Yahoo is teaming up with Samsung, Toshiba and LG to bring the internet to a new range of television sets.

Yahoo has developed what it calls the Yahoo Widget Engine, which displays a series of internet options in a scrolling bar across the base of the screen that can be accessed using a standard remote control.

"The merging of the internet and television will create what we call the cinematic internet," said Patrick Berry, vice president of Connected TV at Yahoo.

"This will make TV into something bigger and more exciting than ever. It will allow developers to reach a whole new community."

The links will not only be for Yahoo properties, as the company has signed up popular third parties Flickr and Pandora.

Yahoo will be looking at the initiative to shore up its ailing business. The company had a very bad 2008 and is falling behind in the search and community stakes.