Firefox OS-Powered Smart TVs Coming Soon, Says Panasonic

Firefox’s jump from Web browser to smartphone platform in the form of Firefox OS was surprising enough. But soon, Mozilla‘s open source, Linux-based operating system will be powering TVs as well, Panasonic announced at CES 2015.

Panasonic and Mozilla began a partnership a year ago to bring Firefox OS, a Linux-based operating system that so far has been used only on mobile devices, to TVs.  That effort has now borne fruit, according to Panasonic, which said at this year’s CES that it will begin shipping Firefox OS TVs later in 2015.

Specifically, the company will use Mozilla’s OS to power smart TVs in its Life+ 4K line.  It has not yet announced pricing for the devices.

Mozilla is touting the TVs’ software features, which “will allow TV on-screen notifications from applications, and, in the future, from compatible connected appliances,” according to the organization, which called this a “first time” innovation.

For its part, Panasonic is pitching the TVs for being compatible with the open Web.  “Firefox OS uses open Web technologies, which allow us to maximize compatibility with other devices like smartphones and laptops to send content (such as your favorite photos or videos) to your TV,” said Yuki Kusumi, director of the Home Entertainment Business Division of Appliances Company of Panasonic.