Over the past 18 months there's been a lot of talk about smarthome. Often bundled under the umbrella of the Internet of Things (or IoT), we've been waiting for that tipping point where smarthomes become necessary, rather than just a tech nicety.

It looks like IoT is spreading its tendrils into the biggest gadget in your house, the television, with both Samsung and LG confirming that in 2016, you'll be getting smarthome controls from your smart TV.

The idea behind IoT is having devices speak a common language so that they have a cohesive communication platform. It's a gateway to tighter control of connected devices, meaning that you can control things through one point or app, rather than needing a disparate array of controllers.

That's the message from Samsung, with confirmation that its 2016 line-up of SUHD televisions will include a SmartThings hub.

SmartThings is Samsung's smarthome platform and the television will now allow you to interact with these devices. Some of the uses make sense, with Samsung confirming a SmartThings Cinema Mood, that can change the lighting and sound perfect for watching the latest blockbuster movie (on 4K Blu-ray, perhaps?).

Other suggested uses by Samsung might seem a little alien: with SmartThings security cameras, you can open the front door for guests while you stay glued to the sofa. No one said the future would be a friendly place.

Meanwhile, Korean sparring partner LG has also confirmed that its webOS platform has received verification for smarthome use.

With an app called IoTV on LG's 2016 smart TVs, you'll be able to similarly manage your home using webOS 3.0. 

Again, this means you'll be able to change the lighting or temperature of your connected air conditioner directly from the TV.

Of course, all this relies on your having connected devices compatible with those standards. Although IoT is striving for interoperability, it really comes down to individual device manufacturers to include support for these things.

The announcement that the television is going to let you control the rest of your house is just the latest blow in the smarthome arms race, and we're expecting to spend some time with both platforms at CES 2016 to see if this connected future is necessary, or just another nicety.