Samsung to Open Web-TV Floodgates

SEOUL: The Andean trickle of convergence between TV and the internet, predicted to widen into an Amazonian delta within the next few years, will start to flow this spring with the launch by South Korean electronics titan Samsung of an internet-ready flat-panel high definition TV set. 

Its Internet@TV Content Service is powered by Yahoo's Widget Engine which enables web-based channels or websites to be viewed via a TV set.

It will roll-out to thirteen nations across the year ahead: Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA.

In addition to dedicated web-TV channels, viewers will aso be able to access other internet content and services such as Flickr, Yahoo News, USA Today, YouTube and eBay.

According to Samsung Electronics evp of visual display, Boo-Keun Yoon, the new service will enable viewers to interact with web services on a level "way beyond" passively watching broadcasts. "It is no doubt the future of TV," he boasted. 

With justification.

Data sourced from BrandRepublic (UK); additional content by WARC staff, 8 January 2009

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