| Living room snared in World Wide Web |
Nov. 12, 2008
The number of digital TVs, gaming consoles, and set-top boxes equipped with embedded web browsers will grow from 60 million in 2008 to 214 million by 2013, forecasts ABI. The research firm lists the open source Webkit rendering engine and CEA-2014 UI standard among key emerging technologies shaping the market.
ABI says web browsers are already "common" in Japanese TVs, with uptake happening now in North America. Some vendors, such as Sony, are integrating browsers in order to expand Web service offerings, it says.
Linux, not Windows, apparently features in most of these offerings -- for example, JVC-Victor, Pioneer, Sanyo, and Sony have used the open-source OS in myriad TV models shipping since 2003. (For further details, see the coverage on our sister site LinuxDevices.com, here.)
Sony's VAIO RT is a 25.5-inch HDTV that includes a built-in PC
(Click to enlarge)
Whether it's a result of licensing costs, or other factors, it's rare to see Windows-powered web browsers in any device that's primarily positioned as a television set. On the other hand, Dell, HP, and Sony offer Windows in TV-oriented devices that also include general computing capabilities. The massive VAIO RT pictured above, for example, includes ATSC and NTSC TV tuners, HDMI I/O, a 25.5-inch LCD screen, a read/write Blu-ray drive, a Core 2 Quad processor, 1TB of hard disk storage, and Windows Vista. Oh, and a price north of $3,300.
That said, Windows CE and Windows XP can be adapted to low-cost devices, as proven by Windows audio/video entertainment products ranging from STBs (set-top boxes) to remote controls. In addition, embedded browser platforms include not only Internet Explorer, but also commercial products such as Opera and Netfront, plus implementations built on the open-source Gecko and Webkit rendering engines.
ABI calls out Webkit, in particular, predicting that "many" initial implementations of an important and relatively new "CE-2014" standard will use "a variation" of Webkit. ABI also notes that search engine giant Yahoo! has lined up its Widgets! technology behind CE-2014.
ABI is likely referring to CEA-2014, not CE-2014. Though little detail has been shared publicly (the standard costs about $200 to download for non-CEA members), the spec appears aimed at providing a standardized way for browsers on TVs, phones, and other devices to host the user interface for applications running on remote systems (i.e., Internet services). Proceedings from a September CEA meeting published in the CEA "Monthly Update" suggest that the group's ATSC Mobile/Handheld SIG (special interest group) is working to develop a CEA-2014-A compliance test, which will include:- Setup: discovery and connection of remote UI
- Devices (both client and server)
- Capability exchange
- HTTP headers
- XHTML profile (CE-HTML)
- NotifSocket scripting object
- 3rd party notifications
- AV control
- Save-restore
- Cookie support
- Robustness guidelines (server-side only)
Michael Wolf, ABI research director, stated, "Most forward-thinking consumer electronics vendors today are integrating IP ports in their mainline consumer electronics devices."
The finding is from ABI's recent study, "Web-Based Living Room User Interface Overview.” Besides tracking the adoption of browsers for "consumer living room Web surfing," it aims to track standards and vendor efforts to integrate web-based technologies into various user interfaces, ABI said.
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