Yahoo to bring Internet to Samsung TVs

Samsung and Yahoo will team up to bring the "Internet@TV" Yahoo-powered widget interface to select models of Samsung TVs in the company’s latest line of HDTVs, which will be unveiled during CES later this week.

TV owners will be able to share pictures, check news and stock portfolios, and play videos directly through the TV, among other similar activities. All widgets are Javascript and XML-based applications, and do not need an Internet browser to be used. Widgets are optimized for viewing on a TV, and they are controllable by the TV remote, so the use of a keyboard isn’t necessary.

The new Internet-capable TVs will be available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Mexico, Space, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.

Intel and Yahoo showed off the technology in August with widgets for Joost, Flickr, Nickelodeon, MTV, Twitter, and other similar services demonstrated. Users will be able to share pictures, documents, and play video clips directly on the TV, rather than relying on a near by PC. Samsung and Yahoo said Yahoo news, Yahoo Weather, USA Today, eBay, and Showtime Networks widgets will also be available.

Despite the availability of technology allowing owners connect their PC or notebook to their TV, most consumers find the process still too difficult or interfering — Internet@TV allows viewers to have access to new content in an easy manner. Furthermore, Streaming content — instead of using physical media — is becoming the next big craze in the consumer industry, as more video services continue to be unveiled.