• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, June 12, 2012

Nearly 20% of all TVs shipped worldwide in Q1 2012 were smart TVs, which connect the Internet with traditional televisions. The highest shipments were in Japan with 36%, followed by China with 30%, according to the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Smart TV Shipment and Forecast Report. The research firm notes smart TV in Western Europe equaled 29%, with North America lagging at 18%. Analysts note that smartphones also "far outnumber fixed lines" in countries where smart TVs shipped most. Sony, Skyworth, Philips, Sharp and Konka round out the top five manufacturers.