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Telly starts shipping dual-screen ad-supported "free TV" to consumers

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Telly's free (but ad-supported) dual-screen smart TV is on its way to folks who signed up at launch back in May
Telly
Telly's free (but ad-supported) dual-screen smart TV is on its way to folks who signed up at launch back in May
Telly
The idea is that while folks watch the main 55-inch 4K HDR TV screen, adverts and news/weather widgets appear on the smart display below, with audio coming from a Harman Kardon soundbar in the middle
Telly

Back in May, a new startup emerged from stealth offering the prospect of a free 55-inch 4K television to avid gogglebox watchers. The catch? A second screen underneath feeding frequent adverts. Now Telly has started shipping the "free TV" to US households.

The main display is separated from the so-called Smart Screen by a six-driver "premium soundbar" from Harman Kardon. This second display can display widget-based news tickers, sports scores, weather updates and more as well as a regular supply of adverts.

There's a built-in TV tuner, plus folks can connect cable or satellite boxes over HDMI, and a 4K Android TV streaming stick is included too. Devices from Roku, Amazon and Apple are also supported. It appears that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are onboard too.

A webcam has also been cooked in for video chats with family and friends, there's an integrated motion sensor for interactive fitness applications, a microphone array enables voice control, and the custom operating platform comes with a bunch of games – "from arcade classics to immersive multiplayer experiences."

The whole shebang measures 63 inches (1.6 m) from corner to corner, and tips the scales at around 65 lb (29.5 kg).

The idea is that while folks watch the main 55-inch 4K HDR TV screen, adverts and news/weather widgets appear on the smart display below, with audio coming from a Harman Kardon soundbar in the middle
Telly

And should you be thinking that the secondary screen can merely be powered off or disconnected, CEO and founder, Ilya Pozin, told The Verge last month that "if you try to degrade the TV experience, we have the ability to deactivate the television. If you somehow manage to do something to the bottom screen, you’re not going to be able to utilize the top screen. It’s a single processor running both screens, so if you mess with one, you mess with both."

With the start of the public beta program, Telly has revealed that advertising partnerships with Harman Kardon, LiveOne, Magnite, Microsoft and Spotify have been secured, and that Nielsen is to license user data "in order to collect and interpret first-of-its-kind viewership and ad effectiveness insights for both advertisers and TV programmers."

Though Telly hasn't revealed how many ad-supported dual-screen TVs are being sent out, the company did attract more than 250,000 sign-ups in the first week of registration. Plans call for 500,000 units to ship by the end of 2023, and "millions more" next year.

"We are thrilled to begin shipping what is by far the smartest television ever built to consumers," said Pozin. "The consumer and advertising community's response has been incredible. Our disruptive ad-supported business model makes the television completely free to consumers, but the most exciting thing about Telly is the technology that enables our dual-screen television to get better with every update. We can’t wait for consumers to see what a truly smart TV can do as we continue to surprise and delight Telly households for years to come."

If you like the thought of a free 4K television and don't mind being served up potentially distracting ads via the bottom screen, or sharing your viewer data directly with advertisers, reservations for future shipments are open now via the source link below.

Source: Telly

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11 comments
vince
So what's to keep the owner of these free tandem TV's from draping a towel over the lower screen to block out the offending and rapid movement advertisements designed to get your attention by rapidly changing the brightness with fast video, etc.
WB
Just put some black sticker over it... I mean u can't make this up
Username
@vince Or hang it on the wall so the bottom screen is bellow the furniture piece!
TechGazer
If the simple towel (or painting, etc) won't work, owners will be really creative about finding ways to block the annoyance. They'd need eyeball scanners to verify that people's eyes are twitching towards the ads the way they are supposed to. Hmmm, that webcam might be used in privacy-invading ways. Check the fine print of the contract for wording that allows them to use the video and audio sensors for "information gathering", without limits on what they can do with it.

I'd be a terrible customer for their TV. I've never bought anything due to a TV or radio ad. Annoying ads make me less likely to be willing to buy something from that company.
Ranscapture
Probably light sensors
UncleToad
Just place a mirror in front of the bottom section facing the screen. Then it will just reflect back all the movement needed to convince it that someone is watching it.
SergeEcoiffier
In addition to whatever ads thrown at you from the channels/streams being watched Telly adds 24x7 ads down below ...

The price for a "free" 55-inch smart TV, only a few hundred dollars these days, becomes giving rights to invade your privacy 24x7 with audio, vidéo and ??? possibly WiFi monitoring to profile you and your household "as features" are added ...

🤔

Buy a good old 55" smart TV or maybe larger with a streaming stick and IPTV. You'll still need thoses with Telly.
Catweazle
"if you try to degrade the TV experience, we have the ability to deactivate the television."
Sounds like a challenge to me!
Lamar Havard
To get on the list you have to let the company have access to your contacts, and everything else...No THANKS!
Lamar Havard
I already have a 55" Vizio, and the bass from my old JBL Creature II system will blow that 'premium' sound bar out of the water.