Crestron has announced at CEDIA today that it is building the Crestron control system interface into SmartTVs as an app – starting with Samsung and Sony – eliminating the need for a touch panel. Available soon, the Crestron App for Samsung Smart TV enables Crestron system owners to control AV, lighting, shades, climate and more from an on-screen menu right on their TVs.

Compatible with 2012 or later Samsung Smart TV models, the app can automatically launch when you turn on the TV and silently runs in the background. There’s no need to navigate and scroll through a maze of menus to get started. It supports individually customized apps on multiple TVs and delivers dynamic text messages for all types of events, such as security alerts, doorbells and incoming phone calls.

The app can be customized to provide simple, intuitive, menu-driven control of virtually anything in any room. Control is simple using the familiar directional pad on the Samsung remote that accompanies the TV or Crestron remotes. For even more flexibility, Crestron touch screens or any Crestron Mobile app can be used to control the on-screen menu.

Here are the details