UHD Alliance announces new partners for Filmmaker Mode

By Julie Wootton-Greener Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 years ago

Samsung's CES 2020 First Look event displays their TVs, stressing how they fit in with the aest ... — Samsung’s CES 2020 First Look event displays their TVs, stressing how they fit in with the aesthetic of one’s home, on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

UHD Alliance announced two additional television partners for its Filmmaker Mode initiative: Samsung and Phillips, the company said Monday at a pre-CES press conference at Mandalay Bay.

The companies join three others — LG, Panasonic and Vizio — that are already partners. It means the companies plan to use Filmmaker Mode in their newest TVs.

Filmmaker Mode initiative — which ensures viewers see content displayed on their home television in the way the content creator intended — was announced in August in Los Angeles.

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It’s important to recognize a filmmaker’s creative intent, said Michael Zink, UHD Alliance chairman. He talked during the conference about efforts to turn off “motion smoothing,” which is a default feature on most televisions.

Michael Fidler, president of UHD Alliance, said it has taken nearly two years from the first discussions about Filmmaker Mode to implementation.

UHD Alliance’s membership represents the entire “entertainment ecosystem,” Zink said.

Global online TV episode and movie revenues are estimated to reach $159 billion in 2024, Zink said, adding it’s a significant market.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.