- LG’s new TV has a simplified user interface
- LG Buddy for help from friends and family
- The remote has a larger font and can be an emergency alarm
LG has launched a brand new TV designed for a very specific demographic: seniors. The new Easy TV is first launched in Korea, but LG intends to bring it to other countries with “fast aging demographics, including the United States and Japan.”
There is a bit of a ongoing joke online about visiting older family members and should sort their smart TVs, but as many jokes there is a grain of truth to it: Smart TV software is often not very straightforward. As many people with older dear, I have cursed the overly complex interfaces, controls and menus on even the best TVs, so I am very much here for what LG is doing.
And let’s realize it, smart TVs can be too complex, even when you’re relatively young. I’m not quite the target demographic here-self I am very much in my “Taking my glasses off to read my phone” era-but I still had to summon my 12-year-old the other day to find out what buried menu setting would let me connect my AirPods to my Samsung set.
So what does LG do to make its smart TVs a smarter purchase for seniors?
LG EASY TV: Key features for older viewers
The light TV comes with a fine -tuned version of the WebOS system with simpler navigation and a larger font, and you can use its live alarm voices to create reminders for things like taking your daily medicine. There is a new remote control with a lighter backlight and larger buttons, including a big help button.
This button calls LG Buddy that allows friends, family or carers to take control of the TV externally to adjust the settings, change input or plan programming. It also enables the voice and video call of the TV’s built-in camera and exchange of photos and YouTube videos.
The auxiliary button can also be used to convene assistance in emergencies where the person cannot make a phone call, e.g. FALLS: Press the auxiliary button three times or hold it down will warn the designated contact. LG is reportedly planning to bring this feature to other TVs, not just the easy TV.
When I looked at the remote, I would have liked to have wanted an even simpler – somewhat more like Apple TV 4K or current four TV -Removal -scaled a little – but compared to the other LG remote controls I’ve used, it’s definitely a big improvement.
It’s easy to make jokes about our loved ones and their too high TVs with movement that smooths to the maximum, but today’s technique can really help people: Dialogue improvement can make programs easier to hear, visual adjustments can make shows and movies easier to watch, and voice agents and intelligent assistants can make our devices much easier to control.
And without getting too sick about it, the best case for all of us is that we live to enjoy these accessibility features ourselves. So here hope more companies do what LG does – or maybe a simplified version of the interface can become an option on each TV …
