Redakcja Choose TV
For years Instagram has been mainly associated with mobile phones, but the platform is increasingly making bold inroads into the world of televisions. Meta announced that the Instagram for TV app will be made available on Samsung Smart TV sets. The feature was already available on devices running Amazon Fire TV and Google TV, but it will now reach a much wider audience. This is another step in the competition for time spent in front of the television, where streaming services and YouTube currently dominate.
Reels and Stories on the big screen
A new app will allow users to browse Instagram’s popular formats directly on their TV. The screen will show, among other things, Reels, Stories and channels from creators the user follows. The solution is intended to make it easier to watch content together with family or friends without having to pass a smartphone around. Instagram emphasises that more and more material posted by creators is entertainment-focused and looks good on a big screen. The feature will be available on Samsung Smart TVs manufactured from 2020. This will give millions of users access to their favourite social platform without the need for extra devices. Meta hopes that watching short videos on TV will become a natural part of home entertainment. In practice, this means being able to comfortably follow favourite creators while relaxing on the sofa. For many people it could also be an alternative to traditional video platforms. Instagram aims to increase user engagement and extend the time spent on the service. Bringing the app to TVs fits a wider trend of moving social media onto large screens. More and more companies see the potential in combining social features with the home entertainment centre.
Meta has bigger plans and is targeting rival YouTube
Launching the app on Samsung TVs is just the beginning. The company is already testing further features that could significantly expand the platform’s capabilities. Among them is a special section for landscape-oriented content, better suited to TV viewing. It’s a clear signal that Instagram wants to compete more directly with YouTube, which has dominated the large-screen content segment for years. According to available data, YouTube remains the most-watched video platform on TVs in the United States. Meta nevertheless intends to gradually build its own position in this segment. Longer-form videos, live streams and episodic series-style content are also being tested. The company is working on a feature to cast Reels from a smartphone directly to a Samsung TV. A similar option is already available on Google TV and Fire TV devices. Developing these features could mean Instagram ceases to be only an app for browsing photos and short clips. The platform is increasingly moving towards a full-fledged video hub. If Meta’s plans succeed, users could in future spend far more time on Instagram while watching TV.
Instagram for TV is coming to Samsung Smart TVs, offering access to Reels, Stories and other video content on the big screen. At the same time, Meta is developing new features for longer-form videos, live streams and landscape content to help the platform compete more effectively with YouTube.
source: CNET
