CES: Return of the walled garden

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The path to TV 2.0 is still murky, judging by the early news out of CES. Sharp and Samsung both announced TV sets that can connect directly to the Net. But they’ll be limited to presenting a very small slice of the Web -- basically, a smattering of news and photos from online partners chosen by the set makers. (In Samsung’s case, that’s USA Today.)

Executives at both companies say they will expand the content offerings eventually to include some online video, but they were reluctant to do so today because it would be costly and complex. Samsung plans to deliver online video to the TV through a separate product, a set-top box. For Sharp, meanwhile, one of the main reasons to connect TVs to home networks is to enable better technical support. When an owner of one of its new TVs calls in for help, technicians can run tests and adjust some of the TV’s settings through the Net.

Other manufacturers are offering connected TVs that deliver video from the Web -- in Sony’s case, with the help of a $250 add-on box that plugs into the back of the set. But they, too, limit where people can go online. For example, Sony just announced a deal with CBS that will make many of the network’s shows available on demand to Sony TVs for free (with commercials). Those shows, along with programming due from the CW, Showtime and the collegiate sports network CSTV, expand on the, umm, less commercial material offered by the likes of Yahoo, Crackle and Blip.tv. Yet the missing pieces are legion, and it’s an open question how long consumers will accept something less than the full Internet on their TVs.

-- Jon Healey