‘Smart TVs’ Are Next Bet for Makers as Sales Languish

The TV industry has innovated itself into a corner. Crisp, high-definition TVs as big as 50 diagonal inches can be had for a few hundred dollars. Why bother upgrading or paying more for a fancy new one? Many people don’t. And if you spend much of your time watching streaming video on a tablet or phone, paying for a better TV seems even more pointless. So for several years now, TV sales have been lackluster. Electronics manufacturers, though, are not losing hope. And at the 47th International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, they will show how they intend to attract more customers. In many cases, it will be by offering so-called smart TVs that can connect to the Internet and run apps.