Samsung Fights for Comeback in Digital TV

(MoneyWatch)  Several years ago, Samsung Electronics made a name for itself in television by creating sets with sharp, colorful displays and thin but large screens. Although its brand has dimmed in recent years, the company is gunning to make a comeback, again in television but relying on different technologies.

The Korean publication Digital Chosunilbo is reporting that Samsung is close to announcing a couple of new innovations that could help change the way we watch video.

Working with popular video-sharing website YouTube, Samsung is planning a feature that allows people to watch videos posted on YouTube on their televisions. Samsung Electronics plans to make this product available to consumers by the end of this month...

Also, last week the company released new cell phones that can send data up to a speed of 2 megabits per second, five times faster than most phones on the market. This new gadget will help the company strengthen its position in the mobile market as more and more people use cell phones for Internet surfing and younger generations enjoy uploading videos instantly on the Web.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Samsung is showing off what it hopes will become the industry standard for mobile TV, a technology that will allow broadcasters to expand their channels to mobile devices. This could well be the next high-stakes standards battle, with the E.U. embracing one standard and the U.S. showing a preference for another from Qualcomm.

Samsung faces an uphill battle in the standards battle. But a win would help return its brand name to the forefront of innovation in the fast-evolving world of television.