What could be better than a TV that pays for itself?
Or rather, you pay for it by seeing ads.
Sounds like a good deal, especially if you dont mind sharing your data and seeing ads.
Valeriy Artamonov
Thats exactly what Telly has come up with, offering you a 55-inch 4K TV for free.
The main attraction to Telly is the freebies.
That is, you are literally being offered a TV that wont cost you a dime.
Telly
The second thing is that the TV looks stylish.
Yeah, I like the way it looks.
It was founded by Ilya Pozin, a co-founder of Pluto TV, a free, ad-supported streaming service.
Telly
Telly describes his startup as an industry-changing event.
So, is Telly the future?
Whats going on?
Telly
Telly describes itself as The biggest thing to happen to TV since color.
Lets look into it.
First, lets take a look at how it all started.
Telly
Telly planned to send out500,000 free55-inch 4K TVs in 2023.
True, he stipulated that it is still about convenience and maximizing the appeal of ads for users.
The issue of privacy raises many questions for journalists.
Telly
The company does not hide that it will actively track your preferences to show suitable advertising.
Motion tracking is thanks to a passive motion sensor.
Telly seems happy with such an approach, even proud of it.
Lawrence says that other companies are doing the same and doing it in a shady manner.
We change the model, he said.
And Telly is right.
Other companies, including big nameslike Samsung, also show you ads and collect data.
The one difference is that when I buy such a TV, Im free to avoid such ads.
On most TVs, you’ve got the option to disable them.
The only difference is that when I do so, I dont fear that I will violate the terms.
Other companies dont care about how I handle ads.
In other words, everything I do with my TV is my own business.
But thats not so with Telly.
Telly explicitly warns its users that they will pay $ 1.000 if theyviolate the contract terms.
I saw a$500 figurein earlier articles, but it has increased.
And this approach raises many questions about how it will all work in real life.
What is Telly TV?
The first thing you should know about Telly is that they offer you a budget TV.
it’s possible for you to buy a similar TV at Best Buy for 250-500 dollars.
Okay, it still has a second screen and looks very nice.
But I have my doubts that it would cost $1,000.
But thats just my opinion.
In any case, it’s possible for you to buy similar TVs for less than $300.
Pozin and Telly often repeatone thought: All TVs are the same.
This is indeed true, especially in the budget segment.
We get brighter displays, new technologies, and a better picture.
Now, smart features, motion tracking, and the ability to make video calls have become more commonplace.
But none of that matters because the important thing is that Telly will cost you $0.
At least people are excited about getting STH for free.
How does Telly TV work?
The TV runs on Telly OS, a modification of Android.
The bottom screen looks more like a website or subway screen sidebar.
It shows information that depends on what you are currently watching.
Its like an information screen in the Kyiv subway with common-knowledge facts.
For example: Did you know that the Eiffel Tower gets taller in the summer?
and things like that.
Overall, the approach is quite reasonable and somewhat similar to the model.
The ads usually arent annoying and can take some getting used to.
After all, we are used to ads on websites.
Imagine having the same ads running in your living room.
Sometimes its not annoying, and sometimes it is.
For example, when the ad contains a QR code.
It looks like Im in a store.
The QR codes are probably the thing that disappointed me the most.
So what about advertising?
Right away, Im not a privacy adept, and what other journalists say is unimportant to me.
All to show you relevant ads.
Brady Snyder of XDA Developersbluntly says, No free tech product is worth surrendering your privacy.
Thats a controversial statement.
If a person is willing, why not?
I dont think privacy is the biggest problem with this kind of business model.
In the end, its each persons choice.
If people are willing to give up privacy for free TV, thats their right.
The company is simply offering an answer to their request.
As we have already realized, it is not.
At its core, it is a common, albeit not bad, budget TV.
Thats what The Verge emphasized twice when talking about Telly.
Maybe Im wrong, but thats how it seems to me.
You are told, Get for free what others sell for money.
And you like it.
Is that a bad thing?
Its just part of marketing and what other companies do, absolutely all of them.
Its what marketing is at its core.
So its not bad and doesnt say anything wrong about the company.
Its just something to remember, especially if youre unfamiliar with the TV market.
Or do I just take the TV for nothing and leave it in the closet?
And here comes the point that I have the most questions about.
So, lets say I want a free TV.
But suppose I wanted to get Telly TV.
Okay, that seems fine.
And then I get a shipment notification.
Im getting a free TV.
After shipping, I havefivedays to activate my Telly, according to their Terms of Service.
This is the first thing that raises questions.
How does the company determine whether I use Telly as my primary television?
What exactly is it that makes me suspicious?
First, there is no straightforward algorithm on how exactly I can return my unit.
And I cant understand how exactly this return will take place.
And if I dont return the unit, my credit card will be charged $1,000.
What is the time frame for returning my machine?
How will the return be handled?
I dont have an answer to all these questions.
But when should they arrive?
Who chooses the time and day they arrive?
All of this creates additional thin spots that can lead to potential problems.
It turns out that I have to wait for the machine to be taken away from me.
That said, I dont understand precisely how this is supposed to happen.
I mean, can I pick a time and a day?
And yes, Telly should always be connected to the internet.
The only exception would be a power outage.
But what if I want, for example, to go on vacation and disconnect the TV from electricity?
Or how should I prove I had a power outage in my house?
The issue with the $1,000 compensation is also essential.
And these are issues that the company does not disclose.
So, it remains a gray area for now.
Telly will never be yours
Technically, Telly gives you the unit in perpetuity.
And it will never be yours, not in a year or three.
It must always be connected to the Internet as your primary TV.
This is also a gray area because lets imagine the situation.
Youve been using Telly for two years.
And now your child has damaged the TV.
In that case, you’ve got the option to still be fined.
The Terms of Service dont cover what happens if you damage the gadget.
The Reddit community recommends contacting Telly by email because each case is decided on a case-by-case basis.
But for me, this issue is essential.
Its another if the same thing happens two years later.
But we dont see it, and your agreement with Telly, Inc. is open-ended.
Valery Artamonov, one of our writers, gave us more food for thought.
He said, Why doesnt Telly think about their TVs getting outdated?
And the main issue is that the company is not giving you transparent information about how this will happen.
And most importantly, what will happen to these TVs in 2 or 3 years?
And what will happen if the company has financial problems?
So no, Tellys problems are not privacy or your data.
It seems to me that the company is quite honest in this matter.
They provide you with a TV, and they do it for free.
The other question is what to do if I dont want that TV anymore and want to return it.
And that, to me, is the central question that other media should be asking as well.
If you work at Telly and want to clarify these questions, you might reach me atmashirenko@tab-tv.com.
