Consumer electronics devices with large displays offering viewers spectacular images in high definition and 3D were on display earlier this year at CES 2011. However, a key trend in this important device category is the compelling need for, and industry attempts to provide users with, a useful and appealing way in which to control their increasingly capable yet complex devices.
The need for effective device controllers beyond the traditional remote is becoming even more extreme as was indicated at CES 2011 by the widespread emergence and growing acceptance of internet-connected, or so-called “Smart” displays and televisions.
Consumers have been presented with a variety of so-called “Smart” or internet “Connected” displays and televisions over the last 12 months. Moreover, consumer electronics manufacturers have added wired and wireless network connectivity to a variety of other products such as Blu-Ray disc players.
Increasingly, consumers would like to access over the top and streaming content on their large screen displays from a relaxed “living room lean back” seating position. However, the implementation of internet connected displays and their user controls has left a great deal to be desired. In addition to connected televisions and disc players, several manufacturers have brought out devices to add internet content availability to televisions including Apple TV, D-Link’s Boxee Box, Roku’s players, Netgear’s media players, and more. Microsoft through its Xbox platform has also entered the fray offering Netflix streaming video through its Xbox LIVE portal. At the same time, Google and its partners including Sony and Logitech have introduced “Google TV” calling it “a new experience for television that combines the TV that you already know with the freedom and power of the Internet.” Although the price of some of these devices has fallen to the sub $100 range, all these devices to date have suffered to date from major deficiencies that have slowed adoption.
While the IP-connected display may be “smart,” the means to interact with and control the increasingly powerful features of these devices must move beyond the old remote paradigm. Moreover, the industry must move still further, beyond the mouse and keyboard approach that has been the only widely applied alternative.
IP-connected devices driving large display output devices need more sophisticated controllers to satisfy users. Google TV devices like Logitech’s Revue and Sony’s Internet TV products while not yet ready for prime time are the forerunners for tomorrow’s IP-connected display. As such their controllers are prime candidates for our analysis. So are devices like the Microsoft Kinect. The Kinect promises to reset consumers’ expectations of how they should be able to interact with their display.
The Logitech Revue keyboard (below compared to a full size keyboard) is our starting point of reference. Indeed, I am writing this article on the Revue keyboard and it’s actually a good keyboard and may also meet consumers’ needs as a smart display controller. The Revue keyboard is compact, well-constructed, and has several design features that provide direct access to Google TV audio visual controls. As a desktop keyboard my only complaint is the omission of double tap and scrolling functions from the integrated touch pad. When used in the lean back position and held with two hands the combination of a left mouse-click button in the upper left hand corner of the keyboard and thumb actuation of the touch pad works well. Right mouse-click functionality is provided by a key to the right of the spacebar. The very small USB Unifying receiver used with this and other Logitech input devices is a great way to pair up to six compatible wireless mice, keyboards, etc. with a single Unifying receiver. The absence of the usual PC keyboard Insert, Delete, End, and Home keys are somewhat of a barrier to desktop keyboard use but the included directional pad and enter (OK) key are of utility in the lean back mode. Since Logitech did not intend the keyboard for general PC keyboard input but rather as a Smart TV controller they cannot be blamed for this design choice.
As recently reported Google has provided developers their Google TV version 2.0 beta hardware and software. Both sales and the balance of reviewer opinions suggest that Google TV 1.0 has not been strongly received by consumers. However, in releasing the 2.0 beta units, Google has retained the Logitech designed keyboard – a further acknowledgment of Logitech’s successful keyboard design.
We look forward to future product releases of smart TVs including Google TV 2.0. Although the products launched to date have not been wildly successful, as developers work to improve the user experience and particularly the input controller for smart TVs we expect the improved products to achieve considerable success. Perhaps now that the Microsoft Kinect SDK has been released, we will see some creative efforts to utilize voice and gesture input for smart TV control and perhaps relegate hand held remotes and keyboards to the dustbin.
