TechWhiz

The digital abode is incorporating the latest inventions and technology innovations over networks and devices at an escalating speed. This has now become a crucial point for all commercial players. This is one of the paradigms illustrating the outlook and the altering shape of the sector. The expected worth of connected device market will be more 150 billion USD by 2013.

Web Connected TV- It has been stated by the theory of communication also known as the Effects Theory that viewers are passive and television directs them. 

But with today’s technology reaching heights it’s time to experience a new version of TV which interacts with the users according to their demands.

The Web connected TV or the interactive desires to live distant dreams

According to a study by Ernst and Young, there will be a wider adoption of Net TV’s in the coming few years, with viewers running widgets would be frequent, and these would primarily focus on selective content from the internet to complement TV watching. E.g. weather reports, live updates of games, traffic, stock quotes, and social networks (e.g., Face-book and Twitter) to the living room.

Web TV’s provides an easy access to the internet services including movie-streaming services like Netflix and Vudu. Televisions with built-in Internet connections, typically a Wi-Fi and/or an Ethernet port, are becoming increasingly popular as the manufacturers advertise their upcoming models.

It has been recently announced by Mark Philip the developer of –“Are you watching this?”, a tool for mobile platforms unveiled to alert thousands of sports fans to keep them updated with the latest in-progress games (E.g. Baseball).The application has hit across thousands and now the developer dreams even big –The same version for Web connected TV sets. The tool is coined as “Holy Grail” for this type of content, but it has been a daunting task for the developers to live this dream.

(Figure: Courtesy Yahoo.)

Recent developments

Intel and Yahoo have collaborated to launch applications called TV Widgets, a technology that lets user’s access online services and Web sites through a TV. Another application Rhapsody which is available already to the new HDTV models, integrates music subscription service.

Users will have the liberty to even access social networking sites-MySpace for example, Video on demand fames and online shopping.

Key companies working in the related field:

(Figure: Web Connected Video Hardware-Photo courtesy apple)

Key Issues:

• Selecting the Medium?
• Exchange of information?
• Device selection for operability of content?
• Connection oriented user interfaces?
• Development scenarios with respect to configuration and content?
• Issue related to Pricing and marketing policies?

Though developers have managed to create a wide range of applications for mobile platforms e.g. android, they are concerned by the vista of building tools for TVs, Reports Douglas MacMillan-“Business Week Magazine”.

“To develop an app for such wide range of sets is a complicated task- says Forrester Research Analyst James McQuivey”

Utilization of the Internet also aids in interactive television deployment due to its capability to be a cross platform technology. With time however these glitches will be solved and over a period we will see a healthy internet –TV relationship.

So if you go shopping for a new HDTV, don’t forget to keep in mind that Web connected TV’s are interactive than mere watching 3D graphics.

Within no time we will see a handful of applications for Web TV of which some of them are listed below:

• Distance learning
• Banking and instant shopping from Home
• Email
• Game Shows, advertisements and sports
• Video Conferencing on Web
• Polling and interactive Surveys
• Weather and traffic reports