As a millennial, I’m frustrated with my smart TV. Not that I cannot navigate apps or switch between TV and set-top box mode, but modern-day televisions are still more complicated compared to traditional TVs, where all one had to do was press the power button, enter the channel number directly, or use the channel up/down buttons to access their favorite program. This remains applicable to modern-day TVs, provided one knows how to use voice commands or navigate the channel categories accurately.
While you and I may not incur any difficulty in doing so, our parents do. For that matter, I have seen my own mother snap at the TV when she is unable to get the voice command right or navigate from application to the set-top box mode. It is now that TV companies have finally realized that they need to design a new TV for seniors. In an effort to make the labyrinthine world of smart TVs more accessible, LG has recently unveiled the “Easy TV”, designed specifically for senior citizens.
First reported by Chosun Biz and then followed by Notebook Check in the mainstream publication, the company’s new TV promises to end all the frustration associated with modern televisions, boasting a simpler remote and a pared-down interface. As per LG’s press release, “Easy TV has been developed in a customized manner, from software such as an easy-to-see home screen that can be seen at a glance, to hardware such as a completely redesigned remote control and built-in camera, to convenient features such as video calls and medication reminders, reflecting the voices of senior customers who want to use their TV more conveniently.”
All in all, the idea behind LG Easy TV is simple: seniors deserve tech that doesn’t leave them swearing at the screen, lost in an endless menu of app icons they’ll never use. LG’s solution to this is a sleek TV with a far more intuitive remote control. After taking a good look at the remote pictures, I can attest that it’s old-school, but not simple.
Let’s begin with the good part: The dedicated Easy TV remote control features large, easy-to-read text and backlighting. It also includes a “Help” button that is added to the top. “If an unwanted function occurs, such as a screen blacking out due to an external input switch or an app accidentally launching, customers can simply press the button to return to the previous broadcast and continue watching,” the company explains.
Another noticeable feature in the remote is a large Netflix button and an Amazon Prime button (because shopping while watching TV is clearly now a thing). And not to be found are numerous streaming options and settings that make your head spin. If you’ve ever tried explaining the subtle differences between HDMI 1 and HDMI 2 to a senior, you might come to appreciate this move.
On the downside, the remote has too many buttons, so I am not sure if LG intends to make the process too easy or complicate it further. For example, is a bigger button really going to help someone who still can’t remember the Wi-Fi password? But I am entitled to my opinion, and so is a regular Verge reader who chimed in, stating, “The remote is nowhere near simplified enough. The remote is too big by half at least, and I have no idea what the justification is for half of the buttons on it. (A numeric keypad? Really?” It’s hard to argue with that one.
As for the TV is concerned, LG points out that Easy TV is based on the LG QNED Evo QNED85A Mini LED 4K Smart TV. The TV further offers picture and sound adjustments tailored to older users with enhanced brightness and voice quality, and a built-in camera for making video calls with family. It can also be programmed with notifications that remind users to take medications or simply water the plants.
If that’s your idea of “easy,” I suppose it’s worth celebrating. But hold on a second: it’s 2025. The average person (even the elderly) uses a TV for so much more than just flipping through channels; think of social media integrations, browsing Netflix’s sprawling catalog, voice control, or even the ability to browse YouTube on your couch. This “easy” interface might solve the problem for someone who just wants to watch Monday Night Raw and calls it a day, but for anyone with moderate digital literacy, it might feel like a demotion back to the dark ages of television.
In short, it feels like an oversimplification to the point of mediocrity. That said, I won’t be surprised if we get an “Easy Cellphone” with a rotary dial for seniors who are still recovering from the trauma of the iPhone. Pun intended!
In all fairness, there’s a nugget of truth here. The real issue isn’t that the elderly cannot navigate smart TV remotes; it’s that everyone is overwhelmed by the flood of useless, non-intuitive features that most TVs come with these days. LG’s solution is to infantilize the experience by taking it back a few decades, but is that really addressing the core problem? The big question is whether it’s easy because it’s aimed at seniors, or is it ‘easy’ because it’s just a lazy design?
Oh, and how can we ignore the price point? Currently available in South Korea, the TV is available in a 65-inch version for around $1,965 and a 75-inch model for about $2,746. But the question remains, does LG really expect to pay more for less? It’s almost as though LG has decided the solution to complicated tech is slapping a high price tag on simplicity. I mean, seniors, on pensions, might find it harder to justify shelling out for a TV that gives them less when they could just as easily purchase a standard smart TV for the same (or lower) price. I am awaiting LG’s comment on this.
