Samsung announces Smart TV to PC 'Remote Access'

by Mark Tyson on 28 December 2018, 10:11

Tags: Samsung (005935.KS), VMware

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Samsung has just announced an interesting new feature coming to its 2019 range of Smart TVs. Dubbed simply 'Remote Access' the feature allows you to wirelessly connect to your PC, tablet or smartphone. If you are interested in using this feature with your PC then you might be happy to learn you will be able to connect a keyboard and mouse to the Samsung Smart TV for full control.

"With Remote Access, consumers will be able to easily access various programs, apps and cloud services installed on multiple connected devices directly through their TV screen," said Hyogun Lee, Executive VP of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. The firm says that without the need for an HDMI connection you can control your on-screen content and do things like surf the web or play games on the big-screen living room TV. In another sentence Samsung hints at some limitations, as Remote Access works with "compatible programs and apps" - with emphasis on the word 'compatible'.

Additionally, Remote Access can deliver a web browser-based cloud office service. Thus users can access files and work on documents stored by cloud services directly on their Smart TVs.

The technology behind 'Remote Access' is from well known virtualisation software firm VMWare, a subsidiary of Dell. Samsung explains that you can connect its new 2019 Smart TVs to your PC, laptop, or mobile device anywhere in the world thanks to VMware Horizon, a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution. VMWare has a dedicated page for its latest Horizon 7 product, which is likely to be closely related to Samsung's Remote Access.

With any such connectivity, security is very important and Samsung has integrated its proprietary Knox security technology into its Remote Access features to help make it as secure as possible. Samsung and VMWare pledge to continue to work together to develop intuitive and productive user experiences for remote working scenarios.

We expect to hear and see more about Remote Access, hopefully with some demos, at the CES 2019 next month.

HEXUS Forums :: 16 Comments

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Posted by Tabbykatze - Sat 29 Dec 2018 00:31
If it were a close to bones RDP replicator so i could use the TV has a remote screen and keyboard to my desktop somewhere else in the house, that would be a win.

It means i could get rid of hacky solutions, steam link etc.

But to be an application extender or a thin client type system, that's a bit of a limiting factor…
Posted by Saracen999 - Sat 29 Dec 2018 01:44
With any such connectivity, security is very important and Samsung has integrated its proprietary Knox security technology into its Remote Access features to help make it as secure as possible
“As possible”. Well, that's reassuring. Not. It's vague enough to be meaningless.

My method of getting that link as secure “as possible” is to not have such a link at all.

I assume in order for that link to be created, the user has to explicitly set it up? If not, for me, it's a good reason not to buy a TV with that feature in the first place, because it represents one more, and for me utterly unnecessary attack surface.

Oh, aand setting up that link better only be possible via a local user and tge remote, and better be behind a PIN-locked part of the interface.

I can see why some users, like Tabby, might see an appeal but it's a function I have zero need for, absolutely no desire for, and to me represents all downside, no upside.

Given the above, if Samsung were to present two models of a specific TV, differentiated only by one and only one having this feature, I'll buy the one without, just like I do not want wifi built-in to my TV.
Posted by nobodyspecial - Sat 29 Dec 2018 09:37
Build an HTPC…Nuff said? Cloud=retarded unless you WANT everyone to have your data. Jeez, facebook, google, govt (DNC servers, Hillary etc etc, GAO lost millions of security clearance people's data! SS#'s, fingerprints, all personal data background check info, friends, spouse info etc, jeez it was bad), etc can't keep ANYONE out, why the heck would you put your data in the cloud? Also, ANYTHING important shouldn't even be exposed to the internet. I'm looking at you Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop etc! All govt contractors should be REQUIRED to keep certain stuff OFF the net, period or be massively fined and lost ALL contracts in the future. PERIOD. If it's important, for the love of god, REMOVE IT FROM ALL INTERNET ACCESS! Freaking govt morons. We routinely yanked nics from pc's just to kill access for some stuff, blocked all flash drives, killed or removed cd/dvd drives etc. Sound tough? Nothing gets stolen then unless you are AT the PC and have time to hack before we catch you, which if you do your job correctly, shouldn't even be an issue in that case (lock your crap down!). Too bad real IT admins are in such short supply & too many paper certs around these days. You should be fired for being hacked, and put to death for getting hacked in govt IT :) That would change paper people to real certs in short order IMHO :) China has already said they feel hacking your data is needed for their future, so I hope you remove anything important from the net ;) Why innovate if you don't protect it? Samsung to have access to your data? China anyone?

Samsung (and everyone else, see link below) already sends your data home via syncplus if you don't stop it. Your viewing habits etc sold to the highest bidder :) Cloud is useful for netflix type data (nothing important really…LOL), but not your personal INFO, or plans for the next great invention :)
https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/how-to-turn-off-smart-tv-snooping-features/
Wake up people ;) How to turn the crap off on most tv's. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.
Posted by Tabbykatze - Sat 29 Dec 2018 11:18
And so the anti china racist makes his way to this post as well…
Posted by Saracen999 - Sat 29 Dec 2018 11:59
Tabbykatze
And so the anti china racist makes his way to this post as well…
Not suggesting that refers go me (I hope) but …..well, a number of western governments and authorities have already announced they're removing hardware made by certain Chinese companies (Huawei) from core infratructure because of security “concerns”, including (IIRC) BT, emergency services infrastructure and the Austrslian government.

A large part of Trump's trade spat with China is over recognising, respecting and enforcing IP rights, and there's no denying that a huge amount of fake goods comes out of China.

Oh, and last time I looked, Samsung were Taiwanese which, racially, has direct ties to China are certainly not China's polutical soulmates.

Personally, none of that is what motivates my choices, but when Samsung have already been caught sending user data “home” in the past. Fool me once shame on you, Samsung, but fool me twice …. shame on me.

Do I trust Samsung? No.

Why? Two reasons - past guilt, and …. they're a nig corp.

Is any of that racial? No, because Google, MS and just every every other company that can, data mines it's customers and they ain't all Chinese, Taiwanese or even generally Asian, by a VERY large margin. US companies were at it albeit in a far more primitive manner, decades ago, before PC's were a glint in Bill Gates eye, and China was still Maoist.


The simple fact is there is an ideological gulf between how China (as in the state) sees geopolitics and how the West does. That doesn't mean they're enemies, but it does suggest a healthy degree of caution, especially in government procurement and core infrastructure, and even more so when China doesn't open up internal markets to the West jn the way it takes advantage of Western market openness.

As for me, all that's above my pay grade. I just don't want ANYBODY accessing my personall data, whether it be as apparently innocuous as location data or browsing habits, let alone key financial or medical files on my network, and ANYTHING that opens a potential doorway to that, unless I get some very significant benefit, is a non-starter for me.

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