Bridal buyer

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TECHNO TALK

WWW.BRIDALBUYER.COM

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Which operating system does it use?

TV streamers are effectively tiny computers

running a web browser, so the choice of

operating system can affect which devices play

best with them. The most common is Android,

but Apple TV obviously uses iOS - so if you are

an Apple-only operation you may prefer to stick

with the fruity brand.

Bringing the big screen

to the shop fl oor

A

BIG SCREEN CAN BE A

powerful sales aid, and a new

generation of gizmos that

connect a standard TV screen to

the internet is bringing a new

world of marketing material to

the shop at pocket-money prices.

So-called TV streamers plug into the TV's

HDMI socket and link to your wireless

broadband hub, so you can play videos from

YouTube, movies on Netfl ix or a range of

other material on the big screen. And, of

course, you can access videos from the

websites of your gown designers and

other suppliers.

One of the big pluses of a TV streamer is

that it makes your own videos of wedding

venues, your brides at their weddings and

so on instantly available for playing on the

shop's telly.

TV streamers are very easy to set up. Just

plug it in to the TV, connect to the power

and make sure the TV is set to the correct

picture source. Then follow the on-screen

instructions. A bewildering variety of TV

streamers are on the market with a range

of features and at prices from as little as £15

to over £100. Here are a few pointers to help

with the choice:

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How many channels are on offer?

Each TV streamer offers out-of-the-box access

to a different range of channels, so if any

particular service is of interest, check the

device has it before you buy. Almost all have

Netfl ix and BBC iPlayer.

Screening catwalk shows and bridal videos directly into store can help push

sales says Chris Partridge, so here’s a run-down of the top TV gizmos.

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What other connection options are

available?

If you don't have wireless in the shop, you will

need to connect to the modem with an ethernet

connection and many TV streamers don't have

one. It is also handy to have a USB port so

photos or video clips stored on memory sticks

can be played easily. Streaming video needs a

good broadband connection to avoid breaks in

play, though TV streamers prioritise their apps

to minimise glitches. If your service is poor, nag

your internet supplier.

NEW PRODUCTS

American company Lumo Body Tech claims to

be able to help what they unfl atteringly call

'hunchback brides' with the Lumo Back, a

sensor that straps to the small of a girl's back

and vibrates if it detects slouching. After a

few weeks coaching, the bride will walk down

the aisle ramrod straight, confi dent and fl at-

bellied, the company says.

In conjunction with an iPhone, it also tracks

steps and estimates calories burned to help with

that pre-nuptial diet. The Lumo Back costs £130

at Apple Stores.

The Zagg Universal Keyboard (£80) is a

Bluetooth device designed to work with any

tablet. Simply pair it to your tablet (or the

Prestigio MultiCenter TV streamer) to make

typing a breeze.

The new Samsung Galaxy Note3 smartphone

(£400 sim-free) comes with a unique stylus that

makes handwriting on the screen a pleasure.

As you write, the words are recognised with

amazing accuracy. BB

1

GOOGLE

CHROMECAST

(£30)

The Chromecast

really could not

be simpler - a

stick that plugs

directly into the

HDMI port of your

TV and to a power

socket. Setting it up

is a simple matter of

following the on-screen

instructions. Control is

via your smartphone

or tablet, for which you

have to download an

app. A word of caution

for iOS users - I had

severe diffi culty getting

my iPad’s wireless

to switch from the

home hub to the

Chromecast, a

known diffi culty

with iOS. Android

worked fl awlessly. Lots

of channels are available

and more are coming

online all the time.

2

PRESTIGIO

MULTICENTER

(£80)

A separate box rather

than a plug-in stick,

but this means it has

space for two USB

ports, an ethernet

port and a microSD

slot, maximising the

connection options.

Control is by a remote

or by smartphone app.

It has Bluetooth so you

can connect a keyboard,

which makes entering

text much easier.

The MultiCenter runs

on Android Compact,

so it can run apps from

Google Play therefore

you could email or work

on offi ce documents on

the TV screen if you felt

so inclined.

3

ROKU

STREAMING

STICK (£50)

The Streaming Stick

plugs into the back of

a TV and comes with a

remote, though it can

also be controlled by a

smartphone app. The

remote works by wifi

rather than infrared, so

you don’t have to line up

with the TV to operate it.

The interface is slick

and easy to use and

more than 500 channels

are already available

including YouTube, so

your own material will be

easy to access.

3

OF THE

BEST

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Does it have a remote?

Some TV streamers come with a familiar

remote control, which makes things easy but

has the downside that you have to fi nd it every

time you want to show a video. Some of the

more recent units are controlled by an app

on your smartphone, which makes it easy to

choose what you want to show on your phone's

screen before it appears on the TV; this also

looks a bit more professional to the client. Also,

you always have your phone with you so you

don't have to search the shop. Check the app is

available for your particular phone before you

buy. Some TV streamers offer both a remote

control and smartphone apps.

099.BB.163.techno.indd 99 04/06/2014 15:41