Samsung Electronics adds Samsung Vision AI to its Neo QLED, OLED, QLED and The Frame Pro line-up

by Thinus Ferreira

Samsung Electronics has unveiled Samsung Vision AI at its CES 2025 First Look event in Las Vegas with Samsung Vision AI that will be incorporated into its Neo QLED, OLED, QLED and The Frame Pro sets.

Samsung says its plan is to "deliver personal AI-powered screens to enrich" customers' everyday lives.

Samsung also unveiled its latest flagship Neo QLED 8K QN990F at the event.

"Samsung sees TVs not as one-directional devices for passive consumption but as interactive, intelligent partners that adapt to your needs," said SW Yong, Samsung Electronics president and head of visual display business.

"With Samsung Vision AI, we're reimagining what screens can do, connecting entertainment, personalisation and lifestyle solutions into one seamless experience to simplify your life."

According to Samsung, Samsung Vision AI "represents the next step in Samsung's journey to deliver intelligent, intuitive and seamless screen experiences".

"With the ability to make your Samsung TV aware of its surroundings, adaptive to user preferences and autonomous in delivering intuitive features, Samsung Vision AI transforms screens into smart companions that enhance entertainment, simplify interactions and seamlessly integrate into connected lifestyles."

Samsung Vision AI offers "click to search" providing instant information about what's on-screen - whether identifying an actor or exploring displayed content - without disrupting the viewing experience.

"Live translate" provides real-time subtitle translations for global content while "generative wallpaper" provides what Samsung calls "personalised art canvases".

Samsung is bringing this AI-driven screen technology to its Neo QLED, OLED and QLED models and The Frame models.

Meanwhile, Samsung's new Neo QLED 8K QN990F - Samsung’s most advanced TV to date - is powered by the latest NQ8 AI Gen3 processor.

It comes with 8K AI Upscaling Pro, Auto HDR Remastering Pro, Adaptive Sound Pro, Colour Booster Pro, and AI Mode that adaptively optimises picture and sound, leveraging AI-based content recognition and TV area analysis for an optimal viewing experience.

Samsung also unveiled its The Frame Pro, the latest model of the line-up, which enhances the art and entertainment experience with advanced Neo QLED picture quality.

Powered by the NQ4 Gen3 AI processor, The Frame Pro offers unparalleled picture quality for both artwork and video content.

Also at its CES 2025 First Look Event, Samsung unveiled The Premiere 5, the industry's first interactive triple-laser ultra-short-throw (UST) projector. 

The Premiere 5 has an interactive touch feature, allowing users to engage directly with the screen.

LG Electronics launches its world-first LG Signature OLED T transparent TV set

by Thinus Ferreira

LG Electronics has launched its 77-inch LG Signature OLED T - the world's first transparent and wireless 4K OLED TV set - in the United States, with other markets that will follow.

Unveiled a year ago at CES 2024, LG Electronics says that the LG Signature OLED T represents "a monumental leap in both technology and design innovation, reflecting LG's relentless drive to delivering new and better".

The LG Signature OLED T can switch between a transparent and opaque screen - a unique ability that allows for different OLED viewing experiences within the personalised space where you place the TV.

For instance, it can now stand in front of a window, or an open area and be transparent, but can turn into a TV set when needed.

"LG Signature OLED T is an exceptional user-focused innovation that offers a distinctive, multi-faceted viewing experience and unprecedented spatial flexibility," says Park Hyoung-sei, president of the LG Media Entertainment Solution Company, in a supplied statement.

"LG remains at the forefront of innovation by combining its industry-leading OLED technology with unique form factors, transparent screens, wireless connectivity and more, delivering unparalleled, life-enriching advancements no other TV maker can replicate."

LG Electronics says the LG Signature OLED T "can effortlessly switch between transparent and opaque modes at the touch of a button, unlocking unique possibilities for entertainment and space design".

"When in transparent mode, the OLED T offers a futuristic content experience that must be seen to be believed. The screen not only creates the illusion of content floating in mid-air but also produces a mesmerising effect by merging the on-screen visuals with the surrounding space."

According to LG Electronics the LG OLED T comes with a suite of versatile features that "optimally leverage the unique advantages of a transparent OLED screen, enhancing its distinctive value".

One is the T-Objet, an Always-On-Display (AOD) mode that transforms the screen into a transparent digital canvas, ideal for showcasing artwork, videos or photos in incredible colour and clarity.

There is also T-Bar - a sleek info-ticker that appears along the bottom edge of the screen, providing sports results, IoT device statuses, weather forecasts or song title information.

The rest of the screen remains unused when T-Bar is active, presenting a clean, uncluttered look and a clear view of the space behind LG's "virtually invisible" display.

The T-Home functionality offers a user-friendly interface that delivers a well-organised overview of available services, as well as quick access to apps, settings and other features.

LG says the TV's transparency "allows it to be placed centrally without being obtrusive or positioned in front of windows without blocking natural light or views of the outdoors".

"The transparent 4K OLED screen, combined with LG's true wireless video and audio transmission technology, promises not only the aesthetic value but also an enhanced home entertainment experience. Free from tangled cables, the device delivers an immersive, distraction-free viewing environment."

The LG Signature OLED T has LG's proprietary Zero Connect Box, a visually lossless wireless video and audio transmission solution without latency, ensuring a seamless viewing experience. 

With supporting 4K at 120Hz variable refresh rate, OLED T has been certified by NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible and AMD FreeSync Premium to eliminate tearing and stuttering for a dynamic, true-to-life gaming experience. 

Powered by LG's advanced α (Alpha) 11 AI processor, the OLED T intelligently optimises both picture and sound quality, delivering unparalleled visual and auditory experiences.

LG Electronics improves its 2025 QNED evo TVs in AI, personalisation and wireless capabilities

by Thinus Ferreira

LG Electronics has made further improvements to its 2025 QNED evo line-up of TV sets, further building out its wireless, artificial intelligence (AI) and personalisation capabilities.

LG Electronics says that its 2025 QNED evo line-up has new proprietary wide colour gamut technology, a true wireless viewing experience that transmits 4K 144Hz images without loss of picture quality or delay, AI-enhanced picture and sound processing, as well as an ultra-personalised AI-based customer experience with the help of webOS 25.

"Our renewed 2025 LG QNED evo line-up inherits OLED's differentiated picture quality along with a true wireless viewing experience and ultra-personalised solutions to deliver an outstanding super-large viewing experience that no other LCD TV can offer," says Hyoung-sei Park, president of the LG Media Entertainment Solution Company.

"LG continues to strengthen its competitiveness in the global premium TV market through a dual-track strategy," the TV maker says.

"This strategy emphasises LG's market-leading, self-emissive OLED lineup and the QNED evo series – a premium LCD TV line-up that incorporates key OLED innovations, such as advanced AI capabilities and wireless convenience."

According to LG Electronics, the 2025 QNED evo line-up has an improved colour gamut compared to previous models due to LG's new proprietary wide colour gamut technology, Dynamic QNED Colour Solution, which replaces quantum dots. 

This technology enables light from the backlight to be expressed in pure colours which are as realistic as they appear to the eye in general life.

With the application of Dynamic QNED Colour Solution, the entire 2025 QNED evo line-up is certified by the global testing and certification organisation Intertek for Colour Volume (measuring a screen's ability to display the rich colours of original images without distortion).

In 2025, LG will also unveil the QNED evo (QNED9M) featuring its True Wireless 4K technology.

This innovation, previously exclusive to the top-tier OLED evo model (M Series) last year, will now be available in the QNED evo line-up, LG Electronics says.

LG Electronics says that this expansion allows viewers to enjoy high-definition 4K content wirelessly, without compromising on picture quality or experiencing delays, moving beyond the limitations of traditional wired connections.

"The wireless solution utilises a separate Zero Connect Box to transmit high-definition video at up to 4K resolution and a refresh rate of 144Hz."

"The QNED evo is designed to minimize screen disconnection and deliver natural images even in a wireless setup. Additionally, it has earned AMD FreeSync Premium certification. The TV itself requires only a power cord, allowing for more convenient storage of gaming consoles and set-top boxes."

LG Electronics says that it also continues to raise the picture and sound quality of its QNED evo line-up by offering more powerful editions of its proprietary AI processors.

The 2025 LG QNED evo models are equipped with the α8 AI Processor, offering close to 70% improvement in AI performance compared to 2024. 

According to LG, this processor delivers picture and sound at a level worthy of ultra-large TVs.

"These AI capabilities include more advanced upscaling, analysing the filmmaker's intent to adjust picture noise and presenting faces, objects, text and backgrounds more naturally."

"Dynamic Tone Mapping Pro breaks down each scene to fine-tune HDR effects and brightness for each zone. Moreover, AI converts 2-channel sound sources to virtual 9.1.2 channel sound for a richer audio experience."

"It also distinguishes voices from background sounds and makes them clearer, while audio sounds natural as if it were coming from the centre of the TV screen."

The new AI Magic Remote, included with the 2025 QNED evo, features a new AI button for easy analysis of viewing preferences and recommendations on what to watch and which apps to use."

LG Electronics says Personalisation is further enhanced by Voice ID, Generative AI Gallery and customised TV picture and sound quality modes.

"A short press on the AI button guides users to relevant keywords and TV features, while a long press enables personalised searches based on a large language model (LLM)."

"For example, if a user is planning a trip to France, they can ask their remote, 'Recommend movies to watch on my trip to Paris.' The AI will understand the context and suggest movies set in the French capital, including specific genre recommendations based on the user’s viewing preferences."

LG Electronics' proprietary smart TV platform, webOS25, further improves the customer experience by offering hyper-personalised service advancements and content.

It does this through its "best-of-all-time" AI features and the ongoing webOS Re:New Program, which includes webOS upgrades for 5 years.

The 2025 QNED line-up will also now range from 40 to 100 inches as LG is expanding its QNED lineup by introducing a 100-inch option in response to customers' demand for ultra-large, premium LCD TVs.

People's Planet adds Girl About Town with Amila Skepe exploring Eastern Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay

by Thinus Ferreira

The People's Planet (Openview 115) channel has added a new show, Girl About Town, with Amila Skepe, exploring the Eastern Cape in South Africa and tourism, nature, animals and wildlife conversation in this province and the Nelson Mandela Bay area.

Girl About Town is shown on People's Planet on Mondays at 11:00, 13:30 and 19:00.

Girl About Town explores the various challenges faced by these industries and profiles the people and organisations who try to make a positive impact, says Pauline Cordell, director at the Gqeberha-based production company Media Seven.

"Viewers will enjoy interviews with some familiar Nelson Mandela Bay and Eastern Cape locals making a difference in their fields. Each episode explores different aspects of tourism and conservation, highlighting the dedicated work being done."

"Amila experiences the nature, conservation, tourism and animal world, getting a glimpse of those making a difference in their industries."

Amila Skepe is a journalist and radio presenter from Motherwell. Episodes include profiling Sharon Jessop, a passionate conservationist who runs to raise awareness about rhinos and poaching.

Other Girl About Town episodes include a visit to the Simbonga Game Reserve and Sanctuary as she visits Lauren and Keegan Smith to witness the daily care of rescued lions. 

In another episode Amila Skepe explores the tourism industry in Nelson Mandela Bay followed by an episode with behaviourist Rita van Zyl to explore the world of positive reinforcement dog training.

Samsung adds Vision AI to its premium TV line-up

by Vlad Savov, Bloomberg News

Samsung is expanding its artificial intelligence push with a new suite of enhancements for its premium TV lineup under the branding of Vision AI.

The company's AI-powered screens will be able to search online for information about what’s being displayed - such as identifying an actor or product - translate in real-time and generate personalised background images, it said in a statement from CES in Las Vegas.

A built-in AI processor on the top TV models will also analyse content, boost colours and contrast and optimize audio.

"Samsung sees TVs not as one-directional devices for passive consumption but as interactive, intelligent partners that adapt to your needs," SW Yong, head of the company's visual display business, said in the statement.

The South Korean company, which has been the world's biggest TV seller for close to two decades, said it will also collaborate with Microsoft and Alphabet's Google as it expands its Vision AI suite with additional capabilities from partners.

Golden Globes at war behind-the-scenes together with red carpet controversy as Laverne Cox is abruptly gone from E! coverage

by Thinus Ferreira

War is reportedly raging behind the credibility-damaged Golden Globe Awards, while Laverne Cox also suddenly announced she's abruptly gone from NBCUniversal's E! (DStv 124) red carpet coverage after just a few years.

MultiChoice's M-Net (DStv 101) which has shown the Golden Globe Awards for years has dumped the Hollywood award show and won't have it this year for DStv subscribers.

An investigation in 2021 damaged the credibility of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and exposed and revealed multiple issues ranging from a lack of diversity under the voting member corps, numerous ethical concerns and allegations of corruption like HFPA members being influenced by gifts, trips and other perks.

NBC decided not to broadcast the Golden Globes in 2022 following an industry-wide boycott which was held as a private event without any Hollywood stars and even with reforms the Golden Globes reputation remains in tatters. 

A small event took place in January 2023, and again in January 2024 – with this one as the first ceremony after Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries took full control over it from the HFPA.

The New York Post reports a bitter war is raging behind the scenes of this Sunday's 82nd Golden Globes between Eldridge Industries and the HFPA since a lot of them are this year not even allowed inside the hotel ballroom.

When Todd Boehley's Eldridge Industries took over the Golden Globes the deal was made to split the organisation into the awards ceremony that makes money, and the "non-profit" HFPA.

It was agreed that the so-called "legacy HFPA members" - 66 of them taken over into the new restructuring - would get paid a salary of R1.4 million ($75 000) per year, for 5 years, health insurance, as well as voting rights for the Golden Globes for life.

This apparently also included 4 tickets to the Golden Globes Awards.

Unfortunately for these HFPA members, nobody specified where exactly they would be seated and it seems it's no longer inside the actual ballroom with the Hollywood crowd the HFPA members were so determined to take selfies with in previous years as they raked in gifts, travel and other perks.

The newspaper reports about 50 of them were invited, only on Friday, to a "viewing party" which is a TV set in an adjacent room inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel where they can watch the Golden Globes like the rest of viewers.

Meanwhile, in a separate development further chipping away at what E! used to be, Laverne Cox is gone from NBCUniversal's E! red carpet coverage for the 2025 Golden Globes.

This is E! coverage that DStv subscribers in South Africa and the rest of Africa won't see live or before the actual award show but only almost a day later.

Laverne Cox is gone from E! after just three years since she joined E! in January 2022 to ostensibly take its awards show red carpet coverage forward after the departure of Giuliana Rancic.

In a statement on Instagram (with nothing from NBCUniversal or E! executives who were quoted when she started) Laverne Cox notes: "With an incredible amount of gratitude, I've decided not to return as host of  E! Live from the Red Carpet coverage".

"I'm so incredibly proud of the work we did over my three-year tenure. I'd like to express my sincere thanks to everyone at NBCUniversal, E! Entertainment and Den of Thieves for your incredible support."

Instead of Laverne Cox, E! is now using for its pre-but-coming-in-post red carpet coverage the E! News cohost Keltie Knight, as well as Zuri Hall and American comedian Heather McMahan.

E! didn't bother with any press release to the media about its Golden Globes coverage plans as it used to do in the past. 

In addition, NBCUniversal had no comment about Laverne Cox's exit from its E!'s red carpet coverage when asked and said it had no statement to make.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice drops credibility-damaged 2025 Golden Globe Awards from M-Net, E! to run a not-live, belated and recorded 'Live from the Red Carpet' only afterwards

ALSO READ: Laverne Cox takes over as E!'s red carpet coverage host for American award shows

MultiChoice drops credibility-damaged 2025 Golden Globe Awards from M-Net, E! to run a not-live, belated and recorded 'Live from the Red Carpet' only afterwards

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice is done with America's recently revived but credibility-damaged Golden Globe Awards and won't show the 2025 Golden Globes on M-Net (DStv 101) or any other TV channel on DStv.

Meanwhile, NBCUniversal's atrophied E! (DStv 124) will only show a recorded Live from the Red Carpet pre-awards red carpet coverage - almost a day later that it will still call "Live".

M-Net wasn't interested in acquiring 2025's 82nd Golden Globe Awards taking place on Sunday 5 January in Los Angeles and which won't be shown live on Monday morning in South Africa or later during primetime on Monday night on M-Net (DStv 101) as was the case for many years.

An investigation in 2021 damaged the credibility of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and exposed and revealed multiple issues ranging from a lack of diversity under the voting member corps, numerous ethical concerns and allegations of corruption like HFPA members being influenced by gifts, trips and other perks.

NBC decided not to broadcast the Golden Globes in 2022 following an industry-wide boycott which was held as a private event without any Hollywood stars and even with reforms the Golden Globes reputation remains in tatters. 

A small event took place in January 2023, and again in January 2024 – with this one as the first ceremony after Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries took full control over it from the HFPA.

The 82nd Golden Globe Awards this year with host Nikki Glaser is produced by Dick Clark Productions in the Beverly Hilton Hotel and shown on CBS.

M-Net in response to a media query tells me "We will not be broadcasting the Golden Globes this year". 

NBCUniversal's E! will be doing a Live from the Red Carpet: The 2025 Golden Globe Awards but South African and African viewers won't be able to see the pre-coverage on DStv either live, or before, the actual award show. 

Instead, the pre-coverage will be shown as an afterthought on E! in Africa almost a day later.

Live from the Red Carpet: The 2025 Golden Globe Awards will be on E! (DStv 124) on Monday night, 6 January at 19:00. NBCUniversal calls it "Live" although it will be recorded and stale.

NBCUniversal and E! have given no explanation why the so-called Live from the Red Carpet coverage, similar as with other awards' pre-coverage the past year or so, is again not actually live - a worrying and ongoing trend for the regressing version of E! in Africa.

The presenters E! is using for its pre-but-coming-in-post red carpet coverage will include E! News cohost Keltie Knight, as well as Zuri Hall and American comedian Heather McMahan.

Apple TV+ free for 3 days during 2025's first weekend

by Thinus Ferreira

Apple is giving a free, 3-day open window worldwide to its Apple TV+ video streaming service from today until the end of Sunday.

Apple says viewers can enjoy "Apple TV+ for free for the first weekend of 2025 - 3 throughout 5 January which will be free on any divide where Apple TV+ is available. All you need is an Apple ID to see what all the buzz is about".

The Apple TV+ access is to the whole of Apple TV+'s content catalogue.

After the free three days viewers will have to subscribe after the preview period.

AppleTV+ was launched in November 2019 and Apple has still not disclosed how many subscribers its streamer has managed to attract over the past five years.

Dragons back atop 2024's most pirated TV shows list

by Thinus Ferreira

Dragons are back atop the list of most pirated TV shows with the second season of HBO's House of the Dragon which took the number one spot on TorrentFreak's annual list of most stolen shows for 2024.

The Game of Thrones prequel series seen on M-Net (DStv 101) and MultiChoice's streamer Showmax replaced the zombie drama series The Last of Us which held the top spot in 2023.

It's followed by The Boys on Amazon Prime Video in second place and the historical Disney+ drama series Shōgun.  

Netflix has only one most-torrented show on the list: the animation series Arcane in 4th place, with HBO's Penguin, seen on M-Net and Showmax, in 5th place. 

The rest of the top 10 list includes the first season of the post-apocalyptic series Fallout on Amazon Prime Video which is based on the video game and filmed some scenes in Namibia, the second season of Reacher also on Amazon Prime Video in 7th place, as well as Apple TV+'s first season of the post-apocalyptic bunker mystery show Silo.

HBO's first season of Dune: Prophecy which only started recently, made its debut recently and is on M-Net as well took the 9th spot.

The final season of Paramount's cancelled science fiction series Halo, available on Showmax, is in the 10th place.