Toshiba launches first Windows 7-compatible TV

A new series of LED televisions from Toshiba are the first TVs on the market with certified Windows 7 compatibility.

What that means is the UX600 Cinema Series televisions can connect to a local network and use Windows 7's "Play To" feature. Play To lets users load up a playlist of music and video in Windows Media Player on a computer, and then share the music with other computers and compatible devices around the network.

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The televisions feature wireless and Ethernet connectivity, and are available in 55 inches ($2,400), 46 inches ($1,700) and 40 inches ($1,400). In addition to the local networking, the UX600 series includes Toshiba's "Net TV" platform, which includes Vudu for on-demand HD movies, Pandora for Internet radio and other applications.

I like the idea of other Web-connected devices playing nicely with Windows Media Player, but it seems like there's a serious lack of devices bearing the Windows 7 compatibility sticker. Microsoft has a list of these devices on its Web site, but all I see on that page are media receivers from Integra and Onkyo. Not mentioned in that list is Sonos, which is definitely compatible, but just lacks the official sticker.

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The funny thing is that there are definitely more devices that can stream media from Windows 7 PCs, even without the "Play To" feature. My Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 come to mind. I don't even recall if I set anything up on the latter -- it was just ready to stream, and movies and videos are selectable directly from the console. And on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and app called Orb streams home media to the device.

So maybe the sticker's just a formality that isn't totally necessary for streaming media. Still, more Web-connected televisions should have it, so people can buy knowing they'll be able to stream media over their network without yet another set-top box.

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