Yandex presented “TV Station BASIC” – an affordable TV with voice control and “Alice”

«Yandex announced the expansion of the TV Stations lineup. “TV Station Basic” has gone on sale – a TV running YaOS X, which combines the functions of a smart speaker and smart TV. The device supports the functions of the virtual assistant “Alice” based on the YandexGPT neural network, full voice control, etc. “TV Station BASIC” is available in versions with a diagonal of 43, 50, 55 and 65 inches, and the retail price of the device starts from 34,990 rubles.

Image source: Yandex

«TV Station Basic” supports 4K video playback (UHD) and HDR10 technology. Screen brightness is 400 cd/m². The new product uses KSF LED screen backlight technology with custom settings by the company’s engineers. To improve the quality of color rendition, “TV Stations” undergo individual white balance calibration. Due to this, the device provides image output that is comparable in quality to televisions in a higher price segment.

The design of the Basic TV Station includes a Farfield microphone unit and wideband speakers with a power of 20 to 30 W (depending on the size of the device). High-quality sound and audio settings on Yandex TVs are provided by the company’s engineers, who also develop acoustics for smart speakers.

Note that owners of the Basic TV Station will have access to the same set of functions as on more expensive models. The presence of the YaOS X software platform makes it possible to control the device via voice commands, as well as search for content on the Internet through Alice. The virtual assistant can also recommend content for different family members, control a smart home, etc. All functions of Yandex Station remain available even when the TV is turned off.

As for notable innovations, YaOS X-based TVs now feature voice personalization to improve the efficiency of recommendation algorithms and make interaction with the device more convenient for all family members. In addition to this, a karaoke mode has appeared. When listening to music on “TV Station”, it is enough to activate the “no vocals” option so that the performer’s voice is muted, and the composition itself continues to play without words. At the moment, about 2.5 thousand songs from 500 performers are available in karaoke mode.

At the same time, the developers have implemented the ability to broadcast the smartphone screen to a TV, which will allow users to view photos or videos on the big screen. A function has appeared for receiving and making calls between the “TV Station”, the “Home with Alice” application and other “Stations”.