With its stated aim of launching a platform that can handle apps for smartphones and internet TVs, Samsung has already stressed how wide its vision is for digital distribution.

It's something the company is backing with one of its well funded developer competitions too.

Based around the Samsung TV Application SDK, which supports its Blu-ray players and most of its TVs 40 inches or larger, the Samsung Smart TV Challenge is now open to UK, German, and French residents.

Who wants to be a millionaire?

Over €500,000 in cash and prizes are available for the individuals or teams who develop the "best looking, most brilliantly conceived, and most functional apps".

The winner in each territory gets €75,000 in cash, second place €30,000 and third place €7,500.

Developers retain their intellectual property ownership for submissions, but the content license agreement gives Samsung the right to place the application into the Samsung Apps store under a 70:30 revenue share if the application is monetised.

The deadline for submissions is December 30, with the winners announced at Samsung Europe Forum, on 14 February 2011.

Full details can be found here.