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 — 31.5″ WQHD curved monitor (1800R curvature) in early 2017
05:31PM EST — QLED TVs shipping February
05:31PM EST — now on stage: John Herrington to talk about appliances
05:32PM EST — recapping last year’s new products
05:32PM EST — theme of more flexibility from appliances
05:33PM EST — laundry: washers and dryers with small top-loading compartment and larger front-loading compartment
05:33PM EST — FlexWash and FlexDry
05:35PM EST — FlexWash: 1 cu. ft. top, 5 cu. ft. front compartment
05:36PM EST — FlexDry: 7.5 cu. ft. main dryer
05:36PM EST — moving to kitchen appliances
05:36PM EST — more built-in appliances, all with IoT
05:38PM EST — expanding Family Hub line of refrigerators: all French Door models will have Family Hub 2.0 option
05:39PM EST — voice control, display shows what’s inside fridge
05:39PM EST — everybody seems to be having the same ideas for smart appliances
05:41PM EST — Family Hub 2.0 features: order groceries online, leave notes on screen, music streaming from Spotify, Pandora
05:42PM EST — first generation Family Hub products will get an upgrade with most of the new features
05:42PM EST — done with appliances
05:43PM EST — now on stage: Alanna Cotton talking about wearables
05:45PM EST — new apps for Gear S3 smart watch
05:46PM EST — new notebook PCs
05:47PM EST — new Chromebook with support for Android apps
05:47PM EST — Samsung Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro
05:47PM EST — Chromebook Pro with Intel Core m3
05:48PM EST — Chromebook Plus with ARM processor
05:48PM EST — digitizer pen included
05:49PM EST — talking about new Notebook 9 with Kaby Lake, GeForce 940MX
05:50PM EST — new gaming laptop: Samsung Notebook Odyssey
05:51PM EST — dual fans, large vent on bottom
05:51PM EST — 2.5mm key travel, curved key caps
05:51PM EST — anti-glare screen
05:52PM EST — Kaby Lake Core i7
05:52PM EST — 17-inch has twice the RAM and SSD
05:52PM EST — black and red color scheme
05:53PM EST — wrapping up now
05:54PM EST — We’ll be visiting Samsung’s booth for a closer look at the new products. That’s all for now.<\/p>\n