Lenovo Launches Smart TV In China

Although the exact origins are lost to time, it was around 1965 that the phrases “boob tube” and “idiot box” were coined to describe the small cathode-ray tube television and the content broadcast on it that many thought foolish.

Fast-forward to 2012 and it’s the era of the “smart TV,” a slim and stylish – and large – LED flatscreen model connected to the Internet that allows viewers to download movies, play video games and Skype their relatives around the world.

Smart TVs are also the latest battleground for technology giants like Apple Inc, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Lenovo Group Ltd, each of which is trying to capture the eyeballs and wallets of consumers hungry for content displayed in the comfort of their home in 3D on a high-definition screen.

The latest entry in the market was unveiled in Beijing by Lenovo on Tuesday, where the world’s second-largest PC maker showcased its 55-inch K91 smart TVs to attendees who were reading Sina microblogs, playing simulated tennis and watching the movie “Inception” on demo models.

While relatively established in other parts of the world, smart TVs have been slow to catch on in China because of restrictions on content and the concept itself is relatively new.

The K-series is Lenovo’s first smart TV and the company decided to launch it on its home turf because it said it would be easier to negotiate content deals in China.