Watch 4 shows all at once on 1 TV

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Have you ever had to fight over what TV show to watch? If you have a TV at home and I’m sure you do, chances are, you’ve had to fight over the remote at least once in your life. If only there were a television set that allowed you and your special someone maybe to watch two programs at the same time. What if I told you that there already is such a thing?

Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last January, Samsung’s 55-inch OLED 3D Multiview HDTV isn’t like any other TV out there because it is capable of displaying at least two different programs at the same time. 

When I first heard about the device I could not, for the life of me imagine how this was possible. So imagine how geeked out I got when I saw it in action at the Samsung Forum in Jakarta, Indonesia last Wednesday February 27.

I was one of several journalists from all over Asia and Oceania who were flown in to attend the event – Samsung’s way of showing off the technology it has in store for consumers this year. 

The TV comes with 4 pairs of 3D glasses w/ built in earphones. Put them on and with the push of a button you can toggle between two programs, doesn’t have to be a 3D movie, it can be regular TV, or even a computer game. If you’re just watching a 2D program you can watch up to 4 at the same time. The audio for the corresponding program will pipe through the earphones built into the glasses. 

Imagine you’re watching the latest Ginebra game, while your younger sister plays Mario Kart on her Wii and while your parents are watching Avatar in 3D.  It’s possible.    

Of course some sacrifices need to be made. If you are not a fan of 3D, then watching w/ the 3D glasses on for an extended period of time might probably strain your eyes a bit. But having said that it’s a start and a great proof of concept of what’s actually possible. 

The other sacrifice affects your bank account. The device is not cheap. The Samsung 55-inch OLED 3D Multiview HDTV is expected to costs as much as a low-end car and might reach Philippine shores before the end of the year.

Watch my hands-on video review of the multiview TV below. More from the Samsung Forum on next week’s episode of TechRap out March 3rd.

– Rappler.com