TV makers pin hopes on AR tech

Television manufacturers' application of augmented reality technology into TVs is regarded as an attempt to seek new industry growth, however it remains to be seen whether this will be accepted by the market, industry experts said.

Chinese TV manufacturer Skyworth Group Co Ltd recently unveiled the world's first AR smart TV. The AR application in this TV mainly involves games, children education, sports and shopping.

"We take the lead in combining large-screen TVs with AR technology, and hope to quicken the application of AR technology's whole industrial chain," said Liu Tangzhi, vice-president of Skyworth Group.

With a 4.7mm thick OLED panel, the AR smart TV S9D, which went on sale on Tuesday, boasts two sizes, including 55 inches and 65 inches, priced at 15,999 yuan ($2,396) and 29,999 yuan respectively.

Skyworth has established a specialized AR team to explore more industry resources and cultivate mature AR market.

According to Digi-Capital, the scale of the AR market is expected to reach $120 billion in 2020.

The application of AR technology in TV is just beginning. "I believe in the next three to five years, there will be more AR content, among which content about games and education may account for 20 percent," said Liu.

Wang Fu, secretary-general of the China Television Artists Association's stereoscopic image (3D) professional committee, said: "The most fundamental advantage of AR lies in family entertainment, and TV is the biggest application platform for AR technology."

Wang explained the advancement of AR technology should depend on TV platform. "Owing to the expensive cost of AR technology, most TV manufacturers didn't invest much in it," Wang added.

Mu Sai contributed to this story.