Lesley Mackenzie, group digital officer at Lovefilm
Samsung said it is leading the 3D movement with the launch of the world’s first full HD 3D LED TV in 2010 and selling more than 2 million 3DTVs and capturing 60% of the global market.
At Samsung’s European Regional Forum in Budapest, the company also said it is now rolling out its Smart TV product portfolio across Europe. Connected TV seems to be one of the key features of today’s TV sets (and Blu-ray players) and Samsung is gearing up a number of new content providers. All sets, at least in the UK, are now shipped with Lovefilm VOD connectivity. Lesley Mackenzie, group digital officer at Lovefilm, announced the cooperation. Subscriptions start at £5.99.
Samsung’s flagship LED and plasma TVs now feature Samsung’s Smart Hub, offering a gateway to music, games, movies, TV shows, pictures, and virtually any content online or on a network connected storage device. Key features of Samsung’s Smart Hub include: Samsung Apps, offering about 400 paid and free apps globally to access ports, entertainment, information, games or social networking.
Search All, which makes it easier to search for desired content on the TV and other DLNA-certified connected media storage devices, networked PC and mobile devices, and internet and video-on-demand services; Your Video, which delivers recommendations based on a user’s viewing history; Web Browser, which offers full web browsing right from your TV; and Social TV, which makes it easier to chat with friends and family in real-time while watching the same TV content, thanks to integration with social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Google Talk.
With regards to 3D developments, Samsung has introduced four different models of 3D glasses from the entry to premium level, Samsung’s new SWC-1000A wireless charger and a Skype-certified TV camera—which enables video calls on a Samsung TV without a headset or webcam.
Samsung’s new 3D glasses, co-designed with Austrian brand Silhouete, weigh in at just under an ounce (25g) as the world’s lightest active 3D frames. Samsung also cut the LCD response time to improve contrast ratio, bringing forth a brighter 3D picture with less ghosting and viewing fatigue. Samsung’s new active 3D glasses also come prescription ready—either via special prescription lenses that attach or through a special new temple design that connects to the top of the LCD frame for a greater range of movement. Samsung’s new wireless charger powers up to four pairs of 3D active glasses.
At the event, Samsung also announced the winners of its European Smart TV Challenge, launched in September 2010 across the UK, Germany and France, to coincide with the release of the Samsung TV Application software development kit (SDK). They are:
United Kingdom: the Astra Recommends application uses an intelligent recommendation engine to suggest suitable broadcast programs, and allows users to swap program recommendations with friends via Facebook.
France: Askking is a multi-player quiz game that allows users to test their knowledge on regularly updated quizzes, playing either in solo mode or against other players across the globe. Players win points based on their number of right answers and their activity in submitting and moderating questions.
Germany: Yogamour offers various yoga lessons as video-on-demand, helping users keep in shape from the comfort of their own homes.
