SARFT recently issued new regulations regarding the management of TV programming broadcast via internet. New broadcasting technology developed at the same time as the Three Networks Convergence allows TV sets to receive internet audio-visual programs by connecting to the internet directly, or through the digital converter box that enables some operators to deliver programs to terminals without the authorization of the relative administrative organizations and/or copyright owners.

Because of this, the SARFT issued new regulations which stipulate that all internet A/V programs can only be delivered to TV terminals with the relevant licenses and copyright authorizations. The new regulation was warmly received by TV manufacturers. They anticipated that the new regulation will improve the healthy and orderly development of the industry.

Beginning in March of this year, some flat panel giants including TCL, Samsung, Skyworth, Changhong, and Hisense have launched a variety of internet-ready TV sets into the market. The new sets' most popular function, downloading A/V programs from the internet by connecting the TV using an Ethernet cable, is attracting more and more customers' attention. Some enterprises indicate that the internet-to-TV business will stoke new innovation in the TV manufacturing world; some manufacturers are going so far as to call it a breakthrough in the intense market competition they face. New regulations will bring with more marketing space in the future, sources said.