Smart TV

History

In the early 1980s, "intelligent" television receivers were introduced in Japan. The addition of an LSI chip with memory and a character generator to a television receiver enabled Japanese viewers to receive a mix of programming and information transmitted over spare lines of the broadcast television signal. A patent was filed in 1994 (and extended the following year) for an "intelligent" television system, linked with data processing systems, by means of a digital or analog network. Apart from being linked to data networks, one key point is its ability to automatically download necessary software routines, according to a user's demand, and process their needs.

However, descriptions of the elements of a smart television can be found in public discourse from the beginning of the 1980s, if not earlier, with the introduction of videotex services, particularly teletext information for reception by television sets, leading commentators to consider that televisions and accessories would evolve to encompass a range of related activities. In the words of one commentator: "In the long run, this machine is likely to develop into a multi-purpose receiver, for electronic mail, dealing with the bank, calculations, remote information – and 'Not the nine o'clock news' or 'Casablanca' on video."

In the early 2000s, "Bush Internet TV" television sets and set-top boxes had internet-focused marketing and allowed users to access a web portal made by Virgin Media. This range was a commercial failure.

The mass acceptance of digital television in the mid-late 2000s and early 2010s greatly improved smart TVs. Major TV manufacturers have announced production of smart TVs only for their middle-end to high-end TVs in 2015. Smart TVs became the dominant form of television during the late 2010s. At the beginning of 2016, Nielsen reported that 29 percent of those with incomes over $75,000 a year had a smart TV.

Typical features

Smart TV devices also provide access to user-generated content (either stored on an external hard drive or in cloud storage) and to interactive services and Internet applications, such as YouTube, many using HTTP Live Streaming (also known as HLS) adaptive streaming. Smart TV devices facilitate the curation of traditional content by combining information from the Internet with content from TV providers. Services offer users a means to track and receive reminders about shows or sporting events, as well as the ability to change channels for immediate viewing. Some devices feature additional interactive organic user interface/natural user interface technologies for navigation controls and other human interaction with a smart TV, with such as second screen companion devices, spatial gestures input like with Xbox Kinect, and even for speech recognition for natural language user interface. Smart TV develops new features to satisfy consumers and companies, such as new payment processes. LG and PaymentWall have collaborated to allow consumers to access purchased apps, movies, games, and more using a remote control, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. This is intended for an easier and more convenient way for checkout.

Platforms

Smart TV technology and software are still evolving, with both proprietary and open source software frameworks already available. These can run applications (sometimes available via an 'app store' digital distribution platform), play over-the-top media services and interactive on-demand media, personalized communications, and have social networking features.

Android TV, Boxee, Google TV, Horizon TV, Inview, Kodi Entertainment Center, Mediaroom, MeeGo, OpenTV, Plex, RDK (Reference Development Kit), Roku, Smart TV Alliance, ToFu Media Platform, Ubuntu TV, Vewd, and Yahoo! Smart TV are framework platforms managed by individual companies. HbbTV, provided by the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV association, CE-HTML, part of Web4CE, OIPF, part of HbbTV, and Tru2way are framework platforms managed by technology businesses. Current smart TV platforms used by vendors are Amazon, Apple, Google, Haier, Hisense, Hitachi, Insignia, LG, Microsoft, Netgear, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TCL, TiVO, Toshiba, Sling Media, and Western Digital. Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, and Roku TV are some platforms ranked under the best smart TV platforms.

Sales

According to a report from research group NPD In-Stat, in 2012 only about 12 million U.S. households had their Web-capable TVs connected to the Internet, although an estimated 25 million households owned a set with the built-in network capability. In-Stat predicted that by 2016, 100 million homes in North America and western Europe would be using television sets blending traditional programming with internet content. By the end of 2019, the number of installed Connect TVs reached 1.26 billion worldwide.

The number of households using over-the-top television services has rapidly increased over the years. In 2015, 52% of U.S. households subscribed to Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu Plus; 43% of pay-TV subscribers also used Netflix, and 43% of adults used some streaming video on demand service at least monthly. Additionally, 19% of Netflix subscribers shared their subscription with people outside of their households. Ten percent of adults at the time showed interest in HBO Now.

Use and issues

Social networking

Some smart TV platforms come prepackaged or can be optionally extended, with social networking technology capabilities. The addition of social networking synchronization to smart TV and HTPC platforms may provide an interaction both with on-screen content and with other viewers than is currently available to most televisions, while simultaneously providing a much more cinematic experience of the content than is currently available with most computers.

Advertising

Some smart TV platforms also support interactive advertising (companion ads), addressable advertising with local advertising insertion and targeted advertising, and other advanced advertising features such as ad telescoping using VOD and DVR, enhanced TV for consumer call-to-action, and audience measurement solutions for ad campaign effectiveness. The marketing and trading possibilities offered by smart TVs are sometimes summarized by the term t-commerce. Taken together, this bidirectional data flow means smart TVs can be and are used for clandestine observation of the owners. Even in sets that are not configured off-the-shelf to do so, default security measures are often weak and will allow hackers to easily break into the TV.

A 2019 research named "Watching You Watch: The Tracking Ecosystem of Over-the-Top TV Streaming Devices", conducted at Princeton University and University of Chicago, demonstrated that a majority of streaming devices will covertly collect and transmit personal user data, including captured screen images, to a wide network of advertising and analytics companies, raising privacy concerns.

Digital marketing research firm eMarketer reported a 38 percent surge – to close to $7 billion, a 10 percent television advertising market share – in advertising on connected TV like Hulu and Roku, to be underway in 2019, with market indicators that the figure would surpass $10 billion in 2021.

Like traditional linear TV, connected TV is a go-to channel for brand marketers seeking do build awareness. However, recent innovations in ad formats, interactive elements like QR codes, and cross-device technology have made CTV more effective as a performance marketing solution. For example, mobile user acquisition campaigns can incorporate CTV as part of the user journey. Crucially, these innovations are measurable, giving opportunities for more sophisticated optimization.

Security

There is evidence that a smart TV is vulnerable to attacks. Some serious security bugs have been discovered, and some successful attempts to run malicious code to get unauthorized access were documented on video. There is evidence that it is possible to gain root access to the device, install malicious software, access and modify configuration information for a remote control, remotely access and modify files on TV and attached USB drives, access camera and microphone.

There have also been concerns that hackers may be able to remotely turn on the microphone or webcam on a smart TV, being able to eavesdrop on private conversations. A common loop antenna may be set for a bidirectional transmission channel, capable of uploading data rather than only receiving. Since 2012, security researchers discovered a similar vulnerability present in more series of smart TVs, which allows hackers to get an external root access on the device.

Anticipating growing demand for an antivirus for a smart TV, some security software companies are already working with partners in the digital TV field on the solution. It seems like there is only one antivirus for smart TVs available: "Neptune", a cloud-based antimalware system developed by Ocean Blue Software in partnership with Sophos. However, antivirus company Avira has joined forces with digital TV testing company Labwise to work on software to protect against potential attacks. The privacy policy for Samsung's smart TVs has been called Orwellian (a reference to George Orwell and the dystopian world of constant surveillance he depicted in Nineteen Eighty-Four), and compared to Telescreens because of eavesdropping concerns. LG has also implemented a security system, "LG Shield", designed to protect smart TV platforms through features such as application integrity checks and system-level safeguards against unauthorized access.

Hackers have misused smart TV's abilities such as operating source codes for applications and its unsecured connection to the Internet. Passwords, IP address data, and credit card information can be accessed by hackers and even companies for advertisement. A company caught in the act is Vizio. The confidential documents, codenamed Vault 7 and dated from 2013 to 2016, include details on CIA's software capabilities, such as the ability to compromise smart TVs.

Restriction of access

Internet websites can block smart TV access to content at will or tailor the content that will be received by each platform. Google TV-enabled devices were blocked by NBC, ABC, CBS, and Hulu from accessing their Web content since the launch of Google TV in October 2010. Google TV devices were also blocked from accessing any programs offered by Viacom's subsidiaries.

Reliability

In 2017, high-end Samsung smart TVs stopped working for at least seven days after a software update. Application providers are rarely upgrading smart TV apps to the latest version; for example, Netflix does not support older TV versions with new Netflix upgrades.