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Samsung Pay makes its way to smart TVs
Samsung is making it simpler to shop for apps, in-app purchases, books and movies, among other things, on its smart TVs. Months after launching its mobile payment system, the Korean company's now introducing a new service aptly called "Samsung Pay on TV." You can either set it up with a credit/debit card or with a PayPal account -- once that's done, the TV will only ask you for a four-digit PIN number every time you make a purchase. If your CC numbers or PayPal email and password are already associated with a pre-existing Samsung account, they'll automatically be used with the service when you sign in. But in case you do have to type those in, the TV will make you use Samsung's new and secure virtual keyboard.
Samsung Smart TVs get PlayStation Now game-streaming service
We knew PlayStation Now support was coming to Samsung Smart TVs, but now it's finally here. If you have a compatible 2015 set in your home (or office), you can now start streaming games directly from Sony's subscription service. However, do keep in mind that you'll need a DualShock 4 controller to get started -- which is much better than needing an entire console. Up until now, PlayStation Now had only been compatible with Sony hardware, including the PS4, PS3, PS Vita and some TVs, so it's great to see the service become more widely available. Unfortunately, this is only available to users in the US and Canada, at least for the time being.
Panasonic debuts first Firefox-powered Smart TVs in Europe
Panasonic lost some mystique when it stopped making those amazing plasma sets, but its new Firefox OS-powered 4K Smart TVs are showing a return to form. First revealed at CES this year, those sets are now available in Europe and will be rolling out to the US and elsewhere in the coming months. The Smart TV space has become crowded with players including Google's Android TV platform, Samsung's Tizen and Roku, to name just a few. However, Mozilla touts several unique advantages to its own platform, like plenty of HTML5 web apps including Netflix and Hulu, along with the ability to share content from any device with a Firefox browser.
YouTube app will stop working on older smart TVs and iOS devices
If you own a smart TV or an iOS device that's getting a bit long in the tooth, you may need to do some upgrading this week if you want to continue using the YouTube app. Due to certain changes in the app's API, it'll no longer work on a number of models released in 2012 or earlier, including second-generation Apple TVs, Panasonic TVs, Sony TVs and Blu-ray players, as well as devices running Google TV versions 1 or 2. You'll know you're affected if a video showing the notice above plays upon firing up the app, though most models released in 2013 or later are safe.
Samsung swears its smart TVs aren't eavesdropping on you
Over the weekend, quite a few people panicked at the phrasing of Samsung's smart TV privacy policy. Its warning that third parties would get your sensitive spoken info conjured up images of Orwellian telescreens spying on their viewers. The reaction was largely paranoia (this was just a description of standard cloud-based voice recognition), but the company isn't leaving anything to chance -- it posted a retort that denies any eavesdropping and clarifies what its screens are really doing. As Samsung explains, neither the TV's mic nor the one in your remote are monitoring everything you say. The TV only listens for a predetermined set of commands, while the controller won't handle more sophisticated requests (such as asking for movie advice) until you hit a button.
Samsung's Milk media apps migrate to smart TVs and the web
Samsung spent a good chunk of 2014 launching and nurturing its (very oddly named) Milk music and video streaming services. At the time, we asked the obvious question: Do we really need more of these things? Like, honestly? The Korean tech titan never fully proved its case, but that hasn't stopped it from pushing Milk further and further out there. Now Samsung's bringing those services where they've never gone before -- specifically, televisions and the web.
LG's TVs get 4K video from DirecTV, Netflix, YouTube and GoPro
LG is ready to show off its new 2015 HDTVs -- LCD and OLED -- and along with the new webOS 2.0 smart TV platform, it's promising some new upgrades to apps. Amazon, YouTube and Netflix are all ready with support for 4K (assuming the TV can do it), but new this year is GoPro's app -- exclusive to LG's smart TVs -- and it will eventually have access to 4K video there too. There's also support for DirecTV's 4K video, which was previously only compatible with Samsung TVs. The tight collaboration between LG and Netflix is continuing, as the company says its TVs will be among the first ones certified under the new "Netflix Recommended TV" program, which we'll probably hear more about during its press conference today. Other upgrades include Showtime Sync with interactive features like the ones we saw last night, iHeartRadio, DramaFever and an HSN app.
'Smarter' TVs know what you're watching, react accordingly
TV manufacturers have labeled every one of this generation's internet-connected TV platforms "smart", but they don't always live up to the name. One reason is that the internet features can't interact with what you're watching, and are just simple add-ons. Cognitive Networks thinks it can fix that with tech that sees what you're watching, and pulls up related "interactive overlays" that fit. We've seen similar approaches before from companies like Yahoo, but while older tech did its snooping via closed captions, this one works by video fingerprinting the broadcast and identifying what's playing.
All of Samsung's new smart TVs run Tizen, stream TV to your phone
This summer Samsung showed off prototype HDTVs powered by its homegrown Tizen OS (pictured above and in the gallery), and things have apparently progressed far enough for the company to go all-in on the software next year. While Tizen hasn't taken over on phones or smartwatches yet, Samsung says every one of its 2015 smart TVs will be based on it. So what can the TVs do? Other than run PlayStation Now for cloud-streamed gaming, they can stream TV to Samsung mobile devices that are nearby. It uses Bluetooth LE to detect devices in range then WiFi Direct for the connection, and can work even when the TV is off. Samsung demonstrated a Google TV once upon a time, but it apparently isn't into helping the folks from Mountain View push Android in the living room. We should get a better sense of how the new platform works, including a revamped Smart Hub UI, next week in Las Vegas -- see you in 2015.
webOS 2.0 will make LG's smart TVs much faster next year
The usual pre-CES flood of information is under way, and LG is announcing details of the webOS 2.0 package its smart TVs will ship with in 2015. Improving on the menus we already dug at last year's show, LG says that the new versions will improve mainly in speed, with power-on boot time reduced by 60 percent, and a 70 percent improvement when switching from the home screen to YouTube. Sluggish, unresponsive apps have been a major pain point for "smart" TVs since their introduction, so it's good to see that addressed. One thing that will remain an issue however, is that the 2.0 upgrades will require a new display, as we haven't heard about an upgrade for existing sets (or other platforms like smartwatches, or even phones). According to LG, the first webOS sets were quite popular, with over five million sold through eight months.
In time for Ryder Cup, Samsung lets golf fans in on new TV app
This year's Ryder Cup won't have Tiger Woods representing the US, although some people argue that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Regardless, the tournament, which begins today, must go on. To make the experience better for golf enthusiasts, Samsung has teamed up with the PGA and Turner Sports to release a Ryder Cup app for its smart TVs, allowing viewers to switch between live video feeds (provided by NBC and the Golf Channel), see an up-to-the-minute leaderboard right on the screen and easily keep up with either Team USA or the European Team.
Spotify Connect's seamless streaming arrives on smart TVs
In order to properly celebrate the first year of Spotify Connect, the streaming outfit is rolling it out to a new set of devices. The feature already played nice with a smattering of wares, and now, you'll be able to leverage the seamless listening experience on that smart TV. Starting with Philips' Android-powered units, beaming tunes from your smartphone or tablet will be a breeze -- all while sorting the controls from that mobile device. According to Spotify, this is "the first in a long line of smart TVs" that will hit shelves with the add-on. Alongside Libratone, B&O and Sony, Connect is now available on Bose, Panasonic and Gramofon audio gadgets with support multi-room systems tacked on for good measure. With the news of new partners, the feature will be available on over 100 wares by the year's end.
Roku-powered TVs now let you skip the set-top box
With scads of set-top boxes and sticks on the market, you could just choose a basic TV and play the field. But if you like Roku enough to shack-up, HDTVs from TCL and Hisense powered by the Roku OS are finally available. You can access the usual array of Roku content, including 1,500 channels like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon. The company's iOS and Android apps also work on the TVs to stream and control your content, just as they do with Roku streaming devices. Rather than Roku's standard remotes, however, you'll get custom TCL and Hisense models with prominent buttons for Netflix, Amazon, Rdio and Vudu (no headphone jacks though). TCL has four models from 32- to 55-inches, with the top-end 1080p model running $649, while the Hisense lineup has 40- to 55-inch 1080p models and pricing to be set by retailers. You'll be able to grab them starting next month.
Samsung is helping golfers keep up with the PGA Championship
While a lot of people in the US are getting ready for the NFL regular season to start, there are indeed other sports out there. Which is to say, the other football, basketball, baseball and, well, you get the point. For golf fans, these next few days will be rather interesting, with the PGA Championship due to begin on Thursday, August 5th. Naturally, Samsung saw an opportunity and found a way to help golfers who won't be there to experience it live, by introducing a smart TV app filled with content from the tournament -- the only caveat is you'll have to own one of the company's 2013 or 2014 sets. Aside from that, there will be a ton of stuff for you to enjoy, including different broadcast modes (from CBS and TNT); a second-screen feature that can display leaderboards and highlights on an Android device; and live voting for different things during the PGA event. Once the Championship is over, Turner Sports, a Samsung partner on the launch, tells us the smart TV app is expected to have the same features for the Ryder Cup, which tees off on September 23rd.
Your smart TV can be hacked over the air, but it's not likely
It only makes sense that putting a TV online theoretically exposes it to hackers, but it's now clear that those hacks don't have to go through conventional internet pipelines. A team of Columbia University researchers has published details of a vulnerability in an interactive TV standard (HbbTV) that lets evildoers hijack your smart TV and other devices in your home network so long as you tune into a specific over-the-air digital channel. Attacks can run undetected in the background, and the nature of the broadcasts makes it difficult or impossible to trace the culprit. Reportedly, the only surefire remedies are to cut off broadcast-based web content altogether, monitor for unusual spikes in network activity or notify users when apps launch.
Samsung's Tizen graduates from phone to television with smart TV prototype
Yesterday, Samsung released a developer kit that shows it's planning on releasing a version of its open-sourced Tizen platform to run on smart TVs, not just wearables and smartphones. At the Tizen Developer Conference in San Francisco yesterday, the company unveiled its first ever Tizen TV prototype to show off exactly that. Installed on what appears to be a Samsung TV with a curved screen, Tizen's smart TV interface is still in its early development stages, so it's entirely possible that the interface on display at the conference might not make it to the final version. Yet, it's a good indicator of Tizen's potential, so naturally we had to take a closer look.
Samsung lets you make apps for Tizen-based TVs that don't exist yet
The open source Tizen platform may only just be making its way on to wristwear, but Samsung has much bigger plans... in a very literal sense. The company is releasing a developer kit that will let you create apps for Tizen-based smart TVs, including software that supports hand gestures, mobile device pairing and voice commands. And unlike some TV development tools, you won't need a real set to try things out; you can replicate many core features from the comfort of your PC.
John Lewis' own-brand smart TVs with webOS launching today from £1,399
The TV section of John Lewis stores, where customers and voyeurs alike come to gawk at the latest sets, will be joined by three new models today that also happen to bear the retailer's name. Its first own-brand TVs, known as the JL9000 series, have been made by LG especially, and thus run the manufacturer's webOS smart TV platform. Self-branded products tend to be at the lower-end of their category, but trust John Lewis to deck out its TVs with 1080p LED IPS panels, integrated 2.2-channel soundbars with extra subwoofers, passive 3D and 8-megapixel webcams. Those bells and whistles come at a cost, of course, so the 49-, 55- and 60-inch models will set you back £1,399, £1,699 and £2,199, respectively (still, a little cheaper than when the range was first teased). In typical John Lewis style, each one comes with a five-year guarantee, meaning you can chase the store directly if something goes wrong -- not that you'd be happy about it when laying down that kind of dosh.
LG is making a webOS TV range just for John Lewis stores
John Lewis is a big fan of cornering retail exclusives on gadgets, and it now appears that this love is extending to smart TVs. Pocket-lint has noticed that the department store chain is teasing the JL9000 series, a line of self-branded, LG-designed webOS TVs that should be more than just a rehashes of the sets we saw at CES this year. The 49-, 55- and 60-inch models will all include stands with built-in 2.1-channel soundbars, giving you decent (if likely unremarkable) audio out of the box. There's also promises of support for local streaming services such as BBC iPlayer and Now TV, although we'd frankly be surprised if these didn't appear on a UK-specific set.
Samsung's Smart Home service ready to control new wave of TVs and appliances
Samsung has just taken a big step in its home automation plans by launching its Smart Home service in the US and Korea. That means you can now download an Android app that, in conjunction with Samsung's cloud service, will give you control over certain (crazy expensive) Samsung smart appliances. In the US, those include Samsung's T9000 Smart French Door refrigerator, the WF457 smart front loading washing machine, all 2014 Smart TVs and, later in the year, the Smart Bulb, Gear Fit and Smart Ovens. On top of an app for any Android 4.0 or later device, a Tizen app will soon arrive to Samsung's Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch, as well. Once all that's installed and connected, you'll be able to fully control a wash cycle, check the temperature of the fridge or even say "good night" to the TV remote to shut down all connected devices. Samsung has promised that all of this is encrypted and secure, so let's hope that's the case -- all this is just the beginning of its "grand plan" to enhance your home.
