What is Smart TV?

The latest waves of flat-panel digital TVs hitting our shores this year are marketed as “smart TVs.” What does this mean and what benefits do they have? Let’s try to explain this concept in a simplified way.

First: a very quick story about the evolution of television

Television technology has advanced rapidly over the years, from the basic “square” 4: 3 analog CRT tube. The introduction and the sharp rise in popularity of DVD saw the implementation of wide screen televisions to accommodate this format. As the trend towards widescreen digital movie viewing became the standard, similar steps had to be taken for daily television viewing. Then the integration of digital set-top boxes began, and our television networks began broadcasting our television programs in digital to coincide with that. As audiences began to embrace the “cinema” experience, the next natural progression was larger screens, with plasma, LCD, and later LED panels introduced. In the years that followed, aside from the obvious improvements in clarity, sound, and design, the only major change made to television technology was size: Demand called for larger, thinner televisions. Over the last year or so, the introduction of 3D technology was the next “big thing”, as well as the call for greener panels.

So we’ve seen televisions evolve from a bulky, square picture tube with a choice of five stations for analog viewing, to large, ultra-thin high-definition panels capable of displaying 3D images and a choice of over twenty channels. of transmission. many programs in wide-screen digital format. Add to that a sharp drop in price and an ever-increasing focus on eco-performance – we’ve certainly come a long way. So where do we go from here?

Introducing Smart TVs …

The Internet is now a dominant part of our daily existence. Our mobile phones have evolved from devices that are used only to make phone calls to “smartphones”, basically mobile phones with Internet access. The same technology has seeped through our televisions and has coined the phrase “Smart TV.” Today’s new waves of smart TVs have a heavy focus on interactive online media such as Internet TV, streaming media, social media, and web browsing. Similar to how Internet browsing, web widgets, and software such as games or applications are integrated into today’s smartphones, the same trend towards such connectivity has now become part of today’s televisions, creating a convergence. between computers and digital television. Smart TVs allow viewers to search and find movies, video clips and photos on the Internet, stored on a home hard drive, through their television, using their remote control.

Smart TVs will eventually change the way we access media in our homes

This convenience will eventually change the way we access media in our homes, or more precisely, from where we access our media. An example would be no longer having to rush to our local video stores just to rent a movie. By pressing a couple of buttons on our television remote control, we suddenly have access to hundreds of movies available to stream from the comfort of our living room. Applications (or “Applications” as they are commonly known) add another facet for us to explore. There are an unlimited number of applications that can be created. If you are an I-Phone user, you have already come across dozens and dozens of nifty apps that are now hard for you to live without. There are apps for everything, ranging from live weather and news forecasts, to TV show update episodes, the latest sports news from your favorite team, as well as live scores, and of course the entire networking forum. social networks like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. These are now at your fingertips, transforming televisions into a highly diverse media network. The ability to make Skype calls is also an option, with the help of a brand-specific Skype camera. While a small number of these features were somehow available in the last year from some TV manufacturers, 2011 will see the introduction of unrestricted web browsing on some models. This opens up an unlimited range of possibilities by transforming your television into a fully functional web browser.

Smart TV: bring Internet to your living room

There is a distinct advantage of not having to strain to start your PC, which is usually located in another room, to perform tasks like buying items on eBay, checking your email, or Googling something you just took. your interest in television. With large HD screens and web pages fully optimized to fit, there is certainly a distinct advantage to browsing the Internet from the comfort of your living room rather than through a small laptop screen or sitting at your computer desk. Even if you have photos, music, movies, or video files stored on your home computer, you can access all of them wirelessly through your home network and stream them directly to your TV.

So, in short …

Smart TVs are the next generation of digital flat panel TVs that combine the functionality of your television and your computer in one.

With the ability to stream HD movies, connect with your friends via Facebook and Twitter, stream TV shows, and get instant access to news, sports, and weather, all from the comfort of your living room and on a large, high-definition TV screen. definition. Some of the higher-end digital TV models will offer built-in web browsers, allowing unrestricted web browsing directly to your television. As plasma and LED displays have evolved to become thinner, more energy efficient, and provide us with astonishing high definition clarity. We now have an unlimited range of media applications open to us, giving us versatility and multi-functional capability like never before.

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