Samsung Electronics is turning to artificial intelligence to revive decades-old television series, a strategic effort to position its free, ad-supported streaming service as an alternative for viewers weary of rising subscription costs. The initiative also serves as a test of how AI could redefine the value of existing content libraries.
This week, the company launched a dedicated AI channel on Samsung TV Plus, its free streaming platform embedded in millions of its smart TVs globally. The channel employs generative AI to upgrade standard-definition programs to near-4K quality, remaster audio tracks, and automatically create episode summaries—transforming aging content into a potential edge in a saturated streaming market.
The rollout comes amid growing subscription fatigue among U.S. consumers, which has accelerated the expansion of ad-supported streaming services such as Pluto TV, Tubi, and Samsung’s own TV Plus. Instead of competing purely on the breadth of its catalog, Samsung is betting that AI-enhanced viewing quality and experience will become a key differentiator, effectively making the technology a reason to tune in.
The channel’s first offerings are Korean dramas from the early 2000s, including Autumn in My Heart and Damo—shows that debuted well before the current global surge in K-drama popularity. Samsung is using them as pilot projects to demonstrate how AI can adapt older content for modern high-definition screens and today’s binge-watching habits.
According to the company, its AI workflow cleans up visual noise, enriches color, and sharpens details in older footage. The audio is reprocessed to clarify dialogue, and an AI-generated interface supplies plot summaries—features tailored to an on-demand viewing culture rather than traditional scheduled broadcasts.
“This represents a new viewing paradigm, where video, audio, and the entire experience are reconstructed through AI,” said Choi Jun-heon, head of the TV Plus unit within Samsung’s visual display division. He described the project as part of a larger shift in Samsung’s television strategy, in which hardware advances alone no longer guarantee consumer engagement.
The implications for the U.S. market stretch beyond Korean content. Vast libraries of classic American television and film exist only in low-resolution formats that appear increasingly outdated on 4K and 8K screens. Samsung’s move suggests a future in which studios and platforms can efficiently refresh archives using AI, bypassing the high cost and labor of traditional remastering.
Samsung TV Plus requires no subscription or registration and is accessible on the company’s televisions, smartphones, and tablets. It now operates in 30 countries, offering roughly 3,500 live channels and about 66,000 on-demand titles.
