Imagine being able to afford a new TV without spending a penny. It is in any case the bet launched by the company Telly to offer free TV. But there is obviously a counterpart to this: a second screen that can broadcast advertising.
Watching advertising in exchange for free TV, anyone?
This novelty is offered by Telly, a company created by Ilya Pozin, co-founder of Pluto TV, an American video-on-demand platform. According TheVergeSamsung, LG, and Vizio are expected to roll out models from their brands in this form.
Concretely, this is a standard TV to which a second, smaller screen is connected below. The company calls this second screen a “Smart Display”, which is separated from the main TV by a soundbar. This can broadcast advertising, but also displays widgets such as those of sports results, a ticker, the weather or the stock market.
The first rumors about this type of TV appeared at the beginning of May, and mentioned a small screen about 15 centimeters high, placed under the sound bar. Ads could appear on the far right of the Smart Display, but also as a sponsored news feed on the left side of the screen.
For too long, consumers have not participated on an equal footing in the exchange of advertising value. Businesses make billions of dollars from ads shown on TVs, while consumers have always had to pay for the TV and content they watch. All that changes today. When I co-founded Pluto TV, we created an entirely new model that offered viewers great TV content for free. Today, with Telly, we provide the television itself for free.
Ilya Pozin, founder of Telly
Exactly how it works is yet to be seen in practice, but it would appear that ads can also be used on both screens when you’re not using the TV. “There are literally hundreds of things we think about to create the most engaging advertising experience,” said Dallas Lawrence, Telly’s Chief Strategy Officer.
Two TV screens, a soundbar and… a camera
The main screen is a 55-inch 4K HDR panel connected to the secondary screen through the company’s operating system: TellyOS. TellyOS does not currently support third-party streaming apps such as Netflix, which is why Telly comes with a free 4K Android TV dongle that you can use to watch any streaming service. It’s also compatible with other streaming devices including Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and Apple TV, and has three HDMI inputs, two USB inputs, and a tuner you can use to watch live broadcasts. . Telly also announces to offer a catalog of 40 different games as well as access to popular music services, without mentioning them for the moment.
With the second screen, we arrive at a total diagonal of 63 inches, and we also note the presence of a small camera located in the middle of the sound bar. This enables the “advanced, free motion-tracking fitness programs” that come with the TV, as well as the Zoom integration that Telly is also launching.
In its Viewing and Activity Data Policy, Telly states that it “may collect information about the audio and video content you watch, the channels you watch, and the length of your viewing sessions,” as well as information about “how you interact” with the TV. This includes your search queries, the buttons you select, and “your physical presence and that of anyone else using the TV at any given time”.
If you choose not to participate in data collection, you will either have to return the TV or pay for the alleged cost of the dual screen and soundbar installation yourself. “You have the right to opt out of sharing your viewing and activity data, but unfortunately this means that you will no longer have access to the Services (and will need to return the TV). If you opt out and do not return the TV to Telly, Telly will charge the credit card on file for $500.00. » The first TV Tellys should be sent this summer.
According to Ilya Pozin, “This is by far the most advanced television ever developed”.
