TV makers are engaged in an arms race to build up the internet features on their new models, adding video on-demand, GPS traffic reports, social networking and video calling on top of the basic news, weather and stock information.

A major theme of the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the merging of television and the internet, allowing people to access the web from the couch without having to use a keyboard and mouse or buy an additional set-top box or games console.

Allowing TVs to connect directly to the internet is another step toward the demise of the disc, where consumers will download their movies and music straight to the device. It also poses a significant threat to established free-to-air and pay TV broadcasters, which already see the internet as a way for viewers to bypass their networks.