Looking to provide an easier way for its customers to view Web videos on their television sets, LG Electronics announced the upcoming release of its new line of televisions which are designed to also receive Internet video, aside from satellite and cable signals.
The company’s director of product development, Mr. Tim Alessi, explained that the new line, called Broadband HDTVs, will be available in the plasma and LCD format, and the prices will be with about $300 bigger than the models without the new feature. "I think this will be a big, growing sub category in TVs," he concluded.
Still, the Web will not be fully available, as the processors and memory chips cannot handle it at this point. The company will present a list with the accessible video sites, which will include Netflix. Users will be able to view on their television sets all of Netflix’s Watch Instantly content. “It’s hugely symbolic,” said Netflix’s chief executive, Reed Hastings, adding that “The holy grail has always been to give the TV an Internet jack in addition to the cable jack. It’s an early glimpse of the long-term future.” This statement shows that the plan is to provide full Internet access in the future and this should be considered just a glimpse of things to come.
The reason why this is considered a long term plan is because the average family does not change its television very often, keeping one for many years – which means that the TV makers’ initiatives will be considered, bought and appreciated many years from now. There is also another factor, as there is the possibility of accessing the Web with the help of a separate device, such as a video-game console, a set-top box with Internet access or a DVD player. For the near future, this is expected to be the preferred choice for the majority of users.
Other television makers are also expected to announce similar offers, as Samsung and Panasonic are always on the lookout for new business opportunities and it’s never too soon to start preparing for the future. Sony is another company that might be preparing such a feature, as for not its products access the Internet through a separate module.
More details should be presented during the Consumer Electronics Show, which will take place later this week in Las Vegas.
For now, Netflix appears to be ahead of the competition, as streaming rivals like Amazon and Apple use the set-top boxes for their rental services. There is the possibility that they are also planning similar partnerships, but so far no details have been disclosed.
The television experience came a long way in the past 10 years and the technological advances keep pushing it even further. The image quality has been significantly improved, the surround systems are better and the design is more attractive. In addition, the dangers associated with watching the TV are no longer an issue, as the users’ vision has been considered in the manufacturing process.
