What is tizen operating system? Samsung TVs on Tizen OS: what we lost

Most of the innovative TVs from the popular Samsung brand are equipped with the modern Tizen OS system for Samsung Smart TV. This OS has its own characteristics, pros and cons, so it definitely deserves attention. The system runs on Linux and is intended not only for TV, but also for a variety of household appliances; it can be found in earlier models of Samsung smartphones. Among the main advantages of the system, it is worth noting support for the HTML5 standard, as well as the presence of reliable encryption mechanisms to protect data and store applications and files in one place.

The system allows you to combine several devices into a single network and manage them all using one smartphone; this is very convenient for those who prefer to take advantage of innovative technologies. Samsung Tizen OS has a simple and intuitive graphical interface that does not cause any problems during operation. Externally, the navigation is a convenient block consisting of a panel with a large number of icons, where you can select available sections and applications. The user has the ability to quickly switch from one to another and do it as quickly as possible.

The panel itself is divided into two blocks with widgets, the first of which displays the last viewed widgets and channels, the other section contains the most current and popular options. There is a third section with recommended channels, from there you can also go to a special system store where various applications are sold, launch a browser, or access other services. All TVs equipped with the Tizen operating system are also complemented by a convenient gaming panel, which has many advantages, including:

• a large selection of games for every taste;
• support for several types of payment;
• support for games created on different platforms.

The system menu was completely redone by the developers, who were able to make it as simple and convenient as possible for every user. Now it allows you to launch any application and use all the options available on your TV using small graphic icons that are located at the bottom of the screen and do not take up much space. In the old version of the program, users had to interrupt viewing to select the desired function. Even a child can easily navigate the new menu; navigation through it is carried out using a standard remote control.

To select the desired channel, program or option, just a few button presses on the remote control that comes with the device. Of particular note is the support for innovative navigation using gestures and voice, which will appeal to all fans of modern technology. Some TV models from the Samsung brand have special cameras that can recognize faces. With this convenient option, the user can log into the Smart HUB and access a wide range of interesting options.

Control methods

A TV from the Samsung brand based on Smart TV is controlled using a special pointer that is built into the remote control. It allows the cursor to easily and quickly move around the screen, this process is carried out thanks to the presence of a gyroscope and Bluetooth. The user can also control this type of TV using voice commands; with their help, you can adjust the sound volume or set an alarm for the desired time. On some TV models, the screen can be divided into two parts by activating a special mode.

The first part is intended for viewing content or programs, the second for games, accessing the Internet and being on social networks. Users can change the panel's block boundaries and audio access depending on their needs. It is worth keeping in mind that viewing programs broadcast on TV is also available on other devices connected to the common network. You can connect your smartphone to Samsung TV and transfer content from it to your phone via a Wi-Fi connection. Another advantage is the ability to view files from your phone on a large TV screen.

Set of applications and available content

In OS Tizen, users can watch any content in 4K format from the Internet, this option is available through support for the VP9 standard. The list of additional benefits also includes a large number of different widgets; users can work with applications that are already on the list, or install an additional one to suit their taste. SmartTV with system Tizen makes it possible not only to watch videos and listen to music, but also to use a text editor, install sports, educational and other programs and widgets, and download a variety of games.

Convenient and compact widgets allow you to monitor traffic jams, read the latest news, view the weather forecast and exchange rates at any time. Also, TVs that support the Tizen system make it possible to control the TV from a Samsung phone. The user can configure the screen in the most comfortable way so that after activating the device, the necessary information appears on it, for example, a weather forecast, news or a personal schedule.

The Smart HUB application, already mentioned above, is a multimedia platform that has the most basic applications and programs, and you can also access YouTube or Skype from there. The list of available options includes a large number of different programs for children, games, as well as support for rare applications that will delight people of any age.

Disadvantages of the OS

Despite the huge number of different advantages, Tizen also has its drawbacks, the main list of which is not very stable operation and periodic failures. Not all TV models are perfectly synchronized with the system, so they may freeze during the broadcast process. Despite this, it is worth considering that this operating system is constantly evolving, developers are steadily working to eliminate shortcomings and strive to improve the functionality of the OS as much as possible. In general, TVs with Tizen support are among the most popular devices due to a large selection of applications and support for all models of Samsung smartphones. Read also,.

Tizen OS is an open source platform, the successor of MeeGo and Bada. It has become the basis for all Samsung smart TVs since 2015. The entire interface and applications in the new models are built on it. The company is slowly introducing Tizen on other devices: smartphones, household appliances, and so on. The new OS, by design, has more flexible capabilities than its predecessors, and the company predicts a great future for it in the Internet of Things.

To clearly see how Tizen works, watch our introductory video:

Comparing applications

Important point: both TVs have the latest firmware and application catalog

At first glance, there are not many differences between the Smart Hub of 2014 and 2015. But, having counted the total number of widgets in each category, we came to a disappointing conclusion: at the moment, the range of applications in Tizen is seriously inferior to the previous Samsung Smart TV platform.

We counted 122 Russian-language applications on a 2014 Samsung TV and 61 applications on a 2015 Samsung TV with Tizen. With the transition to the new platform, the total number dropped exactly by half.

From the very beginning, we noticed that Tizen has fewer pre-installed applications out of the box. It’s also curious that the new TVs have less available memory, and the Tizen system already uses 2.34 GB versus 343.04 MB on the previous platform.

So, the first category is “Video”. This includes applications from the category “video-on-demand” (online cinemas), “following the air” (TV channel applications), IPTV clients from different providers, and so on. For TV, video services are the most important category; this is where you will watch your favorite films, TV series and programs.

As you can see, 95 widgets are available in the “Video” category on last year’s Smart TV platform, and only 48 on Tizen. At the same time, many large services did not have time to migrate to the new platform. Take, for example, the Okko Movies service - last year its revenue was 2 times higher than the revenue of iTunes in Russia. This largest service, filled with current films in good quality, is not yet available to owners of Samsung Smart TV 2015.

In this case, only the Sportbox.ru service did not have time to migrate to the new platform, although last year it was they who supported the launch of Samsung TVs with a proprietary application. Quite a useful service, I must say.

Smart TV, which is commonly called a smart TV, has already become an integral part of today's life. And yet, not all people understand what it is and how it works. In addition, many people are interested in what is the difference between it and streaming video. And if you have questions, you can always find answers to them. And we decided to help users with this.

What is Smart TV?

Initially, people started talking about smart television after the advent of Connected TV (Internet television), but it was linked exclusively to smartphones. When it came to TVs, it was common practice to change the name to Smart TV as it was easier for users to understand.

What is it about this technology that makes Smart TV different from an ordinary receiver? The presence of a built-in OS is the main trump card of this technology. With its help, it became possible to connect to the Internet, which immediately increased the functionality of the TV.

For some, this is the availability of a large number of applications for Smart TV. While others prefer to enjoy online music, which can be found in large quantities on Amazon Music, Spotify and many others. However, a considerable number of users prefer to launch web browsers using Smart TV and enjoy communicating on social networks. How many people, so many preferences.

The development of a market specializing in televisions is a continuous process. Companies prefer to concentrate maximum efforts on new developments in the field of intelligent television. This allows them to produce increasingly smart television receivers. No one will be surprised by the presence of voice control in these devices, with the help of which the user can control channel selection or search for an application without physical contact with the TV.

And Samsung specialists went even further and released a center called SmartThings. Its purpose is to work with the smart home system, which makes it possible to remotely control the indoor lighting system, as well as various household appliances. In addition, it is able to monitor a large number of different sensors.

How does Smart TV connect to the World Wide Web?

To connect Smart TVs to the Internet, either a wired (Ethernet) or wireless (Wi-Fi) connection is used. If there is no home local network, a wireless connection is, of course, the optimal solution.

However, you must understand that if the router is located at a great distance from the transmitter, problems may arise. This is due to a decrease in transmission speed as the signal weakens.

As a result, you can see some films “stumbling” or individual frames freezing for some time. This applies to a greater extent to films in 4K resolution, which require decent Internet speed. To solve this problem, you can use a WiFi repeater, which will allow you to watch any movies without any problems.

Who makes smart TVs

Smart TV is produced by such well-known companies from China as TCL, Hisense and several others similar to them. But at the same time, specialists from famous world companies also work hard to improve smart technologies.

Differences Smart TV

Smart TVs have no standard in terms of operating systems or what the user interface looks like. Each manufacturer uses its own software. Also, different operating systems have differences in graphics solutions. But at the same time, the bulk of smart TVs use the same applications. Most often, those that are most in demand are used as preinstalled ones - Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, and so on.

What Smart TV platforms exist on TVs?

Android TV (Sony, TCL, Sharp)

This OS is considered the simplest. It is almost identical to Android for smartphones. This means that with its help you can use a large number of applications (Facebook, Player, VLC Media, Spotify, Netflix) or plunge into familiar games. You can use your Android smartphone to view media using a large screen TV. That is, thanks to this OS, an ordinary TV is reborn and becomes a full-fledged media center.

Thanks to recent updates, it has become possible to watch television programs, as well as films with 4K resolution. On some modern models you can already use voice guidance, which allows you to search for the necessary Smart TV content through voice prompts. This means you don’t have to look for the remote control, which constantly disappears somewhere.

Using a special Android application, you can control the TV using your smartphone. Using the Chromecast player will allow you to send media content available on any mobile device to the screen of a large TV.

Tizen (Samsung)

A free reading of this name in the Russian way rooted the name tizen, although of course taizen would be more correct. Samsung uses this OS, which is based on Linux, for smartphones, smart watches and, naturally, in Smart TV receivers. TVs come pre-installed with Amazon Video, HBO Now, YouTube, Netflix, and so on.
The new version of Tizen 4.0 features the simplicity of Samsung's interface. Large icons were used as labels. It is now possible to track the applications you use, as well as save the last list you viewed. This OS became the basis for creating a system designed to control a smart home, in which any element can be controlled from a television remote control.

webOS (LG)

The year of development of this operating system was 2014. The speed of today's version of webOS 3.5 has increased significantly. This system does not cover such an impressive number of television receivers as Android TV, but the list of applications used in this version will interest many.

Among them:

• Magic Zoom, with which you can enlarge the image on the screen. This does not compromise quality.
• Magic Mobile Connection, which allows you to combine your TV into a single unit with your smartphone.

Roku TV (TCL, Hisense, Sharp)

Roku TV has a player based on Apple TV and Chromecast. A TV with this system can broadcast videos and a variety of music on the screen using an easy-to-use interface. The TV can be controlled not only from the remote control, but also from any available mobile gadget.

The Roku TV operating system includes apps used on Android and iOS. As in other operating systems, content from a smartphone can be viewed using a smart TV. To do this, just use a Wi-Fi connection.

Do smart TVs freeze?

This is directly dependent on the chip used to process the signals in the smart TV. In addition, an important factor is the speed of your Internet connection. It is also necessary to have backup memory to support streaming content along with the graphics chip when processing the image. And each of these elements can freeze or begin to slow down. But this also happens on a computer or smartphone.

Should you buy a Smart TV or give preference to a regular model?

There is no clear answer to this question. Here the user's needs and budgetary capabilities are of great importance. Actually, YouTube or Netflix (after subscribing) can be watched on an ordinary TV after purchasing one of them. They allow you not only to watch streaming television, but also to enjoy your own media files.

The modern market provides a fairly wide range of such equipment. One example is the Apple TV 4K media player, which is certainly an interesting solution as it gives access to a wide selection of content. For those who use an iPhone, the Airplay system is suitable.

However, you need to understand that connecting the above-mentioned set-top boxes to an obsolete TV is not possible, which means it’s time to replace it. Today, the cost of a smart TV cannot be called extremely high, and therefore its purchase will not make a huge gap in the family budget. And yet, in fairness, it must be said that cost is a key factor characterizing the quality of any individual smart TV

In 2015, TV manufacturers released new operating systems for Smart TV 2015. At the beginning of the year, the main manufacturers showed their new developments that they are currently making and create the main competition for the Smart TV platform.

Let's note four obvious favorites, which, undoubtedly, will fight for the title of the most comfortable, active and productive OS for consumer electronics. This is the well-known Android TV system from Google, which any manufacturer can use if desired, webOS from LG, Tizen - a joint development of Samsung and Intel, as well as the less common Firefox OS, which, despite the inaccessibility of noisy marketing firms, It is quickly gaining popularity among developers and users.

Let's take a closer look at each operating system.

Tizen

Tizen is a new operating system from Samsung based on the Linux kernel. And can use a wide range of devices, including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, and car infotainment devices, computers, Blu-ray players, in general, any Smart device.

Tizen will arrive in 2015 models, so we can't speculate on how the final version will work, although we can glean from what Samsung showed us at CES 2015. The remote control supports gestures and acts as a pointer, allowing you to hover and select one of the four white symbols on the main TV screen. These symbols are at the top (menu), bottom (smart features), left (volume controls), and right (channel options).

To enter the Smart Hub, you use the Smart Hub button on your remote control the old fashioned way. The Smart Hub is essentially a docking station that appears at the bottom of the screen. And it shows the contents of widgets in the form of multi-colored icons.

You can use the remote control as a pointer to scroll through icons in the Smart Hub dock. If you don't like using the pointer function, you can always use voice commands (via the microphone button on the remote control) or the physical left and right arrow buttons on the remote control.

The interface control is standard, using the navigation keys of the control panel.

Content. The Recent section in Smart Hub not only shows you the most recently used apps, but also the channels you've recently watched. The popular section in Smart Hub is more like a Samsung storefront.

The "Featured" section also provides access to the Tizen app store, game library, Samsung service, search, web browser, notification center, and third-party services such as MgO, PlayStation and Amazon Instant Video.

It is not yet clear whether it is possible to remove or change all the icons that fill the "Popular" section, but it is possible to attach applications, as well as delete icons in the "Recent" section. To remove them all, simply scroll right and select the Clear icon.

LG webOS 2.0

LG, Samsung's main competitor, has announced a new updated version of its webOS. The operating system is called webOS 2.0 and will decorate the line of TVs in 2015. The platform was originally used for smartphones, but in 2014 LG began using the OS in Smart TVs.

User interface

Users really liked webOS. Because of this, LG has not changed the user interface. They simply added new features and made webOS 2.0 much faster. We are also greeted by a stylish home screen with a bottom menu in the form of diamonds and a live broadcast in the background. The new feature to launch is called "My Channels". This allows you to save your bookmarks of your favorite channels.

Content
LG Store has become more stylized in appearance. The store is easy to use and with a lot of details added about the movies or TV shows. There's a new drop-down menu that appears from the top of the screen, giving access to key pages like the LG content store home page, access to various categories.

Android TV

Android TV is the successor to Google TV. Designed to work on TVs and streaming media devices, developed by Google.

While Android TV officially launched in October 2014 through the Nexus Player (a Google and Asus set-top box that connects to your TV), a number of other companies - including Sony, Philips, and Sharp - introduced new TVs running Android TV at CES 2015.

User interface

Android TV is easy to learn and use. When you start your TV or set-top box, you will see the main window/home screen. Moving occurs along sections (rows) from left to right. The first line of recently viewed applications. The second line is a list of all applications that you have downloaded, and below you will see a list of all downloaded games. At the very bottom there is access to settings.

Android TV supports voice commands if you have the necessary hardware. For voice search, you can use the Nexus remote with a built-in microphone, or Sony's One-Flick remote with a built-in microphone.

Both ordinary commands with the names of games, applications, etc., and more complex queries, such as “all films from 1989” are supported. The search returns links not only to Google Play, but also to Netflix, Hulu and other applications.

Chromecast

If you don't own an Android TV TV, but want to watch content from your laptop or mobile device on your TV, Chromecast from Google will help you. Chromecast technology is already built into a TV with Android TV, with its help you can transfer videos, music from any device, transfer browser tabs, and even cast the screen of your mobile device to your TV.

Firefox OS

Mozilla's Firefox OS is based on the Linux kernel and can run on a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets and TVs.

Panasonic, using Firefox OS, radically changed its Smart TV interface and showed it at CES 2015, with My Home Screen 2.0. The new system looks decent and is significantly different from previous releases.

Each section also has its own navigation categories. For example, upon entering the application directory, Firefox OS will prompt you to select a category from the list of additional menus.

It is noteworthy that the operating system allows you to transfer shortcuts for applications to the desktop, much like it is implemented on mobile devices. Voice Search not only shows results from third-party apps like YouTube, but also connected USB devices and the web browser.

Content

To use applications that are not available on the home screen, you need to go to Apps. Where you will find many applications such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus and AOL On.

Notifications

In Panasonic, Firefox OS Smart TV, applications can display notifications on the screen. During our brief look, we saw the Hubii app announcing new events for the FC Barcelona game. It appeared in the lower right corner of the TV screen.

Today we will talk about the not yet very well-known Tizen operating system, which is designed to become the most universal among existing mobile platforms. Tizen OS is based on the Linux kernel and is open source.

As already mentioned, the Taisen operating system is positioned as universal and suitable for installation on smartphones, tablets, TVs, devices for cars, computers, cameras and other devices, the list of which is constantly growing.

The Taisen operating system is being developed by such market giants as Samsung, Intel, Acer, Panasonic, Asus and others with the support of the Linux Foundation, which have joined forces to promote the new platform.

Today there are already several devices whose operation is based on the new platform.

Let's find out more about the Tizen operating system and see what the developers have achieved while working on it.

General information.

In addition to the traditional operating systems Android, iOS and Windows Phone, there are several lesser-known operating systems, including Tizen OS, which is under development. Another example is Firefox OS, which will be used on smartphones in the lower price segment. The interface of the Taizen platform resembles the well-known Android, but one way or another it is not a branch of it.

Tizen OS was created completely from scratch. The platform runs on devices with x86 and ARM architecture processors. The peculiarity of the new platform is based on web technology for creating applications, using which the created applications will be cross-platform. If we take into account one of the innovations of HTML5, applications can work without a network connection, i.e. offline. And with the help of OpenMobile's Application Compatibility Layer development, it becomes possible to run Android applications on Tizen OS with 100% compatibility. The browser integrated into the system, which is based on the WebKit2 core, has full support for the HTML5 standard, because all features are already implemented in the rendering core itself.

Tizen OS interface.

The interface of the Tizen platform looks practically no different from the popular and well-known Android, but in fact there are fundamental differences between them. All screenshots were taken from the official Tizen 2.2.1 platform emulator.

The lock screen displays the current time and date, as well as an icon to unlock the device. The screen is unlocked by swiping to the right, after which we get to the application menu. The shape of application icons is round, the icons themselves are well drawn and look quite good.

There are still few standard applications available. The operating system interface is made in light colors. There is a notification panel at the top. The system is multilingual and supports the native Russian language.

In the screenshots below you can get a better look at the interface of the Tizen operating system.

If you want to try the platform now, without waiting for the release of your first smartphone, you can install the Tizen emulator on your computer. We will talk about installing an emulator for this system in the next article. Of course, the emulator will not replace the physical device itself, so to fully evaluate the platform you should wait until the first Samsung Z smartphone goes on sale.

Tizen Store app store.

There are, one might say, no applications for Tizen OS. But for their distribution there is its own Tizen Store, which will definitely be pre-installed on each device. You can't download anything from the store yet, but developers can upload their apps.

The Tizen Store application store will be open to users simultaneously with the launch of the first device on the Tizen platform, which will be the Samsung Z (we'll talk about it later).

The store is managed by Samsung. To attract developers for Tizen applications, various competitions with large prize pools were held. All this was done for users who need to offer a variety of applications and games when opening a store.

Devices running Tizen OS.

It is noteworthy that several large manufacturers are interested in the new Tizen platform, namely Samsung, Panasonic, Huawei, Intel and others.

It has become known that Samsung will not release its devices with the Android operating system. The Tizen platform should be such a platform that is capable of uniting all Samsung branded devices into one category. A start has been made, but the date for Samsung to end support for the Android OS has not yet been determined.

So, the first smartphone on the Tizen platform will be Samsung Z. The smartphone will be equipped with a 4.8″ diagonal Super Amoled touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. The hardware of the smartphone has a quad-core processor with a clock frequency of 2.3 GHz, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory with support for microSD memory cards up to 64 GB. The main camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels, autofocus and LED flash, and the front camera has a resolution of 2.1 megapixels.

Samsung Z supports 3G/4G, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, NFC, GPS/GLONASS and an IR module for using your smartphone as a remote control. Sensors available include an accelerometer, compass, barometer, heart rate sensor and fingerprint scanner. The battery capacity of the smartphone is 2600 mAh.

The Samsung Z smartphone will run Tizen OS 2.2.1. The device will be available in gold and black colors.

Sales of the smartphone will begin in Russia, presumably in the third quarter of this year. Following them, smartphones from Huawei should appear on sale; a prototype of one of them is presented below.

Recently, the list of companies interested in the new platform has been supplemented with another well-known name. The Taiwanese manufacturer HTC is interested in producing smartphones based on Tizen, unfortunately, more details about this are not yet known.

Acer, Asus and Intel are planning to release several models of portable computers (netbooks and ultrabooks) based on the Tizen platform by the end of this year.

Among the cameras (smart cameras), the first to enter the market were the Samsung NX300 and Samsung NX2000 mirrorless cameras, the software of which is based on the use of elements of the Tizen platform. And the advanced Samsung NX300M smart camera runs on the Tizen Camera Platform, which is completely based on the new Tizen system. This year, several more cameras on Tizen OS were presented - these are the Samsung NX30, Samsung NX Mini and Samsung NX3000.

This operating system powers such Samsung wearable devices as the second generation smartwatches Samsung Gear 2 and Samsung Gear 2 Neo. Recently, a firmware update was released for the first generation Samsung Galaxy Gear watches, which now run on Tizen OS, and not on Android OS, as was previously the case.

Samsung announced plans to release a special SDK with which you can create applications for smart TVs on the Tizen platform, which were demonstrated in early June of this year. Control of the TV using gestures and voice will be supported, and the TV will also communicate with smartphones and wearable devices. The SDK should appear before the end of summer of this year, but the date on which smart TVs go on sale is still unknown.

At the beginning of 2014, Samsung introduced the WW9000 smart washing machine, which operates on the Tizen OS platform. One of the features of which allows you to control the washing machine from a smartphone. Samsung also plans to release a refrigerator and printer on the Tizen system. Samsung is also negotiating a merger with various manufacturers and suppliers of smart home solutions and equipment.

At the moment, a project is being developed that will be used in transport infotainment systems - these are cars, airplanes and other vehicles. In the fall of 2013, KAMAZ OJSC and Intel presented a joint project - an on-board infotainment system based on Tizen OS.

Conclusion.

Several giant companies are working on the development of Tizen OS, and the advantage of this system is that several global market players are interested in it, led by Samsung and Intel. By the way, the total number of partner companies of the Tizen platform is 36 participants.

Theisen does not support the boring Java machine, which only improves performance. The operating system was entirely created using web technologies, but applications for it can be developed not only based on HTML, but also using native C++ development tools.

The development of the Tizen operating system has been going on for quite a long time, and the whole point is that the developers set out to create the first universal platform that can work on almost any device, and the Tizen platform already supports all the available components that competitors use. As a result, Tizen OS, while not yet fully assembled, is already ahead of its competitors in terms of potential capabilities.