A brand new feature is coming to Samsung smart TVs in 2019: Remote Access. The feature will use wireless connectivity to let smart TVs connect to PCs, tablets, and smartphones and will allow users to remotely control programs or apps from their Samsung TV, the company said.
The idea is essentially like Google Chromecast, but beefed up specially for Samsung TVs. With Chromecast, you can browse for content on your Android phone or tablet, then “cast” that content to your TV. It lets you stream content on your big screen but with the convenience of browsing on your portable device. The Samsung Remote Access feature works in a similar fashion, but the other way around. Using Remote Access you can access content that is on your PC from your TV, which could be useful if your PC is in another room and you need to grab documents from it to view on a larger screen.
One issue with these kind of features for TVs in the past has been the annoyance of trying to control a computer using a TV remote, but Samsung has overcome that by allowing you to use input devices like a keyboard and mouse to control the TV. This should make it possible to do complex tasks comfortably on the TV. In addition, there will be a web-based cloud office service that can be accessed through Remote Access to allow you to pull up your important files on your smart TV at any time.
Samsung has not yet specified which devices will work with Remote Access, but if it is compatible with iOS, Windows, and Android devices then it would be a great alternative to services like Chromecast or Apple TV which only work with specific operating systems.
One concern about smart TVs is security, as the devices can hold a surprising amount of personal information and can be vulnerable to hacking. Samsung hopes to reassure customers about this concern with the use of its proprietary Knox security software, which the company has been using for its smart TVs since 2015, and which is certified by Common Criteria.
