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Samsung’s 2018 smart TVs gain Bixby and SmartThings integrations

By Ng Chong Seng - on 9 Jan 2018, 3:27pm

Samsung’s 2018 smart TVs gain Bixby and SmartThings integrations

In addition to smartphones and home appliances, we now know that Samsung’s 2018 TVs are also gaining the Bixby intelligent assistant. This feature will launch in Korea and the U.S. first.

In addition to controlling your TV with voice (e.g., ask Bixby to switch channel or play a song), on Samsung’s premium TVs, you can also interact with content from various providers such as Amazon. Like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, Bixby is aware of the outside world, too - so you can have it read you the news or weather, control your IoT devices in the house, or show you photos.

Also new for the 2018 TVs is the SmartThings app, which helps you to set up the TV quickly with your phone. Through the app, you can configure for the TV your Wi-Fi connection, set-top boxes, favorite apps, and Samsung account information. If you’re already logged in to a video app on your mobile device, your TV can connect to the same account without having to re-enter your login details on screen. You can quickly choose which of your apps connect in this way to your TV.

Since your phone is likely always by your side, you can also use SmartThings to set a reminder for a particular program. When the alarm sounds, you’ll be informed the channel the program is on.

All Samsung’s 2018 smart TVs will also gain a SmartThings dashboard. This dashboard is basically the command center of your SmartThings IoT home. With compatible devices, you’ll be able to see what’s in your fridge, control the lights, adjust the thermostat, and more - all from the TV screen.

Finally, the new TVs are getting a Universal Guide. Universal Guide can recommend movies, TV shows, sports, and more all from one place. It can integrate content from your cable provider as well as VOD and streaming services onto one consolidated page. And the recommendations are made based on your preferences. The useful Samsung One Remote has a new ability too, and that’s to control AV products connected with an optical cable.

Other options available on Samsung’s 2018 TVs include an enhanced TV Plus (basically a “virtual channel” video service with 8,900 movies, including 195 in 4K); and Steam Link, which lets you stream Steam PC games in 4K from the PC to the TV.

Source: Samsung.

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