Telly, a new startup led by the co-founder of Pluto TV, has launched its first TV set in the market, which is available for free under a new unique business model. The TV comes with a dual-screen setup and a soundbar where the main screen is for watching TV while the smaller screen displays advertisements, news, weather updates, sports scores, and more. The main screen of the TV is a 55-inch 4K HDR display, while the smaller screen at the bottom has a 10-inch display. There’s also a built-in premium sound bar for an immersive audio experience. It has three HDMI inputs, two USB ports, and a tuner to watch over-the-air broadcasts.
In the software department, it runs the
company’s own TellyOS, which currently doesn’t support third-party applications
like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. But, the company includes a free 4K Android
TV dongle, allowing users to access whatever streaming service they want. Apart
from that, the TV is also said to be compatible with Roku, Amazon Fire Stick,
and Apple TV. Commenting about it, Pluto TV CEO Ilya Pozin said that the Telly
is designed to be a more engaging and informative way to watch TV. The company
is aiming to change the way people watch TV.
As of now, the company hasn’t revealed the
full specifications of Telly, but the company is estimating that it will retail
for around US$ 1,000. Currently, the company is offering this new TV set free of
cost for the first 500,000 units. Pre-orders are now open in the United States,
and Telly is expected to start shipping in the summer.
While those concerned about privacy may
not prefer Telly even after the company offers it for free, it is definitely a
unique business model. It will be interesting to see if it manages to make its
mark in the highly competitive Smart TV market.