Internet television

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New "smart" TV sets enable viewers to access Internet content along with family photos and videos.

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For the past decade we've been told it was only a matter of time before our television sets and our computers would merge together. Now that day finally appears to have come and couch potatoes are meeting Internet lovers in the living room. Until now, if you wanted to use your TV to view online family photo albums, YouTube videos or other online content, you either had to be a technophile or know someone who could do some fancy wiring together of your computer and TV. Now, television manufacturers like Panasonic and others have begun to offer Web-enabled Plasma HDTV sets that provide instant access to some of the most popular content sites on the Internet. And consumers are responding at a healthy pace, with approximately 10 million households expected to have Web-enabled TV sets by 2011, according to industry research.   The attractiveness of TV sets that offer Internet content is obvious - more programming the viewer wants, exactly when he or she wants it, viewable on a large screen. "Imagine being able to press a button and see a family member's photos from their vacation right on your own large-screen Plasma or enjoy one of the many intriguing videos found on YouTube from the comfort of your easy chair," said Bob Perry, Senior Vice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, which is offering a Web-enabled series of Plasma HDTV's. The consumer electronics company is among the leaders in offering Web-enabled TV sets, with Panasonic's PZ850 series of VIERA Plasma HDTV's pre-equipped with VIERA CAST -- which provides instant access to YouTube, Google's Picasa Web Album and Bloomberg.  "Another terrific enhancement for the consumer is that when new Web sites become available they will be automatically available on the TV," added Perry. The key is to allow viewers to seamlessly access an unending supply of content from the Web directly on their TV sets.  "We've been waiting for this for many years, and finally the coalescence of technology and compelling applications with consumer demand is making this possible," said Gary Arlen, president of Arlen Communications, a media and technology research firm. "Bringing the Internet to living room television sets allows viewers to access entertainment, information and other Web services where they like to watch things on a big screen."  For their part, consumer electronics companies are focusing on making all types of content available on the TV screen -- no matter the source. For instance, Panasonic's new VIERA PZ850 television set allows viewers to watch HDTV movies and television channels, as well as Internet content and even videos and photos from their own camcorders or digital cameras. For more information on Web-enabled TV sets, visit www.panasonic.com. "The new wave of TV sets is all about the convergence of all types of content directly onto your television screen. No matter if the content is from a Hollywood studio, your neighbor's Web site down the street or even your own family videos or photos, you now will be able to watch it on TV," said Perry. -Statepoint