The company offers a free 55′ TV with two screens, but with a caveat

An announcement officially released on Monday (15) sounds like a “joke”, but it’s true: an American startup Telly offers 500,000 TVs absolutely free for any US consumer who agrees to receive a second screen that will always display ads at the bottom of the device.

This thin strip under the soundbar is named by the company. “Smart Screen” and works independently of the main TV. Alongside advertisements, the mini-screen displays various widgets including sports scores, newscaster (with real-time news), weather forecasts and stock quotes.

Telly and its pioneering experience are the brainchild of Pluto TV co-founder Ilya Pozin, who described his project in a statement: “When I founded Pluto TV, we created an entirely new model that offers great TV content to viewers for free. Now we also provide reality TV for free with Telly”.

Why is Telly TV free?

The secret to Telly’s free TV is the ads. The company explained how advertising works, that other streaming TV operating systems are already showing screen adslike Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and even Netflix in their basic ad-supported plans.

The site says: “Everything has changed today. During the registration process, we ask questions about you and your family to optimize your advertising experience. In return, brands pay for non-irritating advertising on Smart Screen. Free television”.

How does wire TV work?

Hey Tel! #itsfreetelly #dualscreensmarttv #final upgrade #freetv pic.twitter.com/dTsTeHirb5

— Telly (@itsfreetelly) 15 May 2023

While the site doesn’t go into much technical detail about the free Telly TV’s features, it says the main screen is 55-inch 4K HDR and the soundbar has “five drivers and great bass.” According to this deadlineThe TV offers three HDMI ports and an Android TV type stick to be fixed to one of the ports, but the consumer can choose the streaming stick or box he wants.

In addition to the two screens, the Smart TV brings a camera and a Zoom integration designed for “free advanced motion tracking fitness programs” to the middle of the soundbar. in an interview with BorderDallas Lawrence, Telly’s director of strategy, explains that the device is a privacy cover (closes).

However, in the company’s policy, Telly “may collect information about the audio and video content you watch, the channels you view, and the length of your watching sessions.” Unacceptable TV must be returnedor pay a fee of USD 500 (R$ 2,500).