Samsung has announced a new TV set called the Serif, which is designed to look like furniture. The set is a departure from the current trend of minimalist flat panel TV sets.
There once was a time when a TV set was considered not only a means to watch one's favorite shows, news and movies, but also as a piece of furniture. Many of the older tube TV sets were designed as consoles, with doors and cabinetry attached, and often elevated by such so that no separate TV stand was needed.
Nowadays, flat panel TVs are the new normal, and it's all about the flattest, thinnest set around, especially with the prevalence of wall mounting. Pretty much every TV set of a similar size looks just about the same.
Samsung is looking to reverse that trend by introducing a unique new TV set with a personality. The set is called Serif, based on the font which inspired it, and its resemblance to the letter I when viewed in profile. It was created by two Parisian designers, brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec who gained their chops creating home ware for Vitra and Alessi. The brothers also redesigned Samsung's TV user interface software to provide a cleaner user-friendlier look, as well as crafting a remote on the same principles.
The brothers took a unique approach to reinventing the TV set. 'Like typographers designing a letter, we studied both the object and its interaction with the space around it", they explained "'Its presence is like an object; you can turn around and manipulate it. It can stand anywhere - even on the floor using the legs"
The legs are four retro style feet, which resemble those used to prop up an old-fashioned portable snack table. The Serif also comes in three colors, red, white, and dark blue, and three sizes, equaling about a 40-inch, 30-inch and 22-inch set in the US. The set has only been announced for the UK, Sweden, Denmark and France as of now, and the 40 inch UHD version goes for about $1860.
