Four Development Trends for Global Smart TV in 2013
In order to improve consumers’ experience, worldwide TV industry experienced large changes, showing the direction of large-size, high-resolution. Smart TV is also improving to win market shares. There are the following development trends for global smart TV in 2013:
First: social TV rises.
Social TV is to seamlessly integrate Twitter, Facebook and other social media with TV, enabling TV become the important terminal of social media. The goal of social TV is to let TV viewers in different places can easily share and discuss the TV shows they are watching. As a result, audience not only can have real-time comments to the currently hit TV series, and also can celebrate the goal together when watching sports events. In 2013, the boundaries between TV and social TV will become more blurred, which will have a huge impact on the television production process. Meanwhile, consumers in 2013 will see social media-based content application.
Second: Apple leads the industry standard.
Needless to say, Apply has largely affected most of the areas it marched into. Based on current situation, Apple’s enthusiasm for the field of television has not only stayed in the Jobs-era “hobby”, but has reached the height of “strong interest” claimed by Tim Cook and current Apple executive team. However, Apple has entered a very mature market, so even if Apple launch HD smart TV, the sales are not likely to achieve the hot sales of iPad. Whatever TV product Apple will introduce, it may establish a fully new standard displaying network video content on the TV screen.
Third: industry ushers in control equipment revolution
What also suffers weak situation as the currently Internet TV interface include TV control equipment, namely remote control. It is believed that Apple will lead the way after entering TV area; the world’s largest technology company may largely streamline user’ interaction method with TV equipment. The button layout of traditional TV remote control will greatly simplify, but replaced by a more humane button icons; the user interface of the TV screen will follow Apple’s design style. In addition, the control way of future smart TV will not only be limited in remote control device, also covers voice control and gestures. In fact, it is rumored that the most frequently mentioned feature of Apple TV is Siri voice control. At the same time, Google also attempts to integrate its voice search function to more mobile products.
Fourth: mobile combines with TV
In 2013, the television equipment will move toward the direction as smartphone. As TV software designers begin to re-design TV user interface, the design of Apple’s AirPlay function will become more mainstream, the combination of TV and mobile platform will continue development. With the maturity of mobile video application and consumers becoming more accustomed to use wireless signal to transmit digital media content, the boundary between cellphone and TV will be more blurred. In this aspect, easy-to-use becomes a very critical factor. What consumers expect is to gain the operation similar to Airplay provided by Apple, that is to say, any consumers can easily transmit the digital media content in the Tablet PC into TV to play with wireless method.