Zoom has partnered with Sony to bring its video communications and collaboration platform to BRAVIA TVs.
The solution, available as a Zoom for TV app download through Google TV, intends to help users straightforwardly connect with colleagues for video meetings in remote or hybrid working situations.
Eric Yu, Head of Hardware Partnership at Zoom, commented:
We are thrilled to work with Sony to bring Zoom to their BRAVIA TVs. We are allowing our customers to enjoy the best of both worlds – the convenience of video conferencing on their TV and the power of Zoom’s collaboration tools.”
Zoom on BRAVIA TV combines the feature set of Zoom’s platform — including screen sharing and collaboration tools as well as video communications through the TV — with BRAVIA Camera’s advanced features. These encompass spatial recognition of where users are in the room and how far they might be from the TV, information which the camera can then use to adjust the sound and picture settings.
Zoom for TV will be available on BRAVIA TVs compatible with a BRAVIA camera “early this summer”, according to the product announcement. The full list of compatible TVs are: the X95L, X93L, A80L, X90L, X85L, X80L, X75WL, Z9K, A95K, X95K, A90K, A80K, A75K, X90K, X90S, X85K, and X80K.
It will be an easy-to-deploy setup, as users only need to download the Zoom for TV app from the Google Play Store before launching it with the TV’s remote.
“We are excited to partner with Zoom to bring video conferencing to our BRAVIA TVs, making Zoom services available on the Android TV platform,” enthused Shusuke Tomonaga, Head of BRAVIA TV Product Design, Product Technology Center, Sony Corporation.
“This partnership will make it possible for our customers to enjoy more realistic video communication on a large TV screen in the living room,” Tomonaga added, “enabling them to be more connected with the people they care about, whether they are working from home, learning remotely, or just catching up with friends and family.”
BRAVIA TVs are the first brand to support the Zoom for TV app on Google Play Store, marking Zoom’s Android TV OS debut.
Are Video Conferencing Solutions for TVs Gathering Momentum?
Although the BRAVIA TVs partnership is an exclusive deal (for now at least), it potentially signifies Zoom’s intention to launch its platform on other Android TVs and Google TVs down the line.
Apple, too, has signalled interest in this market, as illustrated through its new FaceTime for Apple TV app.
During Apple’s WWDC event earlier this month, the vendor unveiled plans to transform the iPhone into a huddle camera through integration with Apple TV. This feature leverages Apple’s Continuity Camera mode to allow iPhones and iPads to function wirelessly as webcams.
The new FaceTime app for Apple TV will utilise Centre Stage, Apple’s AI-powered technology, used via the front cameras on iPhones and iPads. Centre Stage dynamically frames users as they engage with the TV to deliver an immersive video conferencing experience.
By leveraging Continuity Camera, users can start the FaceTime app on their Apple TV, wirelessly connecting it to their iPhone or iPad. Users can seamlessly transfer ongoing calls from their iPhones to Apple TV with just a few taps.
Zoom on a Roll with its Innovations
Zoom has had a busy year launching some compelling products and platform updates.
Earlier this month, Zoom introduced new data storage tools to empower users with greater control and insights into their privacy. Among the various features Zoom is launching are European Economic Area (EEA)-based localised data storage, data subject access areas, and audit log tracking.
However, Zoom’s most significant launches in 2023 have arguably been its AI-powered solutions.
This month, Zoom IQ’s generative AI-powered features became available for customers on select plans on a free trial basis. Those users could access the Zoom Meeting summary and Zoom Team Chat compose features d to boost productivity and enable more effective collaboration.
“With the introduction of these new capabilities in Zoom IQ, an incredible generative AI assistant, teams can further enhance their productivity for everyday tasks, freeing up more time for creative work and expanding collaboration,” commented Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom.
Zoom’s OpenAI-powered features were first revealed at this year’s Enterprise Connect. Meeting summaries allow meeting hosts to generate a summary powered by Zoom’s own large language models and share it via Zoom Team Chat and email without having to record the conversation. Hosts receive automated summaries and can share them with both attendees and those who couldn’t attend.
The Zoom Team Chat compose feature enables users to draft messages extracted from the context of a team chat thread. The feature can also alter message tone and length and rewrite responses to personalise text recommendations.
In May, Zoom also invested in Anthropic to build its AI capabilities. The collaboration with AI safety and research business Anthropic advances Zoom’s federated approach to AI by integrating Anthropic’s AI assistant, Claude, with Zoom’s collaborative platform. Zoom Contact Centre will be the first Zoom solution integrated with Claude.
