Samsung, which is reportedly in line to crack the cable set-top business starting with Cablevision Systems (NYSE: CVC), used its first "Free the TV Developer Day" to make its case that TV content is not the domain of one or two service providers or programmers but something that should be freely available to anyone who wants to launch onto the Samsung Apps connected-TV platform.
Samsung has, to an extent, been carrying the smartphone apps process over to television. The event, held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, was designed to emphasize the company's commitment to application-based TV and to offer $500,000 in prize money to encourage developers to get on board. The winners will be announced at next year's Consumer Electronics Show.
Samsung is going to make the public equally aware of its apps program and connected TVs via a $70 million marketing program. Samsung also used the event to announce that its Android-based smartphone will let user control apps on connected TVs via a touch screen and launched a 3D app for new 3D set owners to access (wait for it) 3D trailers "and other 3D content."
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