Comcast has teamed up with Intel and Yahoo to allow third-party developers to create web-connected widgets for TV. Like what kind of widgets, you ask? So far, the following companies are working on one: Blockbuster, CBS Interactive, CinemaNow, Cinequest, Comcast, Disney-ABC Television Group, eBay, GE, Group M, Joost, MTV, Samsung Electronics, Schematic, Showtime, Toshiba and Twitter. (Woo, Twitter on my TV!?) The widgets would be powered by a chip in the set-top box (and ultimately built into the TV set itself) which of course would be connected to the internet. “(It’s) really going to create a dramatic change,” said Patrick Barry, Yahoo’s VP of connected TV.
The possibilities here are endless — especially in the social sphere — and it wouldn’t take long to brainstorm plenty of applications at the local level. Conversely, you can look at this from another angle: you could punch up a Yahoo Weather widget over the top of your local news, for example. This underlines the importance for local TV to be aggressive and create widgets that emphasize the unique strengths of local content. You can learn more in an extensive overview of the “Widget Channel” right here.
