Opera to slip its smart TV OS into models made by 3 Chinese TV makers

(Update on September 10: Also some Changhong and Hisense smart TVs, two other Chinese brands; changed headline).

We’re seeing smart TV-related news almost daily as the battle heats up for viewers on screens of all sizes. Today, browser-maker Opera (OSE:OPERA) has agreed with Chinese gadget-maker Konka (SHE:000016) to slip the Opera TV Store (basically a smart TV OS) and all its useful apps into Konka’s newest smart TV.

There isn’t a specific Konka model to point to yet as this will appear on new Konka smart TV models that will launch first in Brazil in late 2013 before appearing in other markets. So this isn’t being aimed at Chinese consumers.

Opera also has its web-based platform on some TCL smart TVs (also a Chinese firm), and has similar agreements with manufacturers like Sony, Samsung, and Philips.

Opera’s smart TV software will allow upcoming Konka buyers to download more HTML5-based apps, and even browse the web on their TV (but who’s seriously going to do that when people have tablets?)

Earlier this year we saw Opera slip its software onto some processors made for smart TVs by Taiwanese chip firm MediaTek. Opera first ventured into TVs in January 2012.

In the Chinese market we saw two major new smart TV models launched by Xiaomi and Baidu this week.

(Editing by Paul Bischoff)