Guide to internet-connected TV

The worlds of TV and the web are finally converging and internet-connected TVs are set to be huge in 2011. Already 50% of the TVs sold by John Lewis are internet-connected.

But what exactly can you do with a shiny, new connected TV?

What is internet-connected TV?

Almost a third of new TV sets tested by consumer watchdog Which? are capable of going online, but while this may be an early-adopter technology at the moment, many more people will soon be watching their favourite shows direct from the web to their TV.

Although they are known as "internet-connected TVs", most models offer a range of apps and downloads rather than full web browsing - though this is likely to change and evolve this year as connected TVs go ever more mainstream.

A spokesman for retailer John Lewis, said: "Key features that customers are looking for are catch-up services (such as the BBC iPlayer), video-on-demand content from providers such as LoveFilm and free content from sites like YouTube, as well as social networking capability such as Skype and Facebook.

"We are expecting the percentage of internet televisions to grow even further during this year and by the second half of 2012 we can predict that virtually all televisions sold in John Lewis will be internet enabled," he added.

Internet-connected Blu-ray players

You can also get internet-connected Blu-ray players from manufacturers like Samsung and Sony. So if you've already got a glossy 50in flat-screen, you don't need to fork out huge amounts of cash to get connected.

What can I do with internet-connected TV?

Different manufacturers and models come with a range of built-in TV apps and a user interface specific to the brand.

As well as watching super-sharp high-definition (HD) TV through Freeview or your digital TV subscription, your internet-connected TV will allow you to go online at the touch of a button, accessing all the content you want through dedicated apps.

For example, you can catch-up on the week's TV from the BBC by installing the iPlayer app, or you can stream movies from the huge LOVEFiLM library.

And internet TV is set to get even better over the coming months. Expect to see more advanced app stores, full web surfing and even home network integration that could allow you to access content from your TV, computer or iPad on every device in the house.

Broadband speeds

Before you nab yourself a snazzy new connected TV or Blu-ray player, you need to make sure that your internet connection is fast enough to get your TV online.

Samsung says that you need a minimum 2Mb download speed to use Woomi, the new connected TV interface that comes pre-installed on Samsung TVs. But Which? says: "Using a fairly low 1.75Mb connection video on YouTube and iPlayer looked fine on all the internet TVs in our tests.

Use our free broadband speed tester to find out exactly how fast your connection is.

Faster speeds, especially superfast broadband packages like those offered by BT infinity (www.BT.com) and Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com), mean that you can do even more at even faster speeds - like watching content in HD straight from the internet.

Download allowances

However, you also need to think about how much data you will be downloading if you watch a lot of online content through your TV.

Everything you watch will count against your monthly download allowance - on top of any data that you usually use online.

The amount of data you use will depend on how much content you watch from the internet, the length of the programmes and movies you watch and whether or not you watch in standard or high-definition.

If you're on a package with a set download allowance, such as Option 1 or 2 from BT broadband, then you will need to make sure that you don't exceed your limit. If you do, you could be charged £5 for an extra 5GB of data.

But even if you've got an unlimited broadband package, you'll probably be subject to a fair usage policy that could slow you down if you download too much.

The only package that truly comes without restrictions is the Unlimited package from Sky broadband (www.Sky.com). It comes with speeds of up to 14Mb broadband and no fair usage or traffic management.

Virgin Media does offer unlimited downloads on its superfast 60Mb broadband and 100Mb broadband packages, though peer-to-peer file-sharing traffic can still be restricted.