STACK #205 Nov 2021

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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GET SMART! Nobody knows exactly who coined the term “smart TV,” but it’s now become the default description for almost anyTV you can buy today. The name conjures up an idea of an intelligent device that can think for itself, but thankfullyTVs haven’t gotten quite that smart (yet!)

I t was the arrival of digital TV (way back in 2000 in Australia) and with it, digital set-top boxes and ultimately digital-ready TVs, that set the stage for the smart TVs we know now. Digital TVs needed some sort of on-board computer to display a picture at all, as well as interactive things like the on-screen program guide. At some point, someone had an idea – what if these little computers deep inside TVs could run apps? Soon we had TVs with support for YouTube, Skype, Facebook and more – but one major problem. Those apps were built into the TV’s software and couldn’t be updated unless the TV was. They were like giant old Nokia phones with a handful of apps included as extra “connected” features that were the background for the main event – the TV being, well, a TV. We’ve come a long way in a very short time. All Systems Go Smart TVs really started to get useful when streaming made its way to Australia, kicked

off by Netflix and Stan in 2015. Suddenly, here were services that were tailor-made for a smart TV – the one remote control opening up access to not just free-to-air channels, but also that massive world of on-demand entertainment. Problem was, streaming services getting themselves added to smart TV menus had been more difficult than it should be. The big names in smart TVs solved the streaming problem by building their own operating systems and opening app stores, giving users access to a flood of streaming apps that could be added to the on-screen menu to choose from. Today, the “big three” –

screen” of the TV, where you can access everything from streaming and video games to apps designed for big-screen face-to-face communication and more. Here’s what’s on offer. Samsung As one of the biggest names in smart TV, Samsung was a pioneer of the rich user interface that’s now pretty much the default for smart TVs, with their Tizen platform. Known as “Smart Hub,” it’s an ever-growing thing that Samsung keeps adding features to.

Samsung, Sony and LG – all have their own ecosystems that let you effortlessly stream video from dozens of streaming services (there are more out there than you think!) But they’ve turned into something more than that – a vibrant user interface that’s designed to be the “home

PLUG AND PLAY One thing many people don’t realise about their smart TV is that they can play a huge variety of content from any USB drive you have hanging around. Video and photos from your phone, camera or just about anywhere else can be thrown up on the big screen in seconds by copying them to a USB drive and plugging into the TV. Many smart TVs can also be set to record live TV on USB drives – a great way to capture a show you’d rather watch later.

Alongside the usual row of streaming apps at the bottom of the screen when you’re watching TV, Smart Hub has expanded to include the features you wouldn’t expect from a TV, such as

38 NOVEMBER 2021

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