SKOREA - Samsung Electronics yesterday stepped up its efforts to enlist content providers and software developers to its application store for TVs, which the company said is the world's first of its kind.

Samsung, the world's top maker of TVs and Blu-ray disc players, said it plans to hold competition for TV application development in Korea and other countries.

At a briefing session for Korean developers for the Samsung Apps Contest 2010 yesterday, Samsung said its application store, Samsung Apps, will give developers access to the company's massive customer base for TVs.

"We believe that our strong leadership in TV and Blu-ray disc player markets will offer an attractive opportunity for developers," a Samsung executive said at the briefing session.

Samsung topped the U.S. internet protocol TV market last year, with a 75 percent share, he said. Samsung's IPTVs accounted for 11 percent of its total flat-panel TVs in terms of units, and 27 percent of its flat-panel TVs in terms of revenue, he said.

Samsung Apps, the TV version of Apple's AppStore, will allow developers to sell their content and software directly to customers of Samsung's internet-connected TVs. Currently, Samsung and other internet-connected TV manufacturers provide content only via partnerships with a limited number of companies.

Like Apple's AppStore model, developers will keep 70 percent of revenue from their application sales, and give 30 percent to Samsung, the company said.

This is the first application store for TVs, although there are many application stores for mobile phones.

The store will enable Samsung to secure and offer a variety of applications for its internet-connected TVs, and to raise their competitiveness.

The applications will be initially developed only for TVs, but more applications will work across multiple platforms -- not only TVs and mobile phones but printers, cameras and camcorders, Samsung said.

"We will provide diverse sales and marketing channels for developers and content providers," another executive said.

The application market will be offered free or charge in the first half, and start charging in the second half, the executive said.

A total of 100 million won will be provided to 20 winners including the top winner who will receive 50 million won. The company will receive applications from April 1 to June 10, and announce winners on June 28.