Business Wire - ABI Research has concluded that home network connections on consumer electronics products will go from nice-to-have to necessary. The research firm expects that as more CE devices get tied to content delivery services, IP (Internet Protocol) connectivity will become increasingly important. Already manufacturers are including Internet connections on some televisions, DVD players and AV receivers. ABI predicts that the number of networked TVs shipped in 2012 to grow to 65 million units compared to just 3.6 million in 2008. Wow, that's growth!

Many homebuilders offer home networking as a standard or optional feature in new homes and many homeowners install retrofit network wiring into existing homes or use a wireless system. While many of these networks are used for computers, it appears that the same networks will be increasingly used to link various entertainment devices for content delivery, control, etc. As an example of a networked audio component, read my review of the Polk Audio LC-265i-IP in-wall loudspeaker system with IP connectivity.