If you’ve been able to keep up with the deluge of announcements so far in 2011 about smart TVs, connected devices, TV Everywhere, content mobility, and many others related to the convergence of the Internet and TV, then you clearly must not have time for eating, sleeping or personal hygiene!

The simple fact that it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the sheer number of announcements is a sign that the connected TV marketplace moves in warp speed and the marketplace is aggressively feeding the consumer’s appetite for these services. A quick scan of recent stories with headlines that range from “Why Connected TV is Poised to Revolutionize Entertainment” and “Connected TV and 3D: Booming Industry Provides Plethora of Opportunities” shows how much energy, investment and creativity is being is being dedicated to turning this trend into reality.

The story excerpts below are just a sampling of statistics, analysis and milestones on the connected TV marketplace:

• A Mashable column written by a Yahoo! Connected TV executive states, “According to Parks Associates, less than a quarter of HDTVs were connected to the Internet in 2010, but by 2015, that number will spike to 76%. The reason for this massive jump? With increasing consumer demand for connectivity in the living room and faster broadband speeds, device makers will make it convenient for HDTVs to connect directly to the Internet without an extra device in-between.”
• Multichannel News reports that, “The marketplace for televisions and mobile devices with internet capabilities – or ‘connected’ devices – is booming; by 2015 the amount of consumers with a connected device will triple.”
• A Consumer Electronic Association study says, ”The study also showed that households are increasingly streaming video content through their devices. Subscriptions to movie rental services experienced a 40 percent growth year-over-year. With more than 28 million subscribers, content providers have enabled access to services directly through displays, game consoles and other set-top boxes connected to the Internet. Greater broadband access will continue to increase streaming video subscriptions.”
• Broadcasting & Cable says, “In a move that highlights the growing consumer embrace of connected TVs, Samsung Electronics Co. has announced that the Samsung Apps store has seen more than 5 million downloads of TV apps worldwide since it was launch in February for 2010 and that consumers are now downloading about 25,000 TV apps a day.”
• Multichannel News says that, “Comcast released a version of its Xfinity TV app for Apple iPhone and iPod touch devices, and has boosted video-on-demand content available through its apps to almost 6,000 hours with the addition of several new programming partners.”

The best news, of course, is that all of this is happening without any government mandates or rules.  We certainly hope it stays that way and this incredible innovation can continue to flourish unimpeded.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Also see this earlier post from the 2011 CES.

A new year brings another edition of the CEA’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Traditionally, this has been a “gadget” show, but in recent years, the telecom issues such as video delivery, broadband and voice services have played a larger role.

A few news stories related to the cable industry have already emerged this week.

When Comcast launched the Xfinity app back in November, there were references to streaming video coming soon. This was the week that Comcast announced the arrival of that streaming video. It was not in Vegas (as in ’08), but rather at the Citi Conference for Media, Entertainment and Telecommunications, that Brian Roberts announced that Comcast would support live TV streaming on tablet devices later this year. Read more here, but you can imagine how this made a stir at CES, with the emphasis this year on tablet devices.

Cisco CEO John Chambers presenting the company’s “Videoscape” TV platform yesterday, a new hardware and software system that will (to quote their press release) bring “together digital TV and online content with social media and communications applications to create a new, truly immersive home and mobile video entertainment experience.”

From the Wall Street Journal‘s coverage:

Consumers won’t be able to buy the Cisco boxes directly, as they do other devices already available from companies like Roku Inc. and Apple, which allow users to access the Web from their TVs but don’t offer a cable connection. Rather, Cisco will sell its hybrid boxes to cable operators who, in turn, will lease them to subscribers, the people said. Cable operators will be able to customize the software interface and decide on pricing for the boxes.

Read more here, here here, and here.

Sony announced a plan that would allow Time Warner Cable to deliver programming to their subscribers through the use of Sony’s Internet-connected Bravia HDTVs. Yahoo said they were working with programmers such as ABC, CBS, HSN, and Showtime Networks to provide enhanced interactive TV features through broadband-connected TV sets and other devices.

Of course, the manufacturers aren’t just pushing connected TVs, but also 3D sets. “3net” was announced, a 24-hour 3D network that’s a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX. On a related note, a company called Marchon announced they would be offering 3D glasses with designer frames, such as Nautica and Calvin Klein. Prescription lenses will become available later this year.

UPDATE: I missed the announcement of Hollywood’s Ultraviolet initiative, which will allow consumers to purchase content once and view it on a variety of platforms.

Have you ever had trouble with a company and said to yourself, “Even I could run it better!”  Well if that company was your cable or telephone company, now is your chance to prove it.

The folks at Cisco (an NCTA member) have put together a fun little game that lets you build your own ISP.  Starting in 1990, your dial-up internet company has to attract customers, make money, invest in new technologies, and remain profitable.  If you do it well, you’ll progress through the years and become a broadband innovator.

If you’re a tech/telecom junkie like me, you’ll find this very addictive.  If you can make it through the 1990s, please drop us a note in the comments and let us know.

The FCC recently launched a new Twitter account – @FCCDotGov. For those who may be unfamiliar with Twitter (despite Conan O’Brien’s routine ridicule of the service), the micro-blogging platform allows users to send out short updates on just about any topic. Many people envision this as an endless stream of “I had a sandwich for breakfast” notes. However many users share valuable news and information via the service. Companies are also getting into the swing of things and using the service for everything from customer service to sales promotions.

We at NCTA have been using Twitter for about a year and a half to provide updates on our blog content, to promote the Cable Show, and for conversation with and commentary by our CEO Kyle McSlarrow. We’re pleased to see the FCC adopting Twitter and welcome them to this vibrant online discussion.

The FCC account already has over 1,000 followers, and we’re a few of them.  The Internet provides a healthy forum for telecom policy discussion and debate. The number of followers they’ve already amassed indicates the interest level for that dialog.  To welcome them to Twitter, and to share some of our favorites with you, we thought we’d put together a list of our favorite follows.  These are in no particular order, they’re just good content from some very engaging viewpoints.

• @Normative – Julian Sanchez is the Washington Editor for Ars Technica. He covers politics, technology, and even comic books.
• @RobPegoraro – Rob has been critical of cable in the past, but he always brings a fresh perspective to technology. While he styles himself as a local reporter covering the DC area, he has attracted an audience much larger in scope.
• @BlankBaby – Scott McNulty recently took the helm of Comcast Voices – the company’s corporate blog. The blog provides the perspective of the nation’s largest cable provider. Prior to joining Comcast, McNulty was a prolific contributor to The Unofficial Apple Weblog
• @KyleMcSlarrow – Even if he wasn’t our boss, we’d have to recommend Kyle. He does, after all, represent the industry that brings voice, video and broadband to more than 63 million American homes.
• @CZ – While Verizon is a competitor, John Czwartacki does a great job handling their social media outreach.
• @msilbey – Mari Silbey writes for ZatzNotFunny and also handles corporate blogging for Motorola at Media Experiences 2 Go.
• @DaveZatz – Dave is the editor and creator of ZatzNotFunny. He also writes for Engadget and PC Magazine.
• @Om – To many readers of tech publications, Om Malik needs no introduction. His blog GigaOm is a must read for the tech and gadget fan.
• @mmasnick – Mike Masnick is the author of TechDirt, a group blog that covers policy and technology as they shape business innovation.
• @SchatzWSJ – Amy Schatz covers telecom policy for the Wall Street Journal. She covers the FCC and Tech policy, so she’s a definite must.
• @ReginaHopper – Regina is the face of NextGenWeb and a prolific Tweeter. Much of her stream is news and information about broadband – a good source for stories you might have missed.
• @SaulHansell – Saul is the editor of the NY Times Bits Blog and covers everything from advertising to pricing and policy.
• @AdamThierer – Adam is the Progress and Freedom Foundation’s technology policy guru.
• @FreePress – We often disagree on the issues, but we always respect their position.  That’s why we follow them.
• @CJSettles – Craig Settles is a telecom industry analyst.
• @mcuban – You may know him as the Dallas Mavericks Owner or former Dancing With the Stars Contestant, but before that, he made his fortune on Internet content and has a lot to say about telecommunications.
• @linkhoe – Assistant Vice President for Internet and Technology at Verizon. An important player in telecom and frequent contributor to Verizon’s policy blog.
• @joseiswriting – Jose Antonio Vargas formerly covered technology and politics for the Washington Post and is now Technology Editor for the Huffington Post.
• @waltmossberg – Walt is the author and creator of the Personal Technology column in the Wall Street Journal and a Contributor to AllThingsD
• @artbrodsky – Art’s another person with whom we often disagree, but he always brings an interesting perspective as an advocate and blogger for Public Knowledge.

These are some of the really interesting voices in telecommunications on Twitter. Our friends at the FCC will learn a lot from them, and we hope you will, too.

Update: We probably should have added this at the start, but if you think we’ve missed someone, please drop a comment and let us know.  We’re always looking for more people to follow.

This week, Comcast and Sony opened up a joint retail presence in Philly: Sony Style Comcast Labs. Quite a mouthful, but the name reflects its intention, as both retail store and technology lab, to serve as a place for consumers learn about emerging technologies and check out the latest digital devices.

Much of it is the kind of thing we write about on this blog all the time, such as wideband Internet access based on the DOCSIS 3.0 standard and tru2way sets that don’t require a set-top box. Plus, the media release mentions an “enhanced cordless telephone… with email, IM, text and Yellow Pages.”

You can read coverage of the launch here, here and here. Also, I thought I’d throw a couple photos down below. And Sony Electronics has some more shots on Flickr.