More Smart TVs Will Boot Tizen OS as Samsung Expands Licensing

Samsung is stepping up efforts to put its Tizen OS on more screens by letting other TV makers use it. The company is expanding its licensing program, allowing brands in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Australia to run Tizen 8.0 on their smart TVs.

Samsung announces Tizen OS licensing program expansion, onboarding more global TV makers

Some of the first brands jumping on the Tizen bandwagon include EKO and QBELL (Ayonz) in Australia and Europe, RCA in Mexico, the US, and Canada, and Axdia in Germany. Samsung expects more companies to join by the end of the year. This will boost Tizen OS’s presence in the smart TV market, dominated by Android TV and Roku.

So, what makes Tizen OS worth paying attention to? Well, it gives you access to Samsung’s free streaming service, Samsung TV Plus, which offers plenty of live channels and movies. It also comes with the Gaming Hub, a cloud gaming service that lets you play without a console. On top of that, Tizen supports SmartThings, so you can control your smart home devices right from your TV.

“Tizen OS is recognized for its performance, reliability, and innovation. This year, we are focused on expanding our licensing program and creating diverse collaboration strategies for our key partners, said Jooyoung Kim, VP, Samsung Electronics. “We are serious about growing our global partner network and enhancing the ecosystem.”

Additionally, Samsung says it will also help with technical support and marketing resources. That’d help these Tizen-powered TVs work well and feel familiar. That means if you buy a TV from one of these new partners, you’ll still get most of the features Samsung TVs offer.

This is good news if you want a smart TV with solid features that doesn’t rely on Google or Roku. Samsung’s move could lead to more options with a capable operating system.