Samsung brings back the TV set

The two French designers are collaborating with the South Korean manufacturer for a one-off television, the “Serif”, presented at the London Design Festival, running from Sept 19-27.

Designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, the Serif has a thick chassis with jutting edges that make it look like something from the 1950s. The unique television is wider at the bottom and top of the TV set. The Serif TV has been created to resemble the serif font letter “I” when viewed side-on. This is a TV that can sit on a flat surface, and that can hold vases, books, or other decorative objects on top.

The new smart TV was designed by the Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec brothers as their first electronics appliance, Samsung said. But unlike the TV models from the past century, Serif is less bulky and is considerably thinner than the older TVs. Samsung Group (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) says that the point behind the shape was to enable the TV to become a piece of furniture that looked like it was a part of the room, rather than just a wall-mountable device. It also sports a “woven fabric panel” that conceals the wires and ports on the back of the TV. Curtain mode takes whatever is being shown on the screen and blurs it, transforming it into shimmering abstract shapes like a digital curtain.

The Serif TV is expected to go on sale from November 2 but will be available only in the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, and Sweden initially. All three Serif variations will come with built-in Bluetooth and wi-fi.

The Serif will be available in white, dark blue and red. Pricing isn’t official as of yet, but the Daily Mail has claimed will cost £499, £699, and £1,199 – from smallest to largest, respectively.