Telly's New Free TV Model Is Powered by Advertisements

Telly, a company founded by Ilya Pozin, co-founder of Pluto TV, has unveiled a new television model that users can get for free in exchange for displaying constant advertisements on "Smart Display", the TV's second, smaller screen.

"Smart Display" is a thin strip of screen, positioned alongside the main display and separated by a soundbar. Advertisements can appear on the right side of the Smart Display or take the form of a sponsored news feed displayed on the left side of the screen.

Apart from showing ads, this secondary screen also displays widgets such as sports scores, news tickers, weather updates, and stock prices.

In addition, the Telly TV includes a collection of 40 different games, compatibility with popular music services, and an AI-powered voice assistant that can be activated by saying "Hey Telly" for setting timers and alarms. However, the company is yet to provide specific details about the supported music services, games, and AI assistants.

The main display of the TV is a 55-inch 4K HDR panel, which is connected to the secondary display via Telly's operating system, TellyOS. However, it's important to note that TellyOS does not currently offer support for third-party streaming applications such as Netflix. To compensate for this limitation, the TV is bundled with a complimentary 4K Android TV dongle, or alternatively, it can be used in conjunction with other compatible streaming devices.

According to Dallas Lawrence, the Chief Strategy Officer at Telly, the main display has the capability to display advertisements when the primary TV is not in use.

The TV is equipped with a built-in camera located in the soundbar, which enables motion-tracking fitness programs and integration with Zoom. According to the company, the TV has a privacy shutter for the camera and microphone, allowing users to control their privacy.

However, the TV's funding model, which relies on brand-sponsored advertisements, still raises privacy concerns. Telly's data policy explicitly states that it reserves the right to gather data on users' viewing patterns, channels accessed, interactions with the TV (such as search queries and button selections), as well as information related to the physical presence of individuals using the TV.

Opting out of data collection entails either returning the TV or compensating for the presumed cost of the dual-screen TV along with the accompanying soundbar setup.

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