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Samsung currently sells more televisions than any other company in the world. As a result, there are many eyeballs watching streaming content on these TVs. A few years ago, the company decided to launch Samsung TV Plus, a free streaming service for its TVs, smartphones, and tablets. However, it looks like Samsung is trying to expand the service beyond its own products.
Continue reading: Samsung Buyer’s Guide
In this article, we’re going to take a look at Samsung TV Plus and how you can access it even if you don’t have a Samsung device.
What is Samsung TV Plus?
Samsung TV Plus is a streaming service with over 100 “channels” of content for viewing in the United States. This gives Samsung Smart TV owners, together with their smartphone and tablet customers, an opportunity to be entertained or informed free of charge. It was first launched in 2015 as a video rental service for Samsung TVs in the United States. It later changed its business model to its current ad-supported streaming video service.
Samsung TV Plus is among the top 5 most popular apps on Samsung Smart TVs.
In an article for protocol In September 2020, Samsung Electronics SVP Sang Kim stated that Samsung TV Plus was one of the top five most-used apps on the company’s smart TVs and one of the two most-used free streaming apps. It was launched on Samsung’s mobile devices in 2020 and on the web in 2021.
Supported Platforms
Samsung TV Plus is of course primarily available for the company’s smart TVs. You can find the app on Samsung TVs made in 2016 and beyond. The mobile app is only available for Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones and tablets. You can download it from the Google Play Store or Samsung’s in-house Galaxy Store.
In May 2021, a web version of the service was launched on SamsungTvPlus.com. This allows any PC or mobile device with a browser to access it without downloading an app.
Where is it available?
Samsung TV Plus is currently available in 27 countries: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Great Britain and the United States.
Keep in mind that the web version is only available in the US, at least for now. The choice of channels for the service also differs from country to country.
Features and user interface
Samsung TV Plus is organized like a cable or satellite TV guide. There are channels that you can browse with many categories. These channels stream content around the clock, again like a broadcast or cable service. The categories include News (including Live Streams), Movies, TV Shows, Documentaries, Sports, Music, etc.
You can also access recently viewed channels in the interface and name your favorite channels for quick access without having to browse. You can add certain programs and films to a watch list and set reminders when they are available.
In addition to the channels, there are plenty of movies and TV shows that you can stream and watch on-demand.
Samsung TV Plus channels
As mentioned earlier, the number of channels in your Samsung TV Plus app will likely vary depending on where you live. For this article, we’ll focus on the United States, which has well over 100 channels to browse and stream.
Some of these channels include:
- CBS news – A live stream of 24/7 news from the CBS network
- Baywatch – Binge watch the campy lifeguard drama.
- Shout Factory TV – It’s your home for iconic movies and TV classics, including the Mystery Science Theater 3000.
- TNA Impact Wrestling – Watch the professional wrestlers fight in the ring on this 24/7 channel
- Hof-TV-Live – Enter the courtroom to see live trials.
- Good Appetite – Learn to cook from some of the world’s best chefs.
Samsung TV Plus alternatives
In fact, if you own a Samsung smart TV or mobile device, you have many more free streaming services to try.
Pluto television
Pluto TV is perhaps the best free streaming service that uses a channel guide format. It has a lot more content than Samsung TV Plus, including content not currently available on any other free service.
Tubi TV
Tubi TV is home to live streaming news with over 80 different local news channels across the country accessible through its channel guide. You can also watch a lot of great movies and TV shows on demand.
peacock
NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service provides a channel guide with access to NBC, CNBC, and MSNBC news programming, plus sports talk shows and more. For $ 4.99 a month, you can access even more movies and shows when you need them. You can also pay $ 9.99 per month to use the service ad-free, which is not available on Samsung TV Plus.
Other frequently asked questions
Q: Does Samsung TV Plus offer streams in 4K?
ON: The service offers some channels that stream in 4K resolution. However, you need a Samsung Smart TV that supports 4K streaming to get the full effect.
Q: Does the service use advertising?
ON: Yes, you will see advertisements on the service by either watching its live streaming channels or on-demand movies and shows.
Q: Does the service work offline?
ON: Unfortunately, for the time being, Samsung TV Plus is a pure internet service.
Q: Does Samsung plan to make the service available outside of its own products?
ON: Currently, the service can only be accessed via the Internet without a Samsung device. The Android app does not work on non-Samsung smartphones or tablets. It is possible that the company could expand the platform reach of the service in the future.