### TVs in 2025: A Missed Chance for Genuine Innovation
The television market finds itself at a pivotal moment. As we approach 2025, the newest television models presented at CES in Las Vegas reveal a concerning pattern: companies are focusing more on software tricks, artificial intelligence (AI), and profit-driven corporate strategies rather than significant hardware enhancements and user-focused advancements. While the financial challenges faced by TV manufacturers are clear, the outcome is a frustrating journey for consumers who seek high-quality visual and auditory experiences free from unnecessary interruptions.
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### **The Transition from Hardware to Software**
The contemporary TV market is becoming more characterized by companies branding themselves as software developers instead of hardware manufacturers. This transition results from shrinking profit margins on television hardware, market oversaturation, and the emergence of budget brands like Vizio and Roku, which often market TVs at a loss and regain profits via advertisements and data harvesting. Consequently, even premium brands like LG and Samsung are intensifying their focus on software ecosystems, advertisements, and AI capabilities that emphasize corporate revenue over user experience.
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### **LG’s AI Remote: A Regression**
LG, renowned for its OLED technology and premium televisions, represents this trend with its 2025 “AI Remote.” Previously celebrated as the “Magic Remote,” the updated version trades user-friendly functions like a dedicated input button for the promotion of LG’s webOS ecosystem. Now, to change input modes—a frequent action for gamers, Blu-ray fans, and PC users—customers must long-press the Home Hub button, a tedious and counterintuitive task.
Rather than enhancing practical elements like play/pause buttons, fast-forward/rewind controls, or numeric keypads, LG has cluttered the remote with buttons for its free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels and Amazon Alexa. This redesign favors LG’s capability to monetize app interaction and gather user information, forcing consumers to cope with a less efficient experience.
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### **Google’s Subscription-Based AI Initiative**
Google, which powers TVs from brands such as Sony, TCL, and Philips, is also heavily investing in AI with its Gemini Enhanced Google Assistant. This year’s models will include far-field microphones to facilitate voice commands and incorporate Google’s generative AI chatbot, Gemini. While these features may sound advanced, they cater to a nonexistent demand. The majority of TV viewers do not seek their television to function as a chatbot or personal assistant, especially since they have smartphones, tablets, and laptops for that purpose.
What raises concern is Google’s intention to monetize these features via subscription fees. For instance, the Gemini Assistant could eventually charge users for tasks such as suggesting family-friendly films or summarizing news articles. This strategy prompts questions about whether TV manufacturers are catering to user requirements or merely pursuing new income sources.
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### **Samsung’s AI Overload**
Samsung is familiar with AI gimmicks, and its 2025 range is no exception. The company has unveiled features like Samsung Food, which utilizes AI to recognize on-screen dishes and suggest recipes. Although this may seem groundbreaking, its practicality is dubious, particularly given the shortcomings of similar AI-driven recipe applications. Samsung’s true intentions become apparent when considering its collaborations with firms like Instacart, which enable users to order groceries directly from their TVs or smart fridges. These functionalities necessitate a Samsung account, granting the company access to even more user data.
Additional features, such as AI Karaoke and gesture controls exclusively compatible with Samsung Galaxy Watches, further highlight the company’s emphasis on eye-catching yet ultimately specialized additions. Meanwhile, Samsung is advancing its ad and data collection efforts, including monitoring ad exposure on streaming platforms and working with analytics companies like Experian.
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### **Generative AI: A Solution in Pursuit of a Problem**
Both LG and Samsung are incorporating Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot into their 2025 TVs, touting features like tailored content suggestions and the capability to comprehend intricate commands. While these functions might appear impressive, they raise a crucial inquiry: are they addressing genuine consumer issues, or are they merely complicating a device that should be simple to operate?
For most individuals, a TV’s fundamental role is to provide high-quality video and audio. Features like Copilot, which purportedly assist TVs in “understanding conversational context” and “proactively identifying user challenges,” seem superfluous and out of context in a living room environment. Instead of fixating on these speculative AI functions, manufacturers could channel resources into enhancing core elements of the TV experience, such as superior picture quality, more robust hardware, and user-friendly interfaces.
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### **The Emergence of TV-as-a-Platform**
The prevailing trend in the TV market is the evolution of televisions into platforms for applications, advertising, and AI. This transition is particularly concerning for consumers investing in high-end TVs with the expectation of a premium experience. Instead, they encounter pervasive ads, dubious AI functionalities, and software ecosystems crafted to extract as much data and revenue as possible.
It’s important to acknowledge that not all AI implementations are unw
