CES 2025
The future of Connected TV
The
future
of
Connected
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TVs becoming more aware, AI integration, TV dominance, Sony’s RIDEVU, projectors, TV sizes, audio developments, and YouTube partnerships.
As we kick off 2025, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has once again provided us with a glimpse into the future of home entertainment. This year’s show demonstrated that we’re moving far beyond the traditional concept of television as a passive screen for content consumption.
Instead, we’re witnessing the evolution of TVs into intelligent, context-aware devices that could fundamentally reshape how we interact with technology in our homes. From TVs that can sense and respond to people in the room to sophisticated AI assistants, the innovations unveiled at CES 2025 suggest that the television’s role in our daily lives is about to expand dramatically.
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TVs are becoming more aware of their surroundings
One of the most striking developments at CES 2025 was Google’s demonstration of new Google TV features that transform the television into a responsive, context-aware device. When these TVs detect someone nearby, they automatically activate to display artwork, transitioning to show practical information like home updates and weather information as the person approaches.
For developers, this functionality opens up exciting new possibilities. The ability to detect and respond to user presence could enable applications that recognise a user’s mood upon returning home and proactively suggest appropriate content, whether it’s calming music after a stressful day or an upbeat show to maintain positive energy.
AI comes for your TV
Leading tech companies including Google, Samsung, LG and Hisense are embedding advanced AI capabilities into their latest TV models.
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Google’s integration of its Gemini AI into Google TV allows users to interact more naturally with their TVs, enabling content searches and general inquiries without the need for specific wake words.
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Samsung’s new TV “Vision AI” feature offers real-time subtitles, actor information, and smart home integration.
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LG’s latest OLED models incorporate Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant, enhancing user experience with personalised content recommendations and troubleshooting assistance.
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Hisense’s Hi-View AI Engine will be powering real-time optimisations to picture and sound quality and allow users to interact with their TVs in new ways to aid with things such as content discovery.
Whilst these use cases of AI mentioned by each vendor don’t seem particularly breathtaking, this is definitely the first step towards the TV device becoming something that is used for much more than simply streaming media.
It remains to be seen what all this means for our privacy however.

How IMAX and YouTube are Redefining Travel Entertainment
The scope of TV content platforms continues to expand beyond traditional viewing environments. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has announced that its in-car entertainment service, RIDEVU, will include IMAX Enhanced films, launching with select Mercedes-Benz vehicles in summer 2025. This collaboration aims to bring a cinematic experience to cars, redefining in-car entertainment.
My most recent in-car entertainment experience at IBC helped me to see the high level of quality that’s possible in the environment, and with IMAX being introduced this will only get better.
I can imagine a future in which the quality of in-car entertainment has reached such impressive levels that some viewers might prefer watching movies in their vehicles, where the experience can be more immersive than traditional home viewing.
Meanwhile, YouTube’s partnership with Delta Airlines to provide in-flight entertainment demonstrates how streaming platforms are expanding their reach to capture audience attention across all possible viewing scenarios.
Link: https://www.csimagazine.com/csi/Delta-in-YouTube-partnership.php
Projectors are providing an alternative watching device
The traditional TV faces interesting challenges and opportunities in the display space. Projector technology is advancing rapidly, with CES 2025 showcasing innovations from LG’s lamp that doubles up as a projector to improved short-throw projectors for space-conscious consumers.
As projector technology becomes more sophisticated and affordable, I believe we will see many consumers opt for them over TVs due to their practicality.
When every wall in a home becomes a potential screen this could also make for some really interesting and engaging applications. It could also really influence how we design our living rooms.
Further to this, short throw projectors introduce the future possibility of creating an immersive room in which all walls are covered with content without the danger of someone walking in front of the field of projection. I can’t help but think this could introduce the home to a completely different type of immersive content.
Link: https://www.tomsguide.com/tvs/the-7-best-projectors-of-ces-2025

TVs keep getting bigger – Hisense 136 inch TV
However, TV manufacturers aren’t standing still. Perhaps in response to the progress and innovation in the projector category, this year we had some mammoth TVs announced, particularly the 136 inch micro-LED TV from Hisense.
Whilst it’s impressive that we can now buy TVs that are as big as this, is it really possible to compete with the practicality a projector brings when showing video at this size?

Dolby Atmos has some big competition for audio on TV – Google’s Eclipsa Audio
Dolby Atmos has been the clear king of spatial audio for a long time now, but the audio landscape is seeing significant changes with Google’s introduction of Eclipsa Audio, presenting the first serious challenge to Dolby Atmos’s dominance in spatial audio. Whilst this is an exciting announcement, I can’t help but think that this introduces further fragmentation in video/audio playback on TV. In the short term however, you’ll only be listening in Eclipsa audio on a Samsung 2025 model TV… from YouTube.
Link: https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/3/24335170/samsung-google-eclipsa-spatial-audio-format-2025-tvs
The TV still rules the roost
Another CES has gone by without any devices being put forward as a serious contender to the TVs dominance in the home. The TV now looks set to become the ‘control center’ of the future smart home, which could make our roles as TV application developers ever more important in an increasingly digital future.
Ready to Build the Future of Connected TV?
As CES 2025 has shown, the Connected TV landscape is evolving rapidly with new technologies, standards, and opportunities emerging. If you’re looking to develop or enhance your Connected TV applications, our team of experts is here to help. With years of experience in developing cutting-edge TV apps and a deep understanding of the latest industry developments, we can help you navigate this changing landscape and create exceptional viewing experiences for your audience.