Move over channels, Smart apps are in town – and here to stay.
Some of the most downloaded TV apps now include YouTube, Hulu Plus, ESPN Next Level, AccuWeather, Google Maps and Texas Holdem, according to TV makers Samsung, who recently recorded over 2 million downloads.
The popularity of the apps store has certainly gained pace since it was first launched just over a year ago at CES 2010.
The first million downloads took place over the first eight months of 2010, with the 2 million mark being reached in under two months, say the Korean makers.
The company has about 380 apps; 259 of them can be downloaded free of charge.
Smart TV viewers looks set to grow even further in Australia as Telstra’s BigPond TV is now streamed to both LG and Samsung enabled TV’s, announced in separate deals earlier this month.
Samsung expects to sell about 12 million Smart TVs this year, which they hope will almost double to 20 million units by 2012.
Last week, Channel News reported how LG and Samsung look set to go head to head in a bruising battle for market share of the SmartTV, which merges Internet and television, in Australia.
SmartTV technology will be the focus of the global LCD TV market in 2011 as the Korean tech adds SmartTV functions to all of its 40-inch and larger models, according to Digitimes.
“For next year, Smart TV will be the mainstay of their consumer technology push” according to said Kevin Lee, vice president of Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display Business.
At CES earlier this month, Samsung showed of its new Smart Hub which offers access to a range of paid for and free apps covering sports, entertainment, information, games and social networking, including YouTube, Facebook, ESPN, Vimeo and Twitter.
It also plans to introduce more 3-D compatible content by teaming up with global content providers this year.
