet Revolution began in the late 1990s, and it has since had a great impact on the development of the television, completely changing its concept altogether. Before the era, people simply watched TV. Now, the television has evolved into a device that interacts with users, allowing them to choose which content to watch, play games, make purchases and retrieve information in an entirely new way. The age of smart TV has arrived.

According to market research firms, smart TV sales are expected to surpass 100 million units worldwide, accounting for more than 40 percent of total TV sales in 2016. In the US, the services provided by Netflix, an over-the-top (OTT) provider, recently made up around 50 percent of total Internet traffic after 6 p.m. Along with better picture quality and larger screens, “intelligence” has also become an irreversible trend in the TV industry.

Watching TV Versus Experiencing TV

Using an antenna to watch a few terrestrial channels—ones that are transmitted by radio waves from an Earth based transmitter—has already become a distant memory for many of us. Cable networks and telecommunications companies now provide thousands of channels that are broadcasted via the Internet, rather than as radio waves over the air. In addition, videos are continuously produced and uploaded on YouTube, while OTT providers like Netflix and Hulu allow viewers to stream a seamlessly endless collection of films and television shows.

Moreover, TV manufacturers are adding more content for consumers to watch and enjoy. They are introducing new features that allow users to share photos, videos and messages with family members, and boast web searching, shopping and game services. In particular, Samsung Electronics is planning to release more than 500 smart TV games in this year. The content that users can enjoy on their smart TVs is constantly increasing.

However, it is also true that many people still think of TV as a device to watch content on while relaxing at home on the couch. For these consumers, TV manufacturers provide standard televisions without smart features at relatively lower prices.

There are a few things to consider when buying a standard TV. Consumers first need to check if there are any problems with the reception of terrestrial broadcasts in their homes. Then, they may require a cable, satellite or IPTV subscription, depending on their needs. If consumers are going to connect a standard TV to a media adaptor like Chromecast or a game console, they will also need to ensure the devices are compatible and that there are no connection terminal issues.

The State Of Smart TV In 2016

In a way, Samsung’s previous Smart TVs illustrate the history of the smart TV. In 2008, the company introduced the PAVV Bordeaux 750—the ancestor of smart TVs—and launched various internet services including news and weather information features. Since then, Samsung has been a leader in the development of the smart TV in all aspects. In 2010, it opened the world’s first TV application store, and adopted the Smart TV user interface (UI) Smart Hub a year later in 2011. Samsung then added voice, action and face recognition features in 2012, introduced a customized content matching system in 2013 and implemented gaming services and accessibility features in 2014. Last year, the company incorporated Tizen for fast and broad connectivity.

Today, the focus is on how to provide an easier and more comfortable user environment in a world flooded with content that consists of live broadcast, video-on-demand (VOD), OTT and user created content (UCC), as well as a diverse range of games. This is because the primary purpose of TV is to provide a convenient, relaxing and entertaining experience to users.

It is in this context that Samsung stressed the importance of the “Single Experience” when it introduced its 2016 Smart TVs. At CES 2016 earlier this month, Samsung unveiled a line-up of Smart TVs with “single access point, single remote” features. With the new Smart Hub interface, users can get access to a one-stop service comprised of live broadcast, VOD, OTT and game services the minute they turn on their televisions, regardless of which service provider they originate from. The Samsung Smart Control remote, produced in collaboration with Samsung’s partners, allows users to control TV-related devices such as set-top boxes, OTT boxes, audio equipment and game consoles, right from one remote.

Also many more exciting services are on the way. TV PLUS, which was launched in Korea in September 2015, is the world’s first VOD service with virtual channels. The service enables users to watch popular VODs in the same way they watch standard TV channels. Samsung is planning to expand the service globally with the launch of TV PLUS in Southeast Asia this year.

TV services that allow users to easily share content with their friends and family members are also in the works. Samsung Smart View enables users to transfer photos, music and videos on their mobile phone or Windows PC to their Smart TV with a simple tap or click. All users have to do is download the Samsung Smart View application for their mobile phone or PC and connect those devices to their Smart TV via a Wi-Fi network. At CES 2016, Samsung also introduced MediaSquare, a new concept of content sharing service. It has since attracted attention as a next-generation platform where users can share content on their smart phone through their TV for an interactive game-like experience.

Undergoing Ceaseless Evolution To Meet Consumer Needs

Up until now, the smart TV has advanced in a way that provides viewers with more content choices and enhanced convenience. Today, its uses are greatly expanding, as it provides entertainment and controls important features in our homes. In fact, as our homes get smarter and smarter, the smart TV industry is making it a priority to improve the connectivity capabilities of smart TVs. After all, the television of today could very well serve as a hub that connects things in our homes, including appliances, doors and even faucets.

Samsung decided to feature IoT-hub technologies in the entire 2016 SUHD TV line-up. In addition, the Smart TVs, which make up more than 90 percent of Samsung’s 2016 TV line-up, will be equipped with IoT-ready features that can connect with other smart devices. Samsung’s Smart TVs will also run on the Tizen operating system which is highly compatible with other mobile gadgets and home appliances.

With their 2016 SUHD TV, users can check the status of their laundry or see what’s going on in their baby’s room. A simple press of a button on the TV remote creates an ideal environment for either watching movies or sleeping. This convenience will soon become the norm.

“TV will evolve incessantly according to the changing lifestyles of customers. Setting a certain goal at the moment would limit the potential of TV,” said Hyun Suk Kim, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is striving to go beyond the confines of today’s TV, such as design and user environment, and research future TV technologies,” he added.

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Samsung Electronics Introduces Advanced Smart TV User Experience

For more information about CES 2016, please visit our exclusive page #SAMSUNGxCES2016

Samsung Electronics unveiled a new Samsung Smart TV user experience with the refreshed ‘Smart Hub’ user interface and new Samsung Smart Control remote. These Smart TV enhancements provide consumers with easy access to all their favorite content, all in one place and with a single remote control.

“The world of TV is constantly changing, with more choices and more connected devices than ever before, so we have made it easier for people to discover and watch the content they want, when they want” said Won Jin Lee, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “In 2016, Samsung’s Smart Hub and Smart Control remote are providing the most streamlined, convenient and intuitive TV user experience. Together, they offer the choices and performance consumers expect from today’s home entertainment technology.”

Smart Hub: All Of Your Entertainment, All In One Place

The new Smart Hub interface represents a shift away from multiple content sources and devices, to one integrated content and services platform. Consumers will now be able to switch seamlessly between linear content, OTT content as well as other connected devices, including videogame consoles or Blu-ray players. With the refreshed interface, consumers can search through popular titles to find what they want to watch or play. This eliminates the barrier between sources and devices connected to a TV, allowing consumers to access what they really want to watch more easily and quickly. Consumers can also customize their own Smart Hub interface by arranging their favorite content and entertainment selections right on their home screen.

https://youtu.be/U8WxpJA4bX0

Samsung Smart Control Remote: A Single Control For Your TV-Connected Devices

The Samsung Smart Control remote serves as a single control unit for nearly all devices connected to a Samsung Smart TV, eliminating the need for multiple remote controls. For a TV with more than three external devices connected, on average, the Smart Control remote will consolidate multiple remote controls into one, seamless device. Built upon the Tizen platform, the new Smart Control remote provides quicker and more streamlined access to entertainment, thanks to its automatic source recognition. The Smart Control remote will immediately recognize set-top-boxes, OTT boxes, Blu-ray players, game consoles as well as other connected devices. This provides consumers the one tool they need to control their entire home entertainment system.

Samsung Customer Experience Lab: In Search of What Users Really Want

Samsung’s new Smart TV with enhanced Smart Hub interface was developed in part by the Samsung Customer Experience lab in Silicon Valley. “We wanted to offer consumers a new type of experience, integrating live TV with streaming services and other content sources,” said Chris Turkstra, Vice President of the Lab. “No longer will you need to keep track of several remotes to control individual devices. All you need is one Samsung Smart TV.”

Related stories:

New Samsung Smart View Available for Better Smart TV Connectivity

For more information about CES 2016, please visit our exclusive page #SAMSUNGxCES2016

Samsung Electronics launched its new Samsung Smart View app, currently available on select Samsung Smart TV models in beta format. The full version is scheduled to be released in early 2016. The new software, which allows users to conveniently share personal content with Samsung Smart TVs, integrates versions 1.0 and 2.0 and improves connection reliability, as well as expanding device compatibility.

The new Samsung Smart View app enables a wider range of devices to connect to Samsung Smart TVs, even beyond Samsung’s own Galaxy devices, for which the service was originally designed. As a result, Smart View now supports Android, iOS and Windows PCs, enabling users to transfer their own pictures, music and video content from their devices to their Samsung Smart TV.

Smart View can also now be used on a wider range of Samsung’s Smart TVs, from the 2011 models up to the latest 2015 SUHD line up.* The full version will also support the new SUHD TVs of 2016.

Once a device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as a Smart TV, consumers can immediately use the Smart View service simply by choosing which TV set to connect with. At the push of a button, this intuitive, newly designed app can instantly transfer content stored on mobile devices and PCs to TVs. Consumers can also use multiple functions simultaneously, and access other apps on their mobile devices without affecting the sharing function. For example, consumers can browse the internet on their smartphone, while watching a movie via Smart View on their Samsung Smart TV.

Consumers can install the updated Samsung Smart View app on their mobile device from the Google Play, App Store and also onto their Windows PC** by visiting www.samsung.com/smartview. Once installed, users can enjoy a range of Smart View features, including the ability to create playlists for music, video and photos, easily switch between these content types and instantly share content with any Samsung Smart TV on the same Wi-Fi network.

Currently, a survey is in progress at www.surveymonkey.com/r/smart-view to collect consumers’ feedback on the Smart View beta service.

For more information on the Samsung Smart TV lineup, Samsung Smart View application or upcoming announcements, visit the official website at www.samsung.com/smartview and Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.

*List of Supported Devices

Samsung Smart TV

2011 LED D7000 and above, PDP D8000 and above.
2012 LED ES7500 and above, PDP E8000 and above.
2013 LED F4500 and above (except F9000 and above), PDP F5500 and above.
2014 H4500, H5500 and above (except H6003/H6103/H6153/H6201/H6203).
2015 J4500, J5500 and above (except J6203).
Please note supported TV models may vary by region.

Mobile

Android OS 4.1 and above.
iOS 7.0 and above
Please refer to the app description in your preferred app store for a list of supported devices and models.

PC

OS Windows 7, 8, 8.1 (32/64 bit supported)
CPU Intel Pentium 1.8GHz processor or above (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz higher recommended)
RAM 2GB (recommended)
VGA 1024 x 768, 32bit or above

**Please note the availability of the Smart View software for Windows PCs may vary by country

Coming from a family with a long tradition in the arts, Jean-Christophe Naour learned from an early age the importance of precision in design. “We all can come up with the same ideas, but details determine how we craft our ideas,” he said. “Details make design.”

But he also loves chaos, and believes in the importance of leaving your comfort zone. “The brain is really abstract, and inspiration comes from the unexpected. You have to break out of your comfort zone. You need to be prepared to fail.”

Naour has won awards and critical praise over the years for his experimental approach to uniting those competing influences, using computer algorithms to create apps and artworks that produce striking images and patterns. And for the past four years, Naour has applied his unique mix of design ideas at Samsung Electronics in the Visual Display Business, as part of the team that shapes the advanced design and user interface of screens and related devices. “I’m really excited about creating new interactive experiences that connect products to their users through inventive blends of technology and storytelling,” he said.

“You have to break out of your comfort zone. You need to be prepared to fail.”

Pushing Boundaries for Inspiration

For Naour, his fascination with design started early, growing up in Brittany, France. His father’s side of the family has worked in woodworking and furniture for generations, while his mother’s side of the family was involved in fashion. He grew up creating, too, first with Lego and building blocks, then with computers. “I was in love with graphics and the general aesthetics of the whole thing—the colors, the pixels, the fonts,” he said.

He went to Nantes University to study mathematics and computer science, but he thought it was not a good fit for him and after a couple of years transferred into an industrial design program, getting his Master’s Degree at the L’École de Design Nantes Atlantique.

But when the time came to spend a semester abroad (a requirement of his design program), Naour was less interested in the usual choices, like the United States or Great Britain. “I wanted to take a risk, and push my boundaries for inspiration,” he said. So instead he came to Hongik University in Seoul. “I knew nothing about Korea at the time, but it sounded exciting.”

He took advantage of his time in Korea to explore the country all he could, visiting 20 cities over the course of the semester. So after he finished graduate school, he really wanted to return to Korea, and eagerly took a position at a design firm in Seoul. After several years there, Samsung made him an offer, and he began a new career.

Going Abstract to Understand the User Experience

Naour started with Smart TV, working on the interactive gesture interface, and he has had a hand in many projects since then, with a task force system that rotates designers regularly.

As part of Visual Display design team, he usually works on devices from the early phases, building a road map for how users will experience every aspect. Typically, they are presented with a product early on and then brainstorm for how the interface might work. “At first, nothing is very specific,” he said. “But gradually you build a wireframe and interface concepts, then a skin, and then you sync your ideas with the product developers.”

Usually a product will have dozens of “modules,” or subareas within the UX, that all have to be coordinated and approved, making development very complicated. But one of Naour’s favorite projects was actually one of the most straightforward—all the lineup of Wireless Audio 360, which only had two modules, the speaker and the app. The speakers were developed with U.S. office. But once the hardware was ready, Naour and the Seoul design team had to come up with the guide for how people would use the speaker. They knew the speaker would have a cylindrical shape and an LED interface, but the other details on how the product would function was up to Naour and the Seoul design team.

They responded with a series of workshops over three weeks, looking to define the core interactions and user’s journey, all through a series of swipes and taps. “Our response was to reduce the details.

We wanted something more artistic, where the actions would flow,” Naour said. “something more abstract.”

They responded with a series of workshops over three weeks, looking to define the core interactions and user’s journey, all through a series of swipes and taps. “Our response was to reduce the details. We wanted something more artistic, where the actions would flow,” Naour said. “something more abstract.”

The final result was an elegant interface, where users could control everything about the wireless speaker with just a few simple swipes right on the flat top of the speaker.

Failure Is Crucial for Innovation

Over his career as a designer, Naour has developed many big ideas about how to approach design and creativity. “I don’t like to say ‘I don’t know’,” he said. “I prefer to try doing something myself and learn from my mistakes until I can make it happen.”

It’s an unorthodox approach that Samsung encourages. “In France, we have a low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity, so we are reluctant to take risks,” he said. “But failure is crucial in innovation. The faster you find weakness, the faster you can improve what needs fixing.”

Another significant part of his success as a designer is maintaining work-life balance. Getting out of the office to listen to music or play with his 2-year-old daughter is important to keeping his thinking fresh and creative. “Go outside. You need to break your perspective.”

“I don’t like to say ‘I don’t know.’ I prefer trying things myself until I can make it happen.”

Naour says watching his daughter play is also a great way to learn about UX technology. “I’m amazed at how young children love new technology. Even at 1 year old, they can already unlock the phone,” he said. “I think technology is like a language. It’s like they’re learning to live in an augmented reality.”

The Art of the Algorithm

As a self-professed “workaholic,” Naour notes that even when he is not at work, he is always working on design ideas. One of his favorite approaches is using algorithms. “Design is, by definition, iterative,” he said. “With algorithms, you can start off with some basic shapes, give them rules, then the computer can come up tens of thousands of variations, all based on the same concept—always different and unpredictable.”

Over the years, Naour has won much recognition for his own creative algorithms, artworks and apps, appearing in such places as Wired, Gizmodo, The Creator’s Project and IdN Magazine. But Naour says he is most proud of the FWA (Favorite Website Award) he won in 2011 for his app Poly—a program that turn users photos and drawings into geometric arrays of color, reducing images down to their essential polygons.

“FWA is like a symbol in the interactive design industry” he said. “When I was still a student, it was for me the most inspiring place on the web, at the early stages of creative Flash websites. It represented the quality I wanted to produce.”

Designing an Interactive Future

As technology grows ever more refined, fast and complex, increasingly it is the role of the UX designer to define how consumers interact with products, get the most from them and ultimately feel about them. “New technologies are radically expanding the design space,” he said. “Just a few years back, almost any kind of interaction was all about the screen, keyboard and mouse. Now, the degrees of freedom are increasing, and so too are the design choices.”

It has only been a few years since multi-touch has been on the market, and technology interfaces are continuing to grow more sophisticated very quickly. Naour says he loves seeing where all these developments are leading. “Every major milestone in the evolution of UX design has involved an interaction between technology and human beings.” he said. “While we use all our senses in everyday life, we are still limited to one or two at most in our digital life. The next interfaces should take full advantage of our complex bodies, to make communications even more natural.”

“New technologies are radically expanding the design space… Now, the degrees of freedom are increasing, and so too are the design choices.”

And that constant sense of challenge and exploration is what makes designing UX interfaces at Samsung so worthwhile. “It has been an exciting adventure,” Naour said, “and I get to work with some really great people”

Smart TVs are emerging as the new way to game, along with PCs and mobile devices. Easy-to-play games for the whole family and a rich, immersive gaming experience on a big screen make smart TV games even more attractive.

Samsung Electronics, a leader of the global TV market, has sold almost 100 million smart TVs around the world and now is trailblazing the TV gaming industry. More than three million users access the Samsung Smart TV GAMES service every month. There are three core reasons why Samsung Smart TV GAMES is uniquely enjoyable.

1. No complicated work, jut turn on the TV

One of the great things about Samsung Smart TV GAMES is that you don’t have to spend time on connecting and setting up devices like with set-top boxes, game consoles and game controllers, which can be cumbersome. You can instantly enjoy games by turning on your Samsung smart TV. You can immediately see category of games on the GAMES menu, found on the Smart Hub panel of your main screen.

Samsung Smart TV GAMES supports a variety of controllers, including remote controls, smartphone mobile apps, Samsung Smart Control, wearable devices and X-input compatible gamepads.

You can also enjoy popular console games on using smart TV via streaming with Samsung’s global game maker partnerships. Samsung provides streaming services through Play Station Now in North America and through GameFly in 21 countries around the globe, including Europe, North America and Latin America.

Samsung has recently introduced its own TV payment system called Samsung Checkout on TV, enabling simple purchasing of games and gaming items.

2. Rich, immersive gaming experience

Smart TV game services are unique because it feels more realistic when playing games on a screen two to three times larger than PC monitors. This year, UHD TVs have been rapidly gaining popularity in the market for their display, which provides four times clearer picture quality than Full HD TVs. More importantly, Samsung has applied a specialized engine and other technologies to its SUHD TVs, which are being recognized for having more superior picture quality than other TVs released in the market so far.

Playing games on Samsung’s Curved TVs fully immerse you in the game. Additionally, you will experience less eye soreness. Because curved screens measure the same distance from the center or the edges of the screen, your eyes do not have to work as hard to adjust.

Asphalt 8: Airborne, a popular game on Samsung Smart TV GAMES, is a brand new, exciting experience, featuring high-flying race tracks built in nine well-known tourist attractions on the large screen.

3. Games for families to enjoy together

Game addiction is a growing concern but Samsung Smart TV GAMES enables families to play games together. Samsung Smart TV GAMES works easily with remote controls and smartphones so multiple people can play simultaneously. Also Samsung Smart TV GAMES is network-based, supporting online multi-play for all family members to play together.

In partnership with companies such as Gameloft, EA and Ubisoft, Samsung has released more than 60 smart TV games, in many categories including sports, racing, music playing, puzzles, first-person shooter (FPS) games and roll playing games (RPG). Samsung has also partnered with Sony and GameFly, to provide a variety of online streaming games. From Tetris to Just Dance Now, scheduled to be available beginning later this year, Samsung Smart TV GAMES makes it easy to enjoy time with family and friends.

“Smart TV users prefer games like sports or racing games that they can play with family or friends,” said Yong Chan Kim, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Considering such needs, Samsung will increase the number of games that can be downloaded to more than 100 by the end of this year, focusing on casual games that everyone can enjoy.”

http://youtu.be/UgxhRS_Vk_c

*All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation..

For the past nine years, Samsung has ranked No. 1 in the global smart TV market, with the most popular smart TV platform that is home to a wide range of original premium content available to millions of consumers. As a leader in the smart TV industry, Samsung is now introducing Samsung Checkout on TV, a brand new payment service engineered to offer a convenient user experience.

Samsung Checkout on TV was designed from scratch to provide an easy and safe payment experience specifically for the TV. It supports major credit cards, debit cards, PayPal as well as other mobile billing options. The beauty of it is that in most cases, users can complete a payment in just three steps after the initial registration setup. First, choose the item you want to purchase. Then simply press the ‘Pay Now’ button, and enter the PIN (Personal Identification Number). That’s it!

Additionally, Samsung mobile device users can easily transfer their Samsung account information and registered payment methods (credit card, debit card, PayPal) to the Samsung Smart TV without additional registration steps.

While Samsung Smart TV users currently have access to a number of exciting content, they will soon be able to access additional premium content through in-app purchases within new and world-renowned games. The first set of game titles include:

• Gamefly Streaming
• Buddy & Me
• Deer Hunter
• Eternity Warriors 3
• Frontline Commando: D-DAY
• Golf Star
• Casino World Championship

Samsung Checkout on TV also features enhanced security. Users can rest assured that their personal payment information is safe and secure. Samsung teamed up with PayPal to offer a fast and safe payment process, and PayPal users can expect the same level of sophistication when it comes to keeping their financial information secure as they do on a PC or mobile device.

In addition, personal and sensitive information is safeguarded through Samsung’s Secure Keyboard – the world’s first secure virtual keyboard and input mechanism on a TV – when entering credit/debit card information or PayPal password.

With exciting enhancements already in the works for Samsung Checkout on TV, a smart new way to pay on TV will become even smarter. Stay tuned!

The official brand of Samsung Smart TV payment service is Samsung Checkout on TV, and the branding update is rolling out gradually throughout countries and TV models. Samsung Smart TV payment service will initially be offered in 32 countries on select 2015 Smart TVs and 2014 Smart TVs. The service availability, supported payment methods and capabilities may vary by country and TV model.

Yet, despite the low number of millennial home purchases, the majority of the demographic agrees that owning a home is necessary to live The American Dream and be a respected member of society. It is predicted that once the generation starts to tie the knot, home ownership will greatly increase.

Millennials already have a good idea of what they want from a home, so when they do start to buy, they will demand certain features, no doubt different from those desired by baby boomers and Generation Xers. So what exactly do millennials want in a home?

Smart, Safe and Secure

As the first generation to have had access to the Internet during their formative years, millennials value technology, and as such, tech-friendly homes will play a vital role in their lifestyles. The next generation of homeowners will set the pace for utilizing new technology in the home, making tasks such as running a load in the washing machine and lowering the temperature of the thermostat from a smartphone the new norm.

The majority of millennial women questioned in a recent survey believe that smart technology makes the home safer and more enjoyable. Participants of the survey report that indoor and outdoor lighting, door locks and security cameras are the areas in which they are most likely to adopt new technology, while identifying the kitchen, laundry room and living room as areas that would benefit most from smart tech. Despite the increased cost of such smart devices and services, millennials are more likely to view these as a good home investment for the long term.

Emerging devices such as Samsung’s SmartThings Hub and the corresponding free app make intelligent living possible, allowing users to easily customize the home to one’s personal preferences, another important determinant of millennial home buying. While homeowners of the past hoped to purchase new or newly remodeled homes, younger generations prefer fixer-uppers. This “entitled” generation is least likely to expect their next home to be recently built, instead opting for a house they can repair and improve on their own, incorporating their personal preferences into the home’s design.

Purposeful Places and Spaces

Among these customization projects is the desire to make each room serve a purpose fit for the homeowner’s lifestyle. For example, millennials are straying from jobs with traditional 9-to-5 hours and instead choosing to start their own businesses and side projects. As such, they want their living spaces to be places to do work, rather than places to go after work, and are transforming less frequently used rooms such as the dining room into their home offices. They value living environments that are conducive to creativity and encourage productivity.

Along these same lines, television, movie and sport watching to the demographic, as is space to entertain their social networks, who are value to the cohort that has, for the most part, delayed getting married and having children. And with multi-room services and devices, millennials can be entertained in just about part of the house. Additionally, Smart TVs satisfy millennials’ needs for immediacy and seamless social media access during their favorite programs and sports events.

While previous generations counted calories, millennials focus more on food that is fresh, less processed and has fewer artificial ingredients, as evidenced by their preference for specialty grocers and farmers’ markets. Their passion for local, sustainably grown produce has catalyzed a movement in urban gardening and a collective passion for food in general has been the foundation of a growing foodie culture that millennials will no doubt incorporate into their homes as much as they do their Instagram accounts.

The Samsung Chef Collection refrigerator, for example, has been designed with the millennial in mind, utilizing temperature control features to keep food fresher longer. Likewise, the collection’s microwave includes a quick-access commercial grade filter that captures 56 percent more oil than traditional filters. Appliances like these that cater to the healthier lifestyles of these foodies will be of upmost importance.

Energy Efficiency for Long-Term Savings

Finally, as a more eco-conscious generation, millennials see the importance in saving energy, both to do their part to help the environment, as well as save money, and are willing to pay a bit more for energy efficient appliances. According to a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders, one of the most desired features mentioned by millennial home builders is Energy Star-rated appliances, which help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent climate change. Respondents noted they are willing to pay more for such devices, so long as there is a long-term cost savings attached to their purchases.

Although millennials are delaying marriage and homeownership, it’s highly likely that their desire to own a home remains strong and their attitudes toward purchasing a house are optimistic. With a steadily improving job market, along with government sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lowering down payments to 3 percent for first-time home buyers, it is likely that millennials will soon have a place to call home, sweet (smart) home.

Two Samsung Smart TV digital campaign videos from Latin America have been receiving positive feedback for their messages, which tug at people’s heart strings. The two spots have stories that deal with families that are separated by long distances keeping in touch through Samsung Smart TVs. The storytelling is easily relatable for many families in Latin America, and around the world for that matter, who must do their best to stay in close contact with family members.

The first, titled “Connect with Those You Love Most with Samsung Smart TV,” depicts a father using his Samsung Smart TV to learn how to prepare his daughter for her ballet performance. He uses such features as Quick connect (to get a closer look at some makeup), Group Video Call (to consult with family members) and the Multi Link Screen capability (to keep an eye on the game while also learning a thing or two about hairstyling).

In the second video, titled “A Happy Connected Birthday with Samsung Smart TV”, a young boy spends the day using the Samsung Smart TV to prepare a birthday party for his father, which takes place via video conference.

Samsung SUHD TVs not only have sensational picture quality, with nano crystal color technology and stunning contrast, it also offers a stylish design and a selection of great smart features. With Quick Connect, Samsung Smart TVs can auto-detect your mobile phone through BLE(Bluetooth Low Energy) and share content between mobile devices and TVs with just one click. This allows you to share photos, videos or music from your mobile device on your Smart TV, use your device as a remote control or play mobile apps on the Smart TV screen.

With the Multi-Link Screen, you can split the screen in two, and watch live TV on one side and use an app on the other. Or, watch two TV channels side by side. It is even possible to adjust the sizes of each window for added multi-tasking convenience.

Finally, the JS9500 Samsung SUHD TV not only comes with the elegant real metal grand chamfer design, it also has a built-in camera, which allows for free group video conferencing in 1080p. In addition to all the great features and Smart TV content previously available, these new features really help families to connect more easily than ever.

For a sports fan, there is nothing quite like being there. But unless you paid for some of the best seats in the house, most sports fans get a better view of the action from the comfort of their own home. Not to mention, the beer and food is cheaper and your living room couch is undoubtedly more comfortable than the outfield bleachers.

In fact, the experience of staying home to watch the big game has never been better. Not only do fans have access to more channels airing live sports than ever before, the production and presentation of broadcasts have made the experience more immersive than ever. The final piece of the equation is Samsung’s modern televisions, which are bigger and more technologically advanced than ever.

The broadcast rights for the world’s top sports leagues and events are seen as more lucrative than ever, and are hotly pursued by an increasing number of sports networks. This in turn has spurned advancements in broadcast technology as networks make efforts to improve the viewing experience and bring fans closer to the action with more camera angles, better sound and more viewing options.

Samsung’s latest 4K SUHD televisions are bigger, more powerful and more sophisticated than ever before, and the exceptional colors and sharper resolution are perhaps best illustrated with sports content. The exceptional refresh rate and contrast allow the viewer to see the spin on a soccer ball, the individual seams on a baseball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, and the look of elation on the face of the running back as he plunges into the end zone. And for a sport like ice hockey, in which a 3-inch, black disk whizzes across the playing surface at up to 140km per hour, advancements in TV technology have made a profound impact on the viewer’s ability to follow the play.

Sports Mode

Samsung has also added features to its Smart TVs that further improves the viewing experience for sports fans. Sports Mode optimizes the picture by enhancing the vividness and sharpness of the playing field. Stadium Sound makes it feel like you are sitting in the crowd and watching the game. Samsung has created specialized sport-specific modes such as Soccer Mode, Hockey Mode and Cricket Mode, which are available in countries where those sports are popular.

In a world where users increasingly want their content on-demand, what really sets sports apart from other types of content, is that people must watch it live. Any sports fan would attest that watching the game when you already know the result takes a lot of enjoyment and suspense out of the experience, and trying to avoid spoilers can be very stressful. This is one of the major reasons why sports broadcasting rights have become so lucrative in recent years – they are DVR-proof, and thus, viewers are more likely to watch the ads. However, that does not mean that viewers don’t benefit from a variety of DVR features offered by Samsung’s Smart TVs.

With Soccer Mode, the user can record game highlights manually or use the auto-highlighting feature, which analyzes the picture and sounds, including the game commentators and the scoreboard, to automatically save the game’s big moments. Smart TV will allow you to split the screen, so you can watch live action on the left and go back to check out highlights on the right.

Sports on the Go

Major sports leagues are providing services for users who want to watch live content on their mobile devices. The NBA League Pass allows subscribers to watch every NBA game live or on-demand in HD on any device. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Note 4 both have powerful Quad HD Super AMOLED displays that make the experience of watching live sports on a mobile device better than ever.

As major European and North American sports leagues expand their reach around the globe, many sports fans now have access to the mobile devices, content services and the super-fast mobile networks that will allow them to watch live events while on the go, especially when time zones are an issue.

In addition, Samsung Smart TVs make it easy to share content from your smartphone to the TV, or from your TV to your smartphone. So if the game is on but you need to move to another room in the house, you can easily switch to your phone with one click.

In this new era of sports content, fans are well served by the Smart TVs and mobile devices offered by Samsung Electronics.