For decades, the television industry has struggled -- and failed -- to produce the killer TV/data combination. Finally, though, the industry seems very close to successfully developing the Holy Grail convergence product by combining Internet-enabled TVs and widgets. It's not quite there, but within five years or so, accessing the Internet from TVs could be commonplace.
The concept really began to generate excitement during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, when Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO), Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC), and a handful of television manufacturers displayed what could be done. Yahoo has been working on widgets for a few years for computers and cellular phones. At CES, Yahoo showed its "TV Widgets" running on a Samsung TV. A strip of widgets is displayed across the bottom of the TV. They include several Yahoo apps (news, weather, finance, Flickr ), as well as third-party apps that are "coming soon," such as eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY), Twitter Inc. , CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS), Showtime Networks Inc. , Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS)-ABC, MTV Networks , Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI), MySpace , and The New York Times. I expect video-on-demand widgets will be among the most popular, especially streaming programs from the Web.
Yahoo's widget platform is open to any developer. Yahoo says about 100 widgets will be available by the end of the year. Widgets also could be advertisements, but not immediately.
When a widget is clicked with a remote control, it opens in a box on the left side of the screen to display, for example, your local weather or stock report. The widget obscures part of the screen while the TV show or movie continues to play. Alternatively, the screen can be re-sized so the entire program is displayed while the widget remains on the left, or the widget can be re-sized to take up the entire screen. Another click of the remote makes all the widgets disappear.
Widget-enabled TVs require Internet connectivity via a built-in Ethernet port and/or a USB port for a WiFi dongle. Samsung already sells TVs with built-in Yahoo TV capabilities, although the TV manufacturer is branding it as Internet@TV. In the future, other TVs will be able to access widgets through set-top boxes or DVD players -- perhaps even an Android set-top box? The Samsung TVs are expensive, starting at about $3,000. However, other manufacturers will produce compatible sets, including LG Electronics Inc. (London: LGLD; Korea: 6657.KS) , Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE), Toshiba Corp. (Tokyo: 6502), and Vizio. Never underestimate Moore's Law combined with economies of scale to reduce prices.
Many previous attempts at TV/Internet convergence required a keyboard. Yahoo's TV Widgets require just a remote control to open a widget. However, a keyboard would be useful for some applications. For example, Internet-enabled TVs could foster social networking for people who want to comment about what they're watching. As consumers become accustomed to widgets, maybe they'll consider a wireless keyboard.
Yahoo certainly isn't the only company to explore widgets. Apple filed for a patent that implies widgets, as well as iChat capability. Might we see an iTunes App Store for widgets? Will widgets pave the way for TV videophones?
Widgets certainly make TVs more complicated. The more complicated and computer-like the TV, the greater the chances for slow performance and even crashes. But despite the challenges, I think the Internet TV is inevitable. The Diffusion Group's research report says widgets will be the tipping point. I think they're correct.
I'm certainly not an Apple fanatic, and am not swayed by Apple products, which, like all electronics, have advantages and disadvantages.
However, Apple certainly can produce great-looking devices that are ergonomic (although ergonomics are sometimes sacrificed for "style") and easy to use, though rarely easy to pay for. Apple also is able to tap into consumer wants and fanboy/girl hysteria, so an augmented reality package could help spark a new trend.
I certainly hope it occurs, and wearing augmented reality glasses becomes a trend.
When Apple comes out with the iReality glasses, I'll be first in line... and be nice about those other products.... SOMEbody had to take a chance and explore the market.
Yes, many people are set in their ways. But each generation becomes more technologically savvy, and also more confident with multitasking. Internet-enabled TVs won't immediately become popular for a variety of reasons.
But we become used to technology, and eventually don't want to live without it, whether it's running water, indoor heating and cooling, cellular phones or, eventually, Internet TV.
To some degree I feel it will be considered normal, for those who are comfortable with using technology. The the other side of it is that people who are set in their ways, will continue to view TV the way they consider to be normal.
EX:
No matter how much advertising and pamphlets that was sent out to switch over to digital tv, many of the seasoned people still have not tried to get the converter box.
Yes, TV typically has been considered a passive experience, and the Internet considered an [inter]active one. But as we increasingly use and begin demanding the Internet, having it on the TV will be considered normal.
When Apple creates an augmented reality system with glasses, it will become fashionable.....assuming it's not like the first version of Apple TV, the Cube, the Lisa and.....
Actually, I would think that with augmented reality glasses that incorporate earphones, high quality audio wouldn't be too much of a problem.
convergence is that TV is a passive mode and the Internet is active. When you get widgets that can cross between these two modes of interaction, you will get true convergence.
One of your excellent articles on augmented reality was the first article I read on Internet Evolution. I'd love to see it happen.
And while affordable, clear, and headache-free are good targets, let's kinda hope that they're at least moderately fashionable, too. And battery life! Don't forget battery life!
We can hold the brain wave sensors for the second generation of the glasses, right? And the surround sound might not show until third generation. Sigh.
You're right -- the possiblity of augmented reality-type glasses (which I've discussed several times in ThinkerNET articles) -- could replace or reduce the number of physical screens. Perhaps the guts of the TV/computer would be hidden in a closet, and all you'd need is a pair of glasses....and a keyboard or some virtual -- "typing in air" keyboard, voice command module or brain-computer wireless interface.
Sigh.
I'm still waiting for "good enough" glasses for viewing cellular phone and laptop screens -- without being too expensive, too blurry or too headache-inducing.
I'll look forward to that ThinkerNet blog, Alan. Of course we kinda are sounding so 21st century in assuming that the LCD screen has to stay in place.... what if we have 'virtual' 60 inch screens projected on our glasses, and they go room to room with us. Remember the days when we thought we had to have a telephone in every room? And now we just carry our cellphone with us wherever we go.....
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