Samsung’s Smart TV Gets Serious

Most people who own a Samsung Smart TV don’t actually ever set it up. Maybe it is the lack of third party apps or clunky UI or perhaps mainstream consumers still want a passive viewing experience. Recent announcements from today’s Samsung press conference may just change that.

First of all, there is the hardware. Their newest flagship TV is the F 800 which maxes out at 75 inches. The LED-backlit LCD has a quad-core processor so it has fast performance unlike past smart TVs. Additionally, the UI (connected TVs biggest downfall to date) has a revamp with five panels that you can cycle through offering the various apps and other features.

From a marketing perspective, there are two major developments that are going to alter the TV viewing experience significantly. The first is S-Recommendation which delivers personalized recommendations pulling from Live TV, on-demand content and streaming services. Then there is T-Commerce which allows users to make purchases all through the connected TV experience. To demonstrate, a middle-aged Samsung Exec just purchased Jess’ outfit on Gossip Girl. These development could be monumental for product placements and other strategic partnerships as T-Commerce shortens the purchase funnel significantly.