Connected TVSmart, connected TVs clearly offer more entertainment options than traditional flat-screen TVs, and those who already own them seem to enjoy accessing their apps, favorite websites and watching 3-D movies, all from the comfort of their homes. In fact, smart TVs were (and still are) great companions to an innovative TV lift cabinet, which raises and lowers your flat-screen TV with the touch of a button. But some analysts worry that smart TVs could experience slower than expected growth because of customer “FUD” (fear, uncertainty and doubt). When the first flat-screen and HDTVs hit the market in the last decade and then dropped significantly in price in the latter half of the last decade, upgrading one’s TV seemed to be an easy choice. Many customers were able to upgrade into a larger screen, better picture quality and a much slimmer unit (perfectly suited for a TV lift cabinet) without emptying their wallets. The features and benefits customers were getting were clear-cut and understandable. However, with the multitude of smart TVs and 3-D TVs now available, customers are being asked (or bombarded with advertising) to upgrade their HDTVs and flat-screens to something that may or may not have a bigger screen or better picture quality, but it just does more stuff. This is harder sell, and with that comes, rightfully, some hesitance. Customers might be confused if they will have to upgrade all their movies to either Blu-ray or 3-D (or both) if they want them to work properly on-screen, and will they have to also buy 3-D glasses? Also, savvy customers have come to learn that new electronics products tend to go through several updates in the first two years of their lives (for example, Apple is about to release the iPhone 5!). So many are waiting until all the electronic “kinks” are worked out in these new, “spendy” TVs before purchasing one. Other things causing “FUD” in customers is that accessing the Internet on their TV sounds confusing. We’ve all been trained to happily use our computers to surf the web, so will a smart TV mean that the computer is on its way out? Most aren’t ready to rely on their TVs to connect to the web. Some customers are concerned about customer support. Who will they call with questions or issues with an app, or with their Internet, or with their 3-D glasses? Many will be looking for that one customer support representative who can handle all their questions. Customers who may have a degree of “FUD” are not timid because they lack knowledge. On the contrary, these are smart shoppers who are properly cautious of smart technology because they understand that the world of electronics can be fickle and they are looking more for a product’s benefits, not just its features. What about you? Are you waiting to buy a smart TV?