05:01PM EST – We’re here at Samsung’s CES Press Conference. Josh is on photos and Billy is on text.
05:01PM EST – The stage props suggest a home automation theme
05:03PM EST – Intro video rolling. Refrigerator and curved monitors
05:03PM EST – Tim Baxter, President and COO of Samsung Electronics America
05:04PM EST – « This was a challenging year for Samsung »
05:04PM EST – « despite our setbacks, we have not stopped innovating »
05:05PM EST – more than 5M Gear VR devices
05:07PM EST – 3 key areas of focus
05:07PM EST – 1. build products that fit your life
05:07PM EST – appliances, lightweight mobile computers
05:07PM EST – 2. « elegant, thoughtful design »
05:08PM EST – « just as beautiful turned off as turned on »
05:08PM EST – 3. IoT: « not just a buzzword, it guides our strategy »
05:08PM EST – building a more expansive set of connected devices
05:09PM EST – « we have IoT products in every appliance category »
05:09PM EST – « because that’s what consumers want »
05:09PM EST – every Samsung TV will be a smart TV
05:09PM EST – features/services like Samsung SmartThings and Samsung Pay
05:10PM EST – acquiring Harman for automotive technology
05:11PM EST – now playing a video about Samsung’s TVs
05:12PM EST – customers listing what they want from their next TV: 4k, HDR, streaming
05:13PM EST – on stage: Joe Stinziano, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics America
05:13PM EST – UHD market grew 70% last year
05:13PM EST – Samsung has 46.4% TV market share in US
05:14PM EST – Quantum Dot technology: improved image quality
05:14PM EST – no degradation over time like with OLED
05:15PM EST – branded as Samsung QLED TV
05:15PM EST – being revealed on stage
05:16PM EST – supports « nearly all » of DCI P3 color space
05:17PM EST – 1500-2000 nits brightness
05:18PM EST – TV connects through one optical cable to a breakout box
05:18PM EST – no-gap wall mount
05:19PM EST – multiple options for stands
05:20PM EST – showing a TV with a wood bezel, mimicing a picture frame
05:21PM EST – now on stage: Won Jin Lee, Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics
05:21PM EST – talking about TV as a hub for entertainment
05:23PM EST – virtual remote: Smart View app for Android and iOS
05:24PM EST – personalized discovery: unifying watching recommendations from multiple sources
05:25PM EST – including sports streaming from multiple partners
05:25PM EST – 4k and HDR streaming from Netflix and Amazon built-in
05:26PM EST – TV Plus for US market: find and buy 4k content
05:27PM EST – Joe Stinziano back on stage, talking about audio innovations
05:28PM EST – expanding line of sound bars with Samsung Sound+ soundbar
05:28PM EST – bass down to 35Hz, can attach directly to TV
05:29PM EST – upscaling to 32-bit audio (as if that matters)
05:30PM EST – second generation UHD blu-ray players
05:30PM EST – 31.
