Recent developments in technology have seen the advent of something called “Smart TV”. This is the integration of several internet based technologies with your television that blurs the lines between each of your entertainment devices.
Watch Smarter – Not More – Television
You can surf the web or play games on your television, watch catch up TV on your laptop or access your social networks on your games console. It also means that going to the rental store to choose a film – only to find that it is rented to somebody else and you have to settle for a second or third choice – is a thing of the past as you can access any film or TV show from your armchair.
One of the developments of Smart TV is that we can watch TV on a far wider range of equipment. Though the biggest benefit is that most networks have a catch-up service where you can watch your favourite shows at your leisure on a computer, the extension of this is that we can now watch those same archives on our games systems. Both the Xbox and Playstation (and the recently released Wii U) platforms have a number of downloadable apps for television services relevant to your country, on-demand movie rental services and a number of other apps that enhance the entertainment experience.
One of the emerging technologies used by Smart TV is The Cloud. The Cloud is an online storage system which allows you to save files and programmes, not on an internal hard drive, but using the web network itself as a memory. This means that you do not need to worry about damaged cassette tapes or scratched DVDs and any system crash means your files are saved on a remote server.
All That Expensive Equipment!
Far from being an expensive upgrade, it is relatively cheap and painless to have such a system in your home. Most mid-range televisions bought in the last couple of years are Smart TV enabled with integrated catch up and other apps readily available on. If you already have a broadband package and a router, you’ll not need to buy anything else because the router and the television work in conjunction with each other to deliver the Smart TV functions. Once connected, you can choose to download any apps you see fit. It is the same principle as your games console and its downloadable content. Before you attempt this, ensure that your television is even capable of connecting to the internet. Also ensure that the relevant technologies are compatible in your country. Your broadband internet provider ought to be able to assist you should you encounter any problems. Another great feature is that you can mirror an iphone on android tv and get even more functionality from your connected system.
It is expected that this technology will be relatively future-proof as systems and the network can be upgraded remotely and all you need do is download the occasional software update, just as you would with your tablet, laptop, desktop computer or gaming system.
The 4G Will Be With You – Always
Due to possible conflicting technology, OfCom last year reported a potential problem with 4G TV Interference when the system went live in 2013. A recent study has shown that the number of homes then expected to experience problem were vastly overestimated – though somewhere in the region of 90,000 may experience interference. If your television signal has degraded since the introduction of 4G in your area, you should probably investigate whether this is a contributing factor. It can be corrected quickly and easily with a local engineer.
Most developed nations are pushing ahead with 4G during the course of 2013 and it will only be a matter of time before there is full coverage. Who knows what future developments this will bring to our mobile technologies or specifically, for our televisions?
