June/July 2023 ertonline.co.uk


Samsung’s Tizen platform


control on TV, and Xbox brought motion controlled gaming to the living room with its Kinect system. None had longevity. The difference here is that Sky Live does it all, and does it better.


The obvious implication is that gesture


Richard Halton, UK Director of Roku, comments: “Our licensed TV OS solution allows TV brands to build easy-to-use smart TVs that give users a great experience, but which are produced at a lower hardware cost – this translates to great value for consumers with the ability of TV brands to hit really attractive price points at retail.”


The wonderful thing about Roku, compared to rival platforms, is that it’s relatively agnostic, adds Mr Peacock. “It’s more likely to readily embrace it than It’s clear that interactivity


other platforms.


will be a key touchstone for success when it comes to the smart TVs of the future.” Dramatic proof of that is evidenced by the launch of Sky Live, the new camera accessory


for Sky Glass. For an additional monthly charge, Sky subscribers can enjoy a fully integrated interactive experience. When connected by USB, the camera is


recognised by Sky’s Entertainment OS (pictured below left), and new levels of functionality appear on Sky Glass automatically. ERT has tried out Sky Live and was impressed with just how seamless the experience is. Watch Together is a killer Sky Live app; it allows a group of viewers to comment together. They could be watching a sports event, or a movie on-demand. There’s also Mvmnt, a sophisticated fitness app, plus a host of casual games, all of which are gesture controlled. We’ve seen similar interaction before. Samsung was an early exponent of gesture


Hisense’s smart TV platform


control may ultimately be used as part of the main Sky Glass user interface. “Is it possible? Absolutely!” Fraser Stirling, Global Chief Product Officer at Sky, told us. Mr Stirling hints at just such a development, explaining how simple pinch-style gestures can be used to control TV volume. “Our powerful Entertainment OS ecosystem will keep getting better with every update.” David Tett, Smart TV expert at market analyst, Omdia, isn’t overly surprised by the rise of TVs running Fire TV and Roku. “Their


strategies for business success


rely on a large installed base of devices to generate non-hardware service revenues from advertising and other areas,” he tells ERT. The main consumer benefit of Fire TV and Roku-powered flatscreens is that they enjoy updates which continue to bring improvements, adds Mr Tett.


“The lifespan of these integrated sets is likely to be longer than competitor sets which often see the smart function start to ‘grey out’ and stop receiving updates a few years into ownership, long before the TV needs replacement.” >>


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