CES 2020: Vertical TVs may have a future

Short form video platforms like TikTok and the stories mode on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook have changed the way people consume content on smartphones. Instead of the traditional landscape mode, these platforms and modes are encouraging users to create and view content in portrait mode.

Content in portrait mode works fine on smartphones, but when the same content is played on TV, it fails to make the most of the screen and disrupts the user experience with wide empty bars. “In smartphone we can easily switch between vertical and horizontal modes. But when you play a social media content from smartphone on a TV the experience isn’t that good,” rues Jaipal Singh, associate research manager, Client Devices at IDC.