CES 2009: Toshiba To Add Cell TV, Widget IPTV

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, January 8, 2009

Las Vegas — Toshiba is previewing at International CES its Cell TV technology, which will bring high-powered Cell processing to TVs to enable recording and displaying multiple HDTV programs, and further improve imaging quality through super high-speed video processing, the company said.

Toshiba also revealed plans to introduce its first Widget-enabled IPTV products in the second half of the year.

Scott Ramirez, Toshiba TV marketing VP, said the Cell TV system, which was first shown at CEATEC in Japan last fall, is expected to be marketed in 2009, employing a set-top box that will wirelessly connect to a high-performance display panel — probably based on Toshiba’s new LED backlighting.

The box, he said, will perform as an HDTV server, with seamless networking capability.

Ramirez said the goal is “to make multiple Regza models with Cell TV to expand our share and further improve our brand image by making the best of the best.”

The technology will offer “video recording like none other — Cell TV in the United States can do six HDTV images simultaneously,” Ramirez said. “You can do it quickly and easily without delay with a 3D graphical user interface like nothing we’ve had before.”

Meanwhile, Toshiba said it will launch in 2009 the first in a series of network A/V products, including LCD TVs, LCD/DVD combos and network players that incorporate platforms developed by Intel, Yahoo! and Microsoft to deliver rich content to the TV over broadband connections.

The system will deliver streamed video content, downloadable movies, photos and music, in addition to other forms of entertainment and information.

Toshiba said its products will support the Widget Channel applications framework promoted by Intel and Yahoo! and include Extender for Windows Media Center technology. Toshiba will bring the new products to the U.S. market in the second half of 2009.

The combination of TV Widgets and Extender for Windows Media Center technology deliver on the long promised, simple to use superior solution that consumers expect from a network device, Toshiba said.

Each of Toshiba’s line of network devices will act as the hub for content delivery into the entertainment space of the home.

TV Widgets which run on the Widget Channel applications framework developed by Intel and Yahoo! and driven by Intel’s consumer electronics media processors, allow viewers to access content libraries over the Internet using a user-friendly interface.

Toshiba said that while some TV Widgets will be pre-installed on the devices, consumers will have access to a growing universe of TV widgets as they become available.

By integrating Extender for Windows Media Center technology, the new Toshiba AV devices will be able to access a wide range of digital content from Windows Media Center on the PC through their big screen TV using a home network.

Included in every copy of Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate, Windows Media Center, with the addition of a TV tuner, turns the PC into a powerful DVR. Windows Media Center also delivers an extensive amount of Internet TV and movie content, plus photos, music, home videos and more. Toshiba’s network player solution will be developed to be compatible with Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows 7.