Tiktok can also be enjoyed on a large screen, and a vertically rotating TV that is compatible with smartphones

With the spread of streaming video distribution services such as Netflix and YouTube, more and more people are no longer watching TV. There are probably many people who use their smartphones to watch videos even after returning home. Some recent TVs have built-in Wi-Fi and can be used by connecting a smartphone. However, the screen size of the TV is fine for watching movies, but apps that use the screen vertically, such as Tiktok and Instagram, simply display the vertical smartphone screen small in the center of the TV. It's not very visible.

If you use a smartphone, you can use it in landscape orientation when watching YouTube, and in portrait orientation if you are interested in SNS, but the screen orientation of TV is fixed in landscape orientation. However, TVs that can rotate the screen vertically like smartphones have come out. Moreover, you can also project the screen of your smartphone.

The Sero, which Samsung is selling overseas, is a 43-inch 4K TV. The TV itself is a smart TV, and Internet access is possible by Wi-Fi connection on its own. Google searches and YouTube videos can be viewed directly from The Sero. However, entering characters facing the TV screen is a little troublesome, such as using the on-screen soft keyboard. In that case, it would be convenient to connect the smartphone via Wi-Fi and project the screen of the smartphone as it is. If you look at the display of a palm-sized smartphone on a 43-inch screen, you can feel the power and presence.

The Sero is different from ordinary TVs in that the display rotates 90 degrees with a motor. Therefore, although it is a flat-screen TV, the stand part is integrated at the bottom of the main unit. A large speaker is built into the stand part, so there is also a feature that you can play videos and music with pretty good sound.

If you connect your smartphone to The Sero, you will be able to see the same vertical display as your smartphone on a large 43-inch screen. If you see Tiktok at this size, you may want to dance in front of it. Instagram stories will be fun to watch too.

The Sero's smartphone connectivity also comes with easy-to-use features. While sitting on the sofa and watching Netflix with The Sero's screen turned sideways, if you want to see Twitter and move your smartphone vertically in your hand, The Sero will automatically rotate vertically. It has an auto-rotate function. Even without looking into the screen of the smartphone, you can move the screen of The Sero vertically and horizontally to display your favorite content.

The Sero seems to be suitable for use in shops such as cafes and general stores. At noon, you can display the lunch menu vertically, and during tea time, you can display desserts and snacks such as cakes and pies horizontally and stream videos. In fact, it seems that there are quite a few shops in Korea that use The Sero for digital signage.

Now, TCL, Samsung's rival in the TV industry, is selling the 55-inch "XESS A200Pro" in China, which is larger than The Sero. You can also access the Internet by itself with a 4K TV with built-in Wi-Fi, and you can also project and display the screen of your smartphone.

The vertical and horizontal switching is motorized. Samsung automatically rotates the TV screen 90 degrees when the smartphone is tilted, but TCL adopts a motion operation method in which the screen rotates when the smartphone is lightly shaken while holding it. Both would be convenient because you don't have to look for the remote control or touch the TV itself.

TCL shows examples of playing shooting games on the vertical screen and receiving comments and tips on live distribution. It's true that when live streaming on a vertical screen, a smartphone screen is sufficient for speaking, but if you want to sing or dance, it seems easier to perform in front of a large TV screen.

The XESS A200Pro also has a 1080p pop-up front camera. The chipset is Mediatek MT6952. It's a spec that can be said to be a super-sized tablet rather than a TV or smart TV. In a few years, a 5G modem will be built in here, and it will be possible to use it anywhere.

Both Samsung and TCL are doing business in Japan, so I would really like to see these products sold in Japan as well. However, the price is a little high because it is equipped with advanced functions. Samsung's The Sero is $ 1,699 (about 176,000 yen) as of December 2020, and TCL's XESS A200 Pro is 7,999 yuan (about 127,000 yen). Non-rotating 4K TVs of the same class are 40,000 yen for Chinese generic products, and 70,000 to 80,000 yen for low-priced products from Japanese manufacturers. It feels expensive to put out at this price in Japan.

Only a few consumers and the B2B market will pay more than double the added value of spinning. It is likely that Samsung and TCL will also launch rotary TVs in countries around the world first, and then wait to see how the market develops. If a consumer-oriented 30-inch rotating TV comes out at a price of less than 100,000 yen, the time will come when smartphones and rotating TVs will become the necessities of living alone.