The Tizen operating system hasn't had the easiest start in life. Samsung's first Tizen smartphone was postponed indefinitely, and a later attempt, the Tizen-based Z1, had its Indian launch pushed back from 2014 to January 2015. But the South Korean company hasn't given up on Tizen — today it announced that all of its upcoming Samsung smart TVs will run the Linux Foundation's OS.
Samsung says the change in operating system makes it easier for the TV to connect to other devices. Media and data can be sent from mobile devices to one of the new Samsung models over Wi-Fi Direct, and the TV uses Bluetooth to automatically search for other Samsung devices stationed nearby so people with a Samsung-centric home can watch live TV on their Galaxy phones or tablets even if their television is turned off. Out of the box, the company says its new smart TVs have integrated access to PlayStation Now, Samsung Sports Live, and its recently launched Milk Video.
South Korean competitor LG saw success after bullishly committing to its own webOS-based TV platform, reportedly selling more than 5 million smart TV sets in the first eight months they were on the market. Like LG, Samsung looks to be throwing its weight behind Tizen as a base for a number of its devices, having joined forces with Intel and 36 other companies to support the OS, and having switched from Android to Tizen in its Gear 2 smartwatches. Samsung hasn't given price or release details for its new Tizen TVs yet, but expect to hear more at CES next week.
South Korean competitor LG saw success after bullishly committing to its own webOS-based TV platform, reportedly selling more than 5 million smart TV sets in the first eight months they were on the market. Like LG, Samsung looks to be throwing its weight behind Tizen as a base for a number of its devices, having joined forces with Intel and 36 other companies to support the OS, and having switched from Android to Tizen in its Gear 2 smartwatches. Samsung hasn't given price or release details for its new Tizen TVs yet, but expect to hear more at CES next week.
