Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Staring at your non-fungible tokens on a smartphone or laptop screen is fine and all, but why not remind everyone who visits your home of the money you spent on digital art NFTs by showcasing them on your TV screen? Somehow we’re in a world where that’s about to become reality: Samsung says it’s planning extensive support for NFTs beginning with its 2022 TV lineup.
“With demand for NFTs on the rise, the need for a solution to today’s fragmented viewing and purchasing landscape has never been greater,” the company said in a press release. “In 2022, Samsung is introducing the world’s first TV screen-based NFT explorer and marketplace aggregator, a groundbreaking platform that lets you browse, purchase, and display your favorite art — all in one place.”
Image: Samsung
A preview of Samsung’s upcoming NFT TV platform.
According to Samsung, this platform (shown above) will let creators “share their art with the world” and let potential buyers:
Preview an NFT before purchasing it
Learn about an NFT’s history and blockchain metadata
Samsung is also minding the details when it comes to viewing NFTs on its 2022 televisions. A smart calibration feature on the TVs will automatically adjust display settings “to the creator’s preset values, so you can have peace of mind that your work looks impeccable, with true-to-the-original image quality.” You’ve heard of things like Dolby Vision or Netflix Calibrated Mode, and now NFTs will get a similar treatment.
More details on the NFT platform should be made available as the 2022 TVs start shipping in the coming months. With today’s news, Samsung becomes the first major TV manufacturer to support NFTs to such a significant degree. Are we witnessing the kickoff of a trend? Is there no going back? Might your next Roku or Amazon Fire TV also come with some level of NFT integration? Stay tuned to our coverage of CES 2022 to see whether other companies follow suit.