Can smart projectors bypass radio and television supervision?

Previously, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television sent a letter to rectify Internet TV boxes, requiring the immediate closure of download channels for illegal video software in Internet TV terminal products. The terminal products selected by Internet TV integration agencies can only connect to the integration platform, and may not have other channels to access the Internet, and may not connect to the relevant management systems and databases of network operators. This means that if terminal products want to access Internet TV, they must cooperate with license holders. At present, there are only 7 license holders in China.

However, for those video websites that have been struggling in the cracks since birth, the pace of hardware development has not stopped. The recent emergence of smart close-projection products can be said to be a clever countermeasure to the ban of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. Smart projectors that can be used at close range, such as the "Titanium Potato Tatoo" recently released by Tudou.com , are equivalent to another "box", but the broadcast terminal of the picture is not a TV, but a wall or screen.

An alternative to the "box"?

Traditional micro projectors need to use data cables to connect to iPads and iPhones, while smart close-range projectors mostly use Android or Windows operating systems, such as the "Titanium Potato", which has a built-in Wi-Fi module for network connection and DLNA and MIRACAST wireless interconnection technology. Traditional displays, mobile phones, computers and cinemas can switch between multiple screens, and online video resources can be watched, which is similar to the function of an Internet box.

Smart projectors allow video websites to circumvent the issue of Internet TV licenses. The "boxes" can be banned because they do not have TV licenses. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television can regulate the playback of Internet content on TV screens. Projectors do not need TV screens, so there is no need for licenses. Industry insiders revealed that video websites need skills to "skirt the edge" of policies. Video websites and equipment manufacturers do not call their products TVs, so they can indeed be exempt from supervision.

A domestic micro-projector manufacturer simply installed Windows system on its own products, while other brands of projectors are mostly Android systems, in order to avoid the fate of being a "box". "Using Windows system, we can classify projectors as computer hosts. Our CPU models are different, and the configurations are high and low, but the overall difference is not big, and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television cannot control it." The manufacturer's marketing staff introduced.

Consumers' Choice

Consumers are hesitating between purchasing channels, cost-effectiveness and user experience. The sales channels of smart near-field projection are mainly e-commerce platforms. E-commerce websites such as JD.com and Tmall display hundreds of products, while in some brand home appliance stores, it is often difficult to find them.

Comparing prices, an ordinary box costs between 200 and 500 yuan, and the annual content fee is 500 yuan. When paired with a TV, it costs several thousand yuan; the price of a titanium potato is 3,399 yuan, and the price of the long-listed XGIMI Z3 smart projector is 2,999 yuan. The prices of products from other brands are also similar. If you want to get a better viewing effect, users of smart near-projection also need to install a screen. The cheapest screen on the market currently costs at least more than 200 yuan.

Currently, the projection size of smart near-projectors ranges from 40 to 300 inches. According to industry insiders, if used in a living room, a projection of 50 to 80 inches is sufficient, which is much cheaper than the same-sized TVs sold on the market. The LED lamp beads used in smart near-projectors have a lifespan of between 20,000 and 30,000 hours. In addition, users do not need to buy a TV. Students and working people who rent houses in big cities are the main markets for smart near-projectors. However, if they want to replace TVs, smart near-projectors need more performance improvements in terms of brightness, clarity, light source life, and resolution.

Some art film lovers pursue the viewing effect of a cinema, and otaku like to project videos on the ceiling and watch them while lying down, and they will also specially purchase micro projectors. For them, the bright light source and fixed position of the TV may be a disadvantage.

New outlet for video sites

Mainstream video content platform providers have long opened up a second battlefield outside of websites. Products are becoming increasingly terminal-oriented. The battle for hardware such as boxes, TVs, audio and video sticks, and mobile phones is becoming more and more intense, and homogeneous competition is becoming more obvious. Pang Yiming, an analyst at Analysys International, believes that this is a layout of video content platforms to seize the market.

Tudou is not a pioneer in the smart projection market. Before this, there were many projection manufacturers based on LED, laser and other technologies. Many copycat manufacturers have been struggling for many years, but no strong brands have emerged in the market. In Pang Yiming's opinion, projector manufacturers have multiple markets such as office, outdoor and home. At the beginning, they did not have a clear intention to join the war in the living room market. Small manufacturers did not have a clear development plan for the market layout of home users, and their technology lacked high-difficulty barriers.

The launch of hardware in cooperation with video websites will promote the reshuffle of the projection market. A marketing staff of a smart projector manufacturer revealed: The market of smart close-up projection will inevitably experience a large-scale cleanup, and many small manufacturers who cannot win brand cooperation will be eliminated.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.