• The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, September 23, 2009 11:21 PM

Improvements in TV sets are making it feasible to run Web applications on a TV without the need for a special set-top box, such as those offered by TiVo or Apple. That opens up a whole new role for the living-room television set.

Despite the reluctance of elements of the entertainment industry, tech companies are building chips and Web browsers for TVs. Plus, Yahoo, Adobe Systems and others are developing Web applications that can be accessed on these next generation TV sets. Vizio, for example, will have Wi-Fi enabled TV sets with screens measuring 42 inches or bigger on the market by November. Included will be a remote control with a full keyboard. Price: $1,200 and up.

So far, there is little consensus about the type of Internet access users want on their TVs. Should it be a wide-open browser, like a PC, or more narrow Web services that resemble traditional television channels? "We don't see the browser becoming the primary metaphor," says Anup Murarka, strategist for Adobe Systems. Consumers seem to favor applications like video and social networking on the television, he says.

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