Samsung Electronics has teamed up with leading design and architectural magazine Dezeen in a competition to find the next graphic imagery for the QLED TV’s ‘Ambient Mode.’ Open to designers and creatives worldwide, the judges invited shortlisted entrants to the final round of the competition at IFA, with the grand prize winner announced on August 31 in Berlin. The competition saw a myriad of entries from all over the globe, but only five were invited to IFA to showcase their designs in full.

Ambient Mode is the innovative feature of 2018 QLED TVs that transforms the traditionally black display of the ‘off’ screen into a dynamic, animated interior design feature. Ambient Mode can mimic the appearance of the wall it sits on while also conveying chosen imagery or information, such as the time or the weather.

The judges of this contest to find the next Ambient Mode design, including esteemed designer Neville Brody and Serif TV designer Erwan Bourollec, and Dontae Lee, Head of Samsung’s Corporate Design Center, were looking for designs that fit Ambient Mode’s mission to echo its environment and blend seamlessly into the aesthetic of user’s homes. “We weren’t looking for a design that was going to dominate or be too overpowering,” noted judge Neville Brody (pictured below). “The most important feature for us was whether or not the design could really make any environment warm and relaxing, just like Ambient Mode has been designed to do.”

The competition elicited a diverse and exciting range of creative responses to Ambient Mode. “The great thing about all the designs is the potential they all had to be completely customizable,” elaborated Brody. “From the objects or animals involved to the background design, all had the potential to be as personal to users as possible.” Choosing a winner from the five dynamic shortlisted designs was no easy feat, but it was Swift Creative’s design that “offered a level of detail you could get involved in, but at the same time stayed there as a very natural part of the environment,” explained Brody.

The judging panel believe that with these new designs, the QLED TVs and Ambient Mode offer users even more options to personalize and enhance not just their screens, but their living spaces, too.  “Samsung TVs today are truly beautiful,” affirmed Brody. “They are moving the display screen away from being just a piece of technology and towards something that fits more seamlessly into people’s lives. It is a tremendous opportunity for creatives and consumers alike.”

UK-based Swift Creative, the team behind winning design ‘Kinetic Decor’, was inspired by the family connotation of the mobile design as well as their Scandinavian roots. “Our design taps into the fundamental Scandinavian pleasures associated with everyday living and the simple comfort of relaxing at home with friends, using technology to support, not intrude on, this experience,” said Matthew Cockeril (pictured above).

Take a look at the five shortlisted designs in full below.

“Kinetic Decor”, Swift Creatives, UK

“Sphere”, Doisign, Turkey

“Bird Clock”, Jianshi Wu and Yitan Sun, USA

“Time Frame”, Alex Warr and Zach Walters, USA

“Architectural Extension”, Gerard Puxhe, UK

Samsung Electronics and Dezeen, a leading design and architectural magazine based in the UK, announced the grand prize winner of the co-hosted ‘Dezeen x Samsung Ambient Mode Design Competition’ at IFA 2018 on August 31. “Kinetic Decor,” designed by Matthew Cockeril, Stephen Waller and Peter Hälldahl of UK and Denmark-based Swift Creatives, was honored with the grand prize and €8,000 prize money for best demonstrating how the Ambient Mode feature in Samsung’s QLED TV transforms the TV into something meaningful, even when switched off.

The Dezeen x Samsung Ambient Mode Design Competition, held from June 25 to August 3, focused on the evolving usability of the Ambient Mode, a new feature on Samsung’s QLED TV which blends the TV into the living room and the surrounding space by mimicking the wall’s color and displaying desired content and information such as the news, weather, photos and music. To enter the competition, entrants submitted their best Ambient Mode designs using static or animated images.

“Now in its second consecutive year, the Dezeen x Samsung Ambient Mode Design Competition provides the perfect opportunity to honor leading designers from around the world while acquiring graphic designs that reflect the premium quality of our TVs,” said Jongsuk Chu, Senior Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “The opportunities to increase the usability of the QLED TV’s Ambient Mode is endless. The designs are reflections of how we imagine the Ambient Mode – as a feature that enriches the everyday lifestyles of our consumers across the world.”

The contest awarded €29,500 in total prize money, reflecting Samsung’s ambition to celebrate talented designers and acquire premium concept and design quality from all around the world. The judging panel this year included esteemed designers, Neville Brody and Erwan Bouroullec, who selected the winner based on a complex set of criteria – a full understanding of the Ambient Mode, as well as overall design, originality, usability and seamlessness with the surrounding space and user lifestyle.

The winning design “Kinetic Decor” is a digital re-staging of the ‘mobile’ concept, with the live movements of the design’s fish becoming more animated as a room’s lighting increases or a user approaches. The submission especially received high marks for its connectivity with Ambient Mode content that is already available today.

“Our design aims to bring calm and a beautifully dynamic structure into the living space,” said Swift Creatives team member, Matthew Cockeril. “We were motivated to apply because of the unique way Samsung’s display technology supports designs that are responsive and sensitive to the people within the space it sits.”

Alongside the grand prize winner, four finalists were shortlisted with their designs exhibited as special displays within the Samsung Electronics booth at IFA 2018. The designs include “Time Frame,” displaying the outside scenery on the TV; “Bird Clock,” picturing birds sitting on a power line to indicate time; “Architectural Extension,” a virtual space like the balcony that creates the illusion of extended space; and “Sphere,” displaying graphics of the Earth’s rotation matched with relevant content and data, including photos, news and friends’ social media posts.

To extend the ecosystem of Ambient Mode, Samsung Electronics will roll out a Software Development Kit (SDK) in beta version later this year.

From August 31 to September 1, Samsung’s “Perfect Reality” campaign placed a series of attention-grabbing advertisements at three Berlin landmarks: the  Weinmeister station, the Berlin Congress Center, and RAW-Gelände, a cultural center.  The unique ads spotlighted QLED 8K’s industry-leading picture quality with captivating scenes centered around the themes of sport, sci-fi and food.

Utilizing real-life models and objects to encapsulate the “Perfect Reality” that QLED 8K, with its ultra-high resolution and image-optimizing technologies, is capable of providing, the intricate and arresting scenes caused many a passerby to come in for a closer look. Clips of the public’s reactions to the ads were shared on various social media channels by Germany’s most popular influencers, including renowned photographers and YouTubers.  

QLED 8K is currently being showcased at Samsung’s IFA 2018 booth, located on the second floor of CityCube Berlin.

QLED 8K’s “Perfect Reality” campaign placed eye-catching ads at a total of three Berlin landmarks, including the famous Berlin Congress Center.

At Weinmeister station, passersby take a second to admire the campaign’s intricate setups, which utilized actual models and objects to showcase QLED 8K’s industry-leading picture quality.

Intelligent Recommendations for Chefs

Chef Davide Oldani was in charge of the appetizer while Chef Michel Troisgros provided the main dish and dessert. In order to decide what to prepare, the chefs used the View Inside function on the Family Hub to look at ingredients without having to open the refrigerator.

The chefs then reached out to the audience for a volunteer to take a look at the Smart Recipe offerings of the Family Hub with them. Smart Recipe is a novel intelligent function that recommends menu options for you based on the shelf life of the ingredients stored within, accommodating its suggestions to users’ tastes and preferences. Chef Troisgros (pictured above) praised its resourcefulness, noting that the strategic nature of the Smart Recipe function meant that no ingredient would be wasted.

Chef Troisgros confessed to the audience that the Family Hub was his personal favorite feature for its aesthetic quality, intelligent suggestions and the usability of the screen – perfect for messy cooking sessions.

With the volunteer having reviewed the screen and expressed their preference for something with passion fruit, Chef Troisgros announced that he would create a Swiss meringue dessert with a passion fruit filling arranged in the shape of a sunflower, “inspired by the expansive sunflower fields of my home in France.”

When it was his turn to use the Family Hub, Chef Troisgros told the audience: “the ‘window’ function of the Family Hub is perfect for getting the most out of your food. Eliminating the need to open the fridge door frequently, ingredients inside are kept fresh and at their best for longer.” The View Inside function even lists the expiration dates of the products, ensuring your ingredients are prepared when at their best.

Chef Oldani then utilized the Family Hub’s Smart Recipe function to settle on a unique bruschetta appetizer, regaling the audience with the fascinating story behind the evolution of the bruschetta recipe and even providing guests with a special Italian tomato water taster. Chef Troisgros then decided on a dynamic recipe of his own for the main course, ‘Le Jaune Ivre de Rouge’; a baked potato with egg yolk and parma ham in a red wine sauce.

Precise Cooking for Any Recipe

As the chefs got down to cooking, the audience was amazed when both of the chefs were able to cook their dishes, with different cooking times and temperatures, simultaneously with the Dual Cook Flex Oven. Chef Troisgros made the point that the Dual Flex makes the cooking process so much less stressful; “with many dishes to prepare at once, it can be stressful to know when and what to do. But at least with appliances like the Dual Flex, people can be more confident with the assistance these smart features provide.”

In addition to this helpful dual function, Chef Troisgros informed that audience that the Dual Cook Flex Oven automatically maintains the temperatures of both its compartments to ensure each dish is cooked to perfection, a feature critical to food preparation.

As the chefs moved along to the stovetop cooker, the audience watched in awe when, as Chef Oldani switched on the hob on, the hood automatically activated and the Virtual Flame function lit up. Virtual Flame, which glows just like a real flame to alert users to the heat of the cooker, is particularly useful in a family home to keep children away from open flames. Chef Oldani was quick to inform the audience that this feature was his favorite; “Chefs can get a feel for the temperature of the appliance and also stay safe in a busy kitchen.”

Premium Design, Smart Function

The built-in smart kitchen that was used during the cooking show is a collaboration between Samsung and German premium furniture company Nolte, with Samsung’s latest smart appliances fitting seamlessly into the luxurious design and décor of Nolte’s signature kitchen furnishings. The sleek design and sophisticated layout of the cooking space attracted many guests’ attention.

This year’s Samsung’s built-in kitchen booth was also designed with other luxury furniture brands including Italy’s LUBE, which are shown in the ‘Premium Kitchen Zone’ alongside Nolte products, and at luxury built-in brand ‘Dacor Zone’, attendees are able to peruse some of these innovative designs. The IFA kitchen is a testament to how Samsung smart kitchen appliances with AI and IoT can harmonize seamlessly with kitchen furnishings. Samsung has also collaborated with renowned brands including Scavolini and Veneta Cucine, and participated at exhibitions like EuroCucina to strengthen its commitment to building world-class premium appliances.

The smart kitchen zone was enhanced by luxury built-in kitchen appliance brand Dacor for a seamless finish incorporating the premium smart appliances into the kitchen space fluidly.

Having finished their meals, audience members expressed their wonder at the delicate tastes of each course, all cooked to perfection with Samsung’s intelligent kitchen appliances. Audience member Michael Wasiau especially appreciated the experimental nature of Chef Oldani’s bruschetta course, made with such simple ingredients as discovered in the Family Hub fridge.

Other audience members found the cooking show informative, as it highlighted the practice usage features like Smart Recipe can offer; “I usually check myself what’s in the fridge to see what I can make,” said Thea Frosshoph. “So, when cooking, besides getting creative myself and thinking ‘okay, what am I going to make today?’ I can find some cooking inspiration with what’s available.”

The audience left the cooking show inspired to make their own meals effortlessly with the help of the Samsung smart appliance ecosystem. “We are focused on bringing kitchens to life with smart technology that simplifies everything and creates new lifestyle opportunities,” affirms BK Kang, Executive Vice President of Digital Appliance Business at Samsung.

Spanning TVs, air conditioners, kitchen appliances, lighting and more, the company’s latest smart innovations offer a level of convenience and seamlessness that only Samsung, with its deep know-how in these and other product categories, including chipsets and smartphones, can deliver.

Each device is available now, and connected by the company’s new Group Control by Automation technology, which allows users to comfortably manage a wide array of IoT devices at once. Each also offers a level of personalization that can help users streamline everything from managing household chores to enjoying their favorite entertainment.

Check out the video below for a glimpse at how Samsung’s innovative technologies are helping usher in the next era of connected living.

# Appliances That Spring Into Action as Soon as You Come Home

Samsung’s Group Control by Automation technology compatible appliances to essentially function on their own, automatically getting to work as soon as a user enters or leaves their home.

The technology, which is available in over 370 SmartThings-compatible devices, registers when users enter or exit their home via GPS signals from their mobile device, and utilizes advanced AI to analyze usage patterns for connected appliances.

The system may be configured to automatically turn on a household’s TVs, air conditioner, robot vacuum cleaner, lights or appliances in accordance with users’ preferences, which means that users no longer need to manually turn on each appliance they wish to use whenever they come home. As soon as you walk through the door, the system will activate and optimize the devices you use so you won’t have to.

# Designed to Cater to Multiple Users

The system enables a household’s appliances to automatically adjust their settings based on each member of the family’s usage patterns.

This means that, for example, when a student comes home from school each day, the settings for the air conditioner, TV and lighting will automatically adjust to suit their preferences, and reconfigure again once her parents get home from work. So whereas when the student gets home, the air conditioner is automatically set to 25°C and the TV switches to a kids’ channel, when her parents get back, the temperature adjusts to their preferred setting, and the TV flips to whichever channel they typically tune into at that time.

If the parents have set an appliance, such as a robot vacuum cleaner, to switch on as soon as they get home, it will activate automatically —although Group Control by Automation-connected devices support voice commands as well.

In addition, if there are two users in the house and one goes outside, the connected appliances’ settings will adjust based on the preferences of the user who stayed in. The system also removes the need to worry about accidentally leaving a device running when you leave home, as the appliances’ GPS tracking function enables them to automatically shut off or switch to standby mode as soon as you walk out the door.

# AI + IoT = More Ways to Streamline Your Day

Enhancing Samsung’s IoT technology and artificial intelligence unlocks convenient ways for users to simplify a wide range of household tasks.

For example, if, after a hard day’s work, you’re not sure what you’d like to watch on TV, the AI technology can recommend a channel based on the type of content your household typically views at that time, so you can sit back and focus on relaxing.

When it’s time to get dinner started, a simple press of the voice command button on your TV’s remote control will allow you to streamline dinner prep by asking the TV to display the contents of your connected fridge. You can even issue voice commands to find items in the refrigerator, browse recipes, check the oven’s cooking progress, and more.

For the third and final in the Online Docent series, Samsung invites you to tour the very latest in mobile technology, straight from the CityCube Berlin exhibition center. Read on for a virtual guide of the Mobile zone, where the Galaxy Note9 is on full display along with the Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Tab S4 and other latest Samsung mobile devices in a variety of exciting and hands-on experiential booths.

Galaxy Note9 – The New Super Powerful Note

The Mobile zone tour begins with booths presenting a full overview of the latest in the Galaxy Note series, demonstrating its enhancements designed to provide users with “the highest perfection.” The Galaxy Note9 has been designed to offer the speed, power and performance that today’s users want and need. Users can spend all day with their phone in hand without having to worry about battery life, thanks to the Galaxy Note9’s 4,000mAh battery¹. The Galaxy Note9 also offers users more space to complete tasks efficiently and effectively, with 128GB/512GB of internal storage². Furthermore, a slimmer cut and symmetrical curves accompanied by its 6.4-inch display, the Galaxy Note9 matched with AKG built-in stereo speakers provides the most immersive experience yet.

Since its launch along with the original Galaxy Note in 2011, the S Pen has provided innovative ways and exciting to users to communicate and streamline their Note experience. For its latest iteration, Samsung understood that users needed their S Pen to be able to do more than personalize their writing, drawing or ‘Screen-off’ memo drafting needs; and so, the S Pen now comes with an integrated Bluetooth Low-Energy module so that users can remotely control their device from a distance. The remote-control aspect allows users to take selfies remotely at the click of a button. Users can also use it as a convenient clicker with Samsung DeX, for remote, seamless presentation slide control.

Next up on the tour, the Camera Experience booths are demonstrating to visitors how the advanced camera in the Galaxy Note9 can help them take their best photos yet – effortlessly. Brand new intelligent functions, Scene Optimizer and Flaw Detection, do the work for you in capturing the perfect picture. The Galaxy Note9’s camera also features support for Samsung’s recently introduced Super Slow-mo function and AR Emojis that are more expressive than ever, so that you’ll never run out of fun ways to communicate with friends.

Galaxy Watch – Heritage Design, Lifestyle Function

The Galaxy Note9’s wider ecosystem, powered by SmartThings, allows users centralized, easy control of their Samsung devices. The improved Galaxy Watch maintains its classic real watch design, but now comes with maximized battery life⁴ and LTE connectivity to allow integration across your devices, even when away from your Galaxy smartphone. The Galaxy Watch is the perfect lifestyle tool, introducing innovative tools to track your stress levels and sleep cycles⁵, providing an informative morning/evening debrief, and the ‘My Day’ watch face allows you quick access to the next 10 hours of your schedule.

At the Galaxy Watch Experience booth, users are learning how the Galaxy Watch has also become the ultimate fitness tool. Swim-ready with 5ATM support⁶, it has 39 exercise types for you to choose from and the device can detect the 6 most common exercise types automatically. Available in two sizes, the Galaxy Watch is the perfect complement to your daily activities, whatever your lifestyle type. And with a wide variety of straps to choose from, including the 25 especially stylish options from Samsung and Braloba that are currently on display in Samsung’s booth, it’s easy to customize your Galaxy Watch with a look that suits your style.

Collaboration Galaxy and Art

In the center of the Mobile zone, this year’s IFA presentation features Samsung’s latest creative collaboration with British pop artist Sam Cox, more commonly known as Mr. Doodle. The Mr. Doodle Façade Wall serves as a centerpiece, showcasing the full immersive quality of the bezel-less Galaxy Note9 screen as phones come together to display Mr. Doodle’s quirky and imaginative style in impressive ‘infinity’ style.

Full VR Immersion

VR gaming has never been so exciting. At the 4D Experience booth, visitors can take part in an interactive 4D racing game with a car simulator. Also at the Galaxy Shoot-out VR, pairs of guests wearing Galaxy Note9-equipped Gear VRs, gloves and foot sensors can battle it out in a one-on-one soccer penalty shoot-out. Enthusiastic participants can even check the scoreboard afterwards to see how they ranked.

Thank you for following the IFA 2018 Online Docent series, presented to you live from IFA in Berlin. Stay tuned to the Newsroom for further information on the very latest Samsung products designed to help you do what you can’t.

¹Estimated against the usage profile of an average/typical user. Independently assessed by Strategy Analytics between 11-24 July 2018 in Santa Monica, CA, U.S. and Milton Keynes, U.K. with pre-release versions of SM-N960 (128GB). Actual battery life may vary.

²512GB internal memory as standard. 512GB models available in select countries. Up to 512GB additional storage with external SD card (sold separately).

³The Dual Aperture supports F1.5 mode and F2.4 mode. Dual Aperture is installed on the rear wide-camera.

⁴Battery life varies by device and usage: Galaxy Watch 46mm (80+ hours with typical usage; up to 168 hours with low usage) and Galaxy Watch 42mm (45+ hours with typical usage; up to 120 hours with low usage). The actual time of battery life may vary depending on the network connection, component, setting, signal strength, noise and many other elements.

⁵Measured value is not appropriate for medical use.

⁶Galaxy Watch has an ISO 22810:2010 certification for wristwatches for 5 ATM rating of 50 meters (165 feet) under defined conditions of pressure, time, velocity and temperature. This means that both devices are safe to wear while walking in the rain or showering and may be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or the ocean. However, Galaxy Watch should not be used for scuba diving, water skiing, or other activities involving sudden temperature changes, high-velocity water activities or submersion below shallow depth. Rinse in fresh water and dry after use in sea water.

Thanks to the development of smart technology, the era of simply pressing a few buttons on a home appliance and having that be that is long gone. Smart personal assistants, powered by AI (artificial intelligence) and IoT (the Internet of Things), have become an integral part of our daily lives – two-thirds of Europeans state that this smart technology would help make their lives easier and more enjoyable*. Recognizing this, Samsung is committed to delivering AI-based solutions at home that can learn from user behavior to provide personalized recommendations. The seamless integration of these intelligent home appliances promises to open consumers’ minds to the full potential of smart innovation in their lives.

Transforming the Home Life: Laundromat Lab with QuickDrive

The tour begins in the Laundromat Lab, which showcases the latest of Samsung’s laundry innovations, the QuickDrive washing machine. Launched here at IFA just last year, the QuickDrive washer is already paving the way and has notably transformed people’s home lives for the better. QuickDrive achieved the highest growth among the top 10 brands in the European washing machine market** in the first half of this year compared to same period of 2017.

QuickDrive can wash clothes in half the time of conventional machines without compromising on washing performance, freeing up consumers’ time. The QuickDrive washer includes the unique Q-Drum, which features a drum and a backplate that rotate independently so that loads are moved dynamically in opposite directions – resulting in a full clean.

In order to best control each and every wash cycle, Samsung has integrated three key smart functions into QuickDrive machines through its AI-powered laundry care solution “Q-rator” for more intelligent and personalized control over laundry cycles. Firstly, the Laundry Recipe function recommends the best cycle to you based on the fabric and color of the specific load you select. Secondly, Laundry Planner allows you to designate a desired wash end time which the machine will automatically work back from, minimizing the time you spend on washing clothes and allowing you to stop and start laundry according to your schedule. Thirdly, HomeCare Wizard monitors the machine itself to provide diagnostic feedback on the machine’s cycle, energy and use pattern data – so that this is one less thing for you to have think about. More intelligent than ever, QuickDrive can even detect when your washing detergent will run out, and will automatically order more on a contract basis.

Home appliances have never been more helpful or easy to navigate, and according to recent surveys, consumer feedback shows that their lives are truly being transformed by the new ‘QuickDrive approach’ to doing laundry. On top of this, it has garnered a slew of recognition from leading industry peers, with the 2018 Which? Awards announcing Samsung as the leading Large Appliance brand and KBIS awarding QuickDrive the ‘Best of KBIS’ award for its leading innovation in Smart Home Technology.

Home Bistro Assistant: Dual Cook Flex Oven

Moving across to the Cooking section of the Cooking zone, visitors are getting to know Samsung’s industry-leading Dual Cook Flex Oven, in which consumers can cook several dishes simultaneously at different temperatures and cooking times. The freedom that this offers users is no small feat – Samsung has created an oven that allows you to take advantage of the dual cook feature with ease, with the specially designed oven door allowing you the flexibility to either cook two different dishes at once or use the entire oven for one dish with a larger cooking space.

Visitors to the Zone are being treated to demonstrations of the SmartThings app. With the Cooking Guide feature, the Dual Cook Flex Oven offers the most appropriate oven settings based on the ingredients of the dish you are preparing. Whether you are baking a cake or cooking a lasagna, Cooking Guide can suggest the best oven mode, temperature and time for optimum results.  The oven’s intelligent features can even go one step beyond this, as well, featuring the capacity to save preferred recipe settings and notes using My Recipe and Scrapbook for even smoother cooking experiences. Perusing the Dual Cook FlexOven’s handy intelligent settings, you can get a real sense of the convenience these smart features offer – along with providing the ultimate in cooking personalization.

The Center of Home Communication: Family Hub

This part of the tour ends in the Smart Kitchen booth, which is showcasing the latest version of the innovative Family Hub fridge. The kitchen has become the epicenter of a global shift in how people utilize their home spaces. Recent studies show that almost half (46%) of Europeans now spend most of their leisure time in the kitchen*. As a result, Samsung Electronics has broadened the scope of its products for the kitchen, the center of everyday home life, through this year’s more evolved Family Hub.

The Family Hub has been designed with the understanding that convenience and personalization in food preparation is a priority for families, and so the Meal Planner capabilities suggest recipes based on your family’s food preferences, dietary restrictions and even food expiration dates for convenient weekly and monthly tailored meal plans – based on the ingredients already stored in the fridge and users’ taste. Visitors can get a feeling for just how hands-on this smart appliance is by interacting with the Family Hub’s dedicated touch-screen tablet.

With Bixby and Voice ID, the 2018 Family Hub does more than just react intelligently, and IFA attendees are experiencing the tailored responses Family Hub and Bixby can provide. Family Hub can recognize individual voices and match them to each family member’s profile. Users can start off their day just by asking “Hi Bixby, what’s new today?” and full, personalized information relevant to that user will appear instantly.

Family Hub not only offers you a personalized experience with just the one device, but thanks to SmartThings, consumers can also enjoy a connected living experience across Samsung appliances as well as other devices. You can control your robot vacuum cleaner, washing machine, and even your air conditioner, all from the Hub’s screen. With features such as this, Samsung and Family Hub endeavor to build technology geared towards making a real difference in consumers’ everyday home lives.

Stay tuned for further installments in this series exploring more of Samsung’s IFA 2018 booths and find out more about different ways Samsung Electronics is making the everyday more innovative.

* Samsung’s European Kitchen Trends report surveyed 13,185 adults (18+) across 11 European countries in an online study to explore the changing role of the kitchen and how technology is shaping the way we interact with our kitchens. Fieldwork was undertaken in March 2018, and all figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. 

** 22 European markets

Samsung Electronics is committed to developing products that suit consumers’ changing lifestyles. Along this line, Samsung understands that the TV screen is everywhere these days – no longer just serving its traditional role of a television provider. TV screens are becoming the ultimate lifestyle product, and Samsung is at the forefront of evolving screens beyond previous size, resolution, form and usage limitations. For the first in the Online Docent series, Samsung invites you to join us on a tour of Samsung’s TV technology, straight from the City Cube Berlin. Read on for a virtual guide of the state of the art display technology on offer in Samsung’s dedicated booths at the IFA Exhibition Hall.

The Ultimate in TV Picture Quality: QLED 8K

This year at IFA, Samsung is introducing the QLED 8K, the very latest example of how Samsung products put you right into the center of the action. Right at the front of the visual display zone is a curved wall showcasing the QLED 8K, offering users the most advanced version of the current TV image on the market.

In the example video, see how 8K video brings you so close to the image with an immersive result that is truly life-life, making you feel like you could reach out and touch the details on screen; the quality of the image means you can even make out the minutiae of the hair on the ant’s back. This is because the QLED 8K has 33 million pixels, four times more than a 4K TV. Because more pixels are packed into the same size display, you can sense the real vividness and clarity of the image even when looking close-up. In particular, extra-large screen options of 65-inch, 75-inch and beyond give you an unprecedented sense of depth, just like being in a movie theater.

With 4,000 nit peak brightness –the highest amongst mass-produced TVs and the standard followed by major Hollywood studios – viewers can see things they have never seen on a TV screen before. Real 8K resolution, combined with QLED Quantum Dot technology and Q HDR 8K, has come together to create the viewing experience that users actually want – be it the detailing in the flicker of a campfire or the contrast balance of afternoon sunlight passing through leaves.

At this exhibit, visitors can get a sense of the QLED 8K’s revolutionary AI upscaling features, which transform UHD, HD and even SD content into near-8K quality resolution. On the right-hand side of the 8K HL Zone, an informative panel is set up to inform visitors about the 8K QLED’s AI features. The 8K AI Upscaling capabilities use machine learning to upscale your content to near 8K standards. Visitors can compare 4K and upscaling 8K picture quality: details not previously visible in at 4K resolution are now rendered vividly present. Comparing the two resolutions of the same content side by side, you can clearly see how the upscaling feature optimizes textures and features so that they appear sharp and life-like, in comparison with the other resolutions which, next to 8K, appear pixelated and less vibrant.

Smarter Lifestyle, Meaningful Screens: Perfect Solutions

Moving along to the Living Room section, visitors can peruse the multitude of Samsung’s solutions to keeping your television and living space as aesthetically pleasing as possible, such as the One Invisible Connection.

Across from this presentation space is the Ambient Mode Zone, offering the ultimate in complementary smart TV design. With Ambient Mode, Samsung presents a rebuttal to the notion that TVs are useless once switched off by enabling users to customize the ‘off’ screen with pictures, weather updates, soothing patterns – and, as demonstrated to visitors in the Ambient Mode Zone, even existing wallpaper patterns for seamless design consistency.

Just next to this Ambient Mode display is the Contest booth, showcasing the finalist designs for this year’s exciting competition put on by Samsung and design magazine Dezeen to create the next Ambient Mode lifestyle screen options, conceptualized by users themselves. The competition’s grand prize winner is to be announced here at IFA, with shortlisted works on display at Ambient Mode Contest booth.

Fine Art for Every Taste, Made Effortless: The Frame 2018

Directly across from the Ambient Mode presentations is The Frame 2018, a game-changer in the lifestyle TV category. Visitors are enjoying the latest improvements to The Frame’s beloved art display features, with various screens showcasing the ‘Slideshow’ function, which changes the display content automatically on user-set time patterns. The ‘Favorite’ feature can highlight and prioritize the most-viewed artwork so that users can view their favorite contents, displayed in crystal-clear quality. The variety of content options offered by The Frame has also expanded to feature over 850 iconic pieces of art, with new artworks available on the Frame’s Art Store from such revered collections as the Tate, London, and the Uffizi, Florence.

The Future of Content Displays: The Wall

Coming now to the very front of the visual display section, and the end of our tour, we reach the Wall – the zenith of display technology that goes beyond previous conception s of screen size, resolution and form limitations. Visitors to this presentation are experiencing the awe-inspiring  picture quality and definition of the 146-inch screen with a module-based, bezel-less design and MicroLED technology. MicroLED technology emits color and light without color filters and backlights, and ultra-low reflection black technology and HDR10+ further contributes to the most vivid, life-like image quality to date.

Visitors are taken aback by the luminosity of the Wall’s image quality, with none of the images – regardless of scale – losing their contrast or textures. Not a single detail or color point is compromised on this impressive display. The Wall is built with inorganic materials for excellent luminescence efficiency and durability, and is free from the burn-in. The Wall for B2B was launched in June this year, and this latest Wall will be released for home line next year.

Stay tuned for further installments in this series exploring more of Samsung’s IFA 2018 booths and find out more about different ways Samsung Electronics is making the everyday more innovative.

At the start of the event, HS Kim, President and CEO of Consumer Electronics Division, Samsung Electronics, set the stage for the exciting announcements to follow by inviting guests to “sit back and open your mind to the power of Samsung innovation.” He then discussed the company’s commitment to developing products and services that harness the power of cutting-edge technologies to add convenience to everyday life.

Guests were treated to up-close looks at a number of groundbreaking Samsung innovations, including the new QLED 8K, as well as Samsung’s cutting-edge Micro LED screen, The Wall; a new 49-inch version of The Frame; two new premium soundbars, the HW-850 and the HW-950; and the recently launched Galaxy Note9. The company also discussed how insights garnered from the European market helped it develop a diverse range of intelligent appliances, including its Family Hub refrigerator, Dual Cook Flex, and QuickDrive washing machine.

Check out the highlights of the press conference below.

Guests and media from around the world listen with rapt attention as HS Kim, President and CEO of Consumer Electronics Division, Samsung Electronics, kicks off Samsung’s showcase of its latest innovations. In his opening remarks, Mr. Kim discusses how Samsung’s leadership in AI and IoT technologies has helped the company expand its ecosystem of intelligent home innovations.

“Today, we are the only company with the capability to provide consumers with a full range of cutting-edge AI and IoT products and services, from semiconductors to displays, TVs, home appliances, and, of course, mobile phones,” says Kim.

Available in a choice of four ultra-large screen sizes (65”, 75”, 82” and 85”), QLED 8K offers the market’s highest resolution, and features Samsung’s proprietary 8K AI Upscaling technology, which transforms content’s picture and sound—regardless of its native resolution or method of transmission—into premium 8K quality.

Daniel Harvie, Vice President & Head of Home Appliances, Samsung Europe, demonstrates how Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator seamlessly connects with SmartThings-compatible appliances, and can even be utilized as an intelligent assistant, thanks to its Bixby and Voice ID integration.

After discussing how millennials want their home appliances to offer a level of convenience and efficiency that transforms the way they live, Mr. Harvie discusses how smart innovations, including Samsung’s QuickDrive and Q-rator laundry technologies, cater to their needs.

Before introducing Samsung’s diverse range of mobile innovations, Carlo Carollo, Vice President of Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics, discusses the importance of a seamlessly connected ecosystem of devices. “Innovation is no longer defined by one device and one location,” Mr. Carollo explains. “Instead, it’s about making multiple products and services work together as simply and smartly as possible.”

Mr. Carollo sums up the new Galaxy Note9 as a phone “built with speed, power and performance” in mind, and “designed to let you get the most out of everything you do.”

To learn more about how the company’s latest groundbreaking TV mesmerizes viewers with virtually perfect picture quality and sound, Samsung Newsroom sat down with members of the team behind it, including product planners Beomkyun Rha and Jonghyuk Kim, and developers Hyunseung Lee and Sunghwan Jang.

Fostering a Viewing Experience Like Nothing Seen Before

QLED 8K boasts a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels—16 times more than a full HD TV, and four times higher than 4K UHD display. As developer Hyunseung Lee explained, the TV’s added resolution allows detailed in images to be expressed more clearly, and creates a sense of reality and depth that keeps you immersed in your content.

“With conventional SD (standard definition) or HD (high definition) displays, when people look closely at depicted images, they can recognize them as a cluster of pixels,” said Lee. “However, with QLED 8K, the level of resolution is so high that pixels become invisible to the human eye, and viewers become incapable of distinguishing depicted objects from the real thing.”

As fellow developer Sunghwan Jang noted, however, it’s not just QLED 8K’s sky-high resolution that enables it to provide such textured, realistic images. The TV’s exceptional peak brightness—up to 4,000 nits—allows it to illuminate small details with impeccable precision.

“Bright content is expressed differently in 8K resolution,” said Jang. “Because 8K features four times more pixels than 4K, images and videos that are brighter and include more detail can be presented more accurately in 8K.”

Taking Immersion to Another Level with AI

Samsung is the first manufacturer to implement artficial intelligence (AI) technology into a QLED TV.  Adding machine learning to the TV’s repertoire of immersion-enhancing features has made it easy for users to enjoy a wide range of content in crystal clear 8K.

Samsung’s exclusive machine-learning technology automatically upscales lower-resolution videos into 8K picture quality, regardless of the video’s native resolution or method of transmission. The technology is powered by the Quantum Processor 8K, which, according to product planner BeomKyun Rha, was enhanced to better process details and lighting.

As Lee explained, the difference that the upscaling technology makes is often as clear as black and white. “When you look at 4K content next to upscaled 8K video, black areas of the screen are where you can see a major difference, even under bright conditions.”

The difference is also especially noticeable when viewing scenes with lots of detail and contrast. When viewing a nature documentary, for example, QLED 8K ensures sharp, natural colors that depict both the beaming yellow sun and the emerald waves beneath it with vivid accuracy.

Dealing with Challenges

When developing QLED 8K, Samsung’s R&D team was encouraged by the 8K market’s rapid development, but found it difficult to agree upon how to improve on QLED TV’s specifications, given the TV’s status as the cornerstone of the company’s display offerings.

“The most difficult thing to do was to coordinate the opinions of all the related divisions,” explained Jang (pictured above). “For example, the goal was to achieve 4,000-nit brightness. Conventional 4K TVs feature an optimum brightness of 1,500 to 2,000-nits, so raising that figure to 4,000 presented a challenge.”

Because the market had never seen TVs that satisfied the 4,000-nit specification, the team set out to raise the bar by achieving that value. “We wanted to produce the world’s best TV,” said product planner Jonghyuk Kim. “A TV that would allow content to be depicted as faithfully to creators’ intention as possible.

Delivering on that brightness goal presented a number of difficulties, and the team sought the opinions of a various divisions to help address them. “Once the discussions were done, [we] tirelessly researched every detail, such as how to adjust the amount of light to find an optimal balance of performance and durability,” Kim (pictured above) continued. “We worked very hard to figure out just the right amount. If it was too little, the light would be insufficient, but if it was too much, it would impact the product’s durability.”

Looking Ahead

Of course, Samsung’s R&D team overcame the challenges it faced during QLED 8K’s development, eventually delivering a TV with the power to redefine standards for visual immersion. The team isn’t resting on its laurels, however, as there’s still more work to be done.

Currently, Samsung’s 8K AI Upscaling technology is capable of enhancing content with better picture quality and sound, but the goal is to enable the AI to analyze users’ viewing conditions and environments in order to provide a more optimized, personalized experience. This will eventually allow the technology to offer any viewer an optimal and immersive viewing experience.

“We want our consumers to be able to immerse themselves in their favorite content, and view photos and videos from their everyday lives at a level of detail that allows them to feel like they’re present in the moment or scene,” said Rha. “We consider it our duty at Samsung to create new, innovative products like QLED 8K, that can help consumers realize such experiences.”