Can you say cable-ready TV? In news that could portend eventual shake-ups in the way U.S. consumers access--or try to access--cable television, Samsung will use Australia as the launch pad for a new do-everything TV with a one terabyte hard drive, IP connectivity (of course), built-in Foxtel, Telstra BigPond movies and, naturally, 3D TV technology. Australian content providers got a look at the new units when they recently visited Korea. First deployments (sales) will happen in early 2011, according to a Channel News report.
The TV follows Samsung's belief that TVs should be the core source of information and entertainment. It's a belief that, so far, has never been shared by U.S. cable operators, who have struggled with the incursion of consumer electronics into their controlled system operations.
To make matters even scarier, the units will also come with HDBaseT connectors rather than the Ethernet commonly used today. This could further muddy the CE compatibility waters.
Speaking of waters, Samsung consumers will have to have a BigPond broadband package to access the Foxtel and BigPond movie service.
For more:
- Channel News has this story
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