Samsung is among the leaders in home entertainment electronics, and for good reason. The Korean company continually innovates, incorporate the latest technology to make consuming content easier, increasingly faithful, and more immersive.
While I’ve long been a fan ofSamsungproducts, and have been a proud owner of aSamsung TV(with matching soundbar and rear speakers) for some time, I’m not blind to some of its deficiencies. Samsung can be stubborn at times, and a bit slow to adopt savvy or popular features put forth by competitors. While its operating system inTizenhas long been well regarded due to its simple interface, intuitive design, and fast processing, it hasn’t always advanced with the times.
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In an age of content oversaturation, here are a few features I want to see Tizen add to better its user interface.
1Improved content organization
Can I see a manager, please?
There is simply too much content. The Netflix model adopted by countless other streaming services sees platforms just churn out titles, so much so that it’s hard to catch up on what you want to watch because there are constantly new shows and movies coming out. It’s really easy to waste time sorting through everything and deciding what to watch, which is why every content consumer needs help.
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For me, Google TV is the best aggregator, in part because of the customization available and the speed at which you may navigate. Samsung is moving towards these conveniences, but there is still a lot left on the table.
The Samsung Smart Hub made the process of organizing titles a bit easier a few years back when it was revamped, consolidating content in one area instead of having to jump from app to app. But there is far more that can and should be done to keep content from being way too overwhelming. For me, Google TV is the best aggregator, in part because of the customization available and the speed at which you can navigate. Samsung is moving towards these conveniences, but there is still a lot left on the table.
To start, you should have th option to create detailed, customizable lists that can be curated and easily sortable. Every streaming service has a list feature where you can add titles to save for future browsing, but that is way too simple and can quickly get disorganized and useless when titles start to pile up. I need multiple lists with multiple ways to search through them. A list for mindless fun fare, a list for engaging foreign content, a list for violent action films, and so on. Tizen should be able to track where I am in a TV show, no matter how many months I’ve left it unfinished. It should also automatically remove titles from my lists upon completion.
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2Pick something for me
I need help making a decision
Finding what you might like to watch can take a lot of time; pulling the trigger on a specific title can take even longer. I want a feature on my TV to help me get across the finish line. Perhaps you’ve narrowed down what movie you watch by genre, or even a handful of titles. Maybe you’re going through the Oscars movies, but can’t decide on an order. Or maybe you’re even ready to start a new prestige drama but aren’t exactly sure which one to put first.
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Any of these situations and many others can be helped by an arbitrary decision, and there’s no reason this feature can’t be employed on TV. I have my own analog version at home, in which I have a list of titles written down, and then I use an arbitrary device to determine which gets selected, a coin, die, or even random number generator. A little push can go a long way in saving time and energy in finally deciding what you should be watching.
3Improved search functions
Help me find new and exciting content
Most search functions are simply fine. Any manual search in particular is pretty tedious, and is mainly vinyl useful if you’re looking for a specific title somewhere. Now, voice commands have helped improve this, mainly by making the process faster, but there is still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to searching.
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Every OS should be far more capable to employ advanced search functions, filtering content not just by genre, but by filmmakers, actors, studios, and dates. Again, this is something set to set marked improvement in time due to the advancements in generative AI, but for now, a manual search function is almost a waste of time.
4One more remote feature
It’s very good, but could get better
There is a lot to like about what Samsung has done recently with its remote. Among the most important components of a worthy smart TV remote are jump buttons and presets, both of which Samsung offers. The latest iterations feature buttons that will take you directly to Netflix, Disney+, andAmazon Prime(and also one to go to Samsung TV Plus, which is less interesting. IT also allows you to program up to four other apps so that you can get to where you are going with ease.
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Another strong feature is the home button. Searching through apps and channels and genres for just the right thing to watch can get tedious, and it can get you far from where you want to be at some time. The home button is key. If I’m going to nitpick, and I am, there is one handy feature apparent on other remotes that Samsung could adapt: a pingable function. Some brands allow you to press a button on your TV to locate the remote, while others can allow you to use your voice to simply ask the remote where it is – and I’d like to see that from Samsung.
