New experience
Films can also smell with this device
A new device is supposed to let you smell movie scenes.
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While a blockbuster is playing, a new device in the room sprays scents that are supposed to match what is currently being watched.
There are certainly many film and series fans who have always wanted to be able to smell scenes. In the future, there will be a new device that will allow film fans to discover this new dimension in their home cinema – regardless of whether a character on the screen is sitting in front of a fragrant pizza or is having an adventure in a jungle.
The US company Elevated Perceptions, which has already released the GameScent device, also wants to launch a device called MovieScent in September. “Experience your favorite movies like never before,” it says. on the associated website.
How does smell television work?
The device is equipped with fragrance bottles, for example connected to the television via HDMI and set up via an app. It is said to be compatible with all televisions, computers and games consoles. Once everything is connected and the film has started, according to the company, artificial intelligence (AI) comes into play. This is supposed to analyze the sound signal and repeatedly spray fragrances to match the scene shown.
MovieScent is apparently a version aimed at film and series fans of the already available device GameScentwhich is primarily marketed to gamers. But MovieScent is also supposed to work with video games. It is unclear whether the two devices differ apart from the included scents and branding.
What does anime smell like?
A so-called starter kit from MovieScent is said to contain the scents “restaurant”, “ocean”, “storm”, “forest”, “freshly mown grass” and “clean air” (to neutralize odors). Other scents include “pizza”, “jungle” and “new car scent” and 36 more are planned. The GameScent contains “forest”, “storm”, “explosions”, “gunfire”, “racing cars” and “clean air”, each of which is said to be enough for 4,000 to 5,000 sprays. “Blood”, “sports arena” and “anime” are among the scents planned.
The selection is still relatively limited. Since there is only room for six bottles in a device, users have to more or less predict what will happen in a film or episode of a series. In fact, there are only five scents that can be sprayed, as one space should be reserved for the neutralizing scent.
Just junk?
And will the experience really be as “unforgettable” as promised on the website of the product aimed at film fans? It’s still unclear, as the device, whose recommended retail price is around $180, has not yet been released.
GameScent, which currently costs just under $150 on Amazon, has not been able to convince consistently so far. Portal “Shacknews” writes aboutthat the device “works far better” than one would have expected. However, people with a more sensitive sense of smell might be overwhelmed, but for everyone else it actually promises better immersion. “PC Gamer” finds much more critical words: “GameScent feels like a $20 gag gift that’s good for a laugh and something you can fool around with for a bit before it goes back in the closet and eventually into the trash.” YouTuber AlexiBexi also is anything but convinced: “The GameScent is a completely unnecessary piece of junk that should not exist.”