Earlier this week I had posted about LG offering Netflix streaming in its new HDTVs and other signs that the Internet is gradually becoming the future of television.  Sony, unsurprisingly, won’t be outdone by LG.  They’re also offering new Internet capable Bravia HDTVs, unveiled at CES 2009 in Las Vegas today.

According to the official press release:

Sony’s new XBR9 and Z-series models feature an Ethernet connection, allowing the sets to directly access Sony BRAVIA Internet Video content using an existing broadband connection. The service offers one of the largest selections of free and premium movies, TV shows, sports, music and more from an array of partners like Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube(R), Yahoo!(R), Slacker, and others.

If Sony’s TVs weren’t so expensive, this might be interesting for me.  I’m going to stick with my “low end” Vizio LCD TV for now.  It may not have any direct connections to the Internet, but the picture quality is good, and I can always surf the web with my Nintendo Wii or watch streaming Netflix movies with my Xbox 360.  But it’s good to see that manufacturers are starting to build these kinds of capabilities directly into newer TVs.  Something for me to look forward to in maybe 4-5 years, I suppose.

Filed under: Consumer Web, Entertainment, Hardware