In the world of television, innovation is the name of the game. Enter Telly, a free-to-own 4K television that’s shaking up the industry with its unique dual-screen design. The secondary bottom display constantly rotates through advertisements, while also providing unique second-screen functionality. Think widgets, news tickers, sports scores, and more.
The Telly Model: Free TV, With a Twist
The Telly model is simple: you answer some surveys and let Telly share your viewing habits with advertisers. In exchange, you pay nothing for a 55-inch 4K TV. This model has already drawn significant interest, with over 250,000 registrations since the announcement of its first product last month.
A Vision for the Future of Television
Telly is led by Ilya Pozin, co-founder of Pluto TV, who brings his experience with ad-subsidized businesses to the table. Pozin envisions Telly as a disruptor in the television market, offering not just a unique price point, but also a product that he describes as the “world’s smartest TV.”
The Telly Experience: More Than Just Ads
The Telly TV runs a custom Android-based OS across its two displays, controlled by the same processor. It comes preloaded with a variety of apps and games, but its core software isn’t designed to be your streaming entertainment hub. Instead, Telly includes a Google TV dongle in the box that can plug into one of the TV’s three HDMI ports. You’re also free to use an Apple TV, Roku box, or other external devices.
The Future of TV: A Dual-Screen Evolution
Pozin believes that the dual-screen TV format will be the future and the next evolution of where TVs are going. He envisions numerous examples of interplay between both screens, such as parents watching the news on the primary display while their children play games on the bottom one, or co-watching movies or sports games with friends, with the main content on the top and friends visible on the second screen.
The Telly Promise: Long Software Support Ahead
Telly promises to focus on constant iteration and software upgrades, making the device smarter and smarter with every update. The company plans to build larger-size Telly units in the future, but the core features and tech specs will align with the original model.
A New Era of Television Viewing
Telly views its product as a gold mine for advertisers, as owners will be volunteering valuable and accurate details about who they are and what they like. This new model of television viewing is certainly intriguing and could potentially disrupt the television industry as we know it.
