Innovative technologies that are redefining the Indian Smart TV Industry
In this age of the internet and digitisation, the advent of Smart TV is only the natural evolution of the idiot box that has traditionally dominated the Indian household. As the internet becomes easily affordable, along with an increased preference for good quality content and growing popularity of OTT streaming, Smart TVs climb up the popularity charts in India and across the globe. In fact, Netflix highlights the same pattern in a report published by Recode, claiming 70 per cent of its users preferring to stream content on a Smart TV, instead of a smartphone etc.
Thus, the Indian Smart TV space has been attracting attention from several key industry leaders. As the competition stiffens, the prices fall and the end users are spoilt for choice. Consequently, the Smart TV industry has emerged as the breeding grounds for technology innovation. Let’s get up close and personal with top three industry-led innovations that are redefining the Indian Smart TV industry:
Advent of 4K-Ready Smart TV
The TV resolution has evolved from HD (High Definition) to Full HD, Ultra HD, to finally, the advent of 4K. However, while 4K Smart TV may burn a hole in the pocket of consumers, there is a hack for users to still enjoy the superior and immersive 4K experience. 4K-Ready Smart TV is a new category that enables Full HD TV to play 4K content in its native resolution, i.e. 1920 x 1080. Users who wouldn’t prefer buying an expensive 4K TV but yet wish to watch their 4K content on TV may upgrade to a Full HD TV and get future-ready.
In years to come, 4K content would dominate the world of entertainment, not only in India but across the world. Clearly, the advent of 4K-Ready Smart TVs spells a significant moment in the history of Smart TVs in India. Providing a significant upgrade in the quintessential TV viewing experience, 4K-Ready Smart TVs are here to define the future of entertainment. When such industry-led innovation is made democratically accessible by controlling the prices, it marks the onset of a change in the industry.
Latest Android OS
The Android ecosystem is fast-evolving, with the makers releasing a new update in the operating system. The performance of the Smart TV is significantly impacted by the Android OS that it runs on. With the advent of the latest update, Android 7.0 Nougat OS, the Smart TVs running on the same operating system will deliver a superior performance and a better experience. However, while the latest update has been out, several Smart TVs are still running on the primitive Android 4.4 KitKat version. For the optimum experience, users must opt for Smart TVs powered by the latest OS.
Content Discovery Engine
The offerings of broadcast linear TV restricted the viewers. In this age of digitization, the same limitation has pushed viewers away from the TV, thus seeking entertainment on their PCs, Tabs or phones. The Internet, on the other hand, offers millions of hours of interesting and entertaining content across genres and preferences.
However, while internet connectivity and digitization give viewers an access to limitless content, the same tends to also be a deterrent. Users today suffer at the hands of decision-fatigue and after a long and arduous day, contemplating the next series to binge-watch is a task. At the same time, a number of free and paid content offerings are stuck in limbo, with viewers finding it difficult to discover the same.
The advent of advanced technologies like machine learning (AI) offers some respite. The technology analyses social trends to recommend content that’d be the best fit. While several OTT apps are tinkering with the same technology, Smart TVs offers pragmatic resolutions, in the form of Content Discovery and Curation Engine.
A true Smart TV is the one which is propelled by a content discovery engine that curates content a viewer would like to consume. The smart curation presents users with millions of hours of digital content that is globally and socially trending. Facilitating content discovery and curation has a direct impact on the user experience, and thus, is undoubtedly redefining the Smart TV industry in India.
In addition to such innovations, the Smart TV industry isn’t isolated from other key highlights. For instance, having a Quad-core processor ensures smooth and faster processing. Lastly, with a Super Remote, viewers will be able to access all essential TV functions, simply by pointing and clicking.
By: Jagdish Rajpurohit, Founder, CloudWalker
