HONG KONG (XFN-ASIA) - Sony Corp, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co and three other Japanese consumer-electronics companies are developing a joint standard for Internet-connected televisions in an attempt to fight off growing competition from the computer industry, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The companies plan to establish a common standard for aspects of Internet TV such as the operating system, security, copyright protection and network connectivity, a Sony official was quoted as saying.
The group, which includes Sharp Corp, Toshiba Corp and Hitachi Ltd, is expected to have the standard ready next spring, the report said.
The standard is so far only meant for Japan but the alliance might compel rivals overseas either to develop alternatives in competition or, perhaps, adopt the planned Japanese standard, the paper said.
rc/
© 2006 AFX News
