Samsung goes deal crazy
Louise Duffy ©RapidTVNews | 10-01-2011
In a flurry of activity at CES, Samsung announced a series of partnership deals with a range of firms including DIRECTV, DreamWorks, Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Adobe.
With DIRECTV, Samsung will deliver what it claims will be the world’s first RVU-compatible television. The device will enable DIRECTV subscribers to watch live broadcasts and stored content from their DVR on Samsung Smart TVs, without the need for additional set-top boxes.
Meanwhile, Samsung and DreamWorks have announced an expanded strategic alliance whereby consumers who buy a new Samsung 3D TV will gain exclusive access to two of DreamWorks Animation’s new 3D Blu-ray titles. These include Megamind which will be made available in 2011. The two companies also intend to explore joint research and development activities and a number of expanded co-marketing initiatives throughout the year.
Other new developments on the cards for Samsung include a deal with Time Warner Cable that will allow the latter’s customers to access their cable subscriptions on the Samsung Smart TV and Samsung Galaxy Tab in their homes. They will also be able to access recorded content from a DVR elsewhere in the home directly on the Samsung Smart TV, without the need for a connected set-top box.
A further deal with Comcast aims to revolutionise the way consumers access content and watch TV. In what both parties describe as a first for connected TV, the new Xfinity TV service will offer a Web-like interface, designed to enable simpler navigation and the ability to seamlessly search across linear TV, DVR recordings, and video on demand among tens of thousands of content choices.
The partnership also will deliver a customised and integrated multi-platform viewing experience on Samsung Smart TVs and the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Finally, Samsung has joined forces with Adobe to bring Adobe AIR 2.5 to Smart TVs, making it easy for developers to build, distribute and monetise standalone applications through Samsung’s Smart TV applications store, Samsung Apps.
The aims is that the alliance will create new opportunities for a growing community of more than three million Adobe Flash Platform developers who can use Adobe Creative Suite 5 to author content for AIR for TV. All of Samsung’s 2011 Smart TVs and Smart Blu-ray players will include support for Adobe AIR for TV.
Samsung also announced plans to bring Adobe Flash Player 10.1 to its Smart TV browser, extending the company’s current support for Flash Player 10.1 on Samsung smartphones and tablets.
