Rumor: Kinect-based TVs in the works

[beer]

Could the next television you buy let you use your hand gestures as a replacement for your remote control? That's the new rumor over at The Daily web site. The story quotes unnamed sources as saying that Microsoft is in early talks with a number of television makers about licensing their Kinect motion gesture sensor technology for use as a part of future TVs.

The story also claims that two of the TV manufacturers that Microsoft is chatting with about future Kinect support are Vizio and, oddly enough, Sony. Microsoft and Sony are, of course, fierce rivals in the game console space. Microsoft first launched the Kinect motion gesture device as an add-on for its Xbox 360 console a year ago. The idea of having a Sony TV with a technology developed for a rival game console certainly boggles the mind.

Having a TV with Kinect support would certainly have lots of applications. It's possible that the normal remote control could be done away with entirely with people turning a TV on and off with either gestures or voice commands and moving through the TV's user interface with just hand gestures, much like how the upcoming next Xbox Dashboard update will add such support for the Xbox 360 console.

If such talks are indeed taking place, Microsoft is poised to compete with Google TV, which so far has failed to generate much interest from consumers. And then there's those rumors that Apple has got a television product of their own in the works.

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This reminds me of the movie "Minority Report" :coolwink: But I think it would be very interesting to be able to change channels and operate the TV without holding a remote. Also, I would be really surprised if Sony would bundle MS Kinect with their TVs instead of coming up with something themselves. What do you think?

[ck_kent]

I think this is going to tire my hand/arm as I only care what else is on tv, not what's on tv. :P