Bob Wooten: You will soon talk to a TV

Some temptations are nearly impossible to resist.

I'm a sucker for a good pulled pork sandwich. Or an ice-cold beer on a hot afternoon. Or buying a lottery ticket when the jackpot climbs into $100 million territory.

Seldom, however, do I feel the siren call of new technology. I'm usually skeptical about buying the latest electronic gadget, and that has served me well. For instance, it saved me from the Betamax.

So it was a little odd this week, as I read all about the next big thing, to find myself thinking "I'm gonna want one of those."

It's completely out of character, but I may actually have to pony up for a smart TV.

Smart TVs were among the products generating buzz at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show, which wrapped up Friday in Las Vegas. For technology geeks, this show is the equivalent of the Super Bowl. With hundreds of exhibitors spread out over nearly 2 million square feet of display space, it was touch-screen heaven.

Based on the news stories, some incredible products are about to wow us, including lightweight laptop computers, souped-up gaming systems, and cellphones with amazing capabilities.

But the so-called smart TVs, which are connected to the Internet, may have stolen the show.

While smart TVs have been around for a while, they have yet to catch fire with consumers. As is often the case with electronic products, they remain in that ugly duckling phase between big idea and fine-tuned product. That may be about to change, though.

The next generation of these TVs apparently will respond to voice commands. Just tell the thing you want to watch "Citizen Kane," and it will find the movie. Tell it you want to check email, and it pops up on the screen. If you want the odds on the Denver-New England game, ask and the TV will answer.

Considering that I have three remote controls associated with the one television set in my living room, this technology has some appeal. What's more, any time I felt the need for a "Three Stooges" fix, the eye-poking fun would be delivered faster than you can say "Get me Curly."

Of course, I'd have to get past the fact that people who talk to their TV sets are often considered barking-at-the-moon nuts.

I'd also have to get past the price tag. As is the case with most new technology, the initial cost of these TVs will be stomach-churning. I'm reminded of the very first VCR I bought back in the late 1980s, which cost more than $300. Those of us who still own VCR tapes can pick up a new unit today for about $50.

Then again, a smart TV might be worth every penny. When some lying politician,
self-absorbed celebrity or phony reality show star appeared on the TV, I could say "make that moron shut up," and it would.

That capability alone is almost as tempting as a pulled pork sandwich.

• Bob Wooten is the managing editor of the Daily. Contact him at 800-296-5137 or at bwooten@nvdaily.com.