Philips has updated its Smart TV infrastructure and introduced a new user interface. “We expect a strong increase in the usage of Smart TV”, said Pieter Vervoort, VP and head of product strategy and Smart TV at Philips.
“At the moment more than 60% of all active Smart TV users access the application more than 50 times a month,” according to Vervoort, who also announced that Smart TV is being introduced across a wider range of Philips products, including smaller screens (from 19 inches upwards).
“The digital world of contents and apps is no longer restricted to owners of more expensive TV sets, but also within reach of people with a restricted budget.”
Philips has also updated its Smart TV Home Screen. Using a cloud-based solution, the new screen is automatically seen by all owners of a Philips connected TV set. The new screen displays the current time and weather at the location of the viewer, while a picture-in-picture shows the live feed of the channel being viewed.
The new home screen also gives personalised TV tips from all channels as well as of the VOD and catch-up TV content. In the lower half of the screen, viewers can put and organise their favourite apps. Interestingly, Philips is now using the term Smart TV rather than Net TV it previously used.
Philips is also introducing its Wi-Fi Smart Screen for the 8000 series of TV sets enabling streaming digital TV via the Philips Smart TV to an iPad.
According to Philips, there are now some 500 apps available including catch-up services from RTL, NPO, ARD, ZDF, NRJ, France Television, Euronews, Antena 3, France 24, a streaming service from CNBC and VOD services from a variety of national and international parties including Viewster, Videoland, Video Futur and many others.
The CE manufacturer hopes to increase the number of apps even further and has launched a special partner portal, with a number of tools including software development kit (SDK), information and support.
