A new typing system developed by Direction9 uses a T9-like approach to make navigating on-screen keyboards on TVs more intuitive and efficient.
Typing on a TV sucks. Those long and / or scrambled on-screen keyboards are both a nuisance to use, and a real problem for anyone wanting to make stuff for your TV. At CES 2025, I was just introduced to a better way. It’s made by a company called Direction9 , which has been working on the system for about a year, and it starts with a very old way of typing: T9. T9 was created by necessity, back in the days when cellphones’ only buttons were the number keys. (Here’s a demo for the uninitiated.
) TVs are similarly constrained by their directional pad — on most set-top boxes and smart TVs there’s no other way to type. The Direction9 system works like this: all the letters are arrayed in a three-by-three number grid, with multiple letters assigned to each number, just like T9. When you open the keyboard, your cursor defaults to the middle, and you click around to the letter you’re looking for. Every time you click the middle button to select a letter, the cursor jumps back to the center, which means you’re always only a click or two from the letter you’re looking for. You can use the keyboard a “smart” mode, which tries to predict which word you’re looking for — click the “abc” button, then the “def” button, and then “def” button again, and it might guess you were typing “bed.” You can also turn it off and type more manually: when you click on “abc,” it pops up a new array that lets you pick between letters. The rest of the keys you’d need — Enter, Space, Back, and so forth — are arrayed around the sides of this grid. Direction9’s trick here is that you don’t actually have to press enter to select them; just click-click over to the Enter button and it automatically submits. Direction9 CEO Leon Chang actually exhibited an early version of this keyboard at last year’s CES. But he tells me Direction9 is now in talks with companies to get its keyboard into streaming apps and on smart TVs; for the moment, though, it’s still pure vaporwar
T9 Typing TV Direction9 Keyboard
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Car Geeks Rejoice: Liberty Walk Unveils Ferrari F40 JDM-Inspired Mechanical KeyboardThe limited-edition keyboard showcases a color scheme inspired by the Liberty Walk-tuned Ferrari F40
Read more »
Angry Miao's Dry Studio Launches Lamborghini-Inspired Gaming KeyboardDry Studio, a sub-brand of Angry Miao, unveiled the Black Diamond 75, a Lamborghini-inspired gaming keyboard with a unique design and esports-level performance.
Read more »
Raspberry Pi’s new keyboard computer can power an optional $100 displayThe new Raspberry Pi 500 computer keyboard now includes the same features and performance upgrades of the Raspberry Pi 5 microcomputer, including improved dual display support.
Read more »
Microsoft is giving Copilot a new taskbar UI and keyboard shortcut on WindowsMicrosoft is changing how Copilot works on Windows yet again. A new update includes a quick view UI and a new keyboard shortcut.
Read more »
This Classic PC-XT Keyboard Comes With A Few Modern TwistsRelive the early days of personal computing with the PC-XT style keyboard from FL-eSports. The OG98 has a modern twist with RBB LED backlights and wireless connectivity.
Read more »
The Icebreaker: A $1,600 Aluminum Keyboard That's More Art Than FunctionSerene Industries' The Icebreaker keyboard is a unique and eye-catching piece, constructed entirely from aluminum. While its price tag of $1,600 is undoubtedly high, the keyboard's design and materials are undeniably impressive.
Read more »