Following Samsung’s March 7th reveal of its new QLED TV feature, Samsung has now taken to its official blog to go a bit more in-depth on the new Ambient Mode. The mode, for those who may not be aware, is found in the company’s 2018 run of QLED televisions. It’s intended to act as a kind of super-charged screensaver, going far beyond what that typically entails to include room analysis and give the TV a purpose beyond media consumption. Breaking down what that means, the sensors embedded in the TVs’ Samsung logo effectively scan the wall and try to recreate a “transparent” look. From there the software can be optimized for brightness and be fine-tuned for color so that it effectively disappears, aside from its frame. Moreover, that can then be overlaid with imagery, weather information, forecasts, or news. The general idea behind that is to help the television blend seamlessly into the lives of users, becoming an accent to their home rather than an electronics accessory.
The developers behind Ambient Mode say that it should work well in the overwhelming majority of homes since the company’s research revealed that between 70-percent and 80-percent of buyers don’t have overly complex wall designs. Every one of the pieces of content, consisting mostly of images displayed as overlays on the transparency effect, was designed with that in mind. Specifically, for more 900 designs considered, just over 1-percent were chosen which made the final cut and each is based on an algorithm that analyzes the wall to generate its patterns. That should mean that each image will match up nicely without jarring discrepancies. Going further still, Ambient Mode doesn’t just set to one color and then go static. Instead, the system was built to recognize changes in lighting and adjust in both brightness and tone. That happens without any user input at all beyond the initial setup.
Automating the feature means that not only do users no longer have to deal with an unsightly black box hanging on their walls. They also don’t need to put in a whole lot of effort into making the TV look nice with their home decor. For more practical, productivity-focused users, it can also display weather conditions, date and time information, and news briefings. As a final design decision, the team also ensured that the TVs are connected to users for power efficiency. Using Bluetooth, the TV senses when nobody is in the room, as well as detecting when lights are off. When that happens, the TV will turn off to reduce energy use and to ensure the television’s display lasts as long as possible. All of those feature, the company’s developers say, is integral to helping users get more out of the largest screens in their home and the company looks forward to improving it further going forward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkLYmLkSMIk&feature=youtu.be
