Talking to the TV is usually a sign of extreme agitation,
mental instability or loneliness, but TV manufacturers are
set to make it a more rational behaviour this year, with a
range of sets that respond to speech.
LG Electronics said today it will sell a remote with its
high-end flat-panel TVs that contains a microphone. You'll be
able to speak into the microphone to enter text on the TV for
Twitter updates and Web searches.
You still won't be able to change the channel or control the
volume by yelling at the TV.
Samsung Electronics also said it would have TVs that
responded to voice commands. In addition, it's launching its
first TV with a built-in camera. As you watch the ES8000 set,
it will watch you back, looking for hand gestures that prompt
it to move the onscreen cursor or launch apps.
The two Korean rivals were the first to show new models at a
preview day ahead of the International Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas. The show will feature many variations of
so-called "smart" or Web-connected TVs.
"Smart" TVs have been around since 2008, but two things are
holding them back. One is that the conventional TV remote is
a hopeless tool for web browsing, typing, and other PC-like
behaviours.
"Anyone who's actually checked email on a 50-inch TV knows
it's not a good experience," said Shawn Dubravac, head of
research at the Consumer Electronics Association, which puts
on the show.
As TVs become increasingly complex, more buttons are popping
up on remotes. But that's a trend that can't continue,
Dubravac said.
TV makers are now looking for alternatives. Last year, LG
introduced a "Magic Wand" remote that's motion-sensitive,
much like a game-console controller. This year, it's taking
another page from Microsoft's Kinect game console and
introducing a 3D camera that perches on top of a TV and
interprets viewers' motions, letting them control the
on-screen cursor with hand movements.
"I think 2012 will be the year of the interface," Dubravac
said.
Samsung will be using its built-in cameras to try to
recognise who's in front of the TV. It will then bring up the
right household member's personalized "hub" of applications.
The other thing holding back "smart" TV: Viewers interact
more with the cable or satellite set-top box than they do
with the TV itself. The set-top box is where you find shows
and change the channel.
Cable and satellite companies seem far less interested in
revamping how people interact with their boxes.
Dish Network unveiled a new box it calls the "Hopper" today.
It takes digital video recording to a new level by
automatically recording all primetime shows of the four major
networks. But it comes with a conventional remote, covered in
buttons.
The renewed focus on smart TVs comes as TV makers are
scrambling for new features to interest buyers. US TV sales
are in decline after a rush to upgrade to high definition and
flat panels abated.
Amid the slowdown, Asian TV makers tried to make 3-D a
"must-have" feature, but that effort has fallen flat.
Leichtman Research Group conducted a survey that found 80
percent of Americans have heard of 3-D TVs, but just 5
percent of intend to buy one.
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