Philips Intros 4K, 1080p Android-Based Smart TVs

TP Vision, the company that markets and brands Philips TVs in Europe and other parts of the world, has announced a new line of TVs that are powered by Android. There are two lines, the 8100 and 8200 TVs, which are 1080p resolution, and the Ultra HD 8800 series, offering 4K resolution. These will first be available in Europe and Russia in Q2 of 2014, and are the first Android-powered TVs coming to the market (separate from Google TV, which may or may not be discontinued). The displays will ship with Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean).

In addition to the Google Play store, Philips Smart TV will also be available on the devices. Together, this will offer customers Web browsing via Google Chrome, YouTube, Google Movies, Netflix, Google Music, Spotify and other apps. Consumers will also be able to play games available via the Google Play store thanks to the Android operating system and quad-core (8100, 8200 series) or hexcore (8800 series). Games can be played via pointer and cursor or a separate controller.

Other specs include:

• Local contrast
• Ambient light sensor
• Upscaling of content to 4K (8800)
• Distance adaptive sharpness, which uses an integrated camera to detect the viewer and adapt sharpness accordingly (8800)
• Four-sided amblight with gaming mode
• Control via pointing, cursor navigation, typing, talking or gestures
• Integration with Android-based phones and tablets, as well as connectivity with Apple iOS devices
• Support of Philips TV remote app, Wi-Fi Miracast, SimplyShare for streaming content to/from mobile devices

Philips Smart TV is here.