Smart TV

 Smart TV, which is also sometimes referred to as "Connected TV", (not to be confused with Internet TV, Web TV or LG Electronics's upcoming "SMART TV" branded NetCast Entertainment Access devices), is the phrase used to describe the current trend of integration of the internet into modern television sets and set-top boxes, as well as the technological convergence between computers and these television sets / set-top boxes. These new devices most often also have a much higher focus on online interactive media, Internet TV, over-the-top content, as well as on-demand streaming media, and less focus on traditional broadcast media like previous generations of television sets and set-top boxes always have had. Similar to how the internet, web widgets, and software applications are integrated in modern smartphones, hence also the name ("Smart TV" versus "Smart Phone").
The technology that enables Smart TVs is incorporated into devices such as television sets, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and companion devices.These devices allow viewers to search and find videos, movies, photos and other content on the web, on a local cable TV channel, on a satellite TV channel, or stored on a local hard drive.

                                                        Definition

A Smart TV device is either a television set with integrated internet capabilities or a set-top box for television that offers more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary basic television set. Smart TVs may be thought of as a information appliance or the computer system from a handheld computer integrated within a television set unit, a such Smart TV often allows the user to install and run more advanced applications or plugins/addons based on a specific platform. Smart TVs run complete operating system or mobile operating system software providing a platform for application developers.

Technology

While the concept of Smart TVs is still in its incipient stages, with up and coming software frameworks such as the proprietary Google TV and the open source XBMC platforms getting a lot of public attention in the news media within the consumer electronics market area, and commercial offerings from companies such as Logitech, Sony, LG, Boxee, Samsung and Intel have indicated products in the area that will give television users search capabilities, ability to run apps (sometimes availabe via an 'app store' digital distribution platform), interactive on-demand media, personalized communications, and social networking features.

 Operating system

There are a multiple array of mobile operating systems currently available, and while most are targeting smartphones, nettops or tablet computers, some also run on Smart TVs or were even designed specifically for Smart TV usage.^[46] Most often the operating system of Smart TVs are originally based Linux, Unix, Android, or another open-source software platforms.

 Social networking

A number of Smart TV platforms come prepackaged, or can be optionally extended, with social networking capabilities, with which users can both glean updates from, and post their own updates to, existing social networking services (i.e., Boxee's "social networking layer" - libboxee -, which interfaces with Facebook and Twitter, among other services), including posts related to the content currently being played. As social network and social news posts by users are already a growing means of web audience measurement, the addition of social networking synchronization to Smart TV and HTPC platforms may provide a similarly-greater affording of interaction with both on-screen content and other viewers than is currently available to most televisions, while simultaneously providing a much more cinematic experience of the content than is currently available with most computers.