Japanese Bravia TVs to get widgetized with new SDK

Intel and Yahoo were making all kinds of noise about on-screen TV widgets back at IDF, but it looks like Sony's beating them to the punch -- select Japanese Bravia sets can already browse the web and run a few official widgets through the XMB interface, but now there's also an SDK for third-party developers. Sony's taking an Apple-like approach and requiring devs to submit them for approval before making them available to Bravia owners, but it's promising that validation won't be lengthy -- hopefully that means it won't be totally capricious in approving them and yanking them as well. The SDK and widgets are Japan-only for now, but there are hints we'll see them worldwide eventually -- the sooner the better, guys.

[Via Sony Insider]

[Wes @ Sep 18th 2008 3:20PM]

I don't want on screen widgets. I want the ability take off all the widgets the network puts on there.

Scoreboard - off
Double line crawl - off
Bug - off

16:9 hah! more like 13:6 with all the crap on there.

/rant

[Vagrant @ Sep 18th 2008 3:27PM]

Looks like the screen switches to P&P (Picture & Picture) and displays the other content. Sort of reminds me of my PSP when using the 1SEG TV adapter and pulling up the extra information being broadcast for that channel.

[Sekingo @ Sep 18th 2008 3:37PM]

I love the use of go stones there :)

[Sebquattro @ Sep 18th 2008 3:39PM]

I was under the impression Samsung TV's already had these, like ages ago.

[spacegravity4me @ Sep 18th 2008 3:50PM]

Somebody please tell me what in the world is that black thing in the picture! I can't figure it out!

[xdrewfacex @ Sep 18th 2008 4:06PM]

i think it's a seal or sea lion doing a face plant into some rocks...

awesome

[Mycroft @ Sep 18th 2008 4:11PM]

I have been starring at it for ten minutes now and cannot figure it out. The best that I can come up with is a seal eating a scuba diver.

[Lowest Ranked @ Sep 18th 2008 4:10PM]

A seal.

You should get out more.

[ScooterDe @ Sep 18th 2008 4:11PM]

there are black things in both pictures - Go stones and, on the left, a seal.

[Bad Beaver @ Sep 18th 2008 4:46PM]

It's a seal. Since it is actually facing the rocks, the haunting cthulhuesque appearance—that made me squirm just like you—is simply the flappy back end.

[Brent @ Sep 18th 2008 4:42PM]

you know what this is leading to?

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/images/idiocracy-tv-dvd.jpg

[brett @ Sep 19th 2008 1:38PM]

myRegza TV, by Toshiba can do this and more :
the TV has 2 LAN jacks on the back with access to features like:
1 = Activila , video on demand, weather, shopping, news etc
2 = Hikari TV (hikari = light/fiber optic in Japanese) , 12mbps full 1080 streaming pay TV, 70 chanels at the moment, more coming
3 = Netfront Web browser, internet on the TV

all direct from the TV, no need for additional boxes and crap.

also can use USB memory sticks and HDD via the USB port, or LAN based Hard disks via another LAN jack
(some models have internal HDD like the LG and Samsung)

Toshiba recommends connect the TV to the net via fiber optic, which is pretty standard in Japan now, with most areas able to get 50 - 100Mbit and option for 150Mbit - 1Gbps from some providers

so take a seat sony, and watch the others do something right :)