Samsung has recently announced a new version of its Smart TVs in Australia, featuring cloud content storage, on-demand access to premium content (like Foxtel and BigPond), as well as gesture control, voice control and facial recognition technology.
Samsung has recently announced the launch of its latest Smart TV models in Australia, featuring a whole host of new functions and features that most of us are more used to seeing in gaming consoles. The beefed-up new Samsung Smart TVs represent a significant step up from the previous Smart TV models, which first made an appearance in Australia last year.
Cloud storage, mobile and tablet connectivity
Most of the Smart TV models give you access to Samsung’s AllShare Play cloud content storage system, which allows you to store and retrieve content at will. The Allshare Play service also allows you to stream the same content to a compatible Samsung tablet or smartphone – and even to share video back from your mobile device to your TV.
Cutting out the middle man
The new Smart TVs allow (very) convenient access to on-demand content streaming from many different premium sources including Foxtel, BigPond Movies/TV/Sport, Plus7, Quickflix, Wiggle Time TV and Samsung’s own subscription-based Music Hub, making them a very handy all-in-one home theatre machine, and doing away with the need for many of the ‘middle-man’ devices that normally occupy space in our home theatre shelves. Most models also provide access to Samsung Apps, and allow you to browse the web.
Taking the fight to the consoles
Perhaps most interestingly, the new Smart TVs also takes several very big, devil-may-care strides into Xbox 360 and PS3 territory, now sporting an integrated HD camera and dual microphones. These new features are used to power built-in games and fitness programs, and also allow you to control the TV using gesture controls, voice-based controls and facial recognition (squaring up very boldly against Microsoft’s Kinect system for the Xbox 360).
Size and display technologies
Samsung’s new Smart TVs feature dual core processors, as well as back-lit LED technology to allow for localised ‘Micro Dimming’, improving contrast and brightness in specific parts of the display. The new Smart TVs also feature a slim, metallic bezel and stand design, and an ultra slim profile (1.5″ for the Series 8 plasma models).
The new Series 8 Smart TVs are available in 60″ and 55″ LED models and 64″ or 60″ plasma models, while the Series 7 Smart TVs are available either as 55″ or 46″ LED TVs.
