A range of TV sets to enter the market this year will respond to speech.

    LG Electronics on Monday said it will sell a remote* with its high-end flat-panel* TVs that contains a microphone. You’ll be able to speak into the microphone to enter text on the TV for Twitter updates and Web searches. You still won’t be able to change the channel or control the volume by yelling at* the TV.

    Samsung Electronics also said it would have TVs that respond to voice commands. In addition, it’s launching its first TV with a built-in camera. As you watch the ES8000 set, it will watch you back, looking for hand gestures that prompt it to move the onscreen cursor or launch apps.

    The two Korean rivals were the first to show new models at a preview day ahead of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which opened Tuesday. The show features many variations of so-called “smart” or Web-connected TVs.

    Google Inc. has tried to break into the living room with software for smart TVs. So far it has been unsuccessful. But Sony Corp. revealed at the show that it’s sticking to Google TV and bringing out a Blu-ray player that runs the software. That player will have a remote with a microphone for voice-powered Web searches.

    “Smart” TVs have been around since 2008, but two things are holding them back. One is that the conventional* TV remote is a hopeless tool for Web browsing, typing, and other PC-like behavior.

    TV makers are now looking for alternatives*. Last year, LG introduced a “Magic Wand” remote that’s motion-sensitive, much like a game-console controller.

    This year, it’s taking another page from Microsoft Corp.’s Kinect game console and introducing a 3D camera that perches on top of a TV and interprets viewers’ motions, letting them control the on-screen cursor with hand movements.

    Samsung will be using its built-in cameras to try to recognize who’s in front of the TV. It will then bring up the right household member’s personalized “hub” of applications.

    The other thing holding back “smart” TV: Viewers interact more with the cable or satellite set-top box than they do with the TV itself. The set-top box is where you find shows and change the channel.

    The renewed focus on smart TVs comes as TV makers are scrambling for new features to interest buyers.(SD-Agencies)