Brittney Marie

New Media 1





According to an article, written for BusinessWeek, Yahoo and Samsung have produced Yahoo's Connected TV platform. This platform is available now on selected Samsung TV models. Later, Vizio, Sony, and LG are expected to become apart of this as well.


The overall strategy of the TV platform is primarily based on a design from Apple. Arlo Rose, a former interactive Apple designer, came up with the interactive design of the TV platform. Back in 2005, Rose's former boss, Steve Jobs, sold his company called "Pixoria" to Yahoo. Pixoria is a widget engine. Rose stemmed the idea for the TV platform from Pixoria.


The widgets appear as shown below on the TV screen.










By using a TV remote, Yahoo! Connected TV displays access to widgets, in which can be clicked on. When opening the Twitter Widget, for example, the viewer's Twitter feed displays on the screen. The viewer also has a choice to turn the Internet on or off, while they are watching the TV.


Users as well as Yahoo and Samsung will determine if a widget is successful or unsuccessful. If a widget is unsuccessful it will obviously become unavailable.


Yahoo! Connected TV plays an important role in the future of Television. Having the Internet "save" Television is a big turning point. Not only is it a win, win situation from both parties but it enhances TV and it keeps the viewers watching the TV. Plus, the audience will love how it is all in one place. They don't need to switch from the computer to TV and TV to computer. For the viewer, it makes everything at a push of a button on their remote. Who wouldn't love that? Our society is always looking for easier way to do things.


Yahoo! Connected TV







Yahoo! Connected TV Overview Video on YouTube
Yahoo! Connected TV Demo







Demo Video from Yahoo! Connected TV


According to Ferguson and Eastman's Media Programming, it states that just like with a television set, anyone with a computer and a connection to the web can receive streamed pictures and sound, and the faster the connection, the better those pictures are. (page 317)  Yahoo! Connected TV gives the viewer just that. Eventually, everyone will have Yahoo! Connected TV or a similar program on their TV sets. The "smart" home that was imagined a while back is finally beginning to show up all over.