All Samsung HDTV Will Be Internet of Things Ready in 2016

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday, December 29 announced that its HDTV product in 2016 will all be equipped with SmartThings and ready for IoT.

According to Korea Times, Samsung Electronics said on Tuesday that it will unveil super ultra-high-definition (SUHD) televisions converged with its Smart Home Hub platform, allowing users to control and monitor other Internet of Things (IoT) devices at home. SmartThings is an open platform that allows users to connect, manage and control smart devices and IoT services.

The new HDTV lineup will be presented in the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2016, the largest North American electronics and technology trade fair in the beginning of next year. In CES 2015 last January, Samsung presented SmartThings as one of its Open Innovation Center. CEO of Samsung Consumer Electronic, Yoon Boo Keun delivered a keynote speech on the infinite possibilities of the IoT, accompanied by the founder of SmartThings Alex Hawkinson.

Starting next year, Samsung will enter the era of IoT. Kim Hyun-seok, president of the Samsung visual display division said, "Samsung smart TVs will be the first IoT-ready TVs next year." In regard to company vision, he said, "The era of the smart home will arrive in the near future."

The Verge reported that with the HDTV acting as a SmartThings hub, Samsung SUHD TV will be able to control all SmartThings-compatible devices like lights, locks, and cameras without the need of a separate SmartThings hub on the home network. The SmartThings application also able to send a pop up alert to TV from motion sensors to inform viewers of visitors or potential intruders. It can also check the CCTV camera and open the door directly from the TV or smartphone app as long as the camera and door lock is SmartThings compatible.

SmartThings Inc. is a technology startup headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The company was established in 2012 by Alex Hawkinson and six others with focus to build an open platform for smart home and Internet of Things. In 2014, Samsung acquired SmartThings for $200 million, and since then SmartThings operated as a subsidiary under Samsung Open Innovation Center.

The primary products of SmartThings are hubs, apps, sensors and smart devices. Its hub enables users to control their home environment with either ZWave, and ZigBee and IP as communication protocol. While its smart devices consist of a wide range of motion sensors, moisture sensors, thermostats, electrical outlets, speakers and door locks.

Venture Beat reported, the integration between SmartThings platform in Samsung TV is a significant step to enable users to connect, manage, and control smart devices and IoT services. Since this will expand to other hardwares such as washers and dryers, refrigerators, phones, and more.

Samsung will be the first company to deliver its smart home plaftorm using TV as the controller. As a central focus of every house, TV is a good choice as a hub for smart home.