Samsung Wants Its 4K Smart TVs To Control Everything In The Home

Samsung boasts more than 200 smart devices in its SmartThings connected-device ecosystem -- and it wants consumers to take control of every one of them right from a smart TV. At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the South Korean electronics giant unveiled a slew of products ranging from smart refrigerators to 4K smart TVs — all of which can be controlled from anywhere, such as the living room or while you’re on the go.

To make that happen, Samsung is throwing in a free SmartThings Extend USB adapter with a purchase of one of its 2016 4K TVs. The adapter will enable customers to control internet-connected appliances right from their couch. That includes everything from baby monitors to home appliances such as a smart fridge or smart range. The sets also come with a wide range of aesthetic features, such as a bezel-less display, curved screen and increased color ranges.

But that doesn’t mean Samsung isn’t paying attention to what consumers are doing most on their sets — watching live television, gaming and streaming video. Samsung claims that its latest TVs will make switching between them seamless. Just plug in a device to one of Samsung’s 2016 TVs and it will automatically detect which product is connected and take control of it. On the streaming front Samsung will automatically show suggested content from third-party services such as Amazon Instant Video when you hover over its respective icon. The electronics manufacturer has also partnered with Time Warner Cable to make it easy to switch to live television right from the smart TV’s menu.

On the device front, Samsung threw in a few additions, including Gear S2 classic smartwatch models that come in new finishes such as rose gold and platinum. On the tablet side, Samsung launched its own answer to Apple’s iPad Pro with the launch of its Galaxy Tab Pro S, a 2-in-1 tablet computer that combines a 12-inch touchscreen with Microsoft Windows 10. Samsung claims its latest gadget can last up to 10.5 hours between charges.

The lineup unveiled by Samsung at CES is part of its larger effort to not only launch a wide range of devices but to bind them together in an Apple-like approach that it calls the Galaxy Ecosystem.