CES: Funai to build televisions that are cloud-ready

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Funai Electronics announced Tuesday at CES that it would build its televisions and Blu-ray players with ActiveVideo’s CloudTV platform, allowing consumers to watch Web-based video and use applications from their living-room couch.

Though there are many companies that enable televisions to connect to the Internet, most require buying new cable boxes or a brand-new Web-enabled TV set.

Because Funai makes an assortment of popular televisions and Blu-ray players, including the Philips, Emerson, Magnavox and Sylvania brands, ActiveVideo’s software will be built in.

Until now, San Jose-based ActiveVideo got into about 5 million homes through partnerships with cable providers by having its technology built into cable boxes.

‘As consumers demand more from their television experience, there is a growing need for the limitless resources that can expand interactivity beyond the device-based widgets found in many of today’s connected TVs and other devices,’ said Jeff Miller, president and chief executive of ActiveVideo Networks. ‘Funai’s embrace of CloudTV … opens the door wide to content developers who are interested in reaching television audiences.’

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-- W.J. Hennigan