ENTERTAINMENT Smart Home


18


The smarter face of home entertainment


From TVs to sound systems, network connectivity and AI is giving every consumer a good reason to upgrade. Steve May showcases the kit buyers are talking about.


“I


am completely operational, and all my circuits are functioning perfectly,” so said HAL 9000 in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. When Kubrick convinced us a computer could talk (and croon ‘Daisy Daisy’), it seemed like far-fetched science fiction. Today, we all chat to our devices in much the same way, as part of our everyday routine. Alexa will also sing ‘Daisy’ (just ask), albeit with slightly less malevolence than HAL.


Consumers now take ubiquitous connectivity


and AI for granted. Every home has become a smart home. So what does the proliferation of AI, a shift to app-based functionality and control, and the growth of the smart home market, mean to brands and home entertainment technology? “We think our consumers now want a more personalised experience, through technologies such as our 360 Spatial Sound Personaliser app,” Lucy Gaby, V&S Product Manager, Sony UK & Ireland, tells ERT.


The app, when combined with a £50 Sony WLA-NS7 Wireless Transmitter, TV and a pair of Sony headphones, like the WH-1000XM5 or new Linkbuds, gives a spatialised effect from regular TV audio. This 360 Spatial Personaliser also works with


Sony’s new SRS-NS7 wireless neckband speaker, which is effectively a personal home theatre. “The NS7 is the world’s first Dolby Atmos compatible wireless neckband speaker; it works with our BRAVIA XR TVs through the supplied wireless transmitter, to deliver unique 360 Spatial Sound,” explains Ms Gaby. “You can enhance and optimise your experience using the app, which takes pictures of your ears and uses AI to analyse your hearing characteristics,


integrating these into the audio experience.” Novel uses might include delivering theatrical


sound for night owls who want to enjoy a movie late into the night without disturbing others, or gaming sessions.


An additional selling point is Multipoint Connection, which allows users to connect two devices at the same time, so they can switch seamlessly from watching telly to taking a phone call – just click the Play/Call button on the neckband. Once the call is over you’re automatically back in the action without any disturbances. “Not only is how technology performs important,


but the design, look and feel is key to delivering a well-rounded user experience,” adds Ms Gaby. “People want their smart tech to look good within their homes and compliment their interiors.” Products, she says, like the LSPX-S3 Light Sound speaker typify this. A blend of LED lighting and sound system, this designer Bluetooth speaker is portable, pairable and pretty in the extreme.


The SRS-NS7 wireless neckband speaker


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