Samsung to launch IoT-ready TVs at CES 2016, wants to make the TV the heart of the smart home

Even if the average consumer isn't, Samsung's latest televisions will be ready for the Internet of Things (IoT) when they debut at the International CES in January.

"The 2016 line-up of Smart TVs will offer consumers new possibilities and cement Samsung's market leading position, as the first company to launch IoT ready TVs," said Hyun Suk Kim, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

It may seem like a gimmick, but the logic is simple. The TV is still, despite competition from everything from tablets to VR headsets, the center of the home. Therefore, it should still be at the center when the home gets noticeably smarter, from a technological point of view.

And even though excitement about connected cookers and smart door locks hasn't really traveled beyond the pages of tech publications yet, consumers will know that when they do finally plump for an IoT device, that it will work with their existing TV - as long as they all work on Samsung's SmartThings platform, of course.

"With Samsung Smart TVs working with the SmartThings technology, we have an opportunity to reach millions of households," said Alex Hawkinson, CEO and Co-founder of SmartThings. "Applying this technology into current household devices is a major step forward that will make it much easier for everyone to experience the benefits of a smart home."

Although it is one of several competing platforms - Google, Apple and LG all have their own approaches for unifying the devices that will make up the Internet of Things - SmartThings is an open platform and one that allows users to operate a host of different devices via their handset and, from 2016, their smart TV, rather than via opening and closing individual apps.

This is key. Unless multiple devices can be controlled or programmed side by side or communicate with each other the IoT will never get close to realiing its full potential.

And because it is backed by Samsung, one of the world's most popular consumer electronics brands, SmartThings has managed to find its way into over 200 devices from lighting systems to security cameras.

The new range of Smart TVs and their IoT capabilities will be demonstrated for the first time at the 2016 International CES which officially opens its doors on January 6 in Las Vegas, Nevada.