Consumers who picked up a Panasonic Viera TV last year can now upgrade their IPTV software to match 2011 models.
Panasonic is giving back to last year’s customers with a software upgrade for 2010 Viera models with IPTV functionality, including the VT20, V20, D25, and S25 models.

The software upgrade throws in more on-demand content like ABC iView, social media widgets, interactive card games and access to the Viera app market.

The upgrade puts the four 2010 TVs on par with Panasonic’s 2011 range of flatscreens which took on the same ‘smart’ buzzword as rivals LG and Samsung.

When owners of the older models connect their TVs to the internet and load up the Viera Cast system, the upgrade automatically starts, bringing with it Panasonic’s cloud-based IPTV platform, Viera Connect Market.

Fierce TV competition has made for yearly refreshes of TVs with added ‘smart’ features and Internet-enabled options to out-do the competition. Competitors have been pushing content and apps on their TVs, with LG most recently opening its Smart TV app platform up for Adobe Flash developers to promote content creation.

LG’s Smart TV Platforms for 2012 are set to be available for developers by December to feature on TVs, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes.