Some of the newest TVs can marry the internet and cutting edge technology at the click of a button.
"Most of the major TV brands now have at least a couple of models that can access the internet through a broadband connection. Those sets tend to be a little bit more expensive though," said Jim Wilcox of Consumer Reports.
Consumer Reports just checked out several online services, including Viera Cast from Panasonic, Samsung Media 2.0, and LG’s Netcast. You can access most of these services by connecting a TV to the internet with an Ethernet connection and then pushing a button on your remote.
Icons called widgets appear on the TV screen. A couple of clicks starts the program.
Depending on your set, you can also stream movies from companies like Amazon video on demand, Netflix, or Vudu.
"Overall, we found the quality of the streaming video to be good, about the quality of a DVD,” Wilcox said.
And Vudu's HDX format is even better. Its real HD quality, but you do need a faster internet connection.
Also on internet-enabled TVs, you can access weather and stock updates and share photos.
"We found all the online services relatively easy to use,” Wilcox said.
As for cost, except for the streaming movies, the services are free.
Consumer Reports says Samsung’s 6000 and 7000 series TV’s are worth considering if you're looking to buy an internet-ready TV.
So are the Sony XBR9 models -- which also did very well in testing.
Be aware, while these new TVs are able to access the internet, you can't surf the net like you can on your computer.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Chris Olsen
