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Tag: connected

  • Demand For Web-Enabled TVs Surging, CEA Finds


    TV makers have been quick to recognise consumer appetite for connected TVs – and their ability to act as a differentiator in a crowded market.

    Rightly so as new research shows that nearly half of prospective TV buyers in the US intend to purchase an Internet-ready TV in the next year.

    Now a study by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has confirmed the growing interest, with 14.5 million consumers likely to purchase an Internet-connected TV in the next year.

    Shawn DuBravac, CEA economist and director of research, said consumers want more from their TV experience and marrying traditional television with Internet access is providing the next frontier of the television experience.

    "Consumers are already using the Internet while they watch TV," he said.

    "The next frontier is to create a seamless experience bringing the two together."

    Uses consumers gave for connected TVs include:

    • 48 per cent would find out about upcoming shows and identify a song that played during the show
    • 44 per cent would find out more about the actors
    • The top benefits of connected TVs, according to the study, are anytime-access to content and accessing the Web and TV broadcasts simultaneously.
    • The activities most likely to be converted from the PC to a connected TV include: watching online video (62 per cent), checking the weather (59 per cent) and playing online games (57 per cent).

  • Sony Adds Web Connectivity to Bravia Range


    Sony has extended its BRAVIA HDTV range to include a new model that for the first time lets viewers access online services.

    The Z5500 uses Sony’s AppliCast technology to connect via its Ethernet port to the Internet.

    The HDTV can display RSS feeds and, through its XMB (XrossMediaBar) on-screen interface, provides a choice of widgets that can be simultaneously viewed while watching TV.

    Hiroshi Sakamoto, vice president, TV Marketing EuropeSony, said that alongside a pre-installed analogue clock and calendar, the Z5500 can download other networked widgets.

    The list includes: calculator, alarm, world clock and picture frame online, which allows you to display an image that is stored online when the TV is in Picture Frame Mode.

    The Z5500 also comes equipped with CI Plus interface, enabling broadcasters to offer premium content directly to TVs without the need for a separate set-top box.

    There’s also an integrated MPEG 4 AVC HD tuner for watching HD broadcasts without the need for a set-top box.

    The Z5500 will be available in three screen sizes (40-inch, 46-inch and 52-inch).

  • Blu-ray Players To Become Leading Connected Device


    Nearly two-thirds of US viewers want to watch Internet-based streaming video on their home HDTV, according to research.

    The results endorse the growing trend for set manufacturers’ to launch internet-connected HDTVs, as was evidenced at last month’s CES.

    In-Stat’s consumer survey reveals that 64 per cent of US respondents are "somewhat, very or extremely interested" in watching net-based streaming video on their household TV.

    However, the study found that few home network users currently have permanent connections between their consumer electronics devices and their home networks.

    Those that are most commonly connected are game consoles.

    However, the report said that as more connected devices become available it is Blue-ray DVD players/ recorders that will emerge as the leading connected device.

    Joyce Putscher, In-Stat analyst, said the primary reasons that more devices are not connected to home networks are:

    • consumer awareness/knowledge
    • availability of network-capable CE products on retail shelves
    • prices of network-capable CE products
    • competition with non-network-capable CE products (like docking stations)
    • lack of perceived need by some consumers


    Among the other findings were the following:

    • Almost 43% of the Windows PCs used in North American homes in June 2008 had Media Center functionality, up from 32% in 2007.
    • The worldwide media server-capable device market is estimated at $50 billion in 2008.
    • A proliferating set of competitors are offering a range of Digital Media Adapter/Player/Receiver (DMA/DMP/DMR) devices, including Apple, Cisco, Denon, Hewlett-Packard, Roku, Samsung, and many others.