Yahoo and Intel Unveil "Cinematic Internet"™

While Hulu works to bring TV to the web, Yahoo and Intel are hoping to bring the web into to the living room.  The “Widget Channel”, announced at the Intel Developer Forum today, will provide a framework for developing applications:

“designed to complement and enhance the traditional TV watching experience and bring content, information and community features available on the Internet within easy reach of the remote control.  […] Watch web videos, track your favorite teams or stocks, interact with friends and family, and stay current on news and information by clicking on the compact, interactive apps that sit on top of your normal TV picture.”

In other words: Yahoo’s grand vision for the future of connected devices is accessing Flickr from a different screen?  Hmmm…

Sounds lovely; but simply “bringing the internet to TV” is not the answer, anymore than it works the other way around.  The difference between them has little to do with the screen canvas at all — and everything to do with the way we choose to experience, interact, and socialize around content.  There are merits to be drawn from each, but the “Cinematic Internet” doesn’t appear to be doing anything to live up to its name.

Hopefully this is just a logical entry point to spur developers and manufacturers alike, and upon which bigger, truly visionary ideas can soon be borne… ideas that leverage (in real-time) the best of each medium to augment the overall experience, or perhaps create entirely new forms of entertainment.