The Samsung Free the TV Challenge seeks to spur the development of converged apps that enable seamless interaction and new home entertainment experiences between Samsung Smart TVs and other devices. Samsung is offering more than $225,000 in cash and prizes to the winners. Winners will be awarded based on the overall visual appeal of the app on each screen, the quality of the idea, and the functional implementation. Developers retain ownership of their applications and may charge for them or provide them for free. 

The Free the TV Challenge is open to individuals and teams of individuals who are residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, as well as organizations domiciled in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Developers must download and use the Samsung TV App SDK 2.5 to develop their applications. Samsung has partnered with MOVL, a winner of the 2010 Free the TV Challenge, to provide developers with optional resources to support multi-device operability. The MOVL Connect Platform provides several resources for connecting multiple devices, including APIs for Flash (AS2/AS3), JavaScript, iOS, and Android. For more information, visit connect.movl.com/samsung.

The current Samsung Free the TV Challenge follows on the success of the 2010 challenge, which coincided with the release of the first Samsung TV App SDK for our industry-leading line of Smart TVs and Blu-ray devices. The Free the TV Challenge aims to build lasting relationships between software developers and Samsung, to advance the applications ecosystem and encourage the creation of immersive experiences.

About Samsung

Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.

$225,000 in prizes

1. Create an account on FreetheTVChallenge.com or log in with an existing ChallengePost account.
2. On FreetheTVChallenge.com, click "Follow" to register your interest in participating. This step ensures that you will receive important challenge updates.
3. Visit the Samsung D Forum (www.samsungdforum.com/us), register or sign in, and download the Samsung TV App SDK 2.5. (The SDK is available from various pages on the Samsung D Forum site, including the main page.) Be sure to use version 2.5 of the SDK (not 3.0 or any other version).
4. Check out the Resources section, where you can learn more about building converged applications.
5. Create a working converged software application using the Samsung TV App SDK 2.5. Upload your app on the Submit Application page, along with a video of your working software application, a text description (including a description of the functionality, uses and interactivity of the device(s), other than a TV, on which the application can run) and at least one image/screenshot of the application. (You do not need to submit your app on the Samsung D Forum site — only on the Submit Application page on this site.)

• Quality and Innovation of the Idea
  Includes elements such as creativity and originality
• Functional Implementation
  Includes elements such as how well the idea was executed
• Overall Visual Appeal
  Includes elements such as the design, graphics, typography, and visual aesthetic