On this day, from the pages of Appliance Retailer:
Thursday 10 January 2008
The quotation in this story and its general tone sounds like it’s from a generation ago! It was six years ago today that Sharp Australia confirmed it was interested in bring an Aquos Net TV to Australia – the ‘Smart TV’ term hadn’t become standardised – to perform a wide range of teletext features:
“With Aquos Net, Sharp is opening up a world of display possibilities for consumers,” said Sharp USA senior vice president Bob Scaglione.
“Aquos Net provides the ultimate in convenience, and we intend to allow users access to important information like stock quotes, the local weather and even the ability to receive instant advice and help to maintain the optimal picture on their television – all without ever having to leave the TV.”
The Aquos Net was priced at US $3,599 – around $4,050 in Australian dollars.
Even the use of the phrase “online TV” in the original headline shows how uncharted this territory was. Six years later and Smart functionality remains an inchoate feature of even the most sophisticated TVs connected to superfast broadband internet.
Top of the US Box Office that day was National Treasure: Book of Secrets.