CJ `TVing Stick` transforms ordinary TV set into smart TV

CJ Hello Vision put on market on Monday “TVing Stick” that allows a user to access video on demand (VOD) service exclusively for smartphones and personal computers on the TV set as well.

TVing Stick is a 10 centimeter-long, USB memory-shaped device. Once inserted into a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) slot on a TV set or a PC monitor, it allows the user to access TV channels and VOD provided by TVing, an Internet video service provider. Once inserted into the TV set at home and an overseas travel site, TVing Stick allows the user to watch video as if watching TV programs in Korea.

TVing Stick alone transforms the TV set into a smart TV that enables users to access various Internet services and applications. At a one-man household, which tends not to subscribe to cable channels or IPTV, the product alone enables users to enjoy diverse channels and contents. It is also appropriate to use the device as a second TV at the household. The device is priced at 59,900 won (59 U.S. dollars).

A source at CJ Hello Vision said, “Once attached on a TV set, the device allows users to operate the TV as if using an ordinary TV set, and hence middle-aged people who are not comfortable with IT devices can conveniently use it.”

After buying a TVing Stick and signing up for subscription to TVing service, the subscriber can use more than 100 cable TV channels and over 30,000 titles of contents provided by CJ E&M without paying extra fees. It is also equipped with the "mirroring function" that displays images shown on the smartphone, stored video clips and photos on TV screen. However, the device does not provide broadcast service provided by territorial TV networks due to intellectual property issues.

Kim Jin-seok, CEO of CJ Hello Vision, said, “By securing new subscribers including one-man households, we aim to spearhead the video streaming market that has seen exponential growth in recent years.”