apps

Smart, 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.

In early December, Samsung hit a remarkable milestone with its apps marketplace on its HDTVs. Since they became available to consumers in March 2010, one million applications have been downloaded. And while there are not nearly the number of apps available as there are for the iPhone (134k+) or Android (100k+), reaching one million downloads for only 200 available Samsung apps means that sales are strong of Samsung HDTVs and that users are liking what they find.

According to Samsung, the most frequently downloaded apps include Hulu Plus, ESPN Next Level, CinemaNow and Texas Holdem. Other popular apps include MLB.TV, Vudu and Netflix. More than half of Samsung’s 2010 line of HDTVs are app-capable, and company resources say they expect more than 6.5 million app-capable units be sold before the end of the year. And by 2012 that number could grow to 20 million.

Samsung’s major competitor in the smart TV market is Vizio, which also offers its own line of app-capable TVs and line of apps. Vizio