Smart TVs get really, really smart
By Irene C. PerezPhilippine Daily Inquirer
JIHO Ha, Samsung business unit adviser for audiovisual group, says Samsung is the industry leader in LED and plasma TVs in the Philippines. PHOTO BY ANDREW TADALAN
Sci-fi films show you can control big screens with hand gestures, open websites by clicking something in the air, and activate controls by saying passwords.
These stuff are not fiction, or far off into the future anymore. Gadgets giant Samsung catches up with technology and redefines “high-tech” with a new line of TVs which allows you to do all these.
THE COUCH potato’s fantasy: the newgeneration Samsung LED TV with ultra-slim bezel design and Arch Flow Stand. It has a dual-core processor which allows you to surf the web, play games and make use of apps, and a camera for taking photos. PHOTO BY ANDREW TADALAN
Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation (Sepco) introduced the ES8000 and ES7500 HD LED TV models in the brand’s AV Roadshow in NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Ariel Arias, Sepco AV Business Unit head for audiovisual group, presented the new ultra-slim models with dual-core processor, with screens ranging from 46 all the way up to 75 inches.
The concept is this: If you have a smart phone, then you should have a smart TV. Arias described the ES line as three-way smart, each being capable of smart interaction, smart content, and smart evolution.
ARIEL Arias, Sepco business unit head for the audiovisual group, says you could maximize the SmartTV with good WiFi connection. For the non-techie, it’s still a good TV with HD quality, even if some channels are still “analog” in technology. PHOTO BY ANDREW TADALAN
Smart interaction means the TVs is capable of motion control. You can program it to automatically turn on when walk into a room. It has voice control, which lets you talk to your TV instead of fiddling with the remote. It could be an initially freaky form of channel surfing—talking to your TV especially if you’re alone—but it’s really cool.
Otherwise, from the couch, use your hand like a mouse to click on the controls. We tried to do this during the capsule demos in the roadshow, and it takes some getting used to—pretty much like adjusting to a new gadget.
CONTROL the TV by holding your hand up (you’d see a cursor that follows your motion) and closing it to make a selection. PHOTO BY ANDREW TADALAN
The TVs double as computers. They are WiFi-capable and you could enter and create a “profile.” Both have a built-in camera (like a webcam); you take a picture, sync it with your profile, and use it for the Face Recognition function. The next time you go in front of the TV, it recognizes your face and your profile, signs you up and loads your apps such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, just like a personalized smart phone would.
Angry Birds on your TV
Soon, Arias said you could even play the popular touch-screen game Angry Birds on your SmartTV. Other apps to be launched are Bluray Blockbuster’s Blupass and Viki Premiere, both video sites.
USE the fitness apps to get a good workout. PHOTO BY ANDREW TADALAN
These SmartTVs have built-in apps which ideally work with other Samsung items, like the phones and tablets. Smart content means it has built-in apps, from fitness routines to kiddie games that let you maximize TV time.
Also, it lets you share photos and videos directly from your Samsung phone and tablets. You could also hook the TV up with the Samsung Dock with Vacuum Tube Amplifier (model DA-E750), which surprisingly has a port for Apple items such as the iPhone and iPod.
“We’re being kind,” jested Arias.
HOOK up your TV with the Samsung dock for crisp, solid sound. PHOTO BY ANDREW TADALAN
The thing with a TV, as with all gadgets, is that new models come along fast. A new model is new for a very limited period of time, and it’s a pain if you’re the techie type who needs to upgrade and cannot bear being left out.
Here’s Samsung’s answer to that: “future-proofing” via the smart evolution technology. Samsung SmartTVs have a slot where you can insert an Evolution Kit, a cartridge that contains data, games, apps. Instead of buying a new TV once a new model comes along, you can instead buy the Evolution Kit for an instant upgrade.
The ES8000 and ES7500 LED TV, and the first Evolution Kit will be rolled out in the Philippines next year.
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Tags: Consumer Issues , Irene C. Perez , Lifestyle , Smart TV , Television
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