▲ (From left) Kyuseong Lee, Kang-il Chung and Sunwoo Kim, the lifestyle TV product planners at Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display Business

To keep up with emerging trends, Samsung has continued to think outside the box as it explores new possibilities for TVs. Since 2015, the company has been continuously pushing the envelope to develop new looks and features on its televisions, and ensure that consumers can fit their TV to their lifestyle. So, how did Samsung come up with its lifestyle TV line, and what kind of consumer experience is it aiming to provide? To find out, Samsung Newsroom met with the company’s lifestyle TV product planners.

Lifestyle TVs: Becoming More Than Just a Fixture of the Living Room

Vivid picture and a sense of immersion are two fundamental elements that a television must provide, with a well-designed product capable of delivering both. Nowadays, lifestyles are shifting, and viewing has moved out of the living room, with people preferring to consume their content in whichever room they are in at the time.

“Our goal was to allow consumers to have a range of different screens for the various spaces in their house,” said group leader Kang-il Chung. “This would allow them to enjoy whatever content they wanted, wherever they were, based on Samsung’s ‘Screens Everywhere’ philosophy.” Chung’s work involves analysing tech trends and usage patterns, which allowed him to start determining which new features users want from their television.

“In order to establish concepts for new TV products and functions, we look at things like how televisions are being used, interior decoration trends and the overall cultural and lifestyle preferences of our users,” explained product planner Kyuseong Lee. During the planning stage, the product planners focus on connecting the desired user experience to the essence of the product. By doing this, the team seeks to make it easier for the user to comprehend both the product’s story and the distinct experience it offers. Added Lee, “Rather than simply adding lots of different functions, we work to clearly define the main concept of the product, then make it different. In this way, we look to realise all aspects of the core experience to perfection.”

The Serif and The Frame: Bringing Classy Décor to Your Other Rooms

Since the time of its invention, the television has been considered a staple of the living room. But now, with a growing number of users also putting TVs in rooms like their bedrooms and studies, this is changing. In line with this trend, Samsung has expanded what it deems the ‘TV space’ from the living room to a range of other rooms. Along with this, the company has started to develop televisions that not only suit the interior aesthetics of those other rooms, but include features that match the needs and lifestyles of the people using the rooms.

In September of 2015, Samsung introduced its first lifestyle TV, The Serif, which was designed to contribute to users’ interior design schemes. The Serif’s iconic I-shaped design was created by the internationally renowned Bouroullec Brothers, and is an ideal choice for those who want an aesthetically pleasing television that goes well in any space. “We pursued a meaningful design that emphasized people and space, and tried to get away from the usual ‘TV look’,” said Chung. “A lot of consumers claim that The Serif looks more like a lifestyle product than a TV.”

The product planning team’s ongoing efforts to develop new models that blend well with their surrounding environments also contributed to the development of The Frame. Looking like a modern picture frame, this television can be matched to any home décor style and features an ‘Art Mode’ that allows viewers to enjoy artistic masterpieces from the comfort of their homes. The TV’s sensors are also capable of automatically detecting illumination intensity and movement. “Samsung is collaborating with world-renowned curators, renowned art galleries, museums and artists to deliver a broad collection of art through the Art Store,” related Sunwoo Kim. “We will keep working hard to ensure that we are able to display an increasingly broad range of great artworks in stunning resolution.”

As our TVs become increasingly important parts of our lives, some argue that the evolution of the product is nearing its conclusion. But Chung thinks differently, claiming that, “There is still an unending range of possibilities for what our televisions might become in the future.” He expressed hope that himself and his team will be able to keep introducing new and varied lifestyle TV models to keep providing fresh experiences to consumers.

Samsung’s lifestyle TV product planners believe that TVs need to keep evolving in order to keep up with continuously changing lifestyles. “We want to develop TVs that people want to own, and that they’ll want to show off,” Kim stressed. “Our dream is to build a so-called ‘lifestyle universe’ where each space is equipped with a lifestyle TV that suits the function of the space.”

Figuring out how to mount a TV can seem intimidating. We get it. Some TVs are bulky, some mounts even bulkier, and the instructions can be really complex for a—let’s be real—somewhat lackluster presentation at the end. Samsung QLED TV and the No-Gap Wall Mount are here to put an end to that.^* Not only is QLED TV sleek and beautiful all around, the No-Gap Wall Mount makes TV installation simple and holds the TV so close to the wall, the result is impressive.^† Here’s what you need to know when you’re mounting a TV.

Positioning is important

There are three main factors to think about when preparing to mount your TV: location, eye level, and viewing distance.

Taking these measurements and ideas into consideration is very important for an optimal TV experience. You know the old saying, measure twice, cut once? Here it’s measure twice, drill once!

For location, it’s not just room. You likely have an idea of which room to put it in, but which wall is important too. Determine which area would best suit your décor and keep the room comfortable. A wall not directly facing the window is also good to reduce potential glare (although QLED TVs have Ultra Black technology built in to help reflect glare too!).

Regarding eye level height, you’ll need to get the measuring tape ready! Depending on your height and whether you’re on the couch or in bed, the eye level measurement is going to be different.

Finally, viewing distance. The recommended distance is 1.5–2.5x the diagonal screen measurement for UHD (1080p) TVs, and 1–1.5x that measurement for QLED (4K) TVs. Once you know where you’re mounting the TV, you may need to move some furniture slightly for the ideal view. Luckily, 2017 Samsung TVs provides colorful, crisp, and detailed picture quality at many angles, so everyone in the house can enjoy it. Plus, the No-Gap Wall Mount allows you to make some adjustments after mounting for comfort, too.

Consider the best use of space for your TV

The most immediate benefit of mounting the TV is freeing up floor space! So if you’ve been looking for a way to open up the room a bit, a wall-mounted TV is great. With the No-Gap Wall Mount, your Samsung QLED TV will sit nearly flush against the wall, making it a seamless, clean-looking addition to any interior—especially since there’s no clunky mount arm behind the screen! Plus, the minimal gap Samsung’s wall mount offers has hygienic purposes, too! While many TVs are a gathering place for dust (ew!), No-Gap Wall Mount holding the QLED TV so close to the wall means fewer surfaces for dust to settle.

No more straining your arm to reach behind the TV with your duster. Not to mention that the Invisible Connection answers any questions you’ve had about how to hide TV cables by hiding away your devices. It’s an ultrathin optical cable with the One Connect at the end, allowing you to plug in your game consoles and media players with ease and tuck them out of sight.^‡ Meaning, even fewer surfaces to dust around the TV.

Discover QLED TV’s simple mounting method

Most people have horror stories about mounting a TV. Don’t fret, though, because the No-Gap Wall Mount makes mounting easy. In fact, there are only four steps, and even a video that shows you how simple it is!

1. Install the wall mount kit on the back of the QLED TV.
2. Connect the Invisible Connection and power cable to the back of the TV before you mount. It gets tricky if you don’t do this first.
3. Install hanger kit on the wall using the included guide, based on the measurements you determined in step two.
4. Place TV on the hanger, and adjust the angle to make the TV level and tilted the way you prefer.

Now, to enjoy your mounted TV

You’re done! Your QLED TV’s mounted and here’s what you’ll get: great image quality whether you’re sitting right in front or moving around the room, a tiny gap between the TV and the wall, and the clean view that the Invisible Connection creates by allowing you to place any game consoles out of the way. Imagine your home with your new Samsung TV mounted and ready… doesn’t the room feel more spacious already? Now it’s time to make that dream a reality by setting it up so you can get the best out of your QLED TV. Keep checking back to learn more about how to setup Samsung TVs!

^* Samsung QLED TV is a Quantum dot-based TV.
^†Gap may differ based on the installation, QLED model, and wall type. Wall mount sold separately and Q9 generates 6mm gap.
^‡The ‘Invisible Connection’ refers to a single, transparent optical cable connected to the One Connect Box integrating external device cables, but it does not refer to the power cable of the TV or cables connected to other devices such as sound bar.