Which features will become standard in future smart TVs?

After several years of TV intelligence, people still feel that they have not gotten enough. From interactive experience, fluency to the application of the latest technology, smart TVs are always half a beat slower than smartphones. The experience improvements that are exclusive to the large-screen TV ecosystem are also far from the vision of bringing earth-shaking changes compared to traditional TVs.

At the same time, TV consumers have an endless demand for picture quality. In addition to TV programs, new content sources have been added, such as online film and television resources, ultra-high-definition sources, electronic games, and homemade videos. How to optimize the picture quality of these contents on TV screens to a higher level is a new challenge for all manufacturers.

The increasingly dynamic TV industry has also proposed a variety of new ways to make the TVs on the market more powerful and easier to use. Let's take a look at the functions that smart TVs should have or are becoming standard, and what changes they can bring.

Lowering the threshold of image engine

The image engine is not actually an engine installed in the TV, but a series of software and hardware capabilities for picture optimization, which adjusts the original picture signal or audio and video resources to a more realistic and credible level that better suits the viewer's preferences. The image engine first appeared at the end of the last century, and at that time it was completely dependent on a dedicated enhancement chip. Today, the most well-known image engine chip is Sony's X1 series.

With the rise of deep learning, image engines can achieve better picture optimization with a low threshold, and leading TV manufacturers have relevant technical reserves and product implementation. The gradual introduction of coprocessors in TV main control SoCs allows image engines to be implemented directly through software algorithms without dedicated chips. At this point, image engines will no longer be exclusive to high-end TVs, and are expected to enter more targeted products.

Content enhancement capabilities in the process of popularization

4K TV has long become mainstream, and 8K TV is also emerging, but the problem of ultra-high-definition TV has not been solved since its birth, that is, the problem of high-definition film sources. Without going into the relevant reasons, TV manufacturers with ultra-high-definition picture display capabilities have chosen to take the initiative to add SR super-resolution, MEMC motion compensation and other functions to their products in an attempt to alleviate the embarrassment.

This is also a capability that has been standard in mid- to high-end TVs in recent years. After all, consumers always prefer clear and smooth images, not to mention the super-resolution that can increase 720P to 4K, and the motion compensation that can increase the low frame rate to 60 or even 120 frames. Chip manufacturers have also begun to add support to more chips, so entry-level TVs can also use these picture enhancement capabilities.

Of course, the content enhancement capability of TV is more of a solution to the current urgent need, and it cannot fill in the gaps in content that has never appeared. The path to high-definition TV content still needs to be solved by content producers and channels. Fortunately, production specifications and transmission bandwidth are improving, and the number of regular HD and UHD programs has improved significantly compared to two or three years ago.

More complete new interface

It is no exaggeration to say that the two next-generation game consoles, PS5 and Xbox Series X, have made HDMI 2.1 popular, and computers can also output high-resolution, high-frame-rate, high-definition images to TVs. Without HDMI 2.1, TVs that meet the gaming experience can no longer be called TVs. The same is true for USB 3.0. With its high speed, when the TV reads large-volume videos from a mobile hard disk, there will be no loading buffer or fast forward and rewind waiting.

The new interface on the TV will certainly serve the image input, but the possibility of introducing DP is still not high, after all, there are few standard audio and video devices other than computers. However, USB-C, which supports data transmission and video input, may have the opportunity to become a standard TV interface. The number of storage devices and playback devices such as mobile phones and computers that use this interface is growing rapidly, and there are signs that it will become a new generation of unified interface.

One interface solves a need that previously required two interfaces. It is more friendly to TV design and production, and consumers will also be happy to see it.

Far-field voice changes the lives of lazy people

The biggest change after the TV has the Internet function is that it can play more film and television content from the Internet, and it is the intelligent experience represented by voice assistants. In the past, you had to search for functions in the TV menu over and over again, and search for programs on dozens of TV channels back and forth. Now you can speak commands to the voice assistant and it will do it for you. However, it is still a little inconvenient.

Many voice assistants require pressing the voice button on the remote control to call out. If you can't find the remote control for a while, or can't see the button clearly in the dark, the improvement brought by voice will be minimal. Therefore, it is necessary for far-field voice that does not require a special button to be turned on to become a standard feature of TVs. It can be operated by adding a short wake-up word, and it can become a smart speaker without taking up extra space when the screen is turned off.

All parties in the industry are working on the next generation of voice assistants that can recognize each person's voiceprint without the need for a wake-up word, and can be available on call to help you skip the entire process. The easy and smart life that has been called for for more than ten years may be nothing more than this.

Mature intelligent system

Smart operating systems have long been a standard feature of televisions, but if you communicate with users, you'll find that there aren't many smart TV systems that really receive positive reviews.

First, the smart system experience is not good. The outdated hardware configuration and rough interactive design hold it back. It also adds Internet ads that users don’t like. Instead, it is not as simple and direct as non-smart TVs. Second, it was all about crossing the river by feeling the stones. No one knew what a good smart TV should be like. A lot of functions were added, but users couldn’t figure out how to watch TV content.

For TV usage scenarios, content is the real protagonist. Domestic and foreign TV manufacturers have noticed this and have begun to focus on content such as TV programs, TV series, and movies as the center of the system interface, so that users have something to watch when they turn on the TV. The intelligent recommendation system is also worth looking forward to. After all, it is not easy to find the most suitable content in the vast sea of ​​content. It is obviously a more advanced approach for TV to learn user preferences and actively recommend.

High-quality screen projection experience

I believe many people have thought about whether they can project the screen of their mobile phone or the video resources on their mobile phone to the TV for playback. Previously, there have been solutions such as DLNA, but few of them are stable, high-quality, and do not affect the normal use of the mobile phone. In improving screen projection, TV manufacturers with mobile phone brands have the first-mover advantage and can modify the software and hardware architecture of mobile phones and TVs simultaneously to bring a better experience.

The open screen projection protocol and the addition of screen projection support by more mobile phone applications have also enabled TV manufacturers to make use of it. Regardless of whether it is a high-end, medium-end or low-end TV, it can all have a screen projection effect with low latency and good picture quality. The reason why mobile phone screens are getting bigger and bigger is that people naturally prefer the picture performance of large-screen devices. After completing the puzzle of screen projection-related content, TV is regaining its position at the center of the family.

Conclusion

Regardless of what they are used for or what cool names they are given, these new TV features are all serving the content. Some make it easier to achieve good-looking pictures, while others make it easier for excellent content to reach the audience. The functions that were originally exclusive to high-end TVs are also beginning to enter the homes of ordinary people, and advanced TV experience no longer requires spending too much money.

Which new TV standard feature do you think is the best or most anticipated? Feel free to discuss in the comments section.