Samsung's New Smart Hub, Control Remote Is All About Unity
A tech savvy homeowner would probably 2 to 3 sources of video content attached to their smart TVs. Plus one more if she or he happens to be a gamer as well. Surfing between these different sources and controlling these different devices can be an exercise not only in patience but also in memory and finger calisthenics. But we live in a modern world where the problem of too many devices can be solved by yet another device or app. Which is why Samsung is coming to the rescue with the new Smart Hub interface and Smart Control remote for its smart TVs to have one platform, or device, to rule them all.
To some, it might make sense to have different types of content segregated and separated from each other by their source, from set-top box to console to cable to broadcast. For most, however, they just want to be able to quickly find the content they're interested in without much drama involved. The revamped Smart Hub does just that.
Smart Hub will present all content as if they came from a seamless hole, letting consumers switch easily between content from different sources as well as search for the content they want. Of course, they still have some level of control as they can pin their favorite content on their home screen, regardless of device source.
Unifying content sources is one thing but unifying these devices together is quite a different story. With Samsung's new Smart Control remote, however, that story might finally have a happy ending. The remote is meant to be your all-in-one tool for controlling all those different external devices connected to the Samsung smart TV. The remote control features automatic source recognition no matter the device it's pointed at. Curiously, that remote happens to also be "based on Tizen", yet another Samsung product where the platform is being used.
This is just one of the many advancements to its Smart TV lineup that Samsung will be showcasing at CES 2016 in the coming days. Others include transforming some of its Smart TVs into smart home hubs via the SmartThings platform.