Panasonic is abandoning its Smart Viera TV platform, switching instead to the Firefox OS, which is also running in a few smartphones. Panasonic is the only supporter of Firefox OS for TVs so far.
Firefox OS on Panasonic TVs
Panasonic’s TV business has changed dramatically in the last few years. Panasonic has abandoned plasma TVs, scaled down its TV focus and is now abandoning its own Smart TV platform, instead switching to the Firefox OS.
When we finally managed to find Panasonic’s low-key Firefox OS demonstration we saw a TV interface based on simplicity. It actually looks rather intuitive and smooth but we were not allowed to take control. The TV ran a controlled demo that demonstrated how apps such as Netflix could be “pinned” as a bubble in the menu, which is sort of an overlay.
Firefox OS also has a so-called Xumo guide, which finds and recommends content from multiple sources based on your viewing history, as well as a voice assistant that works by speaking into the remote control. You can also send content from your phone to the TV with a Chromecast-like system.
Firefox OS is based on web standards, which should give developers some flexibility when developing apps and services. However, it is still hard to see how Firefox OS will gain traction with only Panasonic on board.
