Microsoft has teamed up with Indian manufacturer Videocon to introduce the world's first LED TV powered by Windows 10, officially launching Redmond's first foray into smart televisions as it also makes its way into smartphones, tablets, wearables and other devices.
The TV, called the One Touch PC, One Touch TV, may still recover from its unfortunate name thanks to what appears to be a sleek and simple profile and, more importantly, the powerful operating system it runs on. As its name implies, the TV can seamlessly shift from being a PC to a TV, providing users a double-use device that can be used at one time for work and, at another time, for play.
"With this innovative product, we intend to extend the Windows 10 experience to more users," said Vineet Durani, director of Microsoft's Windows Business Group. "At Microsoft, it is our constant endeavor to help our partners enter newer categories and create innovative products in order to offer our customers the best user experience at affordable price points."
There are two models, one with a 32-inch panel and another with 40 inches, both sporting Full HD displays. They also have built-in Wi-Fi that allows the TV to detect existing networks and automatically connect to them. Both TVs have MHL interface to make connecting with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets easier, while also charging devices connected to them. The TVs are powered by 2 GB of DDR3 RAM and have 16 GB onboard storage expandable to 128 GB via mcroSD slot.
While the TVs can fully function as an entertainment hub for movies and TV shows, having Windows 10 allows them to serve as an entry-level PC, albeit with a humongous screen. Both models will come equipped with Microsoft Office and the Windows Store, where users can download pretty much most of the apps they need for work or school. It also comes preinstalled with the All Cast app to allow users to cast their streaming media from their mobile devices more easily.
"In these changing times, we realized the needs of our customers of having easy access to technology at their convenience and therefore designed the world's first hybrid TV cum PC," said Akshay Dhoot, head of technology and innovation at Videocon, at a press event in New Delhi.
For now, the One Touch PC, One Touch TV will only be available in India for Rs. 39,990 (around $613) for the 32-inch model and Rs. 52.990 (around $813) for the 40-inch model. If customer demand is high, Videocon will also launch bigger 55- and 65-inch models as well as a smaller 24-inch TV. However, it's not likely the TVs will make their way to U.S. shores. What is likely, however, is that if the Windows 10 TVs turn out to be a big hit in India, other manufacturers may consider developing their own Windows 10 smart TVs as well.
