US-based Television and Consumer Electronics company
VIZIO has joined the ranks of vendors supporting the seemingly unstoppable convergence of networking and entertainment today when they announced their new line of network-connected displays capable of accessing a wide array of online content. That content will come from popular web-based local and worldwide services including on-demand movies and music, news, weather, sports, gaming and social networking sites. The services will be integrated as a key feature into VIZIO televisions shipping to retailers nationwide this Fall (2009) in time for the holiday season.
The "Connected HDTV" feature is designed to complement TV viewing and can be accessed without disrupting TV programming at the touch of button using VIZIO's customized remote control. The televisions will come with wired Ethernet and wireless (802.11n) broadband connections built-in for accessing the Internet.
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| The customized remote for VIZIO's "Connected HDTV" platform |
"Our 'Connected HDTV' Platform is a key element of VIZIO's Consumer Ecosystem, which places the VIZIO HDTV as a focal point, allowing viewers to seamlessly connect to information and entertainment sources that they want, when they want them," said Matthew McRae, VIZIO VP. "The platform also provides an unprecedented opportunity for Internet-based service providers to develop and deploy innovative applications to a large consumer audience."
Powering the feature on the VIZIO televisions will be the
Yahoo! Widget Engine, which provides an open platform enabling a new class of Internet services, called TV Widgets, to thrive in the TV environment. The platform also allows for support of Adobe Flash Lite, which will enable developers to deliver rich multimedia applications, content, and video over the Web to the television itself.
VIZIO has already signed on a number of popular content providers for the service, including: Accedo Broadband, Adobe, Amazon Video on Demand, Blockbuster OnDemand, Flickr, Pandora, Rhapsody, Netflix, and Yahoo!
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