Just because a TV can access Netflix and YouTube, does it really make it all that "smart?" Panasonic is ready to school a few manufacturers in the finer art of Smart TV, with Life+Screen.
The newly announced platform seems to be going for the genius level of the Smart TV category. It promises to take consumers beyond what you can get on the typical Smart TV, via a new level of personalization and interaction.
So what does that mean exactly? Panasonic is building on the personalization features introduced in last year's "My Home Screen," but adding in a new user interface and a slew of other enhancements. The end result promises to be more intuitive, easier, and more geared towards individual users.
According to Panasonic, Life+Screen wants to get to know you and the family as a whole. Then, the platform uses that knowledge to determine favorite content and have it waiting for you when the TV is switched on. It doesn't just tap into viewing patterns, but can actually recognize each individual user and build a personalized profile for that person, via the My Button on the remote included with the AX800 Series, AS680 Series, and AS650 Series.
That My Button is key here. You're going to need to press it to define the content that you like. The system then uses the program metadata and some advanced algorithms to come up with appropriate recommendations -- ones that you will actually like.
Life+Screen looks nice, too. The My Stream feature generates an individualized channel of content just for you, using content from different sources. It will have movies and TV shows from cable, terrestrial broadcast and VOD all listed together, so you can choose whatever you like without having to worry about the actual source. The My Stream interface can also include personal items, such as home movies, photos, online videos, recorded content, and more.
Panasonic is hoping that users will become so addicted to the Life+Screen features, they'll want to take them beyond the living room. The My Home Cloud feature allows just that, so users can exchange information between the TV and smartphones and PCs.
Other Life+Screen features include voice navigation and an auto wake mode. There's also a built-in camera, which can identify the nearest user and present relevant, graphical information in the "Info Bar."
"There are so many things you can do with your TV these days...from watching TV shows and films, connecting with family and friends via social media, accessing video on demand and user-generated content via the cloud, gaming, and so much more," said Julie Bauer, president of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "Technology has brought us access to a seemingly endless list of content options directly through your TV and it is getting harder to find what to watch. So we decided it was time to redefine what a 21st-century TV should be by taking into account how people live their lives today, and how that will change in the future. The result is our new 2014 Panasonic VIERA Life+Screens."
Panasonic's Life+Screen models will include the aforementioned AX800 Series (4K), AS680 Series (1080p) and AS650 Series (1080p), as well as the AS640 Series (1080p) and AS530 Series (1080p). Several models are currently available for pre-order, with plans to ship sometime this spring.
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