Samsung releases new smart TV upgrade kit to support 4K video

  Samsung recently released its 2014 new smart TV upgrade kit, the UHD Evolution Kit (SEK-2500U), which allows non-UHD smart TV users to watch 4K UHD videos and adds support for HEVC format, HDCP, HDMI, MHL and other functions.

The UHD Evolution Kit has a faster quad-core processor and a new smart remote, but it doesn't plug into the back of your TV like the old kit, taking up some extra space.

From a business perspective, Samsung's smart TV upgrade kit may affect the sales of new smart TVs, because existing Samsung TV users do not need to buy new TVs after buying the kit. However, given the decline in TV sales, Samsung may think that it is better to retain some loyal users through upgrade kits rather than forcing users to buy new TVs in vain.

The new UHD features of the UHD Evolution Kit are particularly important for the Korean market, where Samsung has an important position. South Korea launched its first commercial UHD cable TV channel, UMAX, earlier this month. Currently, there are not many TVs that can watch UHD TV programs, so Samsung's new kit will undoubtedly help expand UMAX's coverage.

Samsung did not disclose where the UHD Evolution Kit will be available, but said it will be available first in South Korea. The price of the new kit is still unknown, but it should not be lower than the $300 (about 1877 RMB) of the old non-UHD kit.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.