The world's largest TV maker for the past 20 years says it will integrate AI into absolutely all of its products
A century after Scottish inventor John Logie Baird demonstrated the first mechanical television system, televisions are facing increasing competition from a much more recent invention, smartphones, and are betting on artificial intelligence technology to maintain their competitive edge, reports techXplore.
With a suite of new models boasting huge screens, richer visuals and AI-powered enhancements unveiled this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, manufacturers have shown they have no intention of throwing in the towel and making TVs a thing of the past.
Giant screens were once again front and center at CES, with manufacturers touting artificial intelligence to personalize experiences and improve picture quality.
Also attracting attention is the “Micro RGB” technology, which dramatically increases image quality through ultra-precise color control in LED displays.
Samsung Electronics, the biggest seller of TVs for 20 consecutive years, presented what it called the world's first 130-inch Micro RGB TV and talked about the integration of artificial intelligence into its products.
“We will integrate artificial intelligence into every field, every product and every service,” said TM Roh, director of Samsung's device experience division, at a press event.
Manufacturers Hisense, LG, Sony and TCL were also present at CES.
Artificial intelligence is used to improve picture and sound quality, but also to help people find the shows they want or ask questions about what they're watching.
“I'm very curious to see if most of the brands at CES can really demonstrate that their new AI devices live up to their promises,” industry analyst Thomas Husson told techXplore.
A “battle” for audience between TVs and smartphones
The share of daily TV viewing fell from 61% at the start of 2017 to 48% towards the end of last year, according to market analysis firm Ampere Analysis. Smartphone viewing, meanwhile, nearly doubled over the same period to 21%.
“This is the battle between big screens, which are traditionally for older people who grew up with TVs, and young people who use a phone, tablet or laptop to consume content,” says Patrick Horner, TV research coordinator at Omdia.
He says that in China, considered a trend indicator for the global market, young consumers are eschewing large-screen TVs in favor of smartphones or tablets.
Globally, TV ownership is flat or declining, and average selling prices are holding or falling, Horner points out.
One way TV makers can protect or boost revenue when unit sales aren't growing is to get people to buy bigger and smarter screens at a higher price.
A battle between two giants for TV advertising
Behind the scenes, e-commerce giants Amazon and Walmart are shaping the future of television as they battle for supremacy — not in selling TVs, but in advertising and e-commerce.
“It's really a tough, no-holds-barred showdown between Amazon.com and Walmart,” Horner told AFP.
Walmart closed a $2.3 billion deal in late 2024 to acquire TV maker Vizio, a strategic response to Amazon boosting sales through advertising broadcast on its Fire TVs and smart devices, often through its Prime Video streaming service.
“Amazon was running commercials on television for products that Amazon was selling,” he recalls. “So now Walmart will run ads on your TV for products that Walmart sells,” he explains.
And the profit margin from selling ads far exceeds that from selling televisions.
Walmart is expected to sell more than a million TVs under its “Onn” brand each month and use the operating system acquired with Vizio to deliver advertising to viewers.
“TVs are no longer about making a profit from TV hardware,” says Horner. “They are an ad delivery device, brought into your living room to drive e-commerce sales,” says the expert.
