Funny how Apple's rumored to be getting into the TV business and then almost overnight, Microsoft is rumored to be getting into the game and now Lenovo, a company that primarily makes computers is also entering the battle.
The TV space is already crowded enough and yet Lenovo says it will sell a smart TV called "IdeaTV" in the first quarter of next year. The Chinese company didn't provide additional details on how it would approach a smart TV. It's rumored that the IdeaTV will take a simple approach, possibly by incorporating Google TV into it as Sony did last year.
However, any company entering the TV business is going to quickly find out that it's not a high-stakes market. Even Sony's CEO Howard Stringer admitted that his company loses money on every single HDTV it sells. How will Lenovo, a company with little experience building or securing precious large-screen panels fair?
Unless Lenovo comes up with its own way to revolutionize the HDTV (just adding 3D doesn't count either), it's unlikely that its IdeaTVs will be able to differentiate themselves from Samsung, LG, Toshiba and even some of the less-known brands such as Vizio, Haier and Dynex sets.
Apple's approach is heavily rumored to be Siri-based and Microsoft is said to be in talks to license — not make — its Kinect sensor technology out to TV makers.
Black Friday went by without me upgrading my puny 26-inch LG LED TV I purchased last November, but I think it's good thing that I waited. It would appear some very interesting TV options are on the horizon.
ComputerWorld, via Phandroid
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