[Welcome to the 8K Universe (2)] Enjoy More of Your Favorite Content on Samsung’s Expanded 8K Ecosystem
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By Samsung Newsroom
As technology continues to advance and becomes more crucial to the creative process, the boundaries of art have grown to encompass digital illustration, animation, motion graphics and more. By blending the capabilities of technology with the beauty and diversity of art, creative professionals are harnessed with the power to make their creations more lifelike than ever before. Samsung Electronics’ ViewFinity S9, a 5K monitor for creatives, has set the standard for high-resolution monitors and empowered creative minds to unleash their best works.
Samsung Newsroom sat down with two 3D designers at DEVSISTERS to explore how the ViewFinity S9 is helping them bring 2D characters to life.
▲ 3D Lighting/Compositing Artist Sangyi Kim (left) and 3D General Motion Graphic Designer Sena Yoo from DEVSISTERS
Since its establishment in 2007, the DEVSISTERS have provided popular games and services centered on Cookie Run IP (Intellectual Property), including a mobile runner game, “Cookie Run: OvenBreak,” and a mobile RPG, ”Cookie Run: Kingdom.” Cookie Run games have a total of 200 million players worldwide. The DEVSISTERS plan to expand their business from mobile games to include PC, console and VR games, as well as TCG, animation and licensing in the future.
Q. Can you briefly introduce yourselves and tell us about your roles in 3D design?
Sangyi Kim: I am responsible for Lighting — creating natural light and shadows to spotlight 3D characters and objects. I also handle compositing — combining 3D elements and effects from different sources into a single cohesive image. During the Lighting process, I focus on color expression to enhance each character’s personality and charm.
Sena Yoo: I am in charge of marketing content planning for 3D-based Cookie Run, 3D General Motion Graphic Design and Lighting. My major focus is on making 3D characters converted from 2D more dynamic with stories and motion graphics.
Q. What was your most recent 3D creation using the ViewFinity S9? How was the experience?
Sangyi Kim: As part of a collaborative project with Incheon International Airport Corporation, we recently had an exciting opportunity to create 3D content for the Media Tower in Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport, to be on display until late August. The project required us to be meticulous as the content is displayed on a 27-meter screen, meaning that even the smallest imperfections can really stand out. Fortunately, the ViewFinity S9 enabled us to review the content and visualize how it would be displayed to accurately identify any aspects that needed to be improved.
Sena Yoo: The Pivot feature was helpful when editing vertical videos as all we had to do was flip the monitor. I was concerned about the possibility of flickering and visual noise while displaying the content at a high resolution at the Media Tower. However, the ViewFinity S9 allowed me to check these issues in advance.
What’s more, it was essential for the Cookie Run characters to have fluid and detailed motions to convey the joy and excitement of travel at the airport. That’s why the ViewFinity S9 was the perfect monitor for this project.
Q. What are the differences between the ViewFinity S9 and other monitors you have used in the past?
Sangyi Kim: Adding light elements such as contrast and depth is very important as this makes the characters more realistic. The ViewFinity S9 precisely presents colors and light the way it was meant to be seen, ensuring smooth color gradation and avoiding the color clumping common in other monitors.
Another impressive feature is how the monitor precisely displays both the light and dark parts of an image without distorting the color. The difference is visible — the color expression and detail on the ViewFinity S9 is simply superb, and it significantly boosts productivity.
Sena Yoo: ViewFinity is capable of showing the full spectrum of colors even in bright highlights or shadows. That’s the biggest difference I’ve noticed. When we’re applying final touches to the video, we could easily check for whiteout1 or overly dark areas in images with shadows before exporting. We could see the video as it was meant to be seen before playing it on the Media Tower. It helped a lot.
Q. What is the most satisfying feature of the ViewFinity S9?
Sena Yoo: I was satisfied with the ViewFinity S9’s 5K resolution, as poor resolution can reduce the details of an image. Furthermore, the monitor clearly defines highlights and shadows, enhancing the clarity of the content.
Sangyi Kim: I love the flexibility of the ViewFinity S9. I can move the interface anywhere on the screen, meaning I have much more space to work with. On top of that, the monitor’s Matte Display effectively reduces reflections or glares from lights. I can focus on my work more comfortably without a light shade or a monitor hood.
Q. Are there any other features you want to highlight?
Sangyi Kim: Many 3D designers prefer CPU rendering rather than GPU rendering as it is more productive. As such, they prefer using monitors with Windows OS. However, I’ve noticed there are few monitors that support both 5K resolution and Windows OS. The ViewFinity S9 is a perfect choice for 3D designers who are looking for Windows OS compatibility.
Sena Yoo: During meetings, we often share materials on a screen. Before, sharing screens was a hassle. But with the ViewFinity S9, we can conveniently share our work wirelessly on anyone’s monitor. Plus, the monitor is an all-in-one product that provides a variety of features for the creative process.
Q. Is there anything else you would like to share about the ViewFinity S9 with designers?
Sena Yoo: For designers, the monitor is a sketchbook and a paintbrush. They need to express everything on a monitor as if it were a sheet of paper. Therefore, a monitor and its resolution are critical factors to consider when working in the 3D art industry. I believe the ViewFinity S9 is an ideal companion for 3D designers, as it supports ultra-high 5K resolution and advances work efficiency.
Sangyi Kim: I really believe ViewFinity was made with designers and creative professionals in mind. The colors are precise and the monitor is sleek and beautiful. It shines by itself. It gives you a real lift in terms of productivity. I can’t recommend it enough.
1 Whiteout: A phenomenon caused by extreme white areas, making objects hard to identify and distorting the perspective
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By Samsung Newsroom
In the game world, we can become captain of a warship or the world’s fastest racer. Gamers enter their own unique virtual space via a screen. Samsung Odyssey Ark, the world’s first 55-inch 1000R curved gaming screen has introduced a new world for gamers.
How was this innovative gaming screen invented? To learn more about the entire development process from concept design to development and commercialization, Samsung Newsroom sat down with three experts who strived to create the masterpiece, Odyssey Ark: Hyun Mook Choi, who successfully turned his Odyssey Ark concept into the final product, Jisoo Kim, who worked on product design to give gamers the best gaming experience possible, and Kyuseong Lee, who designed various features to enhance game experience.
▲ (From left to right) Kyuseong Lee in Future Planning Group, Jisoo Kim in Design team, Hyun Mook Choi in Future Planning Group of Samsung’s Visual Display Business
The Start of Odyssey Ark: Offer “A Unique Gaming Space Where Gamers Can Stand Out”
Along with vertical Cockpit Mode, Odyssey Ark, the world’s first 55-inch 1000R curved gaming screen boasts an unrivalled, overwhelming presence. The completely new form factor came from the desire for space.
“I drafted the concept of Odyssey Ark thinking that everyone might have had a dream of creating their own arcade with their favorite game device.” Hyun Mook Choi, who first designed Odyssey Ark’s concept, recalled the time when he came up with the idea.
Jisoo Kim said the product design was inspired by his six-year-old boy making a fortress for his own space. He thought a flexible screen could satisfy gamers’ unique desire for their own space. They found common ground in space and refined the concept.
“In the early stages of design, we found through interviews that most game lovers wanted to have ‘a large screen that can wrap tightly around them,’” said Choi. “Gamers crave a special screen providing a great presence in their room and from that we set a goal of creating a product that gamers would want to show off.”
The difference of home gaming from home theater and home office is that it should offer “a fun escape from daily life” rather than blending in with it. “That is why we thought a rotating 55-inch 1000R curved gaming screen could mesmerize gamers with a completely different form factor,” said Kim. “Odyssey Ark was developed with a sophisticated and overwhelming design to make users feel that they can win with this gaming screen. Visual excitement was also added by allowing users to dynamically rotate the screen in any direction.”
“When devising the product plan, we paid attention to the fact that the gaming market is no longer about simply playing, but it has grown across the platform by absorbing every entertainment element, including visual aspects and increased interaction.” He proudly explained, “From the very beginning, Odyssey Ark was positioned as a ‘game changer’ to pioneer a new market.”
Built for Gaming! Back Story Behind Designing Convenient Features To Meet Individual Needs
Gamers have warmly welcomed Odyssey Ark because it seemed to read their mind. Kyuseong Lee, a gaming enthusiast and part of the Future Planning Group, joined the project and came up with ideas. “I first thought about what makes me feel uncomfortable during gameplay and made efforts to reflect the game pattern of players and their lifestyle types,” he said.
In combination with its incredible picture quality, the Odyssey Ark has become “a true gaming screen for gamers” with its analysis of gamers’ usage patterns and new gaming features, such as Flex Move Screen, Multi View and Ark Dial.
The most essential part in product development was the picture quality technology. “We adopted the same processor used in the best-quality TVs for gamers who spare no expense to play a game smoothly with incredible picture quality,” Lee said. Combined with 4K resolution, the huge display features the best gaming specifications with a 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time (GtG). In fact, it is the first 55-inch gaming screen that supports a 165Hz refresh rate.
Hyun Mook Choi, who designed Flex Move Screen, highlighted the purpose of product development saying, “Most gamers like multitasking, so they keep changing where to place the main monitor on their desk and adjust the screen size and ratio based on what to play.” Flex Move Screen allows users to choose a perfect screen size between 55- and 27-inches, as well as the screen ratio between 16:9, 21:9 and 32:9. In addition, it also helps users find the most comfortable posture by adjusting its screen position within a large, 55-inch screen.
Ark Dial, the exclusive controller for the Odyssey Ark, was designed for gamers who continuously adjust settings to save time and find shortcuts. Users can easily change the screen layout and setting with Ark Dial as well as quickly and simply control Multi View. “The internal test shows that Ark Dial drastically reduces the setting time from about one minute to five seconds,” said Kim. “For the Ark Dial test, we even rented acquaintances’ luxury vehicles and tested how smoothly it rotates and response time of the jog dial.”
In addition, the Odyssey Ark introduces overwhelmingly immersive sound with Dolby Atmos based on a 60W 2.2.2 channel and Sound Dome Tech. Choi got insight from reviews involving professional gamers, T1. “Contrary to our thoughts that all gamers would like to play a game wearing a headset, they prefer to use speakers. This clearly shows that a perfect sound direction and lifelike gaming sound effects are particularly important.” said Choi. “That is why the Odyssey Ark offers multi-channel speakers and additional woofer.”
Continuous Studies and Testing To Create Totally New Product Concept
Inventing a new product means continuous testing, experiments and studies. Moreover, strengthening the large screen’s usability on the desk was a daunting task. They adopted 1000R curvature to optimize the near-field viewing angle of the 55-inch display. A thin plate for the bottom part helps gamers efficiently use space even with the large screen.
Kim explored more than 500 videos on gaming room decorating and game-related documentaries to learn how gamers decorate and organize their space. “To develop an unprecedented 55-inch 1000R curved gaming screen, I watched videos that carry gamers’ daily life and analyzed their lifestyle,” he said.
Then, they created product mockups by using a form board and viewed the screens with projectors to find the perfect screen size and curvature as well as to realize the ambition of vertical Cockpit Mode.
Lee conducted a two-week review involving heavy gamers in the U.S. and studied every detail of gamers’ needs regarding features and interfaces. “During the four-day business trip I had to deal with real-time issues and responses day and night. But it was such a meaningful time that I even forgot how tired I was!” Lee said.
Any new feature requires significant time and effort as many people from different departments work together to verify UX, GUI, compatibility with conventional features and quality control. “I think it is the first project in which so many people from different departments joined together for a single product,” said Choi. “It is incredible that every single person actively participated in the project.”
Odyssey Ark Is Finally Here. So, What’s Next?
The Odyssey Ark surprised the world with its best-in-class gaming screen. But when asked about the next plan, every expert uniformly said, “This is only the beginning.” Lee said, “The ark is in the early stages. We will continue to update the product by reflecting gamers’ preferences.” Kim added, “I would like to overcome physical limits and create a better screen.” Choi shared his ambition saying, “We will do everything possible to allow users to seamlessly immerse themselves in any game with the Ark.” Going forward, the Odyssey Ark will continue to open new possibilities for gamers.
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By Samsung Newsroom
Samsung TV Plus is set to unveil a host of new programs under a new brand logo. This raft of premium content will grant users all around the world access to diverse, high-quality TV shows. Samsung is also expanding compatibility with this TV service to even more of its devices.
Opening Up a New Era of Streaming
Samsung launched Samsung TV Plus as a free streaming TV and video service in 2015, and as of August 2022, users from 24 countries can easily access connected TV and enjoy a wide range of content including news, sports, entertainment and more.
Since April 2021, the service has been available on Samsung mobile devices and Smart monitors, as well as on the company’s TV lineup. Now, select Family Hub refrigerators can also be connected to Samsung TV Plus1 in the U.S. and Korea.
According to internal research, Samsung TV Plus ranks third among the over-the-top (OTT) apps used by owners of Samsung Smart TVs. In the last 12 months, Samsung TV Plus has seen a nearly twofold growth in consumer viewing, including nearly 3 billion hours streamed,2 by highly engaged users worldwide.
Amidst this global growth, Samsung is opening up a new era for its free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) and video-on-demand service, with Samsung TV Plus now reaching 24 countries and 465 million devices globally across the company’s TV, smart monitors, mobile and Family Hub refrigerator lineups.
Enhancing Visibility for Viewing Versatility
Samsung TV Plus’ new logo reflects the platform’s cross-device capabilities, with a blue and orange logo design on a black background providing improved visibility that signals the versatility of the platform.
Samsung TV Plus’ redesigned logo.
In line with the coloration of its logo’s redesign, Samsung TV Plus’ UI will also be available in a Dark Theme with enhanced visibility. Users can more easily browse what’s on now, recommended programs and channel lists.
The interface of Samsung TV Plus’ Homepage, featuring the Dark Theme UI.
Bringing Users More of the Content They Love
Along with these redesigns, Samsung TV Plus will unveil a host of new programming partnerships. Samsung brings viewers FAST-first content premieres, including an exclusive 2-minute sneak peek release of Prime Video’s highly anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series, an exclusive, uncut version of Demi Lovato’s Vevo Official Live Performance. In the U.S., Top Gear, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, NCIS and other popular content will be made available.
Samsung Plus TV will offer Top Gear in the U.S.
In the U.K., Samsung TV Plus is exclusively offering viewers the 2022 season of America’s Got Talent, as well as all previous seasons from 2019 to the present. This will eventually include the season finale, which is set to be aired in September. Furthermore, the first native 8K produced TV series, Das Boot, has launched exclusively in 8K on Samsung TV Plus in Germany. While some shows are filmed in 4K and can be upscaled to 8K later, Das Boot is the first show to be filmed entirely in 8K from the start of production. It was produced by Bavaria Fiction for Sky in partnership with Samsung Electronics Germany and has been available to watch on Samsung Neo QLED 8Ks via Samsung TV Plus from 2020 onwards.
The new season of America’s Got Talent is coming to the U.K. exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, while viewers in Germany can look forward to Das Boot, the first native 8K TV show.
For Samsung TV Plus users in Australia and New Zealand, the first exclusive, owned and operated (O&O) channels have been launched. These offer fan-favorite shows from the eighties, nineties and noughties — collected under the umbrella channel Throwback TV — as well as competitions and reality shows from around the globe under its Entertainment Hub channel. In India, Samsung TV Plus viewers can enjoy even more content from some of the top national and regional channel partners as Samsung continues to strengthen its relationship with channel partners including Discovery, Republic TV, Aaj Tak, Mastiii, Q TV, Pitaara and Balle.
Growing relationships with channel partners mean viewers can enjoy the best in local and regional content, both retro and current.
As Samsung TV Plus expands its global scope, Samsung will continue to invest in premium content, exclusive premieres and key partnerships for its users. Not only does the platform see Samsung providing a diverse offering of channels and shows across a wide variety of countries and languages, but it also sees the company continuing to strengthen its global partnerships in order to provide its viewers with the very best content, free of charge.
1 Samsung TV Plus compatible devices as of August 2022 include:
– TV: Smart TVs released after 2016 (availability may vary by country)
– Mobile: Devices supporting Android 8.0 OS and above
– Smart Monitor: M8, M7 and M5 Smart Monitors
– Family Hub: Products of Model 2.0 or above released after 2017
2 From July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022
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By Samsung Newsroom
We live in an era where digital technology and art coexist. Samsung has been offering curated art selections since 2017, with The Frame Art Store providing access to an expansive range of artworks from world-renowned galleries and museums.
On Samsung Neo QLED, the company is partnering with Jibin Im, a pop artist, to display a wide selection of his artworks. Im has been transforming ordinary spaces into galleries and delivering art to audiences with minimal access to art galleries — calling the concept ‘Art Delivery’.
Samsung’s Newsroom sat down with Jibin Im, who actively interacts with the public who views his art.
▲ Pop artist Jibin Im
‘Art Delivery’ Provides a Close Connection and Positive Influence
Im realizes that lately it has been difficult to visit museums in person, which is why he started to engage in his ‘Art Delivery’ project. By installing his art in ordinary settings like street corners and bus stops, everyone can truly enjoy art anywhere at any given time. The artist’s approach aligns with Samsung’s ‘Screens Everywhere’ vision, which drives the company’s goal to provide content and information to customers anytime and anywhere through screen that fits various lifestyles.
Recently, Im has exhibited an installation inspired by ‘BE@RBRICK’, a bear-shaped toy that has become a symbol of modern expression. “BE@RBRICK’s characteristics of constant transformation into various forms and value depending on added elements are quite similar to how people in the modern society are,” he added.
The Stunning Technology of Quantum Mini LED Reveals Every Hidden Detail and Color in Art
Im, who carefully curates colors to represent a spectrum of emotions in his art, is looking forward to showing his work on Samsung QLEDs. He says, “Neo QLED delicately adjusts screen brightness, bringing life-like pictures at its intended color and texture to the miniscule level of details.” Im mixes his own colors and is extremely sensitive to color tone, and Neo QLED meets his standards in color display.
The Quantum Mini LED technology in Samsung QLEDs reveals not only fine details on screen but also a wide spectrum with thousands of colors. As a testament to its accurate color reproduction, Samsung’s all new 2022 QLED models received the world’s first ‘Pantone Validated’ certification from Pantone for its accurate expression of 2,030 Pantone colors and the newly added 110 skin tone shades.
Since Im uses a great deal of color in his artworks, they look breathtaking on Samsung QLEDs through the power of Mini LED technology. He mentioned how he “[uses] a wide array of colors to evoke different emotions and exude a certain type of energy in [his] works,” ultimately to convey the multitude of feelings that we experience in everyday life. “Samsung Neo QLED is the best device that will perfectly display the color and texture I want to express,” he added.
Im says he is looking forward to kickstarting various projects in Korea and hopefully reaching audiences across the globe. His artworks will be shown on Samsung’s 2022 Neo QLED (QN85).
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By Samsung Newsroom
Many of us remember playing with clay in childhood, making sculptures of all shapes and sizes. Clay is a medium that allows us to bring imaginary worlds to life in new and exciting ways, realize our dreams and create unique experiences that are special to us as individuals.
Jay, a professional clay artisan, knows better than anyone the charm of bringing dreams to life with clay. Through his partnership with Samsung Electronics, he managed to capture the monitor of every gamers’ dreams as it has never been seen before – the Odyssey Neo G9 at a scale of 1:10.
In order to hear more about the process that went into developing this extra-special clay creation for Samsung, Samsung Newsroom sat down with Jay to get some behind-the-scenes insights.
Embracing a New Subject Matter
Having made a name for himself by crafting intricate sculptures of sports stars and celebrities, Jay is not one to shy away from a challenge. “As a clay artist, I am always willing to try different things and embrace new subject matters,” he noted. “My previous works are mostly about people or animals, but when Samsung reached out asking me to make a sculpture of their leading gaming monitor, I thought that this would be a great challenge for me.”
But sports stars, celebrities and pets pose different challenges to that of crafting products such as monitors. “The biggest difference between making human figurines and crafting this monitor with clay is that the techniques used are completely different.”
From Technology to Art
People might underestimate how long a sculpture measuring just 12.5cm wide and 6cm tall takes to create. Given every intricate detail that has to be considered, paired with the truly unique design of the Odyssey Neo G9, the process was a labor of love for Jay.
“I wished to fully replicate the monitor using clay,” assured Jay. “In order to achieve this, I needed to be sure to include as many of its details as possible and sculpted the work in precise proportion to the real product.” All in all, creating the replica of the full gaming setup – including the monitor, a model of professional gamer Faker, a computer, a desk and a chair – took a total of around 10 days.
The unique design of the monitor meant that choosing a specific feature to highlight during the sculpting process was no easy process. But for Jay, a few features stood out to him immediately. “During sculpting, I wanted to highlight the impressive size of the monitor, which is 49-inches and filled my whole desk,” he noted. “The monitor has a 1000R curvature, one of the main things you just can’t miss about it, and when it’s turned on, its mind-blowing backlighting system changes color according to the colors on-screen. I just knew I had to highlight these things in my work.”
Bringing the Unique Form of the Odyssey Neo G9 to Life
While the end result is truly impressive, the sculpting process was not without its challenges. “The thing that took the longest was crafting the curvature of the Odyssey Neo G9,” said Jay. “I had to sculpt the curvature of the monitor slowly using a small knife – something that was definitely one of the most time-consuming steps throughout the whole process.”
Thanks to Jay’s dedicated efforts, his clay replica boasts a perfect 1000R curvature, just like the real-life Odyssey Neo G9 monitor. “Along with its stand-out curvature, I wanted people to get a feel for its shiny finish that struck me so much when I first unboxed the monitor,” he noted. “To present this glossy white exterior as is featured on the product, I polished the surface of the clay to make it shine.”
What’s more, the Odyssey Neo G9’s rear infinity core lighting and CoreSync is one of the most notable features of the monitor. CoreSync is the technology that automatically analyzes the color at the center of the screen and radiates the same color lighting from the back – and it wasn’t an easy feat to recreate this.
“While it took a significant amount of time to fully represent the overall appearance of the monitor, the lighting in particular generated the most challenges during the whole process,” Jay recalled. “I spent a long time trying various methods before finding the best way to present this synchronous lighting capability. After learning about the different color settings in the lighting system of the real monitor, I decided to use LED lights with similar colors to mimic the system as closely as possible.” While this approach may seem simple enough, it wasn’t the only element Jay had to consider.
“The most difficult challenge was in finding a material to cover the LED lights in order to let the light shine through,” said Jay. “I initially used clay to cover the light, but the lack of transparency didn’t allow the light through, and when I tried a thin white plastic film, I still faced the same issue. Finally, I decided to use lamination paper, as it is both thin and transparent, which covered the LED lights while still letting light through. I was very relieved that my hard work indeed paid off.”
Taking the Monitor Experience to New Levels
After replicating the monitor, Jay concluded that not only is the Odyssey Neo G9 a piece of technological innovation – it is also art. “Its appearance, the curved design and the unique backlighting system are what truly make it a piece of art,” noted Jay. What’s more, Jay’s viewers enjoyed the finished replica just as much as he did. “My viewers really like the work and even wanted to see more of the production process behind it.”
With this astonishing clay replica, Samsung and Jay have brought the monitor category to life in ways never seen before – just as the Odyssey Neo G9 itself is a culmination of Samsung’s efforts to transform the gaming experience for players around the world.
To see more about how Jay brought the Odyssey Neo G9 to life with clay, take a look at the video here.
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