[CES 2022] Samsung upgrades its Eco Remote and TV software experience

Samsung has made its TV announcements ahead of CES 2022, and there are some nice nuggets in there, but the big takeaway is software upgrades and a new Eco Remote. The company is also focusing harder on sustainability over the past few years, and that theme continues into 2022.

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Samsung Eco Remote 2022

The new Eco Remote for 2022 is one of the latest additions to Samsung’s commitment to “building a better, more sustainable tomorrow.” It uses a recycled material design plus solar energy and RF Harvesting to provide a battery-free experience.

On bright and sunny days or the middle of the night, the battery stays fully charged by collecting routers’ radio waves and converting them to energy. With the 2022 Eco Remote, consumers can take a hands-on approach to reduce their eco-footprint. And the Eco-Remote is a stylish way to do that. Previously available only in black, the 2022 Eco Remote will also come in a white color that pairs perfectly with Samsung lifestyle TVs.

Samsung New Home Screen and Software

The new Eco Remote is pretty exciting, and the fact that Samsung is pushing this type of remote is fantastic. That same remote will be used to navigate through Samsung’s new home screen and software.

Samsung’s UI has improved since 2017, and it just gets better. In 2022 Samsung is adding new features to Samsung’s smart TV that will provide consumers with an advanced, intuitive hub that’s designed to meet their different needs at any moment. Here’s what Samsung’s press release had to say about these new features coming in 2022:

New Home Screen (Media Screen, Gaming Hub, Ambient Mode): Samsung’s New Home Screen is a testament to our vision for the future of TVs. The New Home Screen offers an elegant solution to today’s fragmented and impersonal entertainment landscape by integrating three different categories into a single, TV-based platform.

1. When you power up your TV, you are immediately welcomed by the Media Screen, which uses intelligent UI to put all of your streaming service content into one, easy-to-browse place. Media Screen gives you quick access to your “continue watching” playlist of movies and shows from any content provider, as well as a list of content recommendations—curated exclusively based on your taste.

2. Then there’s Gaming Hub, which provides you with access to a wide range of console and streaming games—all in one centralized place. With this new one-stop hub on Samsung TVs, you can power up your game straight from the home screen—minimizing wait times and maximizing play time. You can also discover and jump right into playing curated recommendations, which are created using our advanced AI Gaming Hub technology. Plus, the new Gaming Hub offers seamless connectivity with cloud-based gaming and your consoles. It’s even compatible with existing third-party controllers and headsets, saving consumers the hassle of buying another console or additional accessories. 

3. Finally, there’s the New Home Screen’s Ambient Mode. When you’re done gaming or binging a new show, you can select Ambient Mode to view your favorite art, photos, and even NFTs on your Samsung TV’s stunning display.

Samsung

Gaming | MicroLED | Neo QLED

The Eco Remote and the software changes aren’t the only news. The company is also focusing more on gaming and is releasing the first 144Hz 4K TV.

In 2022, we’re redefining gamers’ expectations for their TVs with groundbreaking hardware and software developments. We’re releasing the first ever 144Hz 4K TV to offer faster, smoother, and more competitive gameplay than ever before.

And we’re making it easier to hop right into the action with multiple ways to play: via your gaming console, or via Samsung’s brand-new cloud streaming service in Gaming Hub (see above for additional details). We also know that every gamer has their own setup preferences, so we’ve made every gaming experience customizable with our new Game Bar—from the settings to the visuals.

With Zoom in Mode, gamers can expand a hard-to-see minimap, or they can enable ultrawide Multi View to watch a YouTuber explain how to beat a challenging level as they’re playing.

Samsung

Samsung’s MicroLED offers consumers the best of both worlds: ultra-premium viewing experiences, plus the flexibility to tailor your TV to your unique space. The new MicroLED’s massive display delivers impeccable visuals, stunning color contrast, and vivid color accuracy thanks to its new chip structure, formed by 24.9 million micro-sized LEDs, as well as its 10% wider color offering.

The 2022 Samsung MicroLED display is also built for providing immersive, surround-sound audio experiences. With Dolby ATMOS and our Object Tracking Sound Pro feature, it projects audio to match the movement of onscreen objects—so that every moment sounds like music to your ears. As you sit on your couch and turn on your favorite movie, your Samsung MicroLED TV’s groundbreaking display and audio capabilities will transport you through space and time—without you having to lift a finger.

Then there’s the TV’s sleek, flexible design. Now bezel-free, Samsung’s new MicroLED TV blends
more seamlessly into your space, limiting distractions and helping you stay engaged with whatever you’re watching. It also offers more flexibility with its setup.

The new MicroLED is completely modular, so you can decide on the display you like best, up to 178”. Plus, it comes in different sizes to fit different needs. This year, in addition to offering 99” and 110” premade models, Samsung’s also introducing a preconfigured 89” model. Samsung’s premium MicroLED TV for 2022 gives consumers the ability to personalize every aspect of their entertainment experiences, from setup to streaming, and enjoy jaw-dropping, true-to-life images and sounds.

Packed with new imaging, AI, and audio advancements, the 2022 Neo QLED TV – in 8K and 4K models – is designed for elevating all your entertainment experiences, in any lighting environment. The new Neo QLED shows you impeccable visuals, from the brightest brights to the darkest darks—thanks to Samsung’s quantum mini-LED technology and our all-new Shape Adaptive Light Control. We also increased the Neo QLED’s luminance scale from a 12-bit to a 14-bit backlight—delivering significantly more accurate brightness as you watch your favorite baking shows or live tournaments.

To make sure key details really pop as you’re watching, the 2022 Neo QLED has an Object Depth Enhancer feature, which uses Samsung’s advanced AI to analyze the on-screen picture and distinguish the main subject from the background. But remarkable, hyper-realistic images are just one piece of what makes the Neo QLED stand out.

The Neo QLED also sounds incredible. Thanks to features like Active Voice Amplifier, Object Tracking Sound, and SpaceFit Sound, you can feel like you’re right there in the room with your favorite performer. For even more immersive and unbelievable audio, you can pair Samsung’s Q950B Soundbar with our groundbreaking Q-Symphony ATMOS technology to synchronize each of its speakers with each of your Neo QLED TV’s speakers. The result: surround-sound audio experiences unlike anything you’ve ever heard.

That seamless connectivity extends to other Samsung products to help further simplify your life.
With the 2022 Neo QLED, you can stream a workout class, practice a presentation, or game with
incredible speed using the world’s first 8K TV with 144Hz inputs. You can also connect your
Galaxy Buds2, Samsung smartphone, or any SmartThings-enabled device to the TV—and unlock an ever-expanding and evolving ecosystem of Samsung products, platforms, and possibilities.

Samsung

Be sure to read our full coverage of CES 2022 here. What do you think of the new Samsung Eco Remote and the new software updates? Please share your thoughts on any of the social media pages listed below. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network.