CES 2016 Preview: Samsung Will Launch Smart TVs Compatible with IoT Platform

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by Eugenia Romanenko · 3 min read
CES 2016 Preview: Samsung Will Launch Smart TVs Compatible with IoT Platform
Samsung Electronics announced that its entire 2016 Smart TV line-up will be Internet of Things (IoT) ready and connected with the SmartThings platform. Photo: Samsung Electronics Co,.Ltd.

Samsung is rolling out a new lineup of smart TVs that will be ready for its Internet of Things (IoT) platform called ‘SmartThings’.

On Tuesday, Samsung announced that its upcoming line-up of Smart TVs as well as its SUHD TVs would be compatible with the company’s Internet of Things platform dubbed SmartThings.

“The 2016 line-up of Smart TVs will offer consumers new possibilities and cement Samsung’s market leading position, as the first company to launch IoT ready TVs,” said Hyun Suk Kim, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

“With Samsung Smart TVs working with the SmartThings technology, we have an opportunity to reach millions of households,” commented Alex Hawkinson, CEO and Co-founder of SmartThings. “Applying this technology into current household devices is a major step forward that will make it much easier for everyone to experience the benefits of a smart home.”

Samsung’s SmartThings service was launched in 2014, and nowadays, it is competing with several platorms. So far, Google, Apple and LG have their own approaches for unifying the devices forming the Internet of Things.

In fact, SmartThings is an open platform allowing users to operate a host of different devices via their handset and, from 2016, their smart TV, rather than via opening and closing individual apps. Actually, it’s quite important. Unless multiple devices can be controlled or programmed side by side or communicate with each other the IoT will never get close to realiing its full potential.

And because it is backed by Samsung, one of the world’s most popular consumer electronics brands, SmartThings has managed to find its way into over 200 devices from lighting systems to security cameras, reads IBN Live.

At the 2016 International CES, a consumer electronic trade show, which is scheduled to be held from 6 to 9 January 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Internet of Things will be discussed most of all.

In general, the International Consumer Electronics Show showcases more than 3,600 exhibiting companies, including manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, technology delivery systems and more; a conference program with more than 200 conference sessions and more than 150K attendees from 150 countries.

As for Samsung, its new range of Smart TVs and their IoT capabilities will be demonstrated for the first time at this show. In addition to that, Samsung  plans to unveil six games for its smart TV at the upcoming CES convention. The company will demonstrate the games including the Asphalt 8 racing game. “We are also planning to introduce the PS Now game platform here in the near future when there is enough demand for video games,” said a Samsung official.

Kim Young-chan, vice-president of Samsung’s visual display business unit, said: “To meet the growing demands for TVs as an entertainment tool, Samsung Electronics will expand partnerships with game companies and offer more diversified game services down the road.”

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