Opinion
Las Vegas - coming soon to your living room
16 January 2012
The marketing tells us that: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”. But in the case of the CES, that’s simply not true.
The world’s largest consumer electronics brands want to ensure that what they launched in Vegas, hits every store, every blog and every home as soon as possible.
Last week was a chance to see what tech heavy-hitters such as Samsung, LG and Microsoft think the near future will look like. And by and large they think that the way we interact with our electrical goods will no longer be via remote control but by gesture and voice and that our entertainment will be increasing 3D.
A 3D perspective
By far, the coolest booth at the show was LG’s huge 3-D display wall – visitors were awed by a near 50-foot wall of 3D video. LG also showcased a ridiculously thin flat-screen and the world’s largest 3D television with built-in “Magic Gesture” capabilities.
The efforts by LG and fellow South Korean giant Samsung to attract attention were extremely impressive. Both are clearly pushing for premium brand status and LG’s 3D wall battled with the incredible razor thin TVs launched by Samsung for attention.
Videology also worked closely with Samsung to deliver a CES debut for the first-ever 3D video advertisement. Launching an Audi commercial on the latest Samsung screens ran as part of a demonstration of 3D-connected television.
3D television was a major topic of discussion at 2012 CES, so expect to see more advances as it becomes more affordable, accessible, and convenient to watch for consumers. Other manufacturers also featured televisions using motion and voice-recognition controls similar to the Kinect system for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game console.
Speak up with voice control
Samsung offered ‘Smart Interaction’, which uses two unidirectional mics and an integrated webcam for motion and voice control – think Siri for your TV. Users can turn the TV on or off, change the volume, activate all their apps and even search the web.
Such motion controls, however, weren’t simply applied to our TVs and consoles but also our cars. Both Audi and Mercedes demonstrated experimental displays that allow drivers to pull up information such as GPS information, emails, or even entertainment videos (for the passenger-side only) on the windshield, as well as to use hand gestures to pull up information via a virtual overlay that blends with actual scenery, such as restaurants, hotels, or other cars.
But the key change for advertisers is not just how amazing these new launches are and how smart they will look in our cars and living rooms but the increasing recognition by consumer manufacturers that devices need a common language.
The era of tech silos – TV, mobile, computer and tablets that don’t talk to each other – is rapidly coming to an end. These areas are converging thanks to a realisation that consumers are happy to pick up whichever device works or is most convenient.
Each device is an IP gateway that can be used for targeted messages and highlights the need for brands to have a multi-device strategy. Increasingly they can’t do just mobile or just online, they will need to understand how their consumers flip between devices and platforms, what additional devices use while watching video content on a connected TV and how many messages they have already seen.
Clearly not all of this technology will be in our living rooms next year. There are hurdles to be overcome, from affordability to privacy concerns. However, if the past is any indication, great technology finds a way and great brands find a smart way to use it.
Ryan Jamboretz, chief executive EMEA, Videology