Windows 10 -- Coming Soon To A TV Near You, If You Live In India

Over the last couple of years, Microsoft has streamlined and optimized Windows in an effort to make the OS run on smaller, less powerful devices. Whereas older versions of Windows, in the pre-Windows 7 era, usually required more robust hardware than earlier versions to run well, Windows 10 can run acceptably on everything from sub-$100 tablets to ultra-powerful, multi-core, multi-GPU gaming systems.

Chip makers and hardware manufactures have also put forth considerable effort in recent years to make smaller, more powerful, yet more power-efficient hardware. The latest hardware has made tiny devices like the Intel Compute Stick and a myriad of mini-PCs possible, which can run full-blown versions of Windows in form factors not much larger than a USB flash drive.

With both Windows and hardware capable of running Windows getting smaller and more streamlined, it’s no surprise that Microsoft’s OS is finding its way into more and more, non-traditional devices. This week, for example, Indian electronics manufacturer Videocon announced the first two Windows-Powered HD televisions.

Videocon has two full HD (1080p) televisions coming down the pipe, 40” and 32” models. They’re both essentially large, all-in-one touch-screens PCs, powered by Intel processors. The exact specifications weren’t listed, but from what has been revealed, it is very likely the innards are very much in-line with Intel’s Compute Stick. The TVs have 2GB of RAM, built-in Wi-Fi, and 16GB of internal storage, that can be expanded to 128GB by way of a microSD expansion slot. It’s very likely the processor at the heart of the setup is the same quad-core Bay Trail CPU Intel uses on the Compute Stick.

This type of integration makes perfect sense. The hardware necessary to power Windows isn’t all that expensive (the quad-core Compute Stick retails for only $149, for example), and as more apps and even games can be streamed from the web, the need for massive amounts of local storage diminishes. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Windows popping up in more televisions, or really anywhere there’s a screen available—automobiles, other appliances, wherever. Giving users the ability to access their data and apps from virtually anywhere there is a screen appealing on a number of different levels.  Windows 10’s powered televisions would also allow Xbox One owners to stream their games to different screens, as long as the Xbox is on the same network.

There are lots of possibilities and potential use cases, from home theater to gaming applications. It wouldn’t surprise me one iota if others follow suit.