(* Source: Dan Neumann *)

As convergence descends on the living room we are starting to see a lot of televisions designed to deliver web content over a broadband connection, bypassing a standalone PC. New models introduced by Sony, Samsung and Sharp at CES all showcased various ways of digesting online content. Of the three manufactures, Sharp’s Aquos Net offering was most the most promising. Televisions with Aquos Net include a browser by Netfront optimized for slightly lower resolutions of LCD TVs. What’s nice about the use of Netfront is that the company provides an SDK to help developers port and preview content to embedded platforms. In addition to the Netfront SDK, Sharp is providing its own SDK and developer program to support development of widgets. Sharp’s widgets are similar to desktop widgets in that they are downloaded from a gallery and are designed to be viewed while watching live TV.

I think Sharp has made some good choices with this product. By providing developer support from the outset they are likely to wind up with more content than competitors with closed delivery infrastructures. Let’s hope more manufacturers follow Sharp’s lead and, even better, that real standards emerge in the channel. It’s already a headache optimizing content for multiple browsers.