RFID on your TV

Access pay-per-view programmes in a snap

Now there is a television set that makes it easier to rent “pay-per-view” programmes and movies.

Consumers in Japan can now acquire an LCD high-definition television set that comes with a special remote control. In addition to changing the channels and adjusting the volume, this remote control also has an electronic money card reader that uses RFID technology.

Normally, if a family in Japan wants to order a pay-per-view programme, they must type the digits of a credit card into their remote control, one by one. But thanks to this TV set, a consumer simply waves an RFID-equipped credit card or cellphone over the remote control at the appropriate moment during the on-screen ordering process

In mere seconds, electronic money that is already on that person’s bank account or cell phone account (a practice which is quite common in Japan) is used to buy the programme.

Less waiting, more watching, with RFID on your TV.