Intel and Yahoo! to bring the Internet to Television

Intel and Yahoo! have previewed plans for the Widget Channel – bringing the best of the Internet to complement TV viewing by using widgets.

The Widget Channel will allow consumers to enjoy rich Internet applications designed for the TV while watching TV programs. The Widget Channel will be powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine, an applications platform that will enable TV watchers to interact with a set of “TV Widgets,” or small Internet applications designed to complement and enhance the traditional TV watching experience, and bring content, information, and community features available on the Internet within easy reach of the remote control.

The Widget Channel will also allow developers to write TV applications for the platform, extending the power and compatibility of PC application developer programs to TV. In addition to supporting the Yahoo! Widget Engine, Yahoo! will also provide consumers Yahoo!-branded TV Widgets that can be customized based on its Internet services.

TV Widgets will enable consumers to engage in a variety of experiences, such as watching videos, tracking their stocks and shares, or sports teams, interacting with friends and family, or staying current on news and information.

TV will fundamentally change how we talk about, imagine, and experience the Internet. No longer just a passive experience unless the viewer wants it that way, Intel and Yahoo! are proposing a way where the TV and the Internet are as interactive and seamless as possible.

By combining the Internet benefits of open user choice, community, and personalization, with the performance and scale embodied in the Intel Architecture will transform traditional TV into something bigger, better and more exciting than ever before.