Internet TV: The web comes to your TV

What Internet can you get on your TV?

As we said back at the start, most of the major TV manufacturers are now using Internet connectivity as a way of differentiating their flash new LCD or plasma screen from their competitors’ models.

You’re actually not getting access to the Internet as such, but access to a selection of specific services, each re-designed for use on the TV. As a result, each manufacturer has had to go and sign up partners for their Internet TV package, and it’s the list of partners as much as the execution that marks out one package from another. Let’s pause here for a quick rundown of the options as they currently stand here in the UK:

LG Netcast: LG has the weakest of the Internet packages at present, with just three services. On the plus side, they’re all goodies, with the essential YouTube and Picasa, plus Accuweather forecasts.

Panasonic Viera Cast: Panasonic has a long list with a number of big names, including YouTube, Picasa, Twitter, Skype and DailyMotion, plus video content from Eurosport and the business news specialist, Bloomberg. Some of the content is a bit euro-centric, and AceTrax isn’t exactly the biggest name for movies on demand, but Panasonic does at least have all the bases covered.


Philips NetTV: NetTV has YouTube, DailyMotion and eBay on-board, and is also the only Internet TV service to offer a Web browser for other services, even if it doesn’t support Flash. NetTV also sports weather from the MetroGroup, and some smaller services such as tunin.fm Internet radio, ScreenDreams and Wannahaves, an online gadgets and lifestyle site. A good selection, just not a great one.

Samsung Internet@TV: Samsung has one of the strongest line-ups, with YouTube, DailyMotion, Skype and Picasa, plus a dazzling feed from the Getty Images photo library, not to mention apps for Twitter and Facebook. You also get the MuzuTV music video service, plus a range of optional games and apps (though to say these vary in quality would be an understatement). The crowning glory, however, is access to BBC iPlayer and Lovefilm’s online streaming service, with a decent and growing selection of movies to enjoy.

Some high-end Samsung TVs also feature a collection of downloadable Yahoo! Widgets, which can be superimposed over live or recorded TV content so you can access Internet services while they play. The range currently includes weather, news, Flickr, finance and eBay apps, with potentially more to come.


Sony Bravia Internet TV: Samsung’s biggest competition, with YouTube, Facebook, DailyMotion and Eurosport, plus iPlayer and Lovefilm to boot. Sony trumps Samsung by also adding Channel 5’s DemandFive catch-up service, plus a range of how-to videos and travel, golf and lifestyle content from some smaller providers, and some interesting video services.

Sony lacks Twitter and Picasa, so it doesn’t all go Sony’s way. As with the Samung’s Internet@TV, Bravia Internet TV also supports Yahoo widgets on selected TV models, including Flickr, eBay and Twitter.