Paweł Koper
Imagine walking into a shop and getting a modern, 55-inch 4K TV with a powerful soundbar completely for free. You don’t pay a cent... neither now nor in instalments. Sounds like an internet scam? In the USA, it’s a reality called Telly. However, recent reports indicate that this “revolution” is just hitting a painful wall.
What is the Telly TV, anyway? (Explained)
Telly is an unusual set that consists of a main 55-inch 4K LCD screen and a smaller display (Smart Screen) placed below it. This lower panel is used to view the weather, sports scores and – most importantly – display continuous advertisements. Both screens are separated by a powerful Harman Kardon soundbar, providing sound that is significantly better than standard televisions. The device also features built-in LED backlighting on the back of the casing (similar effect to Ambilight but without dynamic backlighting) and two cameras that enable motion gaming and fitness exercises, although many consider them a tool for monitoring household members. You can see the first impressions and unboxing on the YouTube channel of "David Di Franco".
Numbers don't lie: "Free" is not enough
Although Telly promised that millions of units would reach households, the reality described by Lowpass is brutal. So far, only 35,000 units have been delivered. That's a drop in the ocean of needs and a fraction of the promised 500,000.
Why don't people want free equipment? 3 main issues.
Surveillance: The device reports to the headquarters every few seconds about what you're doing in front of the screen.
Failures: As reported by flatpanelshd and hdtvtest, as many as one in ten Telly televisions (10%) arrive at the customer with a cracked screen.
Costs: The production of such a complicated device (two screens + soundbar) is so expensive that the company can't keep up with financing subsequent batches.
Would it pass in Europe?
In a country like ours, where hunting for bargains is almost a national sport, a free television sounds like a dream come true. However, Telly in Poland could end up on a pile quicker than it appeared. The reason? Our almost allergic reaction to privacy violations and the European GDPR law, which watches over us even in our slippers while we’re watching TV. While we love to save money, we love our peace and quiet even more. Imagine the Champions League final or a climactic moment in a Netflix series, and underneath... an aggressive banner flashing a promotion for nappies. It's simply a recipe for frustration, not relaxation.
However, the worst part is a certain 'catch' in the terms and conditions – if you block ads (e.g. by cutting off the internet), you must pay the company the equivalent value of the television, which is about 1000 dollars.
The case of Telly shows that free hardware has its dark side. It turns out that privacy and peace of mind are worth more than a few hundred bucks we would have to spend on a regular television at the supermarket. The model of “television for data” is currently losing out to the model of “I pay and I have peace of mind.” And it looks like nothing is going to change in this case.
Source: Lowpass, HDTVTest, FlatpanelsHD, YouTube @daviddifranco
