This Just In

Hewlett-Packard is in discussions with content providers to bring user-generated content, movie previews and TV shows to its line of Internet-connected MediaSmart LCD TV sets.

HP already has a deal with CinemaNow to offer MediaSmart users the ability to browse and purchase or rent more than 4,000 titles directly from the TV set. Videos are downloaded to a consumer’s PC, then streamed wirelessly to the TV.

Alex Thatcher, senior product marketing manager for HP’s Digital TV Solutions group, said the company expects to announce additional Internet-video content partners next month. “It should be a pretty extensive library of content,” he said.

HP launched the MediaSmart line last year with a 37-inch TV, which can play music and video and display photos stored on personal computers.

The Internet features of HP’s MediaSmart sets are similar to other products that have recently hit the market, including Apple TV set-tops. Apple Inc. last month announced a deal with Google’s YouTube to provide access to the site’s user-generated content on Apple TV.

Thatcher acknowledged that Apple TV has captured the lion’s share of buzz.

“There’s a little bit of frustration here,” he said. “It’s hard to beat the hype machine across the street.” HP’s TV group is based here, which is also home to Apple headquarters.

HP’s new Internet-content partnerships will be part of the debut of 42- and 47-inch MediaSmart models, expected to be available by the end of August in retail channels including Best Buy stores. The TVs, with list prices of $2,199 and $2,799, respectively, support 1080p high-definition programming and include 802.11n wireless network connectivity.