The surprise was ruined, but Canonical is indeed bringing a TV to CES. But it's not about hardware just yet: Ubuntu TV is a brand new derivitave of Ubuntu, with a full-in TV-optimized UI inspired by Unity, and full-on media center and DVR features. There's a movie, TV and music store, a YouTube app, and of course it's all optimized for a lean-back remote experience. The software will be free for manufacturers to package with their TVs, and Ubuntu says there will be TVs on shelves by the end of the year. Canonical sees itself as a "neutral player," as opposed to the walled gardens of Apple and Google. Linux-based media center OSs are nothing new, but Ubuntu has enough clout to get this on the market. At CES Canonical is showing a working prototype TV, which we'll be sure to take a look at as soon as we can.

Grid View



