Serif TV – Finally an artfully designed gogglebox with stylish tech from Samsung
Why is it that all televisions are black? Like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey, TVs can dominate a room. There are tips and tricks for hiding it, but what if you don’t want to paint the wall behind the television a dark colour? Or box it in to a storage unit?
I hunted high and low for a white TV with a 1960s feel to fit into the lounge at Home Arty Home HQ and was thankful to discover Samsung made just what I was looking for with a Jetsons-vibe:
That was nearly 10 years ago and it’s on the verge of giving up the ghost – the warm-up time from switch-on to picture is getting longer and longer so it’s only a matter of time before it’ll need replacing. I love the curve of the TV and the white gloss finish so will be sad to see it go but, like most tech, nothing lasts forever and the hunt is on again for a white TV that I can live with.
Thanks goodness for the new collection, also by Samsung, called Serif TV, who’ve produced stylishly designed televisions available in 3 sizes and colours which may well fit the bill. You can have it on a table or sideboard, or it comes with some sexy Mid-Century-looking legs so you can have it free-standing.
From side on, the TVs look like a capital “I” in a grand serif font, and the front’s not too shabby either with a wonderful array of screensavers called “Curtain Mode”. There’s even room on top to place objects, arty ones naturally, as the top of the “I” forms a mini-shelf.
Designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, the Serif TV holds the honour of being the first TV to be sold by interiors store Heal’s. They’re slightly more expensive than most current TVs, or around the same price that TVs used to be around 10 years ago if that makes it feel better! Good design doesn’t always have to cost more apart from in tech it seems.
I’m seriously tempted by this stylish number although be warned: there’s no SCART socket which may well be a deal-breaker if you have some gadget that demands one. Personally I need one for a little box of tricks I’ve currently got connected to the Jetsons-TV so hopefully such a thing as a “Scart to HDMI” connector exists to make it work.
Otherwise, I’ll just have to stare longingly at these photos and hope someone produces a stylish white TV (with a scart!) before my current one breaks.
Discover the Serif TV range online at Samsung or browse at John Lewis.
