Rockville, MD and Palm Desert, CA -- March 22, 2010 -- Today, at the DEMO Spring 2010 event, Hillcrest Labs launched the Kylo(TM) browser -- a new Web browser for TV. Developed for the millions of households that connect their PCs or Macs to the TV, Kylo lets users visit any site on the Web with a browser that was specifically designed to be viewed from a distance in the family room, living room, or dorm room.
The Kylo browser is not meant to replace traditional browsers such as Internet Explorer(R), Safari(R), or Firefox(R) for use with standard computer display screens, but instead is for use on a television connected to a computer. Unlike other applications or Web sites, Kylo is not a "walled garden" of aggregated video content, but rather a true Web browser that lets users go where they want across the Internet.
"No matter how hard they try, no single set-top-box manufacturer, specialized TV widget developer, or content aggregator can match the volume of online viewing choices available on a computer," said Dan Simpkins, founder and CEO of Hillcrest Labs. "For this reason, many consumers are simply using their new HDTVs as an alternative display for their PCs or Macs. So, we've developed Kylo as a free and simple TV browser that enables them to visit any site on the Web, and makes the entire experience more enjoyable."
THE TREND: COMPUTERS IN THE LIVING ROOM
A variety of recent findings demonstrate the growing popularity of pairing computers with televisions. For example:
* In Forrester Research's report, "How Consumers Get Online Video to The TV," June 9, 2009, the firm estimates that nearly 9 million homes in the US watch at least some online video on a TV set in a typical month.
* In Deloitte's, "State of the Media Democracy Survey Fourth Edition," December 2009, the firm found that 65% of US Internet users would like to connect their televisions to the Internet, a figure that jumped to 74% among Millennials (ages 14-26).
* According to Pew Research's, "The Audience for Online Video- Sharing Sites Shoots Up," July 2009, 23% of those who watch online video have connected their computer to a TV (29% of males who watch online video vs. 16% of females who watch online video).
* Research conducted by One Touch Intelligence as reported in VideoNuze on November 4, 2009, states that approximately 13.4% of Netflix "Watch Instantly" usage is by people who connect their computer to the TV, versus approximately 3.6% that is done by people using a Roku set-top box.
* In December of 2009, Hillcrest Labs also conducted its own mall intercept survey of 200 consumers within the high-tech corridor of the Washington DC area, and found that 34% of consumers connect their computers to their TVs "always" or "often," while 80% were interested in surfing the Internet on TV.
THE PROBLEMS
Despite this growing trend, the first hurdle that consumers face is the physical act of connecting their computers to their TVs. For this reason, Hillcrest Labs developed a simple online guide to help people get started: www.hillcrestlabs.com/loop/connecting.php.