The future of HDTV... Connected TV with Yahoo TV Widgets

Top HDTV Manufacturers like Sony, Samsung, LG, and Vizio is bringing built-in, interactive entertainment directly to your television.

These HDTV's will integrate their first new networked LCD HDTV models with Internet applications called “widgets” that deliver real-time information, as well as streaming video capability via integrated Internet Video Link capability. These new HDTV models feature an Ethernet connection, allowing the sets to directly access Internet Video content using an existing broadband connection. The service offers one of the largest selections of free and premium movies, TV shows, sports, music and more from an array of partners like Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube®, Yahoo!®, Slacker(sm), and others.

These future HDTV's are powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine, expand and personalize the TV experience by adding on-screen applications that provide such real-time information as weather reports, stock ticker updates, financial news, Yahoo! Video, Flickr® images, and additional content.


Features of Yahoo! Widget Engine.

TV Widgets change what it means to Watch TV.

TV Widgets give you the best of the Internet in perfect harmony with the simplicity and reliability of your television. They're as rich, varied, and useful as your favorite sites on the Web, reinterpreted for TV. Check out behind-the-scene interviews from popular TV shows, read the blogs on your favorite actors, or catch up on missed episodes. No complexity, no keyboard or mouse. Just lean back and stay connected.

Enjoy Internet content while watching your favorite TV programs.

Interact with content and services that complement your TV viewing with TV Widgets. Press one button on your remote to bring up the TV Widget Dock, select a TV Widget, and view content, designed for your TV screen. Track your favorite sports team, watch financial stocks, share photos with friends and family, go shopping, play games, view movies or web videos while you watch your favorite show.

Personalize your experience with a selection of TV Widgets.

Personalize your viewing experience with TV Widgets from popular online media and Internet services. Select your favorite TV Widget, like eBay®, MySpace®, or CBS Entertainment, from the Widget Gallery, create a “Snippet,” and save it in the Widget Dock—for quick access to the content you want. By pressing your remote, you can view a friend’s new status on MySpace, purchase an item on eBay, or see the latest episode of your favorite CBS TV show.

Enabling The Cinematic Internet™.

The Cinematic Internet is Yahoo!’s vision for the emerging world of Internet-connected TV—combining the Internet’s choice, community, and personalization with the power of television. This combination will transform traditional TV into something bigger, better, and more exciting than ever. Yahoo! and our partners are working on rich TV Widgets that will bring the Cinematic Internet to life.


To ensure that the Cinematic Internet is open and powerful, Yahoo!® is working with the biggest brands in consumer entertainment and internet services to create a vibrant ecosystem. Together with Intel®, Yahoo! is making a Widget Development Kit (WDK) available to the industry. This will enable developers and publishers to continuously change and improve what it means to watch TV.

More on Yahoo Widget TV

Easy access to the best of the Web.

It’s easy to enjoy Internet services, information and community through TV Widgets—compact Internet applications that deliver the best of the Web to your TV. Use your remote to bring up the TV Widget Dock, select all your favorite TV Widgets, and connect to popular Internet services and online media, while you watch your favorite show.

Movies, favorite shows, news clips—and more.

View movies, video clips, news updates, photos, messages, and more with TV Widgets. Go to the Yahoo!® Widget Gallery and choose from a growing list of TV Widgets; soon to include Yahoo! properties such as News, Weather, Sports, Video and Flickr®, as well as popular providers like The New York Times®, eBay®, CBS, and Showtime®. Get more from your TV viewing experience, with TV Widgets.

Featured Yahoo! TV Widgets:

eBay

Get real-time updates, place bids, and monitor your favorite items with the eBay TV Widget. Search, view photos, and compare prices of products with the press of your remote—you won’t miss a buying or selling opportunity with the eBay TV Widget.

CBS Entertainment

Get your favorite TV show information and entertainment you want on demand with the CBS Entertainment TV Widget. Interact with content from popular CBS TV Shows like CSI, NCIS, Survivor or the Late Show with David Letterman. Customize your viewing experience on your TV screen and enjoy your favorite shows, in a whole new way.

MySpace®

Stay connected with your friends with the MySpace TV Widget right on your TV. Sign in to get dynamic updates from your friends, read and respond to messages, browse friends’ profiles, photos, and requests, see status and “mood” updates—all while watching TV.


More TV Widgets coming soon
  • Showtime®
  • Netflix®
  • Blockbuster® OnDemand
  • CinemaNow
  • The New York Times®
  • USA Today Sports
  • CBS Sports Fantasy Football
  • Twitter™
  • Rallypoint Fantasy Sports
  • Acedo Funspot Games
  • Flickr®
  • Yahoo Services: Yahoo! Video, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Weather

In addition, Intel and Yahoo! have announced that they are now providing a Widget Development Kit (WDK) to interested developers, CE manufactures, advertisers, and content publishers. Comcast has also developed proof-of-concept TV Widgets for tru2way capable HDTVs in order to create a richer Comcastic set-top-less environment. Something tells me this is going to be big.

Sony's XBR9 and Z-series models are also Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA®) compliant, enabling easy access to digital photos, music and video stores on a PC or other DLNA server using the XMB® interface and the TV’s remote control.

“Internet-based content is driving the evolution of home entertainment,” said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of Sony Electronics’ Home Products Division. “Our new networked BRAVIA models deliver streaming videos, access to digital files, and real-time information that transforms the television into a true multimedia hub.”

See more: Yahoo! Widget Engine on Yahoo! Connected TV

0 comments :: The future of HDTV... Connected TV with Yahoo TV Widgets

Post a Comment