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HDTV Almanac - NeTV Sales to Grow
by Alfred Poor on February 2, 2011 Categories: Internet HD Video, Marketplace

Parks Associates estimates that about a quarter of the new TVs sold in 2010 were able to connect to the Internet. The same group forecasts that this will reach 76% by 2015. These predictions make sense to me, though it’s not all about streaming content from Web sites.

I expect that a lot of these sales will happen simply because Internet connectivity will rapidly become a standard feature on all but the lowest-priced models, just as 120 Hz has become standard for most LCD HDTV models. So a large part of the 75% sales forecast for 2015 will likely happen just because the sets that people want will have the feature anyway.

I also expect that people will want the feature, however. Looking at the sales of Roku and other network media players that can connect any TV to the Internet and get streaming programming, it is clear that the dawn is breaking slowly for consumers, and they’re beginning to catch on to what these features can do for them.

So it’s likely that your next television will be able to connect to the Internet, whether you want to do that or not.

Posted by Alfred Poor, February 2, 2011 5:00 AM

Reader Commentary

Reply
Techcoyote • Feb 2, 11:26am
I wonder how many of the 25% that bought internet connectable HDTV's already had that capability at home via laptop, game console, etc??...
Reply
alfredpoor • Feb 2, 11:53am
Just because your desktop computer or notebook has a Blu-ray disc drive doesn't mean that you should use it as your Blu-ray player in the living room. There are times when dedicated or integrated hardware can be more convenient than separate pieces.

(For the record, I have a desktop computer sitting next to my HDTV, with an HDMI connection between the two. I'm just saying that I recognize that reasonable people might not want to have a computer in the living room.)

Alfred...
Reply
Techcoyote • Feb 2, 1:14pm
I agree completely with you Alfred! Internet integrated HDTV's ease of use is a big selling factor for the general public. At my house, I too have my computer connected to my entire media setup. No wires showing, clean and neat as per my wonderful wife's desires. I enjoy the complexity while she really only wants the point, click, and enjoy experience.

My previous post was merely a thought from a semi-geek's point of view.

Paul...
Reply
jordanm • Feb 3, 7:53am
Short sighted folks above.

I have had an HTPC for years, the Hipix card in my first one was the ATSC tuner my new HDTV did not have, then.

Now, I have a small counter-top unit that could fit in the rack if all that other equipment wasn't so hot. This PC is cool to the touch, as its case vents in back, on top, on the sides. I am afraid the other stuff will overheat it.

But with a 1 GB LAN connection it plays all media, fast, clean and neat. Files are converted to 1080p/24 if they are not so encoded, and I we have several now that are.

Music is 2 or 7.1 channel playable. We have many TBs of data for storage and we'll use it, too. HD Video is 4 to 15 GBs per file, 25-50 with TrueHD or DTS-HD Master, but no media player can do that yet, on a file (just Blu Ray)

Internet steraming is reliable and quick week days and nights, on a weekend day, not as good. I get free TV from the cable side on HBO and Epix, free TV from Crackle, Revision 3, Blip and others, music streaming...
Reply
Techcoyote • Feb 3, 8:33am
What AVR do you use?...
Reply
alfredpoor • Feb 3, 8:43am
Jordan, I'm with you; a computer offers far more than any connected TV can at this point, and I agree that there are PC cases that would fit in fine with many living room decors. As I said, I have a computer sitting next to our TV, for many of the same reasons that you cite. I do, however, see how some users would prefer something easier to use. I also prefer a manual transmission car over an automatic transmission, but I can understand why some folks would prefer the ease of an automatic, even though it has some limitations.

All the best,

Alfred...
Reply
Techcoyote • Feb 3, 9:16am
Here is an in-depth article by Tom that you both may find interesting..
http://www.homesystemintegration.com/20 ... wn-a-htpc/...
Reply
alfredpoor • Feb 3, 9:35am
Techcoyote, I do like that article, but maybe not for the reasons you might expect.

It presents an analysis of the HTPC vs. Google TV, but if you read carefully, the author gets tangled up because he mixes up hardware with operating system with application. Google TV is an application, just like Microsoft Media Center or the Google Chrome Web browser. They are separate from the operating system that they run on (to varying degrees) and the hardware platform. I use a variety of applications on my HTPC depending on what I want to do. (Media Center is never a choice, by the way.)

I buy that Google TV has a narrower mission than Microsoft Internet Explorer, but it's probably not as narrow as the Hauppauge WinTV application. I also do agree that a narrower mission can usually translate into a simpler user interface. There are cases, however, where the "simple" interface is either too limited or too confusing to be very useful. And I suspect that the optimal interface for an entertain...
Reply
jordanm • Feb 4, 7:56am
Last night I watched HD Nation in HD, using WMC on the Win 7 Ultimate HTPC. After that 15 minute show, I watched a one-hour segement of Planet Earth in 1080p, using the PowerDVD insert in WMC. It was all just gorgeous with great 7.1 audio. Keep the 2-channel NetTV for the masses....

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About Alfred Poor

Alfred Poor is a well-known display industry expert, who writes the daily HDTV Almanac. He wrote for PC Magazine for more than 20 years, and now is focusing on the home entertainment and home networking markets.

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