Samsung QLED TV’s New Ambient Mode Explained

When Samsung Electronics introduced its new lineup of QLED TVs earlier this year, it put emphasis on one new feature that the systems will come with, Ambient Mode. This week, the South Korean giant has explained in detail how this new feature came to be and what it really does.

Samsung took to its online newsroom Monday to shed light on its QLED TVs’ Ambient Mode. According to the company, the feature basically turns an empty screen into a striking display of images and information. The mode also makes it possible for the new QLED TV models to blend seamlessly into the room where they are situated.

The Galaxy S9 maker was inspired to come up with Ambient Mode after noticing how TVs nowadays — especially the large ones — are an eyesore to many people when they are not in use. Given than QLED TVs occupy a large space on the wall or in a room, they easily attract attention. Unfortunately, when their displays are turned off, they tend to show dust or fingerprints. Some people hide their TV sets in cabinets for this reason.

“My team researched lots of customers’ behaviors. Many users did not want to see the black screen in their living rooms when the TV was off. That’s when we came up with this idea,” Samsung Electronics UX designer Yoojin Choi said in a press release.

With Ambient Mode, Samsung’s new QLED TV screens will no longer be just plain black panels in living rooms when not in use. They will now display pictures, news or weather forecasts. When users choose to display family pictures on their TV screens, the displays will blend naturally with the patterns of their walls, so their TV displays would appear like framed portraits.

There is also an option to make the screens blend with the background. Just a photo of the wall taken using the SmartThings mobile app will do the trick. Ambient Mode will adjust the photo so it could mimic the pattern behind the TV and make it seem as though the display is part of the wall. Such a technology gives Samsung’s QLED TVs the unique ability to camouflage just like chameleons.

The team behind the new Ambient Mode also saw to it that people with busy lifestyles can benefit from the feature. When the Samsung QLED TVs are not in use, Ambient Mode can display news and weather forecasts in real time. Hence, the new feature is not just a simple screensaver. “Ambient Mode … will show you useful information in the busy morning or in the evening when you are home from work,” Product Strategy Team member Hana Kim said.

Ambient Mode is also designed to reduce energy consumption and extend the life of Samsung’s new TVs. Unlike conventional TVs that consume electricity even when they are not on, Samsung’s new TVs can conserve energy thanks to Ambient Mode. The feature completely shuts off the television unit when it detects that no one is around.

“Now the market is seeing the thinnest and largest TVs ever. We need new values to open a new market and I think Ambient Mode is the answer. 2018 QLED TVs with Ambient Mode bring the family together in the living room to have quality time. We don’t know where the end of the journey is, but one sure thing is that we will not stop here,” Yoojin Choi said.