By Claire Reilly
Samsung has taken to the stage at Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to launch a raft of new products for 2012, including its first ever Super OLED TV.
Since Sony launched the first OLED television in 2007, the technology has typically only been available in a smaller form factor. However, OLED is expected to be one of the biggest talking points at CES this year as companies begin to roll out the technology into larger flat panel devices, including Samsung’s new 55-inch ES8000 LED TV.
Spruiking the new product was the president of Samsung Electronics America, Tim Baxter.
“We have a rich history of developing OLEDs for products such as mobile phones and tablets,” he said. “From picture quality, to design, to performance, this is the TV you have dreamed about.”
The ES8000 features a dual-core processor for improved multitasking and a “better, faster Smart TV experience”. It also boasts a thin screen and bezel so the television image “almost seems to float in the air” and the Super OLED display removes the need for a colour filter, so the picture is more impressive and true to life.
“On the outside the TV is absolutely beautiful, but once you look inside you’ll see that this TV is more than just a pretty face,” said Baxter. “It’s giant leap forward for the TV industry.”
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Alongside this product launch, Samsung also used CES to clarify its roadmap for televisions heading into the future, focusing on three Smart buzzwords: Smart Content, Smart Interaction and Smart Evolution.
In terms of Smart Content, Samsung is focusing on its “multi-screen strategy” which will align the company’s televisions more closely with its smartphones and tablets to create a streamlined media experience, according to Baxter.
One example of this new content is the extension of Samsung’s Media Hub service from its smartphone and Tab platforms to its television range. “Now you can purchase your content on one device and watch it on all of them,” said Baxter.
The company is working on new 3D content for its TV range – including a collaboration with NBC Universal to bring shows such as Battlestar Galactica to televisions in 3D – and Samsung will also be the first company to offer the curiously popular Angry Birds animated shorts for viewing on its Smart range.
The second touchpoint of Samsung’s new focus is Smart Interaction, which senior VP of Samsung Electronics America Joe Stinziano says is “a new milestone in smart TV”.
“Now we are able to connect with our Samsung Smart TVs just like we interact naturally, using voice gestures and face,” said Stinziano. Individual family members will be able to log into their own Smart TV profile using the face recognition, and channels can be changed using voice commands.
Finally, the company heralded the arrival of Smart Evolution on its new range of flat panels. Samsung, which is an industry leader in the development and manufacture of chips and componentry, has developed a special Evolution chip that plugs into the back of its 2012 line-up of televisions to make them “future proof” according to Stinziano.
This allows users to access “the latest developments” in technology by purchasing flat panel in 2012, but also ensure their technology will be updated in the future. The Evolution Kits will be available in 2013, and more details are set to be revealed later down the track.