Curating the very best of the UK’s comedy scene, NextUp viewers can experience the magic of stand-up comedy with live streams direct from the UK’s best comedy venues including The Comedy Store and The Pleasance. Users can also watch on-demand hundreds of stand-up comedy specials, all completely ad-free.

Included within Samsung’s Smart Start proposition from today, viewers can discover exclusive sets from both famous acts and rising stars such as Ed Byrne, Miles Jupp and Maisie Adam – all without leaving their sofa.

With NextUp, Samsung demonstrates its commitment to giving customers the best start with their new Smart TV by enabling them to take their home entertainment setup to a whole new level. From delivering big screen blockbusters and drama, to heart-pumping music and fitness; the very best click-worthy content, and now rib-tickling comedy, Smart Start has at-home apps to cater for every mood, every need, and every taste.

Smart Start viewers have the chance to try out a variety of new, premium apps during the initial months that they own the TV (worth over £200), with the opportunity to experience content in a way they may not have before, from watching movies in 4K HDR10+ to listening to music in Dolby Atmos sound quality.

Constantly evolving with new offers, like NextUp, and services, anyone that activates a new 2020 or 2021 Samsung Smart TV between 30 June 2021 and 6 Jan 2022 will receive a 3-month subscription included with their TV purchase.

Samsung Electronics UK Head of TV/AV Retail & Content Services, Deep Halder comments: “We’re thrilled to partner with NextUp in the latest development of our Smart Start offering. Championing the best of British comedy talent, as well as enabling first-rate entertainment for our customers to enjoy watching, is exactly what we set out to achieve with Smart Start. We’re looking forward to continually finding new ways and partners to deliver premium and dynamic entertainment experiences for our customers.”

Sarah Henley, COO of NextUp says: “We’re really excited to be part of Samsung’s Smart Start offering. Our mission is to be the home of live comedy, and this partnership goes a long way to making that happen. Members will be able to view incredible specials from the most exciting upcoming names in comedy, and live gigs from the best clubs in Britain from the comfort of their sofas – unfiltered, unedited and with no queue for the toilet! And now, more than ever, people really do need a laugh!”

For more information, please visit Samsung.com Smart TVs.

Some comebacks are well deserved (Craig David), a real long shot (Friends cast), unexpectedly fab (The Big Reunion) and just plain baffling (er, the upcoming series of Dancing On Ice…) but there’s no doubt that television has facilitated some impressive returns to favour for top talent over the years. In fact with Blind Date, The Crystal Maze, The Price Is Right and more all revamped and back on our screens, it’s clear the British public enjoy some nostalgic recycling just as much as innovative new programming.

Showbiz writer Emma Brankin looks back at the last eight years to find some of the most impressive TV comebacks out there.

WINONA RYDER

It was over 10 years ago that the Hollywood starlet’s startling fall from grace occurred when the multi-millionairess was caught shoplifting at a posh department store. The leading lady movie roles dried up and her occasional cameo appearance in hits such as Black Swan always jolted the audience into unexpected Edward Scissorhands flashbacks. But last year she was back with a bang as distressed parent Joyce Byers on the hunt from her missing son in spooky sensation Stranger Things. The huge recent success of the second season has only cemented the fact that Winona is back and ready to stay.

DANNY DYER

He swore he’d never, but when Danny Dyer strolled onto the iconic EastEnders’ lot on Christmas Day 2013 it just made sense. The hard man actor has been the sometimes-struggling soap’s saviour since his arrival as landlord and family man: Mick Carter. Here’s hoping he stays on Albert Square for many years to come.

ED BALLS

Strictly Come Dancing has revitalised the careers of Alesha Dixon, Kara Tointon, Tom Chambers and many more plus secured one more year of panto bookings for the rest. But in recent years no one has used the ballroom dancing spectacular as a vehicle for rehabilitation in the public eye quite as successfully former politician Ed Balls. Last year after dousing himself in fake tan and dad dancing his way through the sequin saturated competition, viewers came to embrace the formerly cantankerous MP to near national treasure levels. Even George Osborne admitted he was rooting for his former adversary. Let’s hope he’s not a surprise Strictly signing next series…

Build your next 10 years of memories safe in the knowledge you’ll receive stunning clarity, exceptional colour, incredible brightness and a 10 year screen burn warranty with Samsung’s QLED range.

With the New Year comes a new start and a whole host of new TV programmes to get obsessed with while relaxing on the couch, ignoring all the new years’ resolutions we were foolish enough to even consider making.

Undoubtedly the last ten years has seen some incredible television with the rise of ‘boxset binge’ culture and game changing online distributors such as Netflix making the silver screen the place for big names wowing in top notch dramas, comedies and documentaries.

Looking ahead to 2018, it’s undoubtedly going to be another bumper year of top telly. Showbiz writer Emma Brankin picks a few of the big shows hitting our telly screens in the New Year.

Last year the recreation of the People v OJ Simpson introduced a new generation to the circus of madness that was the trial of the century. Now the third offering from Glee creator Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story series will hit screens in January. This time the shocking murder of fashion icon Gianni Versace will take centre stage with Penelope Cruz playing his sister Donatella.  Ricky Martin, yes him, also takes on a lead role.

It will interesting to see if the documentary depicts the crucial but struggling industry in all its complex reality. As ‘Fake News’ becomes the knee jerk reaction to anyone reading something they don’t like, Charlotte Riley will play the Deputy Head of a broadsheet while Game Of Thrones’ Ellie Kendrick stars as a reporter at a tabloid rival.

Let’s not pretend our catch up recordings are filled with nothing but high-brow period dramas and housing crisis documentaries. What would our telly viewing habits be if not for a little bit (or a lot) of trash TV sprinkled in amongst it all. With new seasons of Love Island and Dancing On Ice on their way, reality TV will start with a bang on New Year with the latest Celebrity Big Brother offering. This series will start off with an all-female cast with male faces – such as Love Island hunk Jonny Mitchell – arriving later on in the run.

Build your next 10 years of memories safe in the knowledge you’ll receive stunning clarity, exceptional colour, incredible brightness and a 10 year screen burn warranty with Samsung’s QLED range.

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.

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.

Tim Baxter, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America

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.

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.

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

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.

Alanna Cotton, Vice President of Samsung Electronics America

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/uk

Samsung CES 2018, First Look Event at Enclave on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for Samsung/AP Images)

LAS VEGAS, NV – January 7, 2018 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today introduced “The Wall” – the world’s first consumer modular MicroLED 146-inch TV – at its annual First Look CES event. The modular, self-emitting MicroLED 146” TV display was featured alongside Samsung’s latest innovations in display technology, demonstrating how television is evolving to offer consumers an outstanding viewing experience while acting as a centralised connected smart hub to enhance everyday life.

This year’s First Look, attended by more than 300 global media and influencers, included remarks from Jonghee Han, Samsung’s President of Visual Display, and Dave Das, Senior Vice President of Consumer Electronics at Samsung Electronics America. Both outlined Samsung’s vision of the future – one in which TV displays deliver brilliant visuals and also evolve to integrate seamlessly into people’s lives.

“At Samsung, we are dedicated to providing consumers with a wide range of cutting-edge screen experiences,” said Jonghee Han, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “As the world’s first consumer modular MicroLED television, ‘The Wall’ represents another breakthrough. It can transform into any size, and delivers incredible brightness, colour gamut, colour volume and black levels. We’re excited about this next step along our roadmap to the future of screen technology, and the remarkable viewing experience it offers to consumers.”

Samsung CES 2018, First Look Event at Enclave on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for Samsung/AP Images)

First Ever ModularTV with MicroLED: The Screen of the Future

Samsung’s “The Wall,” a 146-inch modular TV with MicroLED technology delivers incredible definition, without restrictions to size, resolution or form. It is a self-emitting TV with micrometer (µm) scale LEDs – which are much smaller than current LEDs, and serve as their own source of light.

The MicroLED technology featured in The Wall eliminates the need for colour filters or backlight, yet allows the screen to offer consumers the ultimate viewing experience. Also, the MicroLED screen excels in durability and effectiveness, including luminous efficiency, the light source lifetime and power consumption, setting the standard for future screen technology.

Featuring a module-based, bezel-less design, “The Wall” also exemplifies how consumers can customise their television sizes and shapes to suit their needs. The screen can adapt to serve different purposes, such as creating a wall-size display for multiple spaces.

AI Technology for 8K Picture Quality: Maximizing Viewer Experience

Samsung also featured the world’s first QLED TV featuring 8K AI technology, which will be launched internationally, starting with Korea and the US during the second half of 2018. This AI technology upscales standard definition content to 8K resolution. It employs a proprietary algorithm to adjust screen resolution based on picture quality characteristics of each scene, to continuously improve picture quality and easily transform any type of content from any source into a high-resolution 8K.

This 8K solution maximizes the viewing experience through several new features. These include detail enhancement – to upgrade standard definition content; noise reduction; edge restoration function – which more clearly outlines on – screen objects; and automatic sound adjustment for different content, such as sports events or music concerts.

2018 Smart TV, Upgraded with Bixby and SmartThings

Samsung showcased 2018 Samsung Smart TV’s enhanced connection and convenience functions at the First Look event, including Bixby*, SmartThings and Universal Guide.

Bixby is an intelligent assistant platform developed by Samsung, enables easier interaction between the TV and its users, thanks to its intuitive UX, and comprehensive voice analysis capabilities. 2018 Samsung Smart TVs will also offer easier sharing and connectivity, thanks to SmartThings, Samsung’s IoT platform hub. It offers a simpler way to control the television and sync with other devices. 2018 will also see the launch of Universal Guide – an advanced program guide which automatically recommends TV programs and content according to a user’s preferences.

First Look also highlighted a variety of product zones, showcasing 8K-AI technology, 4K HDR Gaming, HDR10+, Smart TV experience and more. These areas gave guests at First Look 2018 the chance to get hands-on Samsung’s most exciting innovations in TV.

For more information on the latest innovations in television from Samsung, please visit Samsung’s CES booth #15006, on Level 1 of the Central Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center from January 9-12, 2018.

* UK availability of Bixby on 2018 Samsung Smart TV’s to be announced in due course

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 customisable 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 utilise 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 the U.K., Korea, the U.S., France and Germany.

For more information on Samsung Smart TVs, please visit www.samsung.com/uk/tvs/overview/smart.

Samsung Electronics announced today the expansion of Valve’s Steam Link to all of its 2016 and 2017 Smart TVs, including the recently released QLED TV line. Samsung is the first TV manufacturer to have this application live on its Smart TVs.

Instead of connecting Steam Link hardware to the TV, this technology enables users to stream their favourite 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.K., the U.S. 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 utilise 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/uk/tvs/overview/smart

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