This is very intriguing – a range of TVs with iPlayer, YouTube and other snazzy web-based features is available in the UK. Of course, the idea might be old hat to a lot of people, but I only get really interesting in things when I hear that the stuff is available, here and now.
They’re made by a company called Cello, who I’ve only just heard about, and they sell a TV which you plug into your broadband and start streaming stuff off the internet with.
http://www.celloelectronics.com/lcd-tv-range/iplayer-and-youtube-player-10748
Of course this is exactly the kind of thing that Adobe have been talking about as part of their plans for the Flash Player and the Open Screen Project, and it all certainly sounds like something that is all based off Flash, but neither the Open Screen Project nor Cello make any mention of each other, nor does Cello offer any alternative explanation for how they’re powering it all.
I’m guessing it is something that’s based off the work that the Open Screen Project has been doing, but it’s interesting – both from what they’ve achieved, and the absence of a song-and-dance about it.
Am I alone in finding this curious?
Hi James,
Yeah, I saw a review of this on ElectricPig yesterday …
http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2009/12/09/cello-iviewer-tv-prepping-sky-player-streaming/
No mention of Flash though, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t using it. Let’s hope.
Hi, I’m not sure about the Cello project either… when I search “site:iplayertv.com flash” all I get is “To watch the video you need flash player, please click here to install flash,” and the lack of proper brandnames indicates that they’re not totally clued-in.
Could be just a net connection and a Sorenson decoder, something like that… hard to say.
I do know that the next year or so will be a little tumultuous, as new device-types enter the market, and other devices try to blur the lines on the differences in capabilities. May be rocky for a bit, but should be fun in the long run….
jd/adobe
Interesting indeed. I think I’ll have to swing by M&S sometime and test a real-live one!