[Interview] The Premiere 5: Probably the Largest Touchscreen You’ll Use at Home
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By Samsung Newsroom
“The Odyssey 3D marks the beginning of a new era of experiences.”
— Taekwan Lee, Samsung Electronics
3D content has often been associated with inconvenience. Enjoying it typically required specialized equipment such as 3D glasses or head-mounted displays (HMDs). Imperfections in the delivery of 3D images caused crosstalk, potentially leading to dizziness. These discomforts would chip away the immersion of 3D content.
Samsung Electronics is changing that narrative with the introduction of the Odyssey 3D (G90XF) — a finely tuned glasses-free 3D gaming monitor. Featuring eye-tracking and view-mapping technology, the Odyssey 3D marks a paradigm shift in immersive viewing and gaming experiences.
Samsung Newsroom sat down with Donghwa Lim from the Enterprise R&D Lab and Taekwan Lee from the Product Innovation Lab, both part of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics, to discuss how the Odyssey 3D is redefining perceptions of 3D.
The Three Core Technologies Behind Odyssey 3D
3D displays create a sense of dimension using binocular disparity, in which the brain perceives depth by processing the slightly different images seen by each eye. Leveraging this principle, the Odyssey 3D delivers a glasses-free 3D experience by precisely presenting different images to each eye without the need for external equipment. The eye-tracking technology is designed to recognize users’ eyes even when they are wearing glasses.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to bring to market a technology that once seemed out of reach.”
— Donghwa Lim, Samsung Electronics
At the heart of the Odyssey 3D are three key technologies — eye tracking, view mapping and a lenticular lens.
▲ Odyssey 3D features a myriad of technologies to deliver an immersive, glasses-free 3D experience
Eye tracking is enabled by a stereo camera mounted at the top of the monitor, detecting and tracking the user’s eye movements in real time.
“Because the two cameras capture different images, much like human eyes, they can determine the exact position of the user’s eyes and distance between the eyes and the monitor in real time,” said Lim. “This real-time eye position detection allows us to deliver a precise 3D image, even when the user moves.”
▲ (From left) View mapping and the lenticular lens
Based on this data, the system calculates the correct pixel positioning for each eye and reconstructs a single image through a process called view mapping. The final mapped images are then separately delivered to each eye through the lenticular lens, allowing the images from the display panels to be visible to each eye by utilizing light refraction.
What’s more, the Odyssey 3D isn’t limited to 3D gameplay alone. Since the Odyssey 3D was developed as a gaming monitor, it performs exceptionally well in terms of picture quality and response speed, even when used for 2D gameplay. The lenticular lens activates only when a 3D mode is enabled by Reality Hub.
Minimizing Crosstalk With Samsung’s Advanced Display Technology
While 3D effects offer new levels of immersion, even minor visual inconsistencies can disrupt the experience. Samsung has dedicated significant resources to ensuring premium 3D visuals.
“Crosstalk occurs when the images perceived by the left and right eyes aren’t properly aligned,” said Lim. “It can lead to dizziness and other visual discomforts, so we developed several techniques to reduce it.”
▲ Donghwa Lim, Enterprise R&D Lab, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, explains how technologies were meticulously put together to minimize crosstalk
“Even the slightest misalignments during the production or assembly of camera and display components can affect image accuracy,” he noted. “To address this, Samsung applies post-assembly calibration for both the camera and display panel and stores unit-specific data into a dedicated chip inside the monitor.”
In addition to hardware calibration, the Odyssey 3D features a deep learning-based eye-tracking algorithm and a specially engineered display cell coating designed to reduce light distortion and glare — all contributing to minimizing crosstalk and delivering a refined 3D experience.
Driving 3D Gaming Innovation Through Industry Partnerships
The true strength of the Odyssey 3D comes to life during gameplay. To bring immersive and personalized gaming experiences to users, Samsung is actively collaborating with industry partners to optimize games for glasses-free 3D.
“When industry-leading companies join forces, the benefits are ultimately passed on to gamers.”
— Taekwan Lee, Samsung Electronics
In partnership with Microsoft and virtual reality (VR) company Zero Density, Samsung has made high-quality 3D gaming content available through Reality Hub — a Windows-based 3D content platform that also supports the conversion of 2D photos and videos into 3D.
▲ Taekwan Lee, Product Innovation Lab, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, explains that cross-industry efforts are key in expanding the 3D market
Joint efforts are also underway to expand 3D gaming content.
“Game developers are constantly exploring ways to offer new experiences to users,” said Lee. “One of those directions is 3D gaming.”
While the 3D gaming market is still emerging, Lee emphasized that industry-wide collaboration is key to accelerating its growth.
“The First Berserker: Khazan” — a recently published game developed by Nexon Korea and Neople — stands as a notable example of how 3D immersion can come to life through collaboration with Samsung during development.
“Through this partnership, Nexon, Neople and Samsung have been working closely to tailor the 3D visuals, carefully adjusting them based on the composition of characters and backgrounds. We ensured that everything from scene-specific factors to cinematic transitions could be presented more vividly on Odyssey 3D monitor,” he explained.
▲ A scene from “The First Berserker: Khazan”
“Creating effects like drifting particles, fast-moving flames and cinematic cutscenes1 was technically challenging, but I’m proud of what we achieved through teamwork,” Lee added. “In particular, the snowy mountain scene in Khazan gives the impression that snowflakes are flying directly toward the player when played on the Odyssey 3D. It’s an experience I would strongly recommend trying firsthand.”
“Our research is a journey to connect users to the future.”
— Taekwan Lee, Samsung Electronics
With the Odyssey 3D, Samsung is elevating the gaming experience to new levels of immersion.
“We are in discussions with local and global game developers to expand the 3D gaming market,” he emphasized. “Our goal is to collaborate with more developers to bring a broader range of 3D games to users. When industry-leading companies join forces, the benefits are ultimately passed on to gamers.”
From Impossible to Possible: Leading the Future of 3D Monitors
Lim reflected on how far technology has come over the past decade.
“Way back when I first joined Samsung, I attended a meeting on 3D technology where the lenticular lens was deemed ‘not feasible’ with existing technology,” he said. “Now, years later, we’ve not only made it possible, but we’ve also brought it to market. It’s incredibly remarkable and deeply rewarding to see a product launch built on technology that once seemed out of reach.”
▲ Donghwa Lim and Taekwan Lee are excited about the market potential of 3D content and monitors
“Our research to create new experiences is a journey to connect users to the future. The Odyssey 3D marks the beginning of a new era in expanding the boundaries of technology-driven experiences,” said Lee. “Games played on the Odyssey 3D are sure to deliver a ‘wow’ factor — not just at specific moments, but throughout the entire experience.”
As Samsung continues to lead the gaming monitor market, the Odyssey 3D stands as a powerful example of how the company is redefining immersive experiences and pushing the limits of display innovation.
1 Short storytelling clips shown between stages during gameplay.
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By Samsung Newsroom
To put art before the eyes of consumers, Samsung partnered with The Belvedere to release globally renowned works of art including art pieces by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele in the Samsung Art Store. As consumers continue to be enthralled by both physical and digital art, this partnership expanded access to some of the world’s most notable works of art.
While the adoption of technology within the art space is inevitable, widespread adoption of technology poses an important challenge: how to expand works of art digitally without taking away from the uniqueness of their physical form. For consumers, technology can break barriers and change how art is consumed. It can also provide a look into the future of art as the blending of the physical and digital art worlds occurs.
Samsung Newsroom recently sat down with Wolfgang Bergmann, CFO of The Belvedere to discuss how this partnership is paving the way for continued digital growth within the art space while still preserving the culture and richness of physical art.
▲ The Belvedere by Lukas Schaller
Q: Briefly tell us about your work at The Belvedere.
Our mandate is to set the course for The Belvedere, which is one of the oldest museums in the world, and a showcase for contemporary art. In that task, we are faced with the challenge of preserving the past while also being forward-looking and breaking new ground, and this is what makes our job so exciting.
Q: The intersection of art and technology has grown significantly in recent years, paving the way for the democratization of art, and it seems especially evident in its creation and accessibility. What is your take on this? How has this provided opportunities and/or challenges in the art world today?
The Belvedere aspires to be one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the digital world, thereby reaching new audiences. Today, around half of the Belvedere collection is available online. Those interested in art can easily research the museum’s inventory and scroll through 900 years of art history, from the Middle Ages to the present day. However, I am convinced that this will only increase their desire to visit Vienna and The Belvedere in person.
Q: Technology also makes art more convenient and accessible to collectors. How have you seen this play out over the years?
Digital art space is getting easier to access, especially through NFT technology. However, this won’t replace classical art but rather add to it. Quite recently, we decided the time was right to undertake a unique NFT project, and a centerpiece of The Belvedere’s collection — The Kiss by Gustav Klimt — was unveiled in the new format.
▲ The Kiss (Lovers) (1908-1909) by Gustav Klimt
Q: Digital art displays, such as Samsung Art Store, have allowed users to enjoy unique experiences from the comfort of their homes. How do you see this technology playing out in the coming years and what sort of impact will it have in the art industry as a whole?
I think this technology definitely arouses interest in art and enhances the experience of appreciating the original piece. Owners and viewers of the digital image can form a personal connection to the original artwork.
Q: What differences do you see between displaying your work in-person vs. digitally on The Frame?
A screen cannot replace the aura of the original piece. At the end of the day, The Frame and the Art Store invite people to see the original in the museum. On the other hand, museum visitors who have admired an original work of art on-site will be happy to bring it digitally into their living room. Modern screens are so technically advanced that you may discover things digitally on The Frame that you could not see with the naked eye in a museum.
Q: How do you envision the future of art exhibitions and museums?
Art exhibitions will continue to exist online and offline. The metaverse is becoming a part of our life, but it’s not a substitute for “real” life. The physical visitor experience in a museum will therefore always remain important.
▲ In the Bower (ca. 1901) by Marie Egner
Q: Can you tell us more about how this partnership came to be? Why did you choose The Frame? From your perspective, what are the benefits of Samsung Art Store?
We were thrilled by the idea of bringing our collection to new formats, like Samsung Smart TVs, in order to give people access to art in their own living rooms. The Samsung Art Store provides visual variety on the screens, you can choose pictures according to the seasons or your personal mood, and you can always discover something new. Samsung leads the industry in technological innovation, so the Samsung Art Store is the right partner for us.
Art pieces from the Belvedere collection on the Samsung Art Store are viewed many times a month. I am sure that the viewers are influenced by the artworks, consciously or unconsciously.
▲ Brushwood Collector in the Vienna Woods (1855) by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller
Q: Some of Belvedere’s most popular works in the Art Store include In the Bower by Marie Egner, The Kiss by Gustav Klimt and Blooming Poppies by Olga Wisinger-Florian. Are these also popular for museumgoers and are there any other pieces in the collection in the Art Store that you foresee gaining more mainstream popularity?
Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss is an icon piece of romantic love and a centerpiece of The Belvedere’s collection — people all over the world are smitten with it. Landscapes and nature motifs are also especially popular, both online and offline. As for increasing popularity, I see paintings by female artists from around the turn of the century, such as Broncia Koller-Pinell or Emilie Mediz-Pelikan, continuing to rise, as well as more works by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele.
I would recommend some autumn motifs, such as Brushwood Collector in the Vienna Woods (1855) by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller and Orange Grove on the French Riviera (1903) by Broncia Koller-Pinell.
▲ Orange Grove on the French Riviera (1903) by Broncia Koller-Pinell
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By Samsung Newsroom
A television is a portal that can connect us to the world. As the amount of diverse content users have access to continues to grow, the range of entertainment they can access through their TVs is also expanding. Yet despite this innovation, for those who are hard of hearing, the deaf, people with low vision and the blind, accessing basic TV features like sound controls and screen settings can still prove challenging.
In the final installment of this series, we look at how Samsung TVs and their array of exclusive accessibility features are seeking to provide an equal viewing experience for all. Check out the webtoon below to see how four friends make use of the accessibility features on a Samsung TV to all enjoy the viewing experience together.
* The SeeColors app is available for download from the Smart TV App store. This app is not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease or medical problem. Any information found, acquired or accessed through this app is made available for your convenience and should not be treated as medical advice.
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By Samsung Newsroom
A television is a portal that can connect us to the world. As the amount of diverse content users have access to continues to grow, the range of entertainment they can access through their TVs is also expanding. Yet despite this innovation, for those who are hard of hearing, the deaf, people with low vision and the blind, accessing basic TV features like sound controls and screen settings can still prove challenging.
Following the first installment in our series on accessibility in Samsung TVs, Samsung Newsroom looked at the company’s exclusive accessibility features for those who are hard of hearing and the deaf.
Sign Language Zoom
Sign language is a language for the deaf that involves conveying the meaning of spoken language using hand gestures and movements. However, as the same gesture can convey different meanings depending on mouth shape and facial expression, all of these factors must be taken into consideration in order to understand the exact meaning.
Samsung TVs utilize the company’s proprietary AI algorithm to automatically recognize sign language and magnify the person performing it by 200%. Users can also manually choose an area onscreen to magnify and alter the magnification ratio to get a closer look at details such as the questions on a quiz program or the scoreboard at a sports event.
Separate Closed Caption
Broadcasters already provide closed captions for programs to help the deaf consume their content. However, on occasions when the TV program itself also displays captions, the two sets of words often overlap with one another, obscuring the subtitles for the deaf.
In this situation, the Separate Closed Caption feature is a great help. This feature allows the closed captions for the deaf to be viewed in a separate area from the captions on the TV program. Users can additionally change the background and text colors for the closed captions in order to further raise visibility.
Multi-output Audio
When watching TV with friends or family, those who are hard of hearing may need the volume to be turned up louder than the other viewers. To ensure everyone can enjoy the content at the appropriate volume level for them, Samsung offers the Multi-output Audio feature on its TVs.
With the Multi-output Audio feature, those who are hard of hearing can utilize a Bluetooth device to listen to the audio at their desired volume without affecting the viewing experiences of the other viewers. Bluetooth devices can be connected directly to the TV, then the user can set their own volume levels through the Bluetooth device.
In pursuit of its ‘Screens for All’ vision, Samsung will continue to work and innovate to ensure that Samsung TVs provide an enjoyable viewing experience for all.
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By Samsung Newsroom
A television is a portal that can connect us to the world. As the amount of diverse content users have access to continues to grow, the range of entertainment they can access through their TVs is also expanding. Yet despite this innovation, for those who are hard of hearing, the deaf, people with low vision and the blind, accessing basic TV features like sound controls and screen settings can still prove challenging.
As Samsung unveiled at its First Look 2021 event, the company’s 2021 TV lineup will harness the latest advances to allow those who are hard of hearing, the deaf, people with low vision and the blind to enjoy their TV experiences in comfort. This will be achieved with the help of Samsung’s new CES 2021 Best of Innovation Award-winning accessibility features for TVs, including Caption Moving, Sign Language Zoom, Multi-Output Audio and Voice Guide. Going forward, Samsung will keep developing new AI-based features to continue making Samsung TVs more and more accessible.
Samsung Newsroom looked at the suite of accessibility features offered on Samsung TVs, as well as the company’s commitment to its new ‘Screens for All’ vision, which is helping ensure that everyone can enjoy their TVs.
SeeColors App: A New World of Color for those with CVD
The capability of Samsung TVs to reproduce lifelike color is constantly improving, however this is not as evident to those who suffer from color vision deficiency (CVD). Samsung’s SeeColors app1 makes color adjustments to aid those with CVD and help them enjoy a better viewing experience with optimized colors.
By using the app on their TV, users can identify their CVD type and level and directly recalibrate their screen settings based on the results. The SeeColors app is available to download from Apps, the Smart TV app store.
Color Inversion: For Comfortable Viewing without Glare
It is also difficult for people with low vision to perceive colors clearly. In particular, black text on a white background can cause glare for people with low vision who are sensitive to light. The fact that their eyes tire easily also hinders comfortable TV viewing.
In this case, the Color Inversion feature can prove helpful. Inverting menu colors so that the text is white and the background is black raises visual perception and alleviates eye fatigue. While inverting the colors of the TV menus to make navigating them easier, this feature leaves the colors of the actual content being displayed the same in order to best meet the needs of users with low vision.
Features are also available to assist people with complete color blindness. These include GrayScale, which can convert color images into black-and-white. Meanwhile, the Focus Enlarge feature allows users to enlarge text and smaller details on interfaces such as Smart Hub.
Audio (Video) Description: To Better Enjoy Exciting Scenes
Spectacular action movies and exciting sports matches can really keep viewers on the edge of their seats. However, those who are blind are often limited to appreciating actors’ performances and athletes’ physical feats purely through their sense of hearing. In these circumstances, the information these users take in through sound effects and dialogue alone is bound to be limited.
Audio (Video) Description is a feature that provides verbal descriptions of the situations and settings being displayed on the screen, in addition to the dialogue or commentary. It helps viewers who are blind enjoy their content more completely by providing explanations of factors that are hard to capture with audio alone, such as characters’ clothing and their body language.
Learn TV Remote: For Ease of Use
A remote control is a handy tool that puts the ability to control channels, volume and TV settings in the palm of your hand and makes viewing much more convenient. However, it is difficult for those who are blind to know what each button does. Thus, it generally takes a long time for them to learn the buttons and get used to using the remote control.
Learn TV Remote is a feature that helps blind users get used to the location and function of each button through repeated practice. If you press a button on the remote control while the mode is on, the name and function of the button will be explained audibly. To return the remote control to regular functionality, press the ‘back’ button twice to turn off learning mode.
Voice Guide: To Better Navigate Channels and Control Volume
When viewers want to catch an episode of a TV show they like, they generally turn on their TV and navigate to the right channel by looking at the channel number or name. However, when they first turn the TV on, it is difficult for viewers who are blind to know what channel they are on, as well as what level the volume is set at.
By telling you what channel your TV is on and what volume level it is set at, the Voice Guide feature eliminates the need to press buttons on the remote control multiple times to navigate to the channel and volume settings you want. The feature additionally enhances convenience by providing information on the program that is currently being aired as well as the upcoming TV schedule.
Accessibility Shortcuts
When you hold down the mute button on the remote control for your Samsung TV for more than two seconds, you will be taken to a menu where you can customize a variety of accessibility settings. In this menu, you will be able to select the most appropriate accessibility features for yourself or your family members. This menu is accompanied by a Voice Guide that allows any user to navigate it without difficulty.
Continued Accessibility Efforts Based on User Feedback
Based on its belief that an accurate understanding of visual deficiency conditions is necessary to developing appropriate accessibility features, Samsung has collected feedback from users in order to make TVs that are also convenient for people with low vision and those who are blind.
To that end, Samsung has been working with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in the UK since 2013 to ensure that Samsung products are equipped with the proper features to offer accessibility to all consumers. Due to its continued efforts, the company received the RNIB’s ‘Tried and Tested Accreditation’ for its 2020 Smart TVs, which is the first time the accreditation has been awarded in the TV industry.
In pursuit of its ‘Screens for All’ vision, Samsung will continue to work and innovate to ensure that Samsung TVs provide an enjoyable viewing experience for all.
1 This app is not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease or medical problem. Any information found, acquired or accessed through this app is made available for your convenience and should not be treated as medical advice.
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