An interactive TV which lets users surf the internet, play games and watch video content streamed from the web on it is being launched by Google in the UK.
The fruits of a collaboration with Sony, it is the first time the Google TV service is being made available outside America.
Due to go on sale in mid-July, TVs manufactured by Sony which offer this extra capability are expected to cost about £200.
Running Google Android software, the TVs will let users access their Facebook and Twitter accounts at the same time as watching the television.
Users will also have access to a huge library of films, music videos and live show broadcasts through Google-owned YouTube.
Google's head of global TV distribution Suveer Kothari said: “We think there's going to be huge benefits from bringing the internet to TV.
“Google TV attempts to address the problem that there's not really a great experience to access the internet on your TV screen, which is a similar problem we saw in the smartphone market five years ago.”
A double-sided remote control unit with the usual buttons on one side, and a QWERTY keyboard on the other, will provide access to the TV content and allow full web browsing.
