Samsung's LED TV Couple packs a 7-inch tablet remote for streaming TV and so much more

by Paul Miller  posted Sep 6th 2009 at 11:07AM

I posted this last week but it was just approved today because of the photo.  Whats everyone think?

Looks promising...

If B&O watches this forum, they now know what to do....It will be available in 2016, but not wireless... :-)

And the "tablet" can display streaming tv and Blu ray content, wirelessly - I remember folk posting here that the BS5 was tethered because it wasn't feasible to transfer the album cover info wirelessly!

I'm sure there'll be a queue of people along shortly to tell us "yes, but look at the horrible plastic case".

earlier today I came across this http://www.mobileairmouse.com/

(looks like there is a Windows capability to work with BeoPlayer on Windows)

maybe a custom app from B&O would be a better option ?

Damn sexy if you ask me ...

BUT!

I still wait for that freaking Apple tablet and a proper Apple TV and we got the same.... made from aluminium :-p

Best regards

Stephan

Not bad at all. Only disadvantage of a tablet like this is that you need both hands to operate it. 

Puncher:

I'm sure there'll be a queue of people along shortly to tell us "yes, but look at the horrible plastic case".

It looks pretty good - or, at least, doesn't jump into your face - but I'm sure it feels awful

*fondles the nice, shiny black plastic around his Samsung monitor*

I played with it thursday : needs a speed boost, lacks of a cool interface, but very desirable. That's a prototype of everything we're asking, and it proves that it's totally possible with todays technology (it's based on DNLA). We already have this kind of functionality for music with a network of Airport Express and an iPod Touch/iPhone for the remote, but not for videos...

Note that the system is in a black box (a multimedia server), not in the LED TV.

This one in a kind of Beolink 7000 housing with automatic "stand up" function, so you are able to control it with one hand and watch TV/Video in the kitchen. With programmable remote functionality for all video- and audio sources incl. BS5 navigation and with typical Beo user interface......great!

I would buy it.

Stefan

Actually this isn't too far from the experimental DVB-H receiving mobile phones that had a trial run in Finland by Nokia four years ago, just a different transmitting medium (and a one-to-one delivery concept instead of broadcasting). This probably could've been done by their internet tablets some years ago. The problem with the company is that they don't listen to anyone, and if they can't come up with the concept by themselves, it won't happen...

I don't want this as my remote. Remember that the Beo4 is so popular because you can sit there and idly surf channels, change volume, etc. This factored heavily into the decision to make the Beo5 a "hybrid" design with a familiar hard-key base.

I don't want to reach over, use both hands, wait a second for the device to wake up, and then press my button. This is an issue with everything from iPod remotes (which are some of the worst offenders due to the auto-shutoff) to Crestron.

There's a place for tablets, but it's for interacting with residential systems like climate, lights, window treatments, etc. Not for channel surfing. This tablet is a gimmick and will lay unused on the coffee table while the other cheap plastic remotes get their terrible buttons worn out. 

I agree with Trip on this.  I just got my Beo5 back from repair ( we'll leave that for another thread).  The first thing I was looking to do after re-contemplating it's role during it's absence was simplify the programming.  That's the reason it's so hard to give up our beloved Beo4.  Its simple.  

     I long for the simplicity of having just a few sources available quickly...  Enter a string of complicated commands if you wish but the remote is immediately ready again for a basic command like switching to CD without having to manually exit the menus.  The Beo5 is not quite there but is getting better.

TripEnglish:

the Beo4 is so popular because you can sit there and idly surf channels, change volume, etc.

There's a place for tablets, but it's for interacting with residential systems like climate, lights, window treatments, etc. Not for channel surfing.

Not agree at all here sir.

This Samsung tablet is NOT for channel tv surfing... even if it CAN achieve this; sorry if you see this device in a so simple way.

I think this tablet is a multi-media SEARCH/SELECT device, so EXACTLY the BeoSound 5 (tablet) functionality, and quite different from a tv-channel-surfer and change-volume remote (Beo 4).

And yes, of course I love my Beo 4 and my Beo 5... BOTH !!!

Regards.

Exactly BeoBoyLit, we can't compare this Samsung with a Beo4/Beo5, as it is more a wireless+multimedia Beosound 5.

It was presented to me with the following scenario :
you are watching the football match on your living room 65" TV. Your wife wants to watch her soap opera... You use the time shifting functionnality to visually pause the match on the TV set and start recording it on the media center. Now the match appears as an icon on the wireless screen. You then have two choice (and you have some time to decide as the match is currently recorded):
-watching the match on the wireless screen
-watching it on your bedroom TV (again, wirelessly, and in HD). Simple : drag the movie icon to the icon of the bedroom TV, and it starts immediately.

The idea is the same for music : drag and drop your sources to the room you want to listen to it.
Very interesting, it just needs a more glamorous interface and a speed boost so that everything will be perfect (and for some, a B&O logo on it!)
Concerning the auto-off function of the ipod as a remote, there is no problem with such a device : it is not a standby mode, but just a screen shutdown (and low power mode), similar to the new Sonos remote : instant on. We can imagine a B&O badged one which works like a Beo5 : the screen would turn on when you touch it.

I'm not a Samsung fan (just look at how much lower a Samsung LED TV picture quality is compared to a BV8, and you will understand that LED is currently really good for marketing, but not already mature enough to beat good CCFL...) , but I admit that's the way I see the future of multiroom, with a tablet AND a "normal" remote.

Mbee, I'm sure the execution is easier than the explanation, and if that's the case then my hat's off to them. I interpreted this to be a big touch screen remote, which I hate. I'm sure it could still use a bit of polish, but the idea does sound to be of value. Hopefully we'll hand carve a competitive solution in the coming decades.

<< Hopefully we'll hand carve a competitive solution in the coming decades >>

*ouch*

TripEnglish:

Mbee, I'm sure the execution is easier than the explanation, and if that's the case then my hat's off to them. .................

..............and that's really the point, it's not about it being a touchscreen or what it looks like, it's what it does and what it enables. Functionally it's pretty much what the BS5 could should have been.

Nevermind, as you say, I'm sure they come up with the goods 2 years after everyone else has introduced theirs

 

 

TripEnglish:

Mbee, I'm sure the execution is easier than the explanation, and if that's the case then my hat's off to them. .................

Yes, and the screenshot on the top of this topic is actually the worst thing you can do with this screen (Samsung didn't even show me there was a way to have this kind of universal remote functionality)

 

Puncher:

Nevermind, as you say, I'm sure they come up with the goods 2 years after everyone else has introduced theirs

Samsung said that they do not think to release this system on the market before 2 years... So either it's for cost reasons, and B&O can release it before them (as a Samsung home cinema is targeted at 2000€, TV+mediacenter+speakers...), or it's for technical reason, and B&O will follow 2 years (or more) later!

Meanwhile, the Apple tablet is rumored to be launched in februray 2010... If it acts like a cool remote for Airport Express & Apple TV, Samsung & B&O will soon be outdated...

mbee:

Meanwhile, the Apple tablet is rumored to be launched in februray 2010... If it acts like a cool remote for Airport Express & Apple TV, Samsung & B&O will soon be outdated...

Apple Tablet with 9.6-inch Touchscreen, HSDPA in February?

I know, another tablet rumor right? But stay with me on this one. Taiwan Economic News' "industry sources" say it's real, and will have a 9.6-inch touchscreen, HSPDA, a P.A SEMI processor, "long lasting battery" and cost $800 to $1000... (From Gizmodo 9/15/09)

 

Now if this is able to control and display Apple TV, play music like an iPod, download books like an e-reader,  browse web sites and be a game console, it could be a very interesting new gadget?   

I wish. I think this may be too technically advanced to ever be implemented in a B&O product (in he near future), unfortunately.