New research from Park Associates says over one-fourth of users ages 18-24 are interested in having more social media features integrated into their TV.
According to the report, Social Media & User-Generated Content, “Social media can be an extremely profitable market for advertisers and media companies,” said Anton Denissov, a digital media analyst with Parks Associates. “However, it is radically different from traditional media and would require new and unique business models to monetize the market successfully.”
Read Write Web explains the most desired social experience in the 18-24 age group was multiplayer games that involve creating profiles (avatars), adding friends (online gaming buddies), and chatting during gameplay. OnLive, for example, aims to stream high-end video games to any PC, Mac, or TV with a broadband connection.
Also on the list of desired experiences were chatting with other people who are watching the same TV show, access to “Most Watched” lists, and the ability to recommend shows to family and friends. NBC Universal’s Hulu has introduced a friends feature.
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The Yahoo! Widget Engine enables the discovery and enjoyment of interactive applications called TV Widgets. Widgets enable viewers to interact with popular Internet services and online media.
- Through Flickr, Yahoo!’s online photo management and sharing application, lets consumers enjoy their latest family and friend photos on the big screen, running slideshows and viewing individual photos.
- ThroughYouTube, Widgets enable consumers to instantly stream millions of Web videos directly from the Internet for viewing on their television.
- Netflix Instant Streaming can also be delivered directly through the TV.
A boatload of internet connected televisions are about to land in big box stores:
- LG Electronics has two new HDTV series with NetCast Entertainment Access for streaming movies, TV shows, video, and a Widget-based user experience via Ethernet connectivity and features alliances with Yahoo!, Netflix, and YouTube
- Samsung and Yahoo are also working on a web-based content service to be released this spring. Media 2.0 will allow Samsung TV’s to download content, including movies, games, even recipies, all through clicking a widget on the TV.
- VIZIO’s “Connected HDTV” platform goes to 11 with built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi. VIZIO’s remote control lets viewers access movies from Netflix from an easy-to-navigate, on-screen display with partners Flickr, Netflix, and Yahoo.
- Sony’s 2009 series of XBR models, are also equipped with “widgets” courtesy of Yahoo. The XBR9 series consists of four sizes: the 52-inch KDL-52XBR9, the 46-inch KDL-46XBR9, the 40-inch KDL-40XBR9, and the 32-inch KDL-32XBR9.
If the Yahoo Widget Channel isn’t directly built into a TV, then a set-top box must be used. At the Intel Developer Forum, the set-top box platforms were designed around the CE3100 or “Canmore” chip. Adobe’s decision to port its Adobe Flash and Flash Lite technology to the Canmore processor means that Intel’s Canmore chip, as well as set-top boxes that include them, now have hardware support for Flash.
LG’s BD370 Blue Ray player offers instant movie-watching from Netflix, and if you’re not satisfied with those offerings, the unit can play back YouTube videos through its Ethernet port. It’s $300 at Amazon.
