JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 28 November 2018 – The shift in the way people communicate, access info and keep up to date with their world has evolved dramatically. However, television has remained an important part of the lives of South Africans. The news, views and shows reflect our people and cultures in unique ways. This is why it has remained a sophisticated window into our minds.

Long before written language, storytelling was an important aspect of everyday life and it still is today. According to research, “storytelling is a powerful means of fostering social cooperation and teaching social norms^[i]. A good example is how immigrants are able to more easily assimilate into their adopted country by observing social norms through TV series, news and local programming.^[ii] Additionally, numerous studies have been conducted on the influence of television programming on social change. One such study has focused on the advent of satellite television programming in rural India. Within a year of programmes other than those aired by a public broadcaster being available, there were significant changes in gender attitudes. Women were less likely to accept domestic abuse and there was an increase in school enrolment for younger children. In fact, the differences in attitudes between women in rural areas and those in urban areas decreased from seventy to forty-five percent.^[iii]

Reginald Nxumalo, Director of Consumer Electronics at Samsung South Africa, says, “In South Africa, television plays an immense role in education. Samsung’s range of superlative QLED TV’s, for example, ensures that whatever you’re watching becomes a fully immersive experience. This enhances the impact of the content”

While putting a child in front of the TV for extended periods of time has always been a contentious issue, the content they consume is more important than the time spent. A research study showed that children in Finland scored higher than most of the rest of the world in their reading skills. One reason for this, concludes the research, is that they are often served American shows and have to read the captions in their own language.^[iv] Understanding the narrative of their own local society and learning about other societies, as well as interesting or fundamental facts about the world is also a highly valued aspect of watching TV. So, while sitcoms can teach societal intricacies, it’s usually best to ensure children are watching age-appropriate programmes that are geared to teach

With on-demand television programming and streaming services, researchers have been able to track viewer behaviour even more effectively across the globe. Interestingly, it’s been found that viewers tend to multi-task – by being online on various social platforms and commenting while watching a TV programme, whether it’s live TV or streamed.^[v] On demand or streaming services mean that multiple programmes can be watched by different members of a household. One of the negatives in streaming, however, is that viewers feel content is better watched on a TV screen. This is one of the reasons Samsung’s QLED models are connected through Smart Hub and with One Remote, so numerous streaming platforms can be viewed with vivid picture and sound. The Samsung Smart View app also means gives users the power to seamlessly connect their mobiles to their TV screens and be in complete control.

“The way people are watching TV and similar content may have changed, but one thing is for sure, the quality of the image is vital to the enjoyment. Samsung gives viewers an incredibly vibrant and detailed experience that brings their world to life in ways that impact their lives positively,” concludes Nxumalo.

^{[i] http://time.com/5043166/storytelling-evolution/}

^{[ii] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249471805_The_Bridging_Role_of_Television_in_Immigrant_Political_Socialization}

^{[iii] http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/emily.oster/papers/tvwomen.pdf}

^{[iv] http://www.teachhub.com/how-television-can-actually-help-learning}

^{[v]http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/nielsenglobal/de/docs/Nielsen%20Global%20Video-on-Demand%20Report%20DIGITAL%20FINAL.pdf}

It’s doubtful any of the first inventors or viewers of television could see what it would become, except perhaps Aldous Huxley who wrote “television was left on, a running tap, from morning till night”, in his book Brave New World, which was published in 1932. With fuzzy picture quality and no remote control, the first televisions were a far cry from what most people now enjoy in their homes every day.

In 1970, Samsung Electronics produced its first TV set, a 12-inch black and white model. It didn’t take long before the TVs were market leaders and by 1976, over one million units had been sold in Korea alone. Two years later, Samsung became the world’s largest producer of black and white televisions.

Mike van Lier, Director of Consumer Electronics for Samsung South Africa says, “Since the development of its first television model, Samsung has been pushing towards innovative technology that consistently breaks boundaries.”

In South Africa, television was a contentious issue, with the leaders of the day hesitant to allow South Africans access to something they felt was evil. In fact, South Africa was one of the few countries in the world to not have watched the famous moon landing in 1969. It was only in 1971 that South Africa introduced a television service. According to the South African 2011 Census, there were more televisions in homes than fridges.

In 1998, Samsung began mass producing the world’s first digital TV, which set a much higher standard for picture quality than ever before. The innovation and development didn’t stop there – from Ultra High Definition to OLED, colour and quality kept getting better. Now, Samsung’s QLED televisions are taking the market by storm – with quantum dots that are particles of between 2 and 10 nanometres in diameter – each giving off different colours according to their size. This means they can emit brighter, more vibrant and diverse colours.

Sports fans around the world now must seriously consider whether the live game or watching on television is the better option. It’s generally easy to spot sports fans who usually watch on TV at live games – they’re the ones looking for the slow-motion replay when at a live match.

“QLED technology brings the world right into your home – it’s no longer about merely watching a television programme, it’s about being fully immersed in the content. The colours, crispness, quality of image and sound create an experience that’s like no other,” notes van Lier.

Streaming services have also changed the way people consume television programming. Which is why TVs need to have the ability to connect to the internet, allowing viewers to choose their content on one screen. Whether using the One Remote or a connected smartphone, television viewers have so many more options, as well as far greater quality and an all-round more immersive experience.

While South Africans may have missed out on watching the moon landing in 1969, it’s just possible that they will get to watch the first Mars landing, live and in extraordinary colour and depth.