KT Unveils 'Genie TV Set-Top Box 4' on the 5th
Supports 8K Ultra HD YouTube Videos
Easy Appliance Connectivity... Monthly Rental Fee 6,600 Won
Artificial intelligence (AI) will be introduced to adjust TV screen brightness and volume according to the situation, and automatically turn on the TV when the user enters the living room.
On the 5th, KT unveiled the first on-device AI set-top box supporting 8K resolution for IPTV at the Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. They announced that the AI automatically adjusts picture quality, screen brightness, and sound, and that the set-top box is equipped with an 8K UHD chipset. At the event, a model posed with the set-top box in front of the Genie TV screen. Photo by Heo Young-han
On the 5th, KT unveiled the on-device AI set-top box 'Genie TV Set-top Box 4' (hereinafter Genie 4), which supports 8K ultra-high definition and is equipped with such features.
Kim Hun-bae, Executive Vice President and Head of KT Media Platform Business Division, stated, "KT is the first to equip an IPTV set-top box with an 8K UHD chipset." Previously, even households with 8K home TVs could not enjoy ultra-high definition because the set-top box did not support it.
Through on-device AI-based 8K upscaling technology, past low-resolution broadcast content, over-the-top (OTT) online video services, and YouTube content in full HD and 4K can be viewed in ultra-high definition. AI image quality optimization technology delivers the best picture quality tailored to the TV specifications.
The 8K UHD chipset quickly optimizes the quality and sound of content through a CPU with 50% improved performance and an AI-dedicated processor (NPU, Neural Processing Unit), learning customer viewing data to provide the optimal experience.
Genie 4 brightens the TV screen when the surroundings are bright and dims the screen when it gets dark. When noises such as dishwashing or vacuuming occur, it raises the TV volume. It provides optimized sound according to the content genre and makes dialogue clearer with the 'Voice Emphasis' feature.
It also offers various customized AI functions. The 'AI Selective Viewing' feature, which allows users to quickly find desired people or scenes, saves time and provides a better content exploration experience. Genie 4 is equipped with an illuminance sensor and offers occupancy detection to identify who has entered the room. When a person approaches the TV during frequently used times, it automatically turns on the TV, providing immediate viewing convenience.
Additionally, when the TV is off, the screen can be switched to an 'AI Background.' Users can receive recommended backgrounds suitable for the weather, season, and time of day, and various information such as today's weather, a sentence from today's recommended book, and real-time popular channels are provided in a dashboard format. Next year, information such as traffic updates, news, schedules, and memos will also be added.
The process of connecting home appliances around the TV has been improved to allow easy voice control. When a device is powered on, the set-top box detects the remote control's infrared (IR) signal and automatically displays connection guidance on the TV screen. Users can easily control air purifiers, air conditioners, lighting, curtains, robot vacuum cleaners, and more through voice commands.
The rental fee for Genie 4 is 6,600 KRW per month (with a 3-year contract). The main AI TV features applied to Genie 4 will be gradually expanded to existing set-top box models by the first half of next year. Executive Vice President Kim said, "KT will evolve the IPTV set-top box into an 'AI hub' connecting customers and AI."
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