LG introduced the Easy TV on Sept. 25, 2025, initially for South Korea, with 65- and 75-inch models priced about ₩2.77M (~$1,965) and ₩3.87M (~$2,746). It adds a simplified home screen with larger fonts, a built-in camera for video calls, a Help button, and remote assistance for caregivers. For all that, this op-ed argues the pitch misreads core needs: a deliberately “dumb” TV—without apps—could deliver better usability at far lower complexity and cost for older viewers [1].

Key Takeaways

– Shows LG Easy TV launches Sept. 29, 2025 in Korea at ₩2.77M ($1,965) for 65 inches and ₩3.87M ($2,746) for 75. – Reveals adults 65+ now exceed 10 million in Korea, 20% of the registered population, highlighting accessibility demand and market scale. – Demonstrates Easy TV is LCD, not OLED, as executives cite balancing picture, sound, and price; 65-inch costs ₩2,769,000, 75-inch ₩3,869,000. – Indicates LG Buddy remote help via KakaoTalk, triple-press Help alerts, and pop-up medication reminders add steps seniors must learn. – Suggests a simpler ‘dumb’ TV plus modular add-ons could undercut $1,965–$2,746 pricing while improving reliability, clarity, and caregiver control.

What LG Easy TV promises, and at what price

LG positions Easy TV as a senior-friendly screen. The package leans on a redesigned remote with oversized, backlit buttons and a prominent Help key; LG Buddy enables remote assistance and content sharing via KakaoTalk; medication reminders can pop up on the TV; and an emergency alert can be triggered by pressing Help three times. The goal is to tame smart-TV sprawl, and the approach earns praise for accessibility—even as critics note simplification could go further for older users and caregivers [2].

The promises are admirable. But they rely on layering more software, more modes, and more “special” states on top of an already complex product category. For many households, that adds steps to learn, maintain, and troubleshoot, especially when staff or family support varies. A simpler foundation—fewer screens, fewer choices, fewer update prompts—delivers more clarity than a big new feature set ever can.

The market reality LG says it sees

Availability and demographics help explain LG’s timing. The company is releasing Easy TV in South Korea on Sept. 29, 2025, at ₩2.77M for the 65-inch and ₩3.87M for the 75-inch, in a country where the 65+ population has surpassed 10 million—roughly 20% of registered residents. LG has also telegraphed plans to expand overseas, including the United States, suggesting Easy TV is a platform strategy rather than a regional experiment [3].

That 20% figure is a powerful signal of demand for accessible devices. But accessibility and simplicity are not synonyms. Accessibility features add needed accommodations; simplicity reduces cognitive load. Easy TV largely does the former. The latter is where it falls short.

Why Easy TV misunderstands “simple”

Simple isn’t “another mode.” It’s fewer inputs and fewer pathways. The most common pain points for older viewers are not only the size of on-screen text but also the number of app rows; the need to manage logins and permissions; unintended input changes; and the dread of network, Bluetooth, and firmware updates. Easy TV’s solution—new features and help layers—doesn’t reduce that surface area. It risks reframing complexity as assistance.

The Help button itself illustrates the trap. An emergency alert after three presses is thoughtful. But it requires remembering the sequence, noticing the on-screen state, and trusting the network connection, KakaoTalk account linkage, and backend services. Those are several more potential failure points than a dedicated physical call button, a landline-based pendant, or a mobile emergency contact list seniors already know.

The cost mismatch: LCD at ₩2.77M when seniors need clarity, not features

LG’s own executives say Easy TV uses LCD, not OLED, to balance picture, sound, and price—underscoring that the bill of materials was tuned for cost control rather than top-tier panels. The company lists exact Korean MSRPs of ₩2,769,000 for the 65-inch and ₩3,869,000 for the 75-inch, reinforcing how firmly this is positioned as a premium “solution” device despite its mainstream display tech [4].

That pricing, by design, asks families to pay a premium for software layers—safety alerts, reminders, and remote help—rather than for picture quality. It’s an odd bargain. If the software is the value, a software-first alternative that runs universally (across new and existing televisions) would serve more seniors at lower cost. And if the value is peace of mind, a non-networked safety device may do that more reliably.

Even LG’s own OLEDs undercut Easy TV’s value proposition

LG’s 2025 OLED evo lineup highlights the tension. The C5 series starts at $1,399 and the G5 starts at $2,499 in the U.S., both built around webOS 25 with AI personalization, plus premium hardware features such as Brightness Booster and gaming specs like 4K 144Hz and VRR. In other words, the company sells industry-leading image quality—and a polished OS—at or below Easy TV’s sticker, depending on size and configuration [5].

If LG can deliver webOS 25 with AI personalization on mainstream models at lower or comparable prices, Easy TV’s margin must be justified by the “senior layer.” That invites a simpler fix: make “Easy Mode” a first-class, opt-in profile on every webOS set and ship an optional, large-button remote. Instead of a separate SKUs, deliver universal software and a $—not $1,9xx—accessory path.

A better “dumb TV” beats Easy TV on clarity and cost

For many seniors, the best TV is not “smart.” It’s a bright, high-contrast LCD with clear sound, a single-lane interface, and almost no states to get lost in. Picture a home screen with only three tiles—Live TV, HDMI 1, HDMI 2—and a Settings button that simply toggles captions, audio balance, and brightness. No app store. No logins. No firmware prompts during events. No background “content suggestions.”

Layer the essentials through hardware, not software. A dedicated Input key with LEDs that mirror the on-screen selection. A physical volume limiter to avoid loud spikes. A “Return Home” button that always returns to the three-tile screen. And a remote with large, backlit numerals, high contrast labels, and tactile separation—delivering fine motor accessibility without adding new operating concepts.

What “dumb” doesn’t mean: safety and care features without the cognitive tax

“Dumb” doesn’t mean unsafe or disconnected from caregiving. It means offloading complexity from the TV. Emergency contact pathways can be implemented with a hardware Help button that triggers a phone call or SMS from a paired base station—no social app logins required. Caregivers can receive an alert via their phones, with a simple on-screen confirmation that disappears automatically if unattended.

Reminders can be scheduled from a caregiver’s phone, but rendered locally on the TV as a large, high-contrast overlay that never blocks input and times out cleanly. Optional accessories—like a plug-in camera bar for video calls—should work as single-function devices: connect once, press one button to answer, and never require a firmware update or account setup on the TV. The principle: optional, modular, and minimally stateful.

The usability math seniors actually need

Complexity compounds. Each new app is another password. Each new mode is another place to get stuck. Each notification is another reason to panic during the evening news. Seniors benefit more from fewer states and clearer reversibility than from more features. A “three-choice” interface with consistent, predictable behavior can cut errors dramatically, reduce support calls to family, and maintain confidence at the couch.

Even for tech-savvy older adults, the maintenance burden matters. When the TV demands updates, authentication, and network troubleshooting, it effectively becomes a computer that happens to display video. A dumb TV is simply a screen and a switchboard: almost nothing to break, almost nothing to explain, and nothing to brick mid‑game. That is real accessibility, expressed as friction reduction—not feature accumulation.

Easy TV could be a mode, not a model

LG’s ambitions are clear: help older viewers navigate software-centric television. The right delivery mechanism is where the company stumbles. Easy TV should be a mode that ships on every webOS TV, selected at setup or enabled later by caregivers. The remote should be a drop-in replacement that maps to familiar inputs. The safety stack should live off‑device, so it remains dependable even when the TV is unplugged.

This reframing would let LG serve vastly more seniors, including those who already own a compatible TV. It would also let families choose the right panel—LCD or OLED—without paying a premium for a bespoke “senior model” whose core value is software they could otherwise download or configure. Value, in this context, is universality and continuity, not a new, expensive SKU.

Bottom line

LG Easy TV is a well-intentioned response to a real problem: smart TVs have become too complicated. But at ₩2.77M–₩3.87M and built on LCD, it’s a premium computer masquerading as a simpler television. The better answer is radical subtraction: a dumb TV with clean inputs, a large-button remote, and caregiver tools that live outside the TV’s firmware. Seniors need less to learn and almost nothing to maintain. That’s the simplest truth.

Sources:

[1] The Verge – LG’s new TV is designed to be easier for seniors to use: www.theverge.com/news/785808/lg-easy-smart-tv-senior-citizens-redesigned-remote” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.theverge.com/news/785808/lg-easy-smart-tv-senior-citizens-redesigned-remote

[2] TechRadar – LG’s new ‘Easy TV’ for seniors seems to admit what we all know: smart TVs have become too complicated: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/lgs-new-easy-tv-for-seniors-seems-to-admit-what-we-all-know-smart-tvs-have-become-too-complicated [3] Korea JoongAng Daily – LG launches Easy TV for older people with KakaoTalk features: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-09-25/business/industry/LG-launches-Easy-TV-for-seniors-with-KakaoTalk-features/2408327

[4] Asiae (The Asia Business Daily) – LG Electronics Launches ‘Easy TV’ Tailored for Seniors…Targeting the Senior Market: https://cm.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2025092508321772773 [5] LG (press release / PR Newswire) – LG ANNOUNCES U.S. ROLLOUT OF 2025 OLED evo TV LINEUP: www.lg.com/us/press-release/lg-announces-us-rollout-of-2025-oled-evo-tv-lineup” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.lg.com/us/press-release/lg-announces-us-rollout-of-2025-oled-evo-tv-lineup

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