Seeking to widen its lead in the cutthroat TV market, Samsung Philippines unveiled Wednesday night its new line-up of TV models bannered by its ?future-proof? Smart TV which allows owners to just upgrade its features every year via a chip kit.
Samsung Philippines revealed that last year, the company cornered the lion’s share of the overall TV market with a 33-percent share. By classifications, it had 52 percent of plasma TV, 63 percent for 3D TV, and 43 percent for Smart TV.
The consumer electronics behemoth said the introduction of the latest Smart TV models, which has a starting price tag of P400,000, will allow the company to pull away from the competition.
Ariel Arias, Samsung Philippines business unit head, said the Smart TV is flanked by three driving philosophies: Smart Interaction, Smart Content, and Smart Evolution.
As for “Smart Interaction”, Arias said it enables Smart TV owners to communicate with their TVs via Motion Control, Voice Control, and Face Recognition — providing an alternative to using a remote control when it is not desired or convenient.
Using a built-in HD camera and dual-microphones on Samsung’s flagship line of 2012 Smart TVs, consumers may say “Hi TV” to turn on Voice Control, speak “Web Browser” to get online, and browse and select search results or increase the volume by hand motion.
In the LED ES8000 series, the Smart Interaction capabilities are complemented by a post-minimalist design featuring an ultra-slim bezel.
With regard to “Smart Content”, Arias explained that more than 1,500 Smart TV apps are now available including Angry Birds, Discovery Channel, and the number of third-party developers that has grown from 550 to 25,000 in just two years.
Samsung’s new dual-core processor also allows consumers to access content through the Web while watching live TV — providing a multitasking experience.
For “Smart Evolution”, the company said its Smart TV will be “future proof” for years to come, thanks to its proprietary system-on-chip technology called Evolution Kit which is inserted in the back of the TV set.
Samsung said it is the only company that offers the benefits of the latest TV technology year after year, without purchasing a brand new set.
The Evolution Kit will be sold separately in 2013, the company said.
