Smart TV (Connected TV, Integrated Digital Television, IDTV) News

LG launches first OLED TV with webOS
Aug 11, 2014 – LG Electronics has announced the official U.S. launch of its latest OLED TV. The 55-inch class LG Curved OLED TV (Model 55EC9300) is the first OLED TV to feature the LG Smart TV+ webOS connected TV platform.
News categories: LG Electronics, Luke Mothschenbacher, Dave Vanderwaal, Digital TV, Middleware, Smart TV, Streaming, USA

NHK to show high frame rate 8K television at IBC 2014
Aug 8, 2014 – At IBC2014, Japanese public broadcaster NHK will once more demonstrate its 8k Super Hi-Vision television system, including the latest enhancements such as high frame rate resolution.
News categories: NHK, Dr Sugawara, Michael Crimp, Europe, IBCShow, Japan, Smart TV, Worldwide

Mstar Semi first with HDMI 2.0 sink device certification
Aug 7, 2014 – MStar Semiconductor has announced the certification of the first world-wide sink device under the HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) Version 2.0 standard, which enables the support of 4K resolution at 60fps.
News categories: MStar Semi, Sean Lin, Semiconductor, Smart Home, Smart TV, Worldwide

Ofcom releases UK Communications Market Report 2014
Aug 7, 2014 – The UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, has published its annual Communications Market report for 2014. Online TV revenue increased by 41% in 2013 to reach £364m. Twelve per cent of TV households had a smart TV in Q1 2014.
News categories: Ofcom, Digital TV, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, UK

Consumers' desire to stream video content on TV drives device purchases
Aug 6, 2014 – The most important determining factor among consumers in purchasing a new TV or video device is the ability for it to connect to the Internet and stream content, a U.S. study for the Council for Research Excellence (CRE) has found.
News categories: Council for Research Excellence, Bryon Schafer, Laura Cowan, Digital TV, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Tablet, USA

Italy plans to move from DVB-MHP to HbbTV 2.0
Aug 4, 2014 – Italy's Confindustria Radio Televisioni has released a position paper, stating the intention of Italian broadcasters to move from DVB-MHP to HbbTV 2.0 as their preferred digital TV middleware.
News categories: Confindustria Radio Televisioni, Digital TV, DVB-MHP, HbbTV, Italy, Middleware, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Terrestrial

Ultra HD TVs make gains but still lack market penetration
Jul 23, 2014 – Ultra-high-definition televisions (UHD TVs) continued to make slow and steady inroads throughout the world, but their share of the overall flat-panel TV market remained minimal by the end of May, according to IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS).
News categories: IHS Technology, Jusy Hong, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide

Digital TV in 84% of Dutch households
Jul 22, 2014 – According to the first-half 2014 Media Standard Survey (MSS), digital television is now in 84% of Dutch households, with more than one in three households (36%) having a hard disk recorder.
News categories: Stichting KijkOnderzoek, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Netherlands, Satellite, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Subscribers, Terrestrial

U.S. ownership of connected TV devices to grow 100% by 2017
Jul 21, 2014 – By 2017 there will be 204 million connected TV devices linked to the Internet and able to deliver apps to viewers, more than double the projected number of U.S. Internet households, according to the latest NPD forecast.
News categories: NPD Connected Intelligence, John Buffone, Blu-ray, Digital TV, Gaming, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, USA