
Today consumers are increasingly comfortable using voice commands to control some devices. The next phase of development is bringing control to a multiplicity of devices
Author:
ContributorPublish date:
Jun 16, 2017Social count:
0
Today consumers are increasingly comfortable using voice commands to control some devices. The next phase of development is bringing control to a multiplicity of devices
0
SHARES
Almost 50 years ago, Stanley Kubrick showed us a vision of a unified voice controlled environment in his movie 2001:A Space Odyssey. The reality took a while to arrive, and at first provided a less than convincing practical experience, as anyone who has ever tried booking cinema tickets or getting through a customer response system by phone will attest.
The reality is that the ability for a machine to understand natural speech in real time takes a lot of computing power, and the first practical propositions used the cloud to deliver the necessary processing. Apple's Siri led the way, and others are now following.
Today consumers are increasingly comfortable using voice commands to control some devices. The next phase of development will inevitably be in bringing control to a multiplicity of devices.
Think of the typical coffee table for a moment. On it you would be likely to find separate - and bulky - remote controls for the television, set-top box, DVD player, games console and OTT box. Although we probably do it intuitively, getting the right source on the screen and speakers generally involves a sequence of commands on different controllers. And that is before we consider what it is we might want to watch - and that's only for our entertainment system. One of the benefits of the internet of things (IoT), we are told, is that we will be able to control remotely other devices around the home, like lights, heating and security. Does this mean more controllers, or at least a succession of apps on a phone?
The logical goal is a single controller which manages everything. Using traditional technology that would mean a very large box with an extremely large number of buttons. Which brings us back to voice control: the ideal way of controlling a broad swathe around the home is by telling the device what to do.
Natural
If this meant learning a specific set of instructions for each piece of functionality then it would be as ineffective as the big box of buttons in terms of user experience. We have to implement natural language instructions, letting the device implement the details.
So rather than turning on the television, then the set-top box, then remembering that BBC1 HD is channel 115, we should simply tell the remote control I want to watch BBC1."
More likely, though, we will be less specific. We might come home and say I want to watch a Steven Spielberg movie." The controller will do the heavy lifting of seeing what is available on movie channels, on your PVR and on Netflix, and will present the results on screen for you to tell the controller which you choose.
The next phase would be to say play the movie , which as well as starting the content would also close the curtains, turn off the main lights and turn on the standard lamp. At the end, you might say good night , which will be the cue for the system to shut down the various entertainment boxes, but also switch the thermostat to the night setting and turn off the lights, giving you time to move to the bedroom.
Smart
It is important to understand that this is a two-part system. The remote control itself has to remain small, compact and practical, even if the intention is that most users will do little other than talk to it. The remote talks to a device which interprets the instructions and routes them to the device or IoT service which will implement them.
We specialise in RF connectivity between the remote and the device. This is necessary, because the speech commands are digitised in the remote control and transferred to the host device which does the voice processing. Obviously the ergonomics of the remote control have to be designed around good acoustic performance: there is no need to overload the processing with sound that has poor frequency response or is over-reverberant.
The remote itself will probably sit on the coffee table most of the time, rather than being picked up by the user. The processing, therefore, has to be able to discriminate between voices, particularly as the living room television is generally a social experience. You may need to train the system on which voices to listen to.
Applying voice biometrics can provide the ability to offer different functionality to different users. Children, for example, can be presented with just the content that is suitable for them. A smart system could even be programmed to limit the hours children can watch television or play games.
This technology is available today. We have already delivered more than 250 million multi-function, voice controlled remotes. The next phase is down to broadcasters or service providers seeing this as a commercial edge to attract and retain subscribers.
By Menno Koopmans, senior VP subscription broadcasting, Universal Electronics
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...
12/03/2025
Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...