[CEATEC] Sharp Delivers Newspaper to Aquos TVs

Sept 30, 2009 09:50 Takuya Otani, Nikkei Electronics

Sharp Corp demonstrated its electronic newspaper service "Mainichi Shimbun x DoTV" at the product announcement meeting for new "Aquos" LCD TVs Sept 29, 2009.

The company started testing the service, which enables Aquos users to read the Mainichi Shimbun (Japanese newspaper) via "DoTV," NTT Communications Corp's portal site for TVs, on the same day. The service is provided by The Mainichi Newspapers Co Ltd and NTT Communications, targeted at Internet-capable models of the Aquos TV.

Users of the service can read five pages of the morning edition of the newspaper including the first-, second- and third pages in the same layout as the print edition.

However, the advertisements shown in the pages are different from those published in the print edition. They are replaced by NTT Communications' and Sharp's advertisements and blank spaces. The newspaper becomes available for viewing on DoTV at 5:30 in every morning.

It is possible to enlarge the newspaper on screen by operating the remote of the Aquos TV and read aloud main articles (about four articles) by using automatic voice synthesis function.

The companies will offer the service for free for six months from Sept 29, 2009, and see how the users respond.

Sharp plans to make a presentation of the new service at CEATEC JAPAN 2009, which will run from Oct 6 to 10, 2009, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

24 Hours | 7 Days