Internet TV: Surfing the Web Without a PC
Move over NHK and WOWOW -- make room for Internet TV
by Noriko TakezakiWhat do "couch potatoes" and computer lovers have in common? If Japanese TV makers are successful in their latest marketing ploy, the answer will soon be "the Internet."
In a bid to cash in on the current Internet craze, several Japanese consumer electronics manufacturers intend to introduce Internet-capable TVs by the end of the year. The planned products range from new model TV sets with built-in Internet-access software to set-top boxes that will enable existing TVs to go online. And to make the next generation of TV monitors even more attractive for Net surfing, manufacturers are working to reduce or prevent flicker and increase screen resolution.
New models in stores by year-end
Mitsubishi Electric plans to release an "Internet TV" with built-in modem. The company has already developed a prototype and will have a marketable product within this year. Hitachi, too, plans to release an Internet-connectable TV system before year end, although the company has not yet announced whether its new product will be of the built-in or set-top-box type. It is significant, however, that product development is taking place in Hitachi's consumer electronics division, not its computer division.Sony, meanwhile, has developed a set-top-box prototype that includes pen input capability. This product will be released later this year via an affiliated company, Sony Communication Network Corp. (SCN). SCN was jointly established in November 1995 with two other group companies, Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Finance International, to provide integrated Internet services for Sony as a group.
"If the general public can enjoy the Internet services they want on TV, they don't need a PC -- no matter how sophisticated its functions are," declares Senji Yamamoto, director of SCN. "What most users need is not a multipurpose computer that has a rich variety of high-end functions, but rather an easy-to-use tool that can satisfy their basic, but specific, needs."
Accessing the technology
TCP/IP software, the core technology that would enable TVs to be hooked to the Internet, is theoretically not so complicated. Commercialization of the products, however, can be a very time-consuming and difficult task, because of reliability concerns and the need to ensure interconnectivity among the Internet-related products available on the market today. The need to make efficient use of the limited memory capacity of the products is also a limiting factor.Furthermore, investing in the development of such technology can be a risky venture for a consumer electronics company. The Internet is a fast-paced, evolving medium, and today's technology could well be obsolete tomorrow if the operating environment is changed by some further technological innovation. These considerations have made most consumer electronics manufacturers hesitant to delve too deeply into the development of Internet technology, although they now realize that Internet capability is vital for their future product releases.
Recently, however, manufacturers have found a venture company that can ease their way by offering the needed technology at a reasonable price. Tokyo-based Access Co., Ltd., a network-related technologies development company founded about a decade ago by two university students majoring in computer science, has released an Internet software module. Named NetFront, this module has all of the necessary software for TV-based Internet access. The module uses an ITRON-based real-time operating system and contains a TCP/IP component (called AVE-TCP) developed by Access, as well as PPP and HTTP functionality, an HTML parser, an Internet mail function that supports SMTP, POP, and MIME functions, and other applications (such as a WWW browser).
NetFront supports many RISC processors -- including the Hitachi SH, R3000/4000, and ARM -- and other popular CPUs, such as the 80X86 and 680X0. The module can be easily ported to a variety of hardware and software environments. By bundling the NetFront module with their hardware products, therefore, consumer electronics companies can realize products that offer Internet-connectivity at a license fee of about ¥1,000 per production unit. According to Access, almost all of the Japanese TV manufacturers have contacted the company about its NetFront technology, and at least half of them have already chosen to tie up with Access to start development of Internet TVs.
A Wintel alternative
Use of the NetFront module is not limited to developing Internet TVs. Access Co. reports that they have received inquiries regarding application of their module to other consumer products, such as word processors, PDAs (personal digital assistants), video game machines, cellular phones, PHS (personal handyphone system) units, and display phones. Foreign manufacturers, from Korea, Europe, and the US, have reportedly contacted the company regarding licensing of the technology."What consumer electronics makers want is not costly Wintel (Windows and Intel) systems, but something that can hook their products to the Internet for less money," says Toru Arakawa, president and CEO of Access. "Previously, even many industry people blindly believed that they needed PCs and Wintel technology to use the Internet, but they realized there was not sufficient profit for them by taking that route. Now, we are showing them that their products can be connected to the Internet without PCs, without the Wintel technology -- and that people can use the Internet much more easily than they thought."
To make its Internet products easy to use by the general public, Access has simplified the Internet-connect functions of its software, concentrating mainly on the use of a WWW browser and e-mail. The company also has enabled the use of a remote control, one much like the those for conventional TV sets; this allows simplified Internet operation with a pre-set menu and eliminates the need for a mouse or keyboard. "By using [a remote control], people can enjoy the Internet in a very easy manner -- just like choosing a TV channel," says Tomihisa Kamada, vice president of Access Co. "We're making arrangements with TV manufacturers so that users can display the Internet menu on a TV channel not being used for broadcasting."
An eye to the future
With an eye on the coming electronic commerce business, Access plans to offer security functions as part of its module, including SSL (Secure Socket Layer), S-HTTP (Secure-HTTP), and SET (Secure Electronic Transaction). The company will also support Java, Shockwave, and next-generation IP protocol (IPng)."Access is like Netscape," says SCN's Yamamoto. "It is the only company that can currently provide such core technology to Japanese consumer product manufacturers. For the makers, it's less risky at this moment to employ the Access technology, since they know it is likely that many of their competitors will employ the same technology for their products." However, Yamamoto cautions that it is early to declare that the Access technology will be a de facto standard for Internet-connected consumer products in Japan. Some American companies have contacted Japanese makers offering similar technology, he notes.
Although the technology side (whether Japanese or foreign based) is ready for launch of the Internet TVs, there are some hurdles to be cleared. Most important of these is the need to make the Internet more popular as the infrastructure for the new form of media that can merge the benefits of telecommunications and broadcasting. The mere introduction of Internet-connectable hardware will not succeed without a comprehensive marketing strategy for such products through the close relationship among companies from various industries.
To this end, several companies involved have taken steps to prepare for establishment of an inter-industry consortium. Scheduled to be launched this month (June), the consortium will have participation by consumer electronics companies, telecommunications service providers, computer manufacturers, content providers, broadcasters, and publishing companies. The initial focus of such joint activities will be HTML standardization and service content arrangement for the Internet TVs.
So, will Internet TVs prove to be a hit, or will the Net remain the province of PCs and workstations? By this time next year, we should know the answer to that conundrum, and TV manufacturers will know if their gamble has paid off.