In the not-too-distant future, you'll be talking to your TV instead of using the remote control, logging into Facebook with your face and disconnecting your DVD player and pay TV box in favour of high-definition video streaming over the internet.
Sounds like science fiction? Consider a new generation of ''smart televisions'' expected to launch in Australia this month. The Samsung ES8000 LED Smart TV will combine voice recognition with gesture control for an almost completely hands-free experience. And it hopes to be smart enough to ''know'' each member of the family using facial recognition and load their individual apps, settings and content as well as log them in automatically to online services such as Facebook and Twitter.
LG is also working on better ways for people to interact with the TV. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year, the company announced an updated ''Magic Motion Remote'' that adds voice recognition to its existing gesture control functionality. The built-in microphone allows voice commands, text dictation and even Facebook updates from compatible LG smart TVs.
The coming thing
DisplaySearch, a market research company based in the US, estimated that internet-connected TV shipments (units shipped to stores) would reach 138 million globally by 2015, accounting for almost half (47 per cent) of all flat-panel TVs. It appears smart TVs are doing well locally, too.
''We project that during 2012, over 23 per cent of TV panels sold will be smart TVs alone,'' says Fiona Irving, the corporate marketing manager for LG Electronics.
Whether consumers are aware they actually own a smart TV is another question.
''While we are seeing a trend in smart TV, I don't think consumers are completely aware of what smart TV is in some cases,'' says Greg Becroft, the business manager for TVs at Dick Smith.
''We are seeing cases where customers are buying it and not realising that they've got the capability to connect it to the internet.''
One of the challenges to the uptake of smart TV in Australia to date has been the lack of compelling programs. It's taken years for the programming and apps to catch up with the technology - particularly in Australia, where there are fewer internet TV services (known as IPTV) available, compared with overseas.
''Moving forward, the growth of smart TVs will be dependent on content partnerships and app development, as well as commercial innovations such as home shopping on the TV,'' Irving says.
It wasn't until last year that smart TV vendors really amped up their local video-on-demand offerings. Catch-up TV services such as ABC iView and Yahoo Plus7 became staples of the smart TV offering and various exclusive content partnerships were announced for particular brands: Samsung and LG announced agreements with Telstra to offer built-in access to BigPond content, while Sony accumulated a stable of no less than 28 internet TV channels.
The most exciting smart TV service, however, is one that hasn't been formally announced. Speaking at a television industry conference last month, the chief executive of Foxtel, Richard Freudenstein, revealed that Foxtel would be coming to smart TVs soon but he did not mention which TV manufacturers it had partnered with.
Even cleverer
The app situation on smart TVs is improving, too.
While you can expect the usual complement of YouTube, Facebook and Skype on almost any smart TV, ''made-for-TV'' apps that take advantage of the medium's unique attributes are emerging. The BigPond Sport Game Analyser app on Samsung TVs since 2010 is an example. It lets users watch previous rugby matches and skip directly to the highlights. This year, Samsung is launching Family Story, an app it dubbed ''Facebook for the family'', as well as a fitness program that works with wi-fi scales and matching smartphone apps to track everyone's weight and diet.
The next step, according to the group manager AV at Samsung Electronics Australia, Evan Manolis, is making smart TVs ''talk'' to the rest of the devices in the home and being able to access and share content across them in a seamless manner.
''Smart TV is about being able to utilise your TV with your other smart devices, whether it be a tablet, a smartphone, a laptop, a home theatre or a Blu-ray player,'' he says.
Commenting on DisplaySearch's rosy forecast for smart TV shipments, Becroft agrees the televisions will eventually be adopted widely.
''By 2015, I'd be very surprised if there are many TVs on the market that aren't smart TVs,'' he says.
The writer attended the Samsung Regional Forum 2012 as a guest of the company.
Jargon buster
Smart TV A television connected to the internet.
Apps Applications - new or extra functions allowed on the device, usually via a shortcut icon on the screen.
Content TV programs, film, news - the main ingredient in publishing.
IPTV Internet protocol television, or TV services provided over the internet.
