New gesture and voice-controlled TVs may outdo remote controls

Los Angeles, Jan 22 (ANI): Remote controls could soon become outdated with the advent of new generation gesture and voice-controlled televisions, tech observers say.

The new technology allows viewers to control a new line of TV sets simply by speaking or gesturing at them, eliminating the need for clunky pointing devices and opening up a range of new ways people can use and interact with their televisions, the Los Angeles Times reported.

At a giant booth constructed by Samsung Electronics for the Consumer Electronics Show last week in Las Vegas, a young lady gave a demonstration of the company's new line of Smart TV sets, which come with a built-in Web browser as well as online applications such as Netflix, Skype and Facebook.

"Hi TV," she said, issuing the verbal command for the TV to turn on.

"Channel 1034." The TV switched to a news channel.

"Web browser," she continued, and the Yahoo home page popped up.

Tech observers have asserted that gesture and voice recognition systems will grow more refined as the computers embedded in smartphones, TVs, tablets and home appliances become more powerful.

That will bring to end an era of mice and remote controls, which started in 1950 with Zenith's "Lazy Bones," a remote connected to the TV through a long wire.

According to Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester Research, with the newer controls, "you can simply use what God or nature gave you: your hands or your body or your voice - and that's all you need".

People may take some time to go remote-less but once they do, Golvin insisted, "most people would say it's simpler and more natural." (ANI)