Samsung to introduce Tizen TVs at CES

Samsung Electronics said Thursday that it would unveil a lineup of smart televisions running on the Tizen operating system at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week.

The company said Tizen would offer a simple user-friendly interface, allowing consumers to rapidly find popular content via Samsung’s Smart Hub function, which will also recommend shows to viewers based on their viewing histories.

South Korea’s biggest household appliance-maker has partnered with game developers including Sony PlayStation and Ubisoft to provide a variety of entertainment content through cloud computing and video-streaming services. Consumers can enjoy PlayStation games without a console with the TVs.

Content on Samsung’s Tizen smart TVs can be accessed via mobile devices as the tech giant has boosted their interoperability with its smartphones and tablet PCs.

“Samsung’s smart TVs in 2015 will enable consumers to rapidly and intuitively use the products with new user interfaces,” said Lee Won-jin, executive vice president of the company’s visual display business.

“Smart TVs embedded with innovative features will provide new experiences to users.”

Samsung, which has been using a multiplatform strategy by using Google’s Android and developing Tizen in partnership with other firms including Intel, said it would continue to expand its alliance to create a smart TV ecosystem.

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)