Four things Samsung can do to make its TVs truly great

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Samsung’s TVs are among the best in the world. They offer excellent picture quality, sleek hardware, and several software features. No wonder the company has been the world’s biggest TV brand for 19 years in a row. However, I believe the South Korean firm still hasn’t reached its true potential. With a few practical changes and improvements, particularly to the Tizen OS, Samsung could significantly enhance its TVs.



Let us understand what those improvements should be.



1. Stop cutting down on memory and storage



My biggest complaint with Samsung’s TVs today is their extremely limited storage. While they use decently fast processors, even high-end TV models (like my S90C QD-OLED TV) still ship with just 4GB of internal storage, which is not enough for modern apps and their data. The company should raise the storage baseline to 16GB, allowing users to install more apps, store offline music, and use features without space warnings.



High-end TVs, especially those priced above $1,000, should offer a lot more RAM and 64GB of storage. This would reduce stutters, prevent app reloads, and ensure long-term system responsiveness. This is what buyers deserve at these price points.



2. Allow music playback in the background



The second biggest issue I noticed on Samsung TVs is that they pause audio from music streaming apps when you go back to the home screen. I tried this with Apple Music and Spotify, and the issue persists. This limitation is so outdated that it is laughable. Rival platforms like Google TV and tvOS don't have this issue.



Users should be able to browse the TV's home screen, apps, and settings while they decide what to watch next. Background music playback can keep them entertained until then. Adding true background audio playback would make Samsung’s TVs behave more like how other streaming devices (like Apple TV) and smartphones behave.



3. Stop the video auto-start menace



Another lingering annoyance is how Samsung TVs automatically resume the last used video source when you open the Settings menu. Whether it was a set-top box, a streaming app, Samsung TV Plus, or an HDMI device, it starts playing again unnecessarily. This happens even when you go to the home screen and then open the Settings menu.



Samsung should offer a simple toggle to disable video autoplay when entering the Settings app, giving users more control and preventing unwanted noise or distraction.



4. Add extra bling via 4K HDR screensaver videos



Despite strong HDR capabilities, ambient screensavers on Samsung's TVs remain SDR. Moreover, there is no way to keep just one screensaver playing on the loop. After one screensaver ends, the next one in the series starts. And there is no way to download these screensavers offline. The TV loads screensaver every time from Samsung's servers. Users should also be able to download the screensavers of their choice on the TV's storage (internal or external) for local playback.



Similar to Apple TV, Samsung should add several 4K HDR screensaver videos, such as nature scenes, drone shots of cityscapes, and abstract loops. This would better showcase Samsung's stunning screens while improving the Ambient Mode. For users who keep their TVs visible as part of their decor, this small update would make a noticeable difference.



Samsung already has great hardware, but meaningful software improvements like the ones I mentioned above are long overdue. Increasing RAM and storage will go a long way in improving the overall experience and allowing users to store media and screensavers locally. These changes aren’t complex, and Samsung can bring them all at once to make its TVs more enjoyable to use every day.


The post Four things Samsung can do to make its TVs truly great appeared first on SamMobile.



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