LAS VEGAS — Samsung is knee-deep in all sorts of segments, from mobile devices to home appliances to televisions, to name a few. It's wading further into the consumer electronics pool with the next wave of connected TVs.
[bug id="ces2012"]The South Korean manufacturer provided a preview of its coming attractions during its keynote here at CES 2012 on Monday night, and it's clear Smart TV 2.0 will play a big role in its future. Samsung's initiative focuses on three areas: smart interaction, smart content and smart evolution. This year's models will include an integrated camera and microphone so your TV can "listen, see and do," Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung's consumer electronics division, said.
That means you'll be able to toss your remote aside and control your TV using your voice or hand gestures, or perhaps a little help from your Android device. Cooler still, you'll be able to log in to your television using facial recognition, and a service called Family Story will let you show photos, memos and videos from your mobile device.
The Samsung ES8000 LED TV features a dual-core processor for app multitasking, for example toggling from Netflix to a movie to NHL Game Center and back without quitting or relaunching any apps. It's got a slim bezel, a unique U-shaped stand and is available in sizes up to a colossal 75 inches. Samsung also showed off a 55-inch Super OLED TV. It too has a built-in camera and mic for voice and gesture control recognition, as well as a dual-core processor for app multitasking.
Joe Stinziana, vice president of Samsung America, called it all "a giant leap forward for the TV industry."
Samsung continues to invest heavily in 3-D, particularly content. Samsung Media Hub, currently found only on Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets, is coming to the company's smart TVs so you can buy and share content across all your devices. Samsung also has teamed up with companies like NBC Universal to offer previously 2-D content in 3-D. That means you'll be able to stream or download shows like Battlestar Galactica in 3-D.
The company makes more than TVs and mobile devices, of course, and had lots to say about its plans for cameras and camcorders. Half a dozen or so new cameras and camcorders are coming this year, all promising extensive Wi-Fi capabilities so they have some hope of staying (mildly) competitive with smartphones. The new cameras will let you send your latest pics of your lunch or your cat directly to Facebook or Picasa or e-mail them to everyone in your address book directly from the camera.
Samsung's new 13- and 15-inch Series 9 ultrabooks for 2012 were another focal point. The smaller of the two weighs a scant 2.5 pounds, which I believe makes it the lightest ultraportable out there. (Correct me if I'm wrong — it's been a long day and I'm low on caffeine.) It's also a mere half-inch thick. The 15-incher is, of course, slightly larger at just over half an inch at its thickest point and a bit more than 3 pounds. Samsung also announced the Series 5 Ultra, which has a 1600x900 high resolution matte display and unlike most ultrabooks, an optical drive in the 14-inch model. The Series 9 ultrabooks will be available next month with a starting price of $1,399. Look for the Series 5 Ultra later this month with a base price of $899.
This being CES, no announcement is complete without a new tablet. After filling us in on the Galaxy Note, a 5.3-inch smartphone that can be used with a pressure-sensitive stylus (256 levels of pressure sensitivity, to be exact, and more about that here), Samsung introduced the Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE. The newest member of the Galaxy Tab family has built-in IR technology, so you can use it as a remote control.
Rounding things out, Samsung, a pioneer in the connected appliance industry, is also debuting a connected washer and dryer set this year to join its connected refrigerator.
