5 hidden Samsung smart TV features you should be using

One of the electronics industry leaders, Samsung has long been innovating and continues to bring new and exciting features to its smart TVs. While not all of them stick, there are plenty of intriguing and helpful additions to its more recent models that make finding what you want to watch, and experiencing content, convenient and rewarding.

With any new TV, it’s worth exploring all the various features that come with it, because there are going to be a lot, regardless of the manufacturer. So if you’ve bought a new Samsung TV, or are considering on of its latest models, here are some features you may have missed.

Play Xbox games on your Samsung TV

New releases and popular favorites are available to enjoy

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One of the most exciting features comes from a partnership between Samsung and Microsoft. In lieu of purchasing an Xbox console, gamers can play popular titles directly on their new Samsung smart TV. From the gaming menu, there is an option to explore Xbox titles and stream them right to the TV. You will need an Xbox game pass in order to gain access, as well as a compatible controller (which, incidentally, could be a PS5 controller).

You will need a strong internet connection in order to stream seamlessly and without interruption. The plus is that Samsung’s new smart TVs are more than capable of supporting the latest gen games, with a high refresh rate and low latency that makes navigating online realms fast and easy. There is also a gaming hub that allows you to toggle a range of settings to optimize whatever title you’re playing.

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Turn your TV into a work of art

Create a calming environment from your screen

Samsung caught a lot of attention when it introduced The Frame some years back. The idea behind it was that a TV itself should be physically attractive, and it should offer something aesthetically pleasing to look at when it’s not actually on and acting as the center of attention. The concept has gained a lot of traction, even if you’re not investing in that popular lifestyle model, you still have the chance to keep your Samsung TV looking good when its, well, off.

Samsung’s ambient mode includes a slate of screensavers that provide a beautiful or calming look. There are natural settings as well as geometric patterns and artistic expressions that you can put up on your screen. Images and videos may come with soothing sounds as well; the screen is typically significantly less bright as well, making Ambient Mode a comforting addition to a cozy night that isn’t spent staring at screens.

You also have the option of welcoming your own pictures or videos to play as well, though I’d argue that’s less compelling than scenic vistas or eye-catching illusions.

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Create a bigger and possibly better workspace

Integrate Samsung products with DeX

For those who work at home and are looking to maximize space or possibly increase productivity, it may be helpful to look at the ways in which a new Samsung TV can extend your workspace. To start, you can simply connect your laptop to the TV via an HDMI cable and give yourself a sizable screen to work on. And because of that partnership with Microsoft, you have access to its cloud-based service of apps that comprise Microsoft 365.

There is also Samsung DeX, which initially was created to better assist users when sharing and engaging with content from a phone or tablet. DeX creates a PC-like experience if you have a mouse and keyboard handy, so that you can make life a little bit easier if you didn’t have a laptop handy. It offers similar usage on a TV as well, enabling users with compatible devices to manipulate content on the big screen.

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Enjoy home workouts and personal training

Samsung Health provides apps and services to keep you active

Samsung TVs offer a few health-minded apps as well for those who want to work out or stay active at home. One of the options is an app by F45 Training, a popular gym that offers circuit exercises focused both on cardio and strength. These guided classes can be done at home with little or no equipment; just make sure you have enough space and don’t get too close to the TV.

Another service provided for Samsung TV owners is FlexIt, which moves into personal training space and one-on-one coaching. With this, you can connect with a PT, nutritionist, or other specialist and work together directly to achieve your health goals. These apps are part of a larger effort by Samsung to offer health content and support. That includes SamsungHealth, an app that works as a simple tracker, and ScreenVitals, a program that claims to measure your vitals by having you look into a camera for one minute.

While you may not be so inclined to set up a camera and give a TV all your health data, access to exercise videos might be pretty useful, especially when you want to avoid the gym and stay at home.

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Customize your TV’s picture

Make the image on screen work for you

Samsung offers a picture customization mode in which you are offered a series of images and must determine which ones look the best to your personal eye. It focuses on color, brightness, and sharpness, for example, and gives you four different images to analyze. As you go through and choose an image, the TV will learn, as it is, how you best like the screen to look.

You can do this for three different types of content: Movies, sports, and general. The main reason all this is helpful is that the TV can now toggle the settings based on the content type and make the image look the best it can be, according to your needs and preferences. This can save a lot of time and effort; you don’t have to change the settings every time you watch something new.

Of course, these settings aren’t perfect, and they may not be accurate at every hour of the day depending on the light in the room, or for every individual person watching. Still, it’s worth exploring when you set up your new TV to see if it can work for you.

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With all these features, there are certainly going to be some that are superfluous or maybe even silly. But the latest smart TVs are powerful, intuitive computers, and they can do a lot of interesting things if you take the time to explore.