Right on schedule, the Vudu experience has landed on select broadband-connected LG televisions – making good on the promise to diversify their distribution strategy. Additionally, they’ve inked a deal to bring Vudu on-demand movie streaming, now reworked as a CDN play versus their P2P roots, to select Mitsubishi HDTVs being released later this month. These 1080P Unisen Diamond models retail pricing starts at $2800, although Mitsubishi will kindly underwrite your first $50 of rentals from Vudu’s library of 16,000 titles. (Given my current gypsy lifestyle and minimalist tech accoutrements, what interests me most about these new sets is the integrated soundbar speaker array located in the television’s lower bezel.)
Vizio is supposedly making a connected TV too.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/23/vizio-internet-app-hdtvs-launch-later-this-year-for-less-than-y/
Is this the end of the STB? No more three foot high stack of dedicated, proprietary hardware next to the TV?
Thanks, Todd. Link Engadget, but not our own Yahoo widget TV platform coverage. ;) It’s also coming to Samsung and a few others.
Ignoring my errant citation :P
…Yahoo has gone to the Darkside. No way is Microsoft going to let Yahoo Widget TV ever see the light of day because they conflict with Windows 7 Media Center/xbox/Zune HD market.
$2,800 for a 46 inch television should be criminal. It may not technically be highway robbery, but they are taking advantage of early adopters with the price. Considering how it really only costs about $20 to add the equipment necessary to support it, I don’t understand the disconnect between prices on regular TVs and network TVs. Is there anyone out there who wants to make a low end TV that connects to the net? I know that businesses try to get the most they can on a purchase, but I have to imagine that there are a ton of people who would love to have access to digital content without having to pay more than $1,000.
@Davis Freeberg
“… Is there anyone out there who wants to make a low end TV that connects to the net?…but I have to imagine that there are a ton of people who would love to have access to digital content without having to pay more than $1,000.”
The one Vizio is supposed to release this xmas is like $1,400. Depending on the list of services it connects to, that’s close to your ( our ) price point.
The bigger question is – Why do the services have to be pre-negotiated, burned in, un-editable. Why don’t TV makers just add the cat5 jack and Linux-on-a-chip card in the TV and let us add the external software services we want?
Davis, Yeah it’s steep. But Mitsu has always aimed high end for their TV products. Heck, I think you can only get them at specialty stores. A roommate in college had a huge tube TV that wasn’t a TV – it was a high end monitor basically. 36″ maybe in a substantial enclosure. Great for gaming and the cable box. Like Todd said the Vizio (and Samsung) connected TVs will come in less as did the LGs. It’s yet to be seen if this is the way to go. An interesting analogue/comparison might be getting a car with a GPS builtin, or buying a standalone model (more frequently) that is more upgradeable.