A further move towards the convergence between television and the Internet, The Widget Channel is the result of a collaboration between Yahoo and technology manufacturer Intel.

Intel is building the hardware for the service to work in a series of digital televisions and set-top boxes. Pitched as a way of “complementing and enhancing the traditional TV environment”, the Widget Channel will be available in the US in the first half of next year.

Rather than experimenting with full web access on a TV screen, Yahoo is exploiting the popularity of “widgets” – smaller, customisable versions of web-based services that already feature on computer desktops and on many websites, including the home page of bbc.co.uk. A handful of high profile web services have confirmed they will be available on the Widget Channel including Disney-ABC, Joost, CinemaNow and MTV, along with advertising firm Group M.

Disney-ABC’s executive vice-president, Albert Cheng, said the platform offered “a broad canvas” for advertisers. The channel will change the way consumers see their televisions. “Merging the very different user experience of the Internet with that of the TV is no small task,” said group president Eric Breitband.

“Making that experience an easy to use, entertaining and memorable experience is an even greater one. The Widget Channel platform is a very impressive user interface for both developers who want a flexibility and speed to market, but it also provides consumers with a memorable, unique approach to enjoying Internet content and entertainment on their TV.”

Analyst Dan Cryan of Screen Digest was less impressed with the offering, describing it as “an Internet-connected version of Teletext with nicer graphics”.