Not a bad concept, but perhaps not too functional. Imagine a family of four sat watching TV, imagine the squabble it would create! They might say in that case a backup conventional remote would be available but that would mean this gesture control is simply an expensive inefficient add-on, rather than the real deal. Watching TV aside, gesture control for computer input, gaming etc.. could really take off.
Why would anyone want to go to such a great effort to do something you can do with the nudge of a finger tip? Gimmick. Touch-less gesture technology is largely a technology that has no real use looking for a use.
Gawd, teh h0tz0r! So I will be able to control my TV by wildly flailing my arms in front of it, as if I was performing some rad Jedi-mind-trick on it? That's just great. And stupid me hoped developers would spend their time on making TVs more energy-efficient while producing a better picture...
I'm just wondering what tech it uses to track, what the range will be and how susceptible it is to accidental activation. If they sort all that out hen it's goodbye remote.
How many times have your parents said "I have the controls, so I choose the channel" and put on something crap. Now, anyone can control (or interfer with) the TV. Can you imagine the all-out family arguments now?
"For years radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch-sensitive - you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same programme."
Flip off the TV by being disgusted with the content? The only assumption is that the gestures are deemed obscene by some culture somewhere in the world.
Now if it would transmit the gestures back to the originating studio so I can get involved in the events of the day (or those of next Tuesday [USA only]).
Another thought: What happens when you stick your tongue at it, giving it your personal "raspberry"?
My honours project at uni was a gesture controlled television (okay, the television bit was a fake in vlc running starwars fanfilms, film trailers and red vs blue episodes but never mind that bit)
After a short while playing with it it became very intuitive to use. I was lazy and just after the marks so it used a menu with four directions as controls. Assuming you were wearing sleeves and sitting in the designated chair (lazy remember?) you could channel hop, control the volume and torture people with the bee gees with ease.
For most of the couch potatoes I know it would double the calories burned in a day waving their arms like that ! Which is why it wont take off until they develop the 'slight twitching of the finger' version :)
Well, slightly more than one problem really. I make all sorts of "gestures" in the direction of the TV when I'm losing at various console games, and I don't even want to think about what would happen if you tried to play a Wii game.
Ok, so they could allow you to turn the feature off when you didn't want accidental, or other peoples, or gaming gestures changing the channel for you. Then you'd have to reach for the remote to re-enable it, which kind of makes it completely pointless.
Factor in to that the TV changing channels when you're simply trying to explain the plot of a film to your other half for the hundredth time and this feature seems to be the most pointless inclusion since Britney's underwear drawer.
Techies can be great at inventing stuff but this is one of the cases where someone needed to go, 'err....hang on a sec'.....
I am 'assuming' that this uses some kind of camera to detect the movements, and it makes me wonder what else it can 'detect' especially if you can wave to turn it on. (kinda means it wasnt off in the first place..........)
Anonymous Coward
Do vans with blacked out windows....................... #
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 16:09 GMT
Turn up if I flick the V's at Gordon Brown when he comes on telly or Boy George arrive when I moon at the Queens Speech
Samsung UN55B8000 55" LED TV (Widescreen, 1920x1080, HDTV)
Panasonic VIERA TC-L32X1 32" LCD TV (Widescreen, 1366x768, HDTV)
Panasonic VIERA TC-P50X1 50" Plasma TV (Widescreen, 1366x768, 30,000:1, HDTV)
Samsung LN52B750 52" LCD TV (Widescreen, 1920x1080, HDTV)
Toshiba 32AV502R 32" LCD TV (Widescreen, 1366x768, HDTV)
Hitachi highlights gesture-controlled HD TV
joe K
Hit or miss? #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
Not a bad concept, but perhaps not too functional. Imagine a family of four sat watching TV, imagine the squabble it would create! They might say in that case a backup conventional remote would be available but that would mean this gesture control is simply an expensive inefficient add-on, rather than the real deal. Watching TV aside, gesture control for computer input, gaming etc.. could really take off.
Random Noise
Only 1 problem.. #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
.. now you can't stop the missus from watching whatever shite she wants by hiding the remote (unless you cut her hands off).
Anonymous John
Gesture #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
This isn't the channel you're looking for.
Richard Cartledge
Why? #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
Why would anyone want to go to such a great effort to do something you can do with the nudge of a finger tip? Gimmick. Touch-less gesture technology is largely a technology that has no real use looking for a use.
Alacrity Fitzhugh
Cat-Powered TV? #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
I see this coming on at 2AM...
Anonymous John
Gesture #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
This isn't the channel I'm looking for.
TimBiller
HHGTTG #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
They already tried this on the "Heart of Gold". It meant sitting infuriatingly still....
Tim
Bad Beaver
These are not the droids you're looking for #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
Gawd, teh h0tz0r! So I will be able to control my TV by wildly flailing my arms in front of it, as if I was performing some rad Jedi-mind-trick on it? That's just great. And stupid me hoped developers would spend their time on making TVs more energy-efficient while producing a better picture...
Paul Murphy
So no more watching porn then I guess #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
Unless you want the volume (or whatever) going up and down I guess.
ttfn
James Bryant
Wii Games #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
What happens when i start trying to play wii games on this thing, it'll send it crazy.
Max
Warning! #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
Not to be used by any family who under normal circumstances fights for control of the remote.
smashIt
one question #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
is it wii-compatible?
Martin Lyne
That.. #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 05:53 GMT
..is the sort of stuff that will sell.
I'm just wondering what tech it uses to track, what the range will be and how susceptible it is to accidental activation. If they sort all that out hen it's goodbye remote.
Piggy and Tazzy
Erm.. #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 07:02 GMT
Sod all that waving the hands around crap. It's easier just to use the remote.
Chris
Universal Remotes #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 07:02 GMT
How do you program that into, say, a Harmony One?
Gareth Irwin
yea #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 07:02 GMT
can't help but think that one wants a bunch of wank gesture as well.
David Wiernicki
Let me be the first to ask: #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 07:02 GMT
...what does it do if you're watching porn?
Paul Synnott
The kids will love this... #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 07:02 GMT
How many times have your parents said "I have the controls, so I choose the channel" and put on something crap. Now, anyone can control (or interfer with) the TV. Can you imagine the all-out family arguments now?
Anonymous Coward
Great... #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 07:02 GMT
...until it detects unwanted gestures.
Good luck using it while playing Wii.
Anonymous Coward
been there... #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 07:02 GMT
"For years radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch-sensitive - you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same programme."
Anonymous Coward
Gimmick #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 07:02 GMT
I sometimes wonder what they think...
"What can we design today?"
"I know, what about a less intuitive, complicated control system that will be easy to activate by mistake (probably at the crucial moment)"
"Great!"
Herby
What happens when you... #
Posted Sunday 18th January 2009 07:02 GMT
Flip off the TV by being disgusted with the content? The only assumption is that the gestures are deemed obscene by some culture somewhere in the world.
Now if it would transmit the gestures back to the originating studio so I can get involved in the events of the day (or those of next Tuesday [USA only]).
Another thought: What happens when you stick your tongue at it, giving it your personal "raspberry"?
Another solution: Get a "Clapper!".
pctechxp
Better if #
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 10:44 GMT
It was voice controlled
Mycho
I did something like this #
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 10:44 GMT
My honours project at uni was a gesture controlled television (okay, the television bit was a fake in vlc running starwars fanfilms, film trailers and red vs blue episodes but never mind that bit)
After a short while playing with it it became very intuitive to use. I was lazy and just after the marks so it used a menu with four directions as controls. Assuming you were wearing sleeves and sitting in the designated chair (lazy remember?) you could channel hop, control the volume and torture people with the bee gees with ease.
Graham Lockley
Bloody Great Idea #
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 10:44 GMT
For most of the couch potatoes I know it would double the calories burned in a day waving their arms like that ! Which is why it wont take off until they develop the 'slight twitching of the finger' version :)
Andy Worth
Re:Only 1 problem.. #
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 10:44 GMT
Well, slightly more than one problem really. I make all sorts of "gestures" in the direction of the TV when I'm losing at various console games, and I don't even want to think about what would happen if you tried to play a Wii game.
Ok, so they could allow you to turn the feature off when you didn't want accidental, or other peoples, or gaming gestures changing the channel for you. Then you'd have to reach for the remote to re-enable it, which kind of makes it completely pointless.
Factor in to that the TV changing channels when you're simply trying to explain the plot of a film to your other half for the hundredth time and this feature seems to be the most pointless inclusion since Britney's underwear drawer.
Techies can be great at inventing stuff but this is one of the cases where someone needed to go, 'err....hang on a sec'.....
Danny
Damn #
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 10:44 GMT
Beaten to the Hitchhikers reference!
D@v3
telescreen #
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 10:44 GMT
I am 'assuming' that this uses some kind of camera to detect the movements, and it makes me wonder what else it can 'detect' especially if you can wave to turn it on. (kinda means it wasnt off in the first place..........)
Anonymous Coward
Do vans with blacked out windows....................... #
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 16:09 GMT
Turn up if I flick the V's at Gordon Brown when he comes on telly or Boy George arrive when I moon at the Queens Speech
Dan Makovec
Italian families? #
Posted Tuesday 20th January 2009 11:32 GMT
Imagine an Italian family sitting in front of the TV having a conversation. All that hand gesturing would confuse the poor thing!