LG smartTV with webOS Open

[eblade]

CES is often for getting a feeling of consumer response to a product, just as much as it is for launching products, or showing off recently released products.

[etphoto]

CES is often for getting a feeling of consumer response to a product, just as much as it is for launching products, or showing off recently released products.

Thats true, and if the consumer response is very positive, waiting 6 months before releasing isnt a smart move.


-- Sent from my TouchPad using Communities

[sledge007]

Originally Posted by hprovider

On the rare occasion that you need a new TV, you aren't going to be waiting around.

RIght, but I've needed a new HDTV for the last 6 months....it still works, just has some weird pixel glitches once in a while. I've been waiting for the "right" deal for me. Figured I'd wait around until Christmas, maybe Boxing Day, and see what prices were like.

[RumoredNow]

<Note: reprinted from a post I made in the Open Mobile Update!!! thread>

I have the Roku XS set top box. It's not so much "smart TV" as it is "streaming TV." You can subscribe to Netflix, Hulu+, Amazon Video, etc. It is built mostly for static viewing of channels and there is no real, internet interfacing. It does have some games (mostly all are purchase options). The remote has an accelerometer built in. I have played Angry Birds on it. Crude, but acceptable. The Roku remote needs some refinement to help catapult it into the realm of "smart." Here is what the Roku XS remote looks like:




Vizio has a new set top box named Co Star with web browsing and select Google Play Apps. This is what their remote looks like:




If LG/gram can bring OpenwebOS to a TV that delivers synergy, web access, cards with gestures... AND ACL that would be something. They need a full QWERTY and accelerometer enabled remote. Gestures with a remote "pointer" are acceptable. I do it now on my Win 8 laptop without touch. People ***** about touch gestures via mouse, but I have taken to it. It isn't bad at all. Just takes a small bit of patience to learn. I feel it has increased my multitasking ability and speed... (...whatever, end rant, different debate, etc...)

If the LG/gram TV experience delivers eMail, Calendar, Contacts all backed up and deployable under your Profile to sync to/from mobile devices... If it delivers full web browsing... If it delivers Roku style programmable channels with options for Developers to create and add channels to the main store or through "private" password enabled install (like Roku does)... If they throw in a huge App store courtesy of ACL upon launch...

Now imagine that gram has seen what LunaCE did for Cards and they replicate that. Throw in Skype Video calling, Pandora or Tune in Times...

All in cards. Make a killer remote.


Now on TV:

Card open to Amazon, Card open to eBay - stacked.

Card open to monitor eMail account, Card Open to Calendar (the alarm has gone off, it is Grandma's birthday) - stacked

Card open to webOS Nation where you are signed in.

Card open to the Football game.

Make those mini-cards on the margin. In the main Card, the kids are Skype calling Grandma to sing "Happy Birthday" to her.

When the Skype call ends you grab the Football game and throw that card into focus. During the commercial you can shop Amazon or look at some webOS Nation posts and decide that you need to call out RumoredNow for being stupid... Or open up the Pizza Place website and order dinner. Maybe you want to call them. No worries, their # is stored in your contacts. Do a Just Type search to call it up from Contacts and send the # to your cell phone where it auto-dials.

After the game, relax and play some video games you installed from Google Play earlier that day.


Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe LG/gram won't make it that slick.


Sure would be nice.


I'd buy one...

[akitayo]

Originally Posted by RumoredNow

<Note: reprinted from a post I made in the Open Mobile Update!!! thread>

I have the Roku XS set top box. It's not so much "smart TV" as it is "streaming TV." You can subscribe to Netflix, Hulu+, Amazon Video, etc. It is built mostly for static viewing of channels and there is no real, internet interfacing. It does have some games (mostly all are purchase options). The remote has an accelerometer built in. I have played Angry Birds on it. Crude, but acceptable. The Roku remote needs some refinement to help catapult it into the realm of "smart." Here is what the Roku XS remote looks like:

Click to view quoted image



Vizio has a new set top box named Co Star with web browsing and select Google Play Apps. This is what their remote looks like:

Click to view quoted image



If LG/gram can bring OpenwebOS to a TV that delivers synergy, web access, cards with gestures... AND ACL that would be something. They need a full QWERTY and accelerometer enabled remote. Gestures with a remote "pointer" are acceptable. I do it now on my Win 8 laptop without touch. People ***** about touch gestures via mouse, but I have taken to it. It isn't bad at all. Just takes a small bit of patience to learn. I feel it has increased my multitasking ability and speed... (...whatever, end rant, different debate, etc...)

If the LG/gram TV experience delivers eMail, Calendar, Contacts all backed up and deployable under your Profile to sync to/from mobile devices... If it delivers full web browsing... If it delivers Roku style programmable channels with options for Developers to create and add channels to the main store or through "private" password enabled install (like Roku does)... If they throw in a huge App store courtesy of ACL upon launch...

Now imagine that gram has seen what LunaCE did for Cards and they replicate that. Throw in Skype Video calling, Pandora or Tune in Times...

All in cards. Make a killer remote.


Now on TV:

Card open to Amazon, Card open to eBay - stacked.

Card open to monitor eMail account, Card Open to Calendar (the alarm has gone off, it is Grandma's birthday) - stacked

Card open to webOS Nation where you are signed in.

Card open to the Football game.

Make those mini-cards on the margin. In the main Card, the kids are Skype calling Grandma to sing "Happy Birthday" to her.

When the Skype call ends you grab the Football game and throw that card into focus. During the commercial you can shop Amazon or look at some webOS Nation posts and decide that you need to call out RumoredNow for being stupid... Or open up the Pizza Place website and order dinner. Maybe you want to call them. No worries, their # is stored in your contacts. Do a Just Type search to call it up from Contacts and send the # to your cell phone where it auto-dials.

After the game, relax and play some video games you installed from Google Play earlier that day.


Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe LG/gram won't make it that slick.


Sure would be nice.


I'd buy one...

That will be stunning

[jcmarcos]

Originally Posted by RumoredNow

Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe LG/gram won't make it that slick.

Man, these kind of thoughts are priceless in companies that pursue success through innovation. Others just live the day as mere suppliers. Let's see which path Gram wants to be on (hint: One of them is much easier than the other).

[C_McGuire]

Something tells me they chose Open webOS because their current Smart TV user interface already resembles it to some extent... I have a feeling that it isn't going to look like the webOS we're accustomed to seeing, but who knows.

[RumoredNow]

Originally Posted by C_McGuire

Something tells me they chose Open webOS because their current Smart TV user interface already resembles it to some extent... I have a feeling that it isn't going to look like the webOS we're accustomed to seeing, but who knows.

Since it is currently a variant of Google TV I believe they will want to do 3 things to make the new Smart TV successful...

1) Make it as unlike Google (or Apple TV) as possible...

2) Translate their proprietary TV ecosystem to be compatible with webOS and expand on it quickly...

3) Incorporate as much full web interaction, synergy and cloud support as possible...

They should try to blur the dividing line between TV and Computing.

It really has to have something different. Set Top Box tech is growing. The costs are $200 or less. (Sony's Google TV box is the largest, bulkiest system I've seen and it is $199.) Decent boxes can be had for $100 or less.

The add-on cost to make a TV Smart keeps a lot of folks from buying. Why spend all those $$$ when you can add a Set Top Box for so little to a perfectly good HD TV?

[C_McGuire]

Originally Posted by RumoredNow

Since it is currently a variant of Google TV I believe they will want to do 3 things to make the new Smart TV successful...

1) Make it as unlike Google (or Apple TV) as possible...

2) Translate their proprietary TV ecosystem to be compatible with webOS and expand on it quickly...

3) Incorporate as much full web interaction, synergy and cloud support as possible...

They should try to blur the dividing line between TV and Computing.

It really has to have something different. Set Top Box tech is growing. The costs are $200 or less. (Sony's Google TV box is the largest, bulkiest system I've seen and it is $199.) Decent boxes can be had for $100 or less.

The add-on cost to make a TV Smart keeps a lot of folks from buying. Why spend all those $$$ when you can add a Set Top Box for so little to a perfectly good HD TV?

Wow, very well said...extremely well said, you should write a letter to LG. I definitely agree with everything, I only hope LG has that kind of vision/planning/execution to follow-through on such an idea. I'd definitely buy it, and I already have a Smart LG HD 3D TV.

[jcmarcos]

Originally Posted by RumoredNow

I believe they will want to do 3 things to make the new Smart TV successful...

Those are very good ideas indeed.

Why spend all those $$$ when you can add a Set Top Box for so little to a perfectly good HD TV?

There lies the show stopper. No matter how wonderful your new computerised TV is, many people won't have the money to replace their perfectly working TV. Moreso if you can add a box by its side that adds all that functionality, and it's a box you can pick from the store counter and put to work yourself, not a two meter box that demands a truck to take home.

But also, that box has no future either. It's all about CONTENT. And here, the telecom companies rule - You'd better mate your new computer-TV to some existing content offer, or people will see you as you are: An empty box.

[RumoredNow]

Originally Posted by jcmarcos

...But also, that box has no future either. It's all about CONTENT. And here, the telecom companies rule - You'd better mate your new computer-TV to some existing content offer, or people will see you as you are: An empty box...

I agree. Earlier in this thread I surmised that ACL will finally debut for webOS via the LG Smart TV. That would open up a lot of Google Play content immediately.

However, a more important point for the streaming aspect of a smart TV is that TV remains an operative capacity. Look at Roku. They thrive now on Channels that can be added. There is a very large selection of Channels available right from the box... And "Private" Channels are available via access codes used to install. Roku encourages Channel Developers. I also mentioned that as a necessary strategy... I see approximately 3-12 new Channel offerings a week on Roku at this stage in its life. These Channels are being offered free or subscription. There is a community of Developers active there.

Obviously consumers are spoiled by huge mobile ecosystems and want all their electronics to share in that ability to graze endlessly...

LG strikes me as a pretty intelligent corporate entity. with any luck, gram will not have HP and their Board second guessing their efforts. Only time will tell what this product looks like. If it goes over and LG is satisfied with consumer response that would be a favorable sign and they might look harder at webOS for phones and tablets. Meanwhile that ecosystem would be given a jumpstart by their TV launch.

[jcmarcos]

Originally Posted by RumoredNow

I surmised that ACL will finally debut for webOS via the LG Smart TV

Don't say that very loud, or LG will go the obvious route, and plaster Android in their TVs. It's a much easier and shiny solution, and they even make a flagship Android phone (the latest Nexus, I believe), so they already have plenty of experience. Not to mention that the only thing they would have to do is pun in there some alternative user interface, suitable for TV. With webOS, a much, much bigger work is required.

Look at Roku. They thrive now on Channels that can be added.

Thanks for the information, those devices are still extremely unusual over here. Too "modern" for me, I'd say. In Spain, people usually buy a channel pack with the ADSL line at home. All those channels are the regular ones from conventional TV companies.

LG strikes me as a pretty intelligent corporate entity. with any luck, gram will not have HP and their Board second guessing their efforts.

The only positive thing I see from that "gram" company is the fact that they are not tied at all to paranoid HP.

[Buddy1969]

Originally Posted by jcmarcos

...

The only positive thing I see from that "gram" company is the fact that they are not tied at all to paranoid HP.

But they are. HP pays.
If you want to know the truth, always follow the money.

[d0u8l3m]

Well...so much for that idea


LG's 2013 Google TV sets to come in more sizes, fresher designs

[geekpeter]

Originally Posted by d0u8l3m

Well...so much for that idea


LG's 2013 Google TV sets to come in more sizes, fresher designs

headshot!

[Vistaus]

@digitinary: Growing closer because of the Nexus 4? Yeah, that's what I thought when HTC built the first Nexus and where is HTC now? They said they see a future with Windows Phone and they feel frightened by the Motorola takeover so it didn't grew them closer even though they built the first Nexus.

[Remy X]

Originally Posted by Vistaus

@digitinary: Growing closer because of the Nexus 4? Yeah, that's what I thought when HTC built the first Nexus and where is HTC now? They said they see a future with Windows Phone and they feel frightened by the Motorola takeover so it didn't grew them closer even though they built the first Nexus.

Yeah... HTC is now concerned with what they see as the near-ubiquity of high end Android phones, and lack of real differentiation of said phones in the market... (big screen, Android, case colors: black or white) so they have to try another option if they want to avoid building more of the same... or do nothing and risk being a candidate for a merger with another company...


But since LG is Google's new favorite, i guess they don't have to worry about market saturation until after Google moves onto someone else..

So, for everyone else there is still demand for those huge slab phones, but if they all look and feel about the same, how will the consumer know which one to buy? It becomes a gamble for those manufacturers... you can keep up with market expectations set by someone else, but unless you really drop the price (a la Touchpad) or beat the market expectations by introducing something truly new, you won't really be selling.

When there's Android, brand loyalty goes out the window.. people just look at build quality and price... And i think this is what you are trying to say. HTC is becoming a victim of the machine, and now they want out.


But when Google is playing favorites, nobody they choose turns them down, this is already proven. I think it's time to write off LG as a potential webOS licensee, until the "Nexus high" wears off, which could be another four or so years, an eternity in this business. There's no knight in shining armor, we are all there is for webOS

[Remy X]

@dignitary,

I like your analysis. I really do. Everyone has been so certain here about LG going through with the project that i didn't even realize how this whole premise was built around a flimsy rumor. This is embarrassing, how everyone got so worked up about it, but i guess it's the same as with the ACL vaporware..

I want to be clear, i don't fault anyone here, since there are many more consumers on this forum than people working in this industry... but it still sucks to see people clutching so hard onto unsubstantiated hope, and forgetting that the most dedication and the most result is coming from this community's Homebrew developers. There's no corporate salvation, no meal ticket.

This really puts Gram's $40,000 gift to webOS Ports into perspective... and shows how dire the situation may actually be..

[akitayo]

The only thing I can say at this time What is HP waiting for?

3 months and not any sustainable word about webOS Open direction.

What of theirs plans failed:
Plan A: OEMs will take webOS open. No news after 3 months from September.
Is someone out there (OEM) testing the software?
Failed?

Plan B: Lets make an slab webOS smartphone. But when? Not 2013 but 2014? Not sure if it will go with webOS???

Plan C: Unkown.

My final questions are: Is the software working properly on hardwares? Is it speedy already?

How much time will take to the webOS team to make it really functional ? A year more?

[Remy X]

Originally Posted by akitayo

The only thing I can say at this time What is HP waiting for?

3 months and not any sustainable word about webOS Open direction.

What of theirs plans failed:
Plan A: OEMs will take webOS open. No news after 3 months from September.
Is someone out there (OEM) testing the software?
Failed?

Plan B: Lets make an slab webOS smartphone. But when? Not 2013 but 2014? Not sure if it will go with webOS???

Plan C: Unkown.

My final questions are: Is the software working properly on hardwares? Is it speedy already?

How much time will take to the webOS team to make it really functional ? A year more?

webOS can and does work perfectly on the hardware as long as there are drivers for it, but when most drivers aren't open source and manufacturers aren't providing them, it becomes more difficult.

As for OEMs, Android is the low-hanging fruit, so no one is really interesting in webOS with its neglected ecosystem. When we'll have ACL to run Android apps, things might change, but it's still...

The "year or more" does sound realistic for Homebrew to turn things around (app store, core apps like the browser, etc), but it will still take a miracle to see a manufacturer pick up webOS and run with it.

Android and FirefoxOS are the official, "certified", "approved" open source projects with strong corporate backing. webOS is the true underdog, because whatever corporate presence we have isn't really pushing forward or throwing billions of dollars at getting webOS out there. I'm thankful for what we already have, that HP is giving webOS a chance to recover and stand on its own, but they aren't putting in even close to as much as the competitors, so we have to pick up where they left off and keep moving forward.