The Samsung One Connect box is back for 2021, but something must change

The Samsung One Connect box is back for 2021, but something must change The Samsung One Connect box is the long-standing wiring solution for Samsung TVs High-end has been an unsung hero for the past few years, offering TV buyers a way to hide unsightly cables and connections and keep the edge of the screen out of the box. So it's a relief to see him get a 2.0 model that continues the One Connect legacy, but things look a little different this time around. A Samsung blog post about its 2021 TV lineup gives a little nod to the 'Slim One Connect box', calling it 'a new cable management system that can be attached to the back of the TV. - allows easier installation and aesthetic cleaning". Samsung Slim One connection box (Image credit: Samsung) It's named specifically in reference to Samsung's Neo QLED 8K TVs, of which there are three in this year's lineup, so we're assuming (hopefully?) it's available to the entire trio. . The mention of connecting the box “to the back of the TV” also suggests more flexible uses of the hardware, with the ability to hide the wiring behind the TV, rather than just below or to the side of the TV screen.

The same but different

In fact, we first saw the new One Connect box at CES 2021, when he appeared in a promotional video that laid out the features of this year's new line of Samsung TVs. While this has only been around a while and details are still scant, there's a lot to be said outside of the box. The new model is definitely slimmer and shorter with the curved body and smooth sheen of a polished pebble, quite different from the previous iteration's rectangular shape and sharp corners. The best thing about the One Connect box is that it minimizes the impact of connecting multiple devices together, keeps cables and connections away from the screen you have to look at, and ensures that clutter is out of sight. The existing model uses a single translucent cable that somehow carries mains power, as well as signals from whatever is connected to your HDMI ports etc. A more compact shape really doubles that point, reducing the amount of space needed for the box, which is no small feat considering a TV's full range of connections will be packed away. In a world of massive next-gen gaming consoles (cough, PS5, cough) too, it's more urgent than ever to save space in your media cabinet. The screenshots we managed to find of its brief appearance in Samsung's First Look video even show the box attached to the back of a TV stand which is a change from the previous model, and surely only possible due to the thinner and lighter design. We still have not received it official specifications for the Slim One Connect box, but we expect to see HDMI 2.1 ports, given their current frequency in Samsung's TV lineup, with support for HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) that allows audio to pass through to a soundbar. It's likely to be a priority for 8K TVs, as well as the new MicroLED series coming this year.

Make up your mind!

Samsung seems to change its strategy for the box quite often: in 2019 the box was available for all Samsung TVs from the Q85R onwards, as well as Serif and The Frame designer TVs. In 2020, however, you could only get it with the Q95T QLED (a variant of the Q90T) or the flagship Q950TS 8K QLED model. In mid-2020, we even wrote an article about why so few Samsung TVs could come with the box, and Samsung told us the hardware was "quite expensive," which meant the company was either reluctant to mass-manufacture or hoped customers to pay more. At that point, we wrote the following: "Since essentially turns a TV into two separate hardware devicesWith one going in and one showing, this price increase isn't exactly surprising, and it means what could have become a standard feature of new Samsung TVs has been shelved. "However, we expect this update to see the One Connect box become more standardized across the range, however ideally with the ability to add along with any purchase of any new Samsung TV, at least for the QLED range, something that gets away. Always the TV brand. Lots of customers. We'll be sure to let you know when more information is available on the Slim One Connect box. The real value of an upgraded model, though, is how easy it is for TV buyers to access to it, and if limited to just a few 2021 TVs, the One Connect box's chances of fame will be pretty slim.