Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo has joined South Korean electronics company Samsung in bringing to market  high definition televisions featuring limited Internet connectivity through the Web pioneer's Yahoo Widget Engine. The new Yahoo-enhanced HDTV widget features will offer Internet content from photo-sharing site Flickr, news, weather and financial information from Yahoo, and third-party content from USA TODAY, Google's YouTube and Showtime Networks, among others. The new Samsung displays were expected to debut at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas. Expected To Arrive On Store Shelves By Spring Although pricing has not yet been announced, Samsung and Yahoo expect the Internet-rich HDTVs to be available in about four months in 13 countries including the United States, Finland, Canada, Sweden, Mexico, Norway, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. The Samsung partnership with Yahoo has expanded on two existing Internet television initiatives the electronics giant has had in place since last year with its "InfoLink" and "Internet-enabled TV" programs. The partnership was expected to bring certain Samsung 2009 model HDTVs access to widget technology from Yahoo that uses JavaScript and XML code to enable developers to "deploy TV Widgets for the television by using the open-platform Widget Development Kit (WDK)," Yahoo and Samsung said in a statement Monday. The partnership was expected to allow developers to "build an open ecosystem where more developers can create various TV Widgets" for the new Samsung televisions, at a time when growing numbers of people have cut back on the amount of time they spend watching television in favor of viewing video material over the Web on computer displays. During 2008 online video viewing in the U.S. rose by 34 percent from 2007, according to a new report from Web traffic analysis company comScore. The Samsung "Internet@TV - Content Service" HDTVs, which were set to be operated by a special remote control unit, were expected to offer expanded Internet services such as video streaming throughout the remainder of 2009, the two companies said Monday. Yahoo Widgets Boost New Samsung Internet HDTVs At CES Tech Show The companies hope the new Internet-enhanced HDTVs will prove popular with users that have grown to spend more time using the computer and less time watching static television content. Users of the new televisions will be required to have a home Internet network for connecting to the unit's built-in Ethernet port, or to use an optional wireless device such as a Wi-Fi USB dongle. "This new interface allows them [users] to interact and connect with many of their favorite Web services on a personal level," said Boo-Keun Yoon, executive vice president of the Visual Display Division at Samsung Electronics in the Monday announcement. "It's frankly way beyond just passively watching broadcasts and is no doubt the future of TV," Yoon added. Patrick Barry, the vice president of Connected TV at Yahoo, said the partnership with Samsung would bring people closer to an ever-more-important Internet. "Through this partnership, we can combine the Internet benefits of user choice and personalization with Samsung's leading product innovation and global reach to deliver a new experience to users around the world," Barry said Monday. "As a leader in developing innovative technology platforms to provide indispensable Internet services to millions of users, Yahoo is excited to be working with Samsung to enhance consumers' television viewing experience by bringing the best of the Web to their televisions," added Barry. Related Links :
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