Samsung 2013 Smart TV platform

It is barely possible to call Samsung’s latest Smart TV multimedia and online platform a normal TV set.

The most important change from last year’s Samsung multimedia TV interface are the separate ‘home screens’. When you switch new Samsung Smart TV for the first time, there is default homescreen ‘On TV’.  There are also quick TV links presented with full photo-quality icons of the shows. What is smart here is that the TV presents you the show it thinks you’re are interested in, based on a record of your viewing habits. Samsung is using the programme data digital broadcasters send with every show to build up a viewing profile of your favourite genres, actors etc.  Naturally the effectiveness of this system will increase in time, but even after short time of doing the test it remembered what we were watching via the built-in Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners.  Moreover, Samsung’s Smart TVs obviously set up separate accounts and can even automatically respond to the presence of different individual users. This is surely a useful thing! As for its attractive design, here is something a little confusing about the layout of this home page. It focusses on recommendations too much, and maybe some more space for EPG programme list down the side could have been helpful. You may even get the impression that the TV is trying to dictate to you what you should watch. This is not really fine.

The On TV screen provides links to three more screens at the bottom and it turns out to be really useful. The Guide one (available only if you’re watching one of the tuners) calls up an attractive full electronic programme guide. The Timeline presents impressive graphic list of what’s showing on your five favourite channels at every hour ahead from the current time. The last leads you to the library of recorded TV shows you have got stored on a USB HDD or on memory stick. It is all so very useful but we cannot agree with Samsung’s decision to put Recommended services on the first screen. Personally we think simple-style page to start with would suit us more.

To sum up the new Samsung Smart TV platform is really impressive and surely will gather a number of fans. And we must admit that even small disadvantages that we have noticed won’t stop us from joining this group.