IT’S becoming more and more likely that your TV’s going to be asked to do more work in future. While everyone used to be happy with just pictures, sound and a “red button” that launched a page in more time than it took to bake a cake, we’re now demanding the ability to download on-demand video, access services such as LoveFilm and connect to the internet for a variety of other services.“On-demand video has taken off a lot recently”, said Matt Wade, the digital manager of North Shields creative agency Armadillo.“It takes TV down a slightly different route, where people are using them for things that would previously require them to boot up their computer.”The trend toward “Smart TV” has already seen Apple enter the fray with the Apple TV service, while Google TV is coming to the UK early next year. LG, Philips and Sharp have already agreed on common specifications for their TV apps, as TV makers look to establish a market similar to that of smartphones. According to DisplaySearch, more than a quarter of flat panel TVs shipped this year will be connectable to the internet, with that figure expected to rise to 47% by 2015. Armadillo already has experience of working on this platform, thanks to its link-up with Gateshead’s downloadable workout company HealthClubTV. HeathClubTV’s Chris Cooke brought in Armadillo to help with the platform, which allows users to store videos on an account which can be accessed from a variety of devices. And when the company signed a deal to allow the service to be available on Samsung Smart TVs, Armadillo set about creating the pre-installed app to allow this to happen.
Users will be able to access their entire account of downloaded exercise videos and tutorials through the Samsung Smart TV, which sold more than two million units within 90 days of its launch earlier this year. Armadillo’s Wade said: “There are lots of apps on the Samsung platform and it’s a rapidly developing area. It wasn’t possible to store six or seven gigabytes of video on a television, so we’ve created a front end which takes the data from the internet, and we’ve made the interface larger for TV viewing and replaced mouse control with a remote control.“When you can start accessing services like that on more and more platforms, you’ve reaching people that wouldn’t necessarily use a computer for these things as much.“The technology behind the Smart TVs will need to improve, but that will happen. It needs to provide the seamlessness we’ve come to expect when using things like the iPad and the iPhone.“However, the platform lends itself very well to streaming video. A lot of people who don’t use the gym work out in the living room and the TV is a great outlet in that case.”
by John Hill, The Journal September 2011
