TV makers add new features
By Peter Sevensson |
January 20, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TALKING to the TV is usually a sign of agitation, mental instability or loneliness. TV manufacturers are set to make it normal behavior this year, with a range of sets that respond to speech.
LG Electronics said it will sell a remote with a microphone for its high-end flat-panel TVs. You'll be able to speak into the microphone to enter text on the TV for twitter updates and web searches. But, you still won't be able to change the channel or control the volume.
Samsung Electronics also said it would have TVs that respond to voice commands. It is also launching its first TV with a built-in camera. As you watch the ES8000 set, it will watch you, 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 this month. The show has featured many variations of so-called "smart" TVs.
Google Inc has tried to break into the living room with software for smart TVs. So far it has been a flop. But Sony Corp revealed at the show that it's sticking to Google TV and bringing out a Blu-ray player that runs the software. That player will have a remote with a microphone for voice-powered web searches.
"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 behaviors.
"Anyone who's actually checked e-mail on a 50-inch TV knows it's not a good experience," said Shawn Dubravac, head of research at the Consumer Electronics Association. 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 Corp'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.
LG Electronics said it will sell a remote with a microphone for its high-end flat-panel TVs. You'll be able to speak into the microphone to enter text on the TV for twitter updates and web searches. But, you still won't be able to change the channel or control the volume.
Samsung Electronics also said it would have TVs that respond to voice commands. It is also launching its first TV with a built-in camera. As you watch the ES8000 set, it will watch you, 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 this month. The show has featured many variations of so-called "smart" TVs.
Google Inc has tried to break into the living room with software for smart TVs. So far it has been a flop. But Sony Corp revealed at the show that it's sticking to Google TV and bringing out a Blu-ray player that runs the software. That player will have a remote with a microphone for voice-powered web searches.
"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 behaviors.
"Anyone who's actually checked e-mail on a 50-inch TV knows it's not a good experience," said Shawn Dubravac, head of research at the Consumer Electronics Association. 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 Corp'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.
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