The boundary between a television set and a computer is blurring. Consider Zenith Computer-promoted Vu Technologies' offering, the Intelligent TV, which is a television-cum-PC with a Microsoft Windows operating system.
The company has even launched a large format touchscreen-based LCD (liquid screen display) PC that runs on Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium OS, and can double up as a gaming console.
An LCD PC allows user to browse the web and watch television. "Its processors and memory chips are as good as any desktop PC you get," says Devita Saraf, chief executive officer, Vu Technologies. Vu expects 40 per cent of its retail sales to come from the Intelligent TV.
Vu Technologies' LCD PC has quite a few takers. One of them is the premier Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and according to Saraf, "Other IIMs and Indian Institutes of Technology have also expressed interest in adopting our touch-based LCD PCs as interactive digital signage in their classrooms."
With prices starting at Rs 69,990 for the 40 inch LCD PC, these products, adds Saraf are for the early adopters and technology conscious.
Realising that consumer had not really taken to watching television on their tiny computer monitors; television vendors have begun to invest in LCD panels with internet, PC and even touch-screen capabilities.
Already manufacturers like LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony are bringing out new digital high- definition TVs that have Ethernet sockets as a standard, making them ready for immediate internet connection and with built in browser full access to the video and TV websites.
And while the TV manufacturers work on getting the hardware right, companies such as Microsoft are happy to build a software ecosystem that can power these new generation of TVs. Rajan Anandan, managing director, Microsoft India, hopes that the Windows 7 operating system would become the software giant's ticket to high-end LCD PCs that are expected to be a big attraction in 2010.
"We expect Vu and other OEM vendors to exploit the multi-touch functions of Windows 7 OS along with its TV streaming and video capabilities with myriad product launches next year," he said.
iSuppli has forecast that the total number of internet enabled sets will grow to between 88 million and 90 million worldwide by 2013, which is around 40 per cent of the total television market. "We don't see the browser becoming the primary metaphor," said Anandan of Microsoft, adding that consumers seem to favour applications like video and social networking on the television, as opposed to text-based pages on high-end LCD PCs.
