Working out in front of your TV during the pandemic? A new feature on Samsung’s 2021 televisions, announced Wednesday ahead of CES, aims to help. Attach an optional webcam to the TV and an app on the screen will recognize you’re working out, track your progress and offer encouragement and coaching as you burn calories.
The extra, which Samsung calls Smart Trainer, is part of the Samsung Health app that debuted on its TVs in 2020, only this year it’s expanding to offer guided personal training. It requires an optional webcam, and Samsung has a list of recommended cameras, all from Logitech.
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The system uses a motion-recognition AI algorithm in the TV to identify and analyze your movements, posture and form on camera. Based on this information, the Smart Trainer guides the rep counts, exercise time, estimated calories burned and form accuracy in real time. At the end of the workout it produces a scored workout summary.
I tried the Smart Trainer in an early demo and, despite my personal lack of fitness, it seemed to work well. Once I fired up the app a little window popped up showing me on the screen, complete with an indicator showing where to stand. After taking a second to recognize me, the workout began. I chose jumping jacks and tried following the pace of the on-screen trainer, who quickly got me out of breath. When I lagged an on-screen message let me know, and I earned encouragement when I hit the right pace.
Drew Evans/CNET
The workouts in the demo were by fitness guru Jillian Michaels, who Samsung says is the first of six personal trainers to provide workout content for its TVs.
The smart trainer feature is available on 2021 Q70A TVs and above, including the Neo QLED models. Pricing and availability for the TVs will be announced at a later date.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.