Samsung says its 2022 TVs will support browsing, displaying, and purchasing NFTs, as well as viewing their history and blockchain metadata

The Verge 2022-01-04 Chris Welch

Context & Ripple Effects

Samsung’s TV strategy is expanding beyond passive viewing: the same 2022 lineup also receives Samsung Gaming Hub with cloud-gaming services, putting third-party digital services directly on the television interface. The NFT features add commerce and ownership information to that software layer.

Related coverage later ties the TV experience to Nifty Gateway’s NFT auction service for select premium models, indicating that Samsung’s initial NFT interface is being connected to a named marketplace rather than limited to local display.

First-order effects

Samsung’s 2022 TV interface becomes a place for owners to browse, display, and purchase NFTs while inspecting their transaction history and blockchain metadata.
NFT buyers gain a large-screen display surface that combines artwork viewing with marketplace-oriented actions, rather than separating display from purchase and provenance checks.

Second-order effects

NFT marketplaces such as Nifty Gateway gain a new distribution point inside Samsung’s premium-TV experience, where the TV maker controls the entry point to browsing and transactions.
Samsung’s TV software becomes more important to the product’s differentiation as cloud gaming and NFT services compete for space in the same connected-TV interface.

Third-order effects

If TV makers continue adding commerce and cloud-service integrations, the smart-TV market shifts further from hardware specifications toward control of the service layer and its partner relationships.
Blockchain metadata in consumer displays points toward provenance becoming a standard interface feature for digital collectibles, with platforms—not screens alone—determining which marketplaces are reachable.

The trend: Smart TVs are evolving into service platforms that combine entertainment, commerce, and identity or ownership data in a single interface.

Discussion

@viss @viss on x
if someone out there who has the resources wants to open up a shop that will sell ‘un-smarted tvs’, I'm betting there's gonna be a large market for people that just want “a huge, high res monitor that supports hdr and 60-120fps, with no smart anything” https://twitter.com/...
@paperghost Chris Boyd on x
someone is 100% gonna display a monkey jpeg on their screen for 24 hours and then complain about monkey jpeg screenburn https://www.theverge.com/...
@dannysullivan Danny Sullivan on x
Waiting for my Web3 refrigerator. https://twitter.com/...
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x
Why are a bunch of techies pushing back on the web3 hype? Well it turns out when technology is hyped by VCs as the future then the entire tech industry has to jump on it just to appear relevant (see Clubhouse clones last year). Your next TV will do NFTs. https://www.theverge.com/…
@mudit__gupta Mudit Gupta on x
Are square TVs gonna make a comeback? Can't have black borders when displaying your NFTs. It'll cause a pump in black background JPEGs kek. Perhaps NFTs will start releasing official wide versions by just expanding the solid color background. https://www.theverge.com/...
@hatoktalk Hatok on x
wow I think this might actually be the most useless NFT premise to date that's genuinely impressive https://twitter.com/...
@halftes6 @halftes6 on x
i thought ‘smart’ tvs already came with browsers https://twitter.com/...
@jamestitcomb James Titcomb on x
Imagine braving CES this year in spite of everything and coming to the realisation that every announcement is going to be shoehorning some web3 nonsense into a TV/car/toilet roll holder https://twitter.com/...
@armystrang American Propagandist on x
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. What is this for? What need is being filled here? Is it impossible for me to rent a movie now with my actual money? https://www.theblockcrypto.com/ ...
@wuestenigel Wuestenigel.eth on x
Today I just purchased the 2021 version without NFT support. Perfect timing. 😂 Luckily returning goods is easy as cake in Germany. https://twitter.com/...
@macaroon1 Elizabeth on x
looking at my ape drawings in stunning 8K OLED like god intended https://twitter.com/...
@bradydale Brady Dale on x
We want dumber tvs tho https://www.theverge.com/...
@gsuberland Graham Sutherland on x
adding this to the reasons you should never buy samsung products https://twitter.com/...
@martinsfp Martin Sfp Bryant on x
People are far too keen to push emerging technologies into the mainstream way before they're ready for anything more than niche, experimental use cases. The pace of change brought about by social media and smartphones has got us craving that pace for everything. https://twitter.c…
@antonyjohnston Antony Johnston on x
They should have called it the ‘Tulip’: https://www.theverge.com/...
@ow Owen Williams on x
The latest grift from the same company that brought you “ads in your tv menus” was probably predictable https://www.theverge.com/...
@eanmeyer Ean Meyer on x
Oh hey, it's another reason to ditch @samsung TV's. “People hate the LITERAL ADVERTISEMENTS we've placed on their smart TV menus THAT CAN'T BE DISABLED. How can we take this to the next level?” Garbage. Total garbage. I just want a 4k display, but big. Big and dumb. https://twitt…
@smurtagh Santi Murtagh on x
The entire world is begging Samsung to stop writing software and they keep doubling down on it. https://twitter.com/...
@stevekovach Steve Kovach on x
Samsung won't let the fact no one is at CES keep it from Samsunging. https://twitter.com/...
@chrisfralic Chris Fralic on x
I want my NFTV https://twitter.com/...
@quinnypig Corey Quinn on x
When I said I hated smart TVs, this isn't the kind of dumb TV I was asking for. https://twitter.com/...
@russellholly Russell Holly on x
The lack of Xbox Game Pass here is loud. Would love to know what the hurdles are there, and on which end. https://twitter.com/...
@jsneedles Jeff Needles on x
Remember when everyone added 3D to everything. Sometimes being an early adopter is not a good thing. At least this time it's just software. https://twitter.com/...
@nischalshetty Nischal on x
And so begin innovative business model experiments using Web3 Being able to buy and sell NFTs through your TV 🚀 #NFT #Web3 https://www.coindesk.com/...
@mikarv Michael Veale on x
vertically integrated speculative NFT integrated DRM bullshit seems to be already coming to further stop you running code you want and media that copyright law may allow you to view on devices you bought https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...

Chronicles