What new TV Technology are we likely to see in 2012?
There is no doubting that in 2011, the Australian Retail Sector has posted it's most difficult year in a long while. Price deflation, over-cautious consumers and market saturation has seen TV sales in particular hit hard. Australian buyers need to be excited by new technology and features, and manufacturers like Samsung, Sony, LG, Sharp and Panasonic need to deliver some new ideas that we can all embrace. 3D seemed to be a beacon of light before last season started, but that has failed to materialize into anything more than a "feature" on most mid to high range model TVs. So what can we expect to see this year to set our pulses racing and our wallets opening?
Internet TV - Google TV and Upgradeable Smart TVs
Samsung's message is that it's clamping down on its TV market position and the Korean giant aims to make the TV the main household Internet device.
While this seems a slight improvement from a "Smart TV" technology we might already be accustomed to, there are some very unique features which we definitely have not seen before. One of these is called "Smart Interaction". Now, viewers will be able to control their TV using face recognition, plus gesture and voice controls and move away from the traditional TV remote control - similar to Microsoft's XBox Kinect.
Secondly "Smart Evolution" is another new key feature which enables the upgrade of your TV with future functionality, without the need to buy a new TV. This will basically be in the form of an upgrade slot at the back of the TV and you will be able to purchase an "evolution kit" to insert and upgrade. This feature will be available for all models of Samsung TVs from 2012 and beyond.
Another key application is called "Family Story" and it is designed for uploading photos, videos and memos from mobile devices to your TV. The Samsung "Smart Hub" sees an upgrade with a new interface and High Definition streaming - with an attempt at driving 3D through streaming services. Samsung also announced that Angry Birds will become available on Samsung Smart TVs later this year!
Google have announced that LG, Sony, and Vizio will be parading Google TV devices at CES 2012, with Samsung coming out with Google TV later in the year, with Apple also rumoured to be manufacturing TVs ranging from 37" - 50", and reported iTV features such as Siri-powered controls, iOS app support, AirPlay, iCloud support and deep iTunes integration.
Sony have announced two Google TV add-on boxes in the form of a Blu-ray player and a network media player. These will ship in America and Europe shortly, and other parts of the world can expect them to roll out afterwards. Both boxes have a completely new remote, featuring a backlit QWERTY keyboard with touchpad. The remote can also work as a universal remote for other devices, while the Blu-ray player also supports voice search.
All of the major TV manufacturers will be announcing new devices in 2012. We should also expect to see a good number of brand new internet TV services too. There have already been quite a few in 2011, but 2012 could be the year that internet TV takes off.
Organic Light-Emitting Diodes - OLED TV Technology
Big names like Samsung, LG, Toshiba and Sharp will all be releasing OLED TV's into our retail market at some stage this year. These super slim, huge screens will start from just 4mm thick (thin!) and boast ultra thin bezels of around 1mm or so. OLED has the potential to outperform any current displays we have. The only other OLED TV to hit store shelves was in 2008 - Sony's tiny and overpriced 11" model. This managed to produce "absolute" black levels of which only the very best Plasmas had come close to.
Both Samsung and LG will be releasing 55" OLED models, which promise accurate colour reproduction and maximized performance. Organic Light Emitting Diode displays are incredibly thin, have a super high contrast ratio (some say in the vicinity of 1,000,000:1), and boast faster response times than LCD or plasma. The pictures produced look incredibly sharp with colours that really stand out. Because OLED screens don't use a backlight, they are more energy efficient than both Plasma or LCD.
2012 will see the emergence of this new technology which will surely have the style-brigade and TV connoisseurs alike lining up in anticipation.
Connectivity and Interactivity
Voice Recognition and gesture controls both look to be featured which will be implemented an many of the higher end models from the big brands this year. TVs will feature built in cameras and microphones, and operating the TV with voice and movement control will see the introduction of many new applications such as fitness apps and games for kids. Sony have already announced a Blu-Ray player with voice control, and with rumours that Apple will be entering the playing field, it is thought that Siri will be a definite inclusion in their models. Samsung look to be targeting a wider audience than just owners of Samsung TVs, with their new "InTouch" kit. All that is required is a HDMI port and features such as HD video camera, Android 2.3, and access to applications through your TV set, including YouTube, Skype, and even a web browser become available. This looks to be a march release in the States, and as usual, later for us Australians! There is even a new connection on the back of some TVs - MHL. MHL stands for Mobile High Definition Link, which is a recently introduced standard which can deliver 1080p picture quality, 192khz sound quality, and 7.1 channel surround sound from Smartphones and tablets to HD TVs.
Read more about MHL HERE.
Bigger Screens and Bigger Resolutions
Many manufacturers like Sharp, LG and Toshiba have shown off Mega-Sized Screens of up to 80". As the price of technology drops, bigger sized panels become within reach for consumers and it looks like there will be panels available bigger than the 60"-65" sizes we have seen up until now. With the screens ballooning in size, so does the pixel size - and the next obvious progression is higher resolution than our current 1080P. 4K Quad-Full HD TVs have been produced by LG, Samsung, Toshiba and more. The new 4K resolution is expected to be seen on more TVs this year, and is known as both "Quad Full HD" or "Ultra Definition".
So will 2012 be an exciting year for AV Enthusiasts?
OLED TVs promise us the best picture quality we've ever seen - thinner, sexier and more energy efficient than ever before. Interactivity will be stepped up with the impending death of the remote control making way for voice and movement recognition; while there will be an array of Internet content available like never before. Larger, faster superior quality panels which can be upgraded in the future just like our PC will see our TVs take another giant stride to becoming the main household Internet device. 2012 is shaping up to be a very interesting year....
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