Samsung and LG Expanding Online Video Services for Smart TVs
LG Electronics offers own Internet video service called LG Channel.
Eight out of 10 TVs sold around the world are smart TVs, according to a survey by market researcher Omdia.
The proportion of smart TVs in total TV sales jumped from 68.3 percent in the first quarter of 2018 to 81.2 percent in the first quarter of 2020, the survey showed.
The ratio is higher at two Korean TV giants — 93 percent at Samsung Electronics and 87.2 percent at LG Electronics. As a result, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are strengthening their own over the top (OTT) services to boost their smart TV sales.
Samsung Electronics provides “Samsung TV Plus” that allows users to enjoy a wide range content, including entertainment, drama, and movies, for free via the internet. Samsung TV Plus is the industry’s first virtual channel service introduced by Samsung Electronics in 2015, and features video on demand (VOD) services that work like TV channels. Currently, Samsung TV Plus operates 518 channels in 11 countries around the world, and has continued to expand its service area and channels.
On top of that, Samsung Electronics once again expanded the features of smart TVs by releasing Samsung Health App in major countries such as Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Samsung Health not only recommends home training videos such as aerobic exercises, stretching, muscle exercises, and yoga according to the level of difficulty set by users, but also provides mental health care content to help them meditate and sleep tight. Samsung is also the first TV maker to load Apple Music, Apple TV and AirPlay2 (AirPlay2) onto its smart TVs.
LG Electronics is also strengthening its internet video service called “LG Channels,” which allows users to watch various channels for free on OLED TVs and nano-cell TVs connected to the Internet. It recently expanded its content further by adding 30 new channels of CJ ENM. The total number of channels available on LG Channels has increased to 112, including the 82 channels that had been provided through OTT service “Wavve.”
In addition, LG Electronics is supporting OTT services by adding Apple TV as well as Netflix and Disney+ to LG Artificial Intelligence TV. Users can watch more than 100,000 videos provided by Apple TV. In addition, if you join Apple TV’s own OTT service, you can enjoy a wide range of content produced by Apple. However, Apple TV’s service plan for the Korean market has not been decided yet.