- ll-new Social App allows simultaneous watching of TV and posting on social media.
- YouTube’s movie rental service soon available on Philips Smart TV.
- Usability is a major focus area for Philips Smart TV.
Amsterdam, 30th August, 2012 – Today, TP Vision presented the latest additions and enhancements to its Philips Smart TV proposition. Smart TV is now available on the majority of Philips TV products. ‘Social App’ is a new feature integrating social media channels with TV programming, enabling users to simultaneously watch TV and follow discussions on social media platforms. Social App is now available on Philips Smart TVs. In autumn, Philips MyRemoteApp will receive an update. The new release will feature Philips Wi-Fi Smart Screen, which allows users to take their favourite programme from the main screen with them on their iPhone® or iPad®.
Smart TV made social
The growth in Social Media usage has exceeded everyone’s expectations. Apps to access Facebook and Twitter are already available on Smart TV, but currently users have to decide whether to watch TV or follow discussions on social platforms. Doing both at the same time has not been possible so far. With the introduction of Social App on Philips Smart TV, users can now simultaneously watch TV and check-in to social media to let friends know what they are watching and read TV programming related Twitter feeds. Later on, Social App will also allow simultaneous access to Facebook.
YouTube Movie Rentals coming soon to your Philips TV
TP Vision continuously expands its App offering and there are currently more than 1,500 Apps to choose from. TP Vision plans to introduce YouTube Movie Rentals onto Philips Smart TV’s later this year in select European countries. Philips Smart TV will be among the first TV platforms to offer access to YouTube’s movie rental service. In addition, several new services ranging from Catch-up TV to new Video on Demand apps have been launched or will be launched shortly.
Usability is king: Philips Smart TV offers one-click operation
Beside a large choice of apps and content, usability is the most important feature for a Smart TV offering. The recently relaunched Philips Smart TV Home Screen is an important building block in our usability strategy. It now features a search function that lets users quickly find the movie, TV show, or app they are looking for. And, because users don’t want to be bothered with lengthy payment processes, Smart TV Payment on Philips Smart TVs is a secure yet simple payment system especially designed for Smart TV. Only a four-digit PIN code is required to pay for purchases by credit card or using a pre-paid wallet within apps. Social App is also absolutely dedicated to ease of use. With a single click on the Twitter logo, users get their tweets sent directly to the screen – there’s no need to search for the app in the list: just click and tweet.
From living room TV to personal TV
The MyRemote Apps for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets are highly sought after. In fact, almost a million users have already downloaded them to their mobile devices. And the upcoming release of MyRemote App will be even more attractive with its Wi-Fi Smart Screen. It allows users to ‘pull’ the show or movie they are watching on the TV towards their mobile device, so that they can continue watching anywhere in the home on a tablet or smartphone. To begin with, the new MyRemote App release will be available for iOS devices. An Android version will be the next step.
Smart TV Alliance will bring more and better Apps
TP Vision is a co-founder of the Smart TV Alliance. With an aligned approach towards app developers, the Smart TV Alliance aims to create a large developer community for Smart TV Apps and stimulate app development. For consumers this means that they will soon benefit from better Smart TV apps and more of them.
