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Abstract
A sideshow to the HDTV of the future is the remote control of the future. LG's Magic Remote, now available in the company's Smart TV series and its just-out G2 series with Google TV, is more mouse than conventional television remote control. It has a scroll wheel/trackball bordered by navigation buttons and a handful of controls for basics like volume, channel and accessing the on-screen home menu. (The G2 version, with a more conventional contour, has a keyboard on the back.)
The Magic that comes with LG's LM8600 and LM9600 Smart TV series diverts dramatically from the common TV remote in its built-in microphone for voice recognition, supplementing gesture controls and a pointer/motion sensor that uses Bluetooth technology to communicate with the HDTV. Isn't this the way a futuristic remote should look too: arching, glossy black, ergonomically perfect with minimalist controls?
The Magic's Wii-mote-like motion sensor that uses Hillcrest Labs' Freespace technology also did not work with the cable box in play. When it did, with a direct-cable feed, it was almost comically awkward. To return to the previous channel, I'd point the Magic at the screen and swipe horizontally. When the corresponding line appeared on the screen, the channel changed. To check recent channels, I'd write a "V" in the air. Touche!