MipTV: RakutenWuaki, Samsung Launch 4K HDR TV Plus in Europe

John Hopewell

CANNES — Samsung Electronics, the South Korean technology giant is partnering with RakutenWuaki, a pan-European SVOD platform, for a major European market rollout of Samsung’s TV Plus, the two companies announced Tuesday at Cannes’ MipTV trade fair.

The deal was announced by Heeman Lee, VP of connected TV services at Samsung Electronics, and Jacinto Roca, CEO of Rakuten Wuaki,

Operating in Germany from January, thanks to the partnership with RakutenWuaki, TV Plus will now be available in the other four biggest TV markets in Europe: U.K., France, Spain and Italy.

The service allows Samsung QLED smart TV owners to access IP-based VOD channels run by Rakuten-Wuaki offering the latest 4K HDR movies from Hollywood on a TVOD basis via a RakutenWuaki 4K channel. This forms part of Samsung TV Plus. Offering family entertainment, RakutenWuaki’s movie offer takes in first-run title, and kids, action and comedy films.

It already operates in the five major markets in Europe: U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

“Through TV Plus, RakutenWuaki and Samsung have been able to come together to offer consumers a wide variety of content options from an assortment of different genres and interests, a complete offer for everyone in the family,” said Jacinto Roca, RakutenWuaki CEO.

RakutenWuaki catalog includes content from major Hollywood studios such as Warner, Disney, Sony, and Fox, as well as from production companies like HBO and European distributors, giving consumers access to new releases, blockbusters, classic movies and TV series on the device of their choosing.

Backed by Hollywood studios and YouTube, 4K High Dynamic Range is becoming a new broadcast standard. It offers not only 4K’s higher pixel number definition but – and this is the HDR part – greater pictorial realism, such as in skin tones, as well as a broader color gamut and the ability to distinguish visual details in particular bright or dark scenes.

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