Smarten up that idiot box

The idiot box has morphed into a gadget that offers a smart viewing experience, targeting consumers who are smarter still in demanding more from their appliances. The UAE consumer, far ahead of his/her GCC counterpart in using smart televisions, is ably aided by companies that are serious about this technology.

"The UAE market leads the Gulf with 65 per cent market share in the smart TV segment," Vinod Nair, General Manager, CTV Business, Samsung Gulf Electronics, tells GN Focus.

Since launch, the Gulf accounts for 7 per cent of Samsung's total global smart TV sales and these numbers are rising by almost 4 per cent month-on-month.

On the up and up

Trend forecasts say that sales of smart TVs are only going to grow in 2012. According to industry statistics, more than 10 per cent of televisions shipped globally in 2011 were smart TVs. By the end of 2012, that share is expected to rise to 20 per cent, reaching 70 per cent by 2015. Consequently, manufacturers including Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Apple, as well as other technology sector players such as Google, are either already catering to the smart customer or adding a layer of web-enhanced features to the traditional viewing experience.

The more broadband-friendly a community, the more likely it is to turn to the television for the benefits of going to the web for social networking and on-demand video or subscription-based entertainment options.

The UAE has the highest internet usage in the Gulf, with 69 per cent of the population having internet access. And at 3.92 megabits per second, the UAE average internet connection is more than double the rate of most countries in the region.

H.S. Paik, President of LG Electronics Gulf, tells GN Focus, "People who live [in the Gulf] have naturally become accustomed to having the best and most advanced systems available. This has created a high demand for the smart TV, which offers premium content and apps. Most importantly, the tech-savvy youth are interested in the latest technology."

Relevant services

Backed by this demand, recent months have seen many partnerships aimed at ensuring consumers stay glued to these interactive gizmos. With government policy encouraging e-governance, public and private sector companies are working together closely than ever. Consumers in the UAE can now pay their Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) bills, stream local audio and video channels and have Etisalat broadband services and content delivered to their television sets.

Dewa and Samsung announced their new service at this year's Gitex, and it has been available to consumers since last month. Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO, Dewa, said at the launch of its utility application with Samsung Smart TV that the development was in line with the policy of "introducing the most up-to-date technologies and solutions to its e-operations."

More personalised entertainment is the calling card of smart TVs everywhere, which are fast replacing personal computers as the source of access to this repository of media in technologically advanced markets such as the UAE. Not only do such TVs offer access to on-demand video, the latest movies, classic TV and films, speciality news and user-generated YouTube clips but also more and more consumers are using the devices to easily stream full-HD 3D movies online, browse, explore apps, chat real time and find other types of new interactive TV content.

Tech-savvy consumers singing the praises of these new devices post delighted reactions in online forums about being able to watch their children's college games on their HDTV via the web, or revel in clients' awestruck wonder generated by presentations made on smart TVs.

Each manufacturer offers a variety of applications. Samsung's Nair, for instance, says his company has established partnerships with several other local and regional partners, including Dubai Media Incorporated, Dewa and Arabian Radio Network . Telecom service provider Etisalat has entered into a unique partnership with LG that will see its broadband services and content delivered through LG's new range of smart TVs.

Gadget of choice

With social media having become a focus for family-friendly networking, especially in a region populated by many expats with ties across the globe, TVs that gather and display their online and traditional media entertainment favourites fit the bill perfectly.

With more families and friends using websites to share photos, comments and information about happenings that would interest those in their circle, smart TV becomes the gadget of choice to create a sense of community.

"With the massive surge of social media users in the UAE, LG Smart TV is enabled with user-generated content (UGC), social networking service (SNS), photo-sharing service, weather forecasts and other useful applications from LG or Etisalat. Additionally, premium apps such as YouTube, Picasa, Facebook, Twitter and AccuWeather are available," Paik says.

User-friendliness is important in a device that needs to be used by various members of the family. Every smart TV comes with a remote suitable for its use. On-screen instructions allow for easy downloads and pop-up on-screen keyboards can be used to type.

Samsung's top-end sets come with a touch remote that has a small LCD screen, allowing you to watch another channel at the same time. Since the device is capable of talking to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, often smartphones or Android handsets are used as remote controls.

LG offers a remote control that works like a computer mouse. Paik says, "Customers here will be enthralled with the Magic Motion Remote Control, which provides the easiest control over your LG Smart TV and basically operates like a mouse."

Know your product

Those intimidated by all this high-tech gadgetry will find companies happy to teach them to maximise the potential of their smart TV. Says Paik, "LG has taken the time to explain the functions of the smart TV via advertisements and other means. When it comes to actually purchasing the smart TV, customers will find that retail outlets are well trained in explaining the full range of features and applications available. LG has also provided customers with the option of visiting the LG Gulf Blog (www.lggulfblog.com), which provides more information and feedback on the smart TV."

Likewise, Samsung hosts regular workshops with distributors and retail promoters. The company allows consumers to test-drive their televisions in experience zones built in many retail stores and offers additional service on a dedicated hotline. n

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A peek into the future

New developments are likely to continue through 2012. LG Electronics Gulf President H. S. Paik says, "The first completed effort of the alliance [between Etisalat and LG] is the launch of Etisalat's OnDemand, the region's first managed IPTV Video On-Demand Service without set-top box, and OnWeb, the new web-based video service that will be available to Etisalat's fibre-connected residential customers on all of LG's smart TVs."

Vinod Nair, General Manager, CTV Business, Samsung Gulf Electronics, too, says that the next year will bring newer trends. "We will focus on introducing more video-on-demand applications, where users can enjoy whatever content they want, whenever and wherever on Samsung smart TVs. Users are not limited to content offered by conventional satellite and broadcasting companies, since they now have access to a wide array of content sources via Samsung's Smart Hub."

— S.S.