Upgrade your TV by positioning your smartphone as a camera. Make video calls on the big screen and play motion-games without a console.
This project will only be funded if at least $30,000 is pledged by .
"TellyMount turns your smartphone and your TV into a giant video-calling, gaming, streaming dream team." - Live-Smart
"[A]n easy and inexpensive way to extend the use of smartphones for more entertainment (motion sensing games) and real-time video calls with friends and family." - The Gadgeteer
"[S]olutions like the 'TellyMount' will continue to become more commonplace in technology setups." - Trend Hunter
TellyMount is a premium holder that positions your smartphone above a TV. When used with Apple TV or Chromecast (or other mirroring device), TellyMount allows you to use your phone’s camera in new ways with your TV. TellyMount raises your phone to the proper height and camera angle to video call with friends and family from the comfort of your couch. You can also position your phone's camera to capture your movements for full-body motion games. It's an easy way to transform your TV into a video calling and motion gaming entertainment center.
See the difference when you video call on the big-screen instead of your smartphone. TellyMount captures the moment so you are hands-free to be in the moment. Sit back comfortably on your couch and enjoy the conversation as if your friends and family are in the living room with you.
1. Place TellyMount on your TV by bending its flexible tail to brace against the back of your TV.
2. Mirror your smartphone to your TV via Apple TV or Chromecast (or another mirroring method):
3. Launch any video calling app or motion game on your phone (like Skype, FaceTime, Hangouts, Zumba Dance, or Sky Hero).
4. Insert your phone into TellyMount and tilt it to the perfect camera angle.
TellyMount centers your smartphone above the TV — the same place as built-in webcams on computers. Raising your phone to the proper height provides a more flattering camera angle as opposed to placing the camera lower, which emphasizes the chin, nose, and distorts lighting. TellyMount also positions your phone to provide eye-contact with your caller so that you’re talking to them instead of appearing to awkwardly gaze in a different direction.
Other phone holders are not suitable for TVs. Car mounts, which use suction cups, obstruct the TV screen and leave residual marks on the screen. Desktop holders need to sit on flat surfaces, which the top of a TV doesn't have enough of. Flexible tripods can't be securely balanced above TVs and lack phone rotation capabilities. We’ve taken the time to study and overcome the nuances to offer the best experience in this category. For example, TellyMount weighs over a pound because testing revealed that a steel weight in the tail was necessary to ensure stability, balance, and overall quality.
Enter the world of full-body motion gaming. Kinect-like games in dance, sports, adventure, and racing are available without the expensive hardware requirements of a 3D camera or dedicated console. Using just the camera in your phone, motion sensing apps on your phone can track your body movements in real-time. Just mirror your phone to your TV (as explained above), mount your phone to your TV with TellyMount, and let the games begin. Your phone will be perfectly placed to recognize your every move.
Video calling on TV opens up new dimensions on what you can do in your living room. Have a personal fitness or yoga session and get live feedback in the privacy of your home. Take music lessons from an instructor on the other side of the country. See a doctor or therapist and cut out the commute and waiting room. You can do all of these right now and we're doing our part to develop this ecosystem of services for TellyMount.
TellyMount can also position your phone above a computer monitor to be used in the office or while gaming. When you're not using TellyMount above a monitor, you can use TellyMount as a conventional tabletop stand to position your phone on any flat surface.
With TellyMount, you can tilt your phone in any direction. That way, the phone will face you even if you’re sitting up close on the floor or off-to-the-side of the TV. TellyMount’s ball joint design enables maximum angle adjustment for a smooth setup. TellyMount can also rotate your phone from portrait to landscape. You can even position your phone backwards to use the higher-quality back camera during video calls.
The holder expands to securely grip virtually all phones, with or without a case, including iPhones and Androids (like the Samsung Galaxy S and Note series and others by Samsung, LG, HTC, and Motorola). The holder is deep enough to fit thick phablets or battery cases. It's lined with a protective elastomer to enhance grip and prevent scratches to phones. TellyMount also allows clear access to your phone’s buttons, mics, speakers, jacks, and charging ports.
TellyMount’s flexible tail easily bends to brace against TVs and monitors of varying depths and shapes. An anti-slip elastomer further grips the TV and simultaneously prevents scratches on TV finishes. For stability, a steel base is enclosed at the end of the flexible tail to counterbalance the weight of the phone and any cables. No screws, adhesives, suction cups, magnets, or other complicated, unstable, or damaging substances are used.
We didn't set out to just make the first smartphone holder for TVs. We wanted to craft the best one possible. You'll notice the obsessive attention to detail. You'll feel the phone holder has just the right amount of spring tension. You'll see that TellyMount brings your phone as close to the TV bezel as possible, which enhances camera angle and eye contact, without obstructing the TV screen. The colors and finish were deliberately selected to blend into your smart home. Countless materials were considered for the flexible tail so that it would be sturdy yet easy for anyone to bend. Just the right amount of weight was added to the tail to ensure stability above a TV. You get the idea. While the design is distinctive, it's also clean and minimal. The only thing you notice when using TellyMount is your phone and TV.
As a stretch goal, a video calling app will be developed to optimize TV audio output and camera zoom for your TellyMount experience. The Android app will mirror via Chromecast. The iOS app will mirror via Chromecast and Apple TV.
GantryWorks designs smartphone accessories for the modern home to enhance the way consumer electronics fit into our lifestyle. Our team prides itself on creating innovative products with uncompromising attention to craftsmanship and aesthetic styling. Funding from this Kickstarter campaign will go towards necessary manufacturing expenses such as tooling, raw materials, and production to bring TellyMount to life. We also will be involved in contributing towards the development of the video calling and motion gaming ecosystem. Apparatus and method patents for TellyMount are pending.
We're so excited to see what you'll do with TellyMount. Join us on Facebook or Twitter for tips and apps that are better with TellyMount on the big screen. And please help spread the word so we can bring TellyMount to life!
If you'd like to write about TellyMount, please find our press kit here. Thank you!
Manufacturing and on-time delivery can be regarded as potential challenges to hardware production. The coordinated participation of multiple parties will be required, including, but not limited to, development teams, suppliers, contract manufacturers, and delivery service companies. While GantryWorks does not anticipate complications, unexpected issues have the potential to arise. GantryWorks intends to inform Kickstarter backers of any such issues in the event they arise.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterAbsolutely. Your phone will be in a convenient place to display alerts, tasks, camera feeds, videos (Netflix, etc.), video calls, and other things.