Ever since the Internet permeated society, the idea of using your TV to surf the Web, download video and even buy products has been around.

But efforts over the years, from Web TV to the media-center PCs, have failed to catch on with consumers.

Now, some of the technology market's heavy hitters, including Intel (INTC), Yahoo (YHOO) and Broadcom (BRCM), are betting it's time for Internet built into the TV. 

“This is the first time it feels like everything is coming together that needs to be there” to make so-called Cinematic Web a reality, said Patrick Barry, vice president of digital home and desktop products at Yahoo’s Connected Life division. “After the flat panels and HD, bringing Internet to TV watching is the next big thing.” 

Some say that as early as January, consumers will be able to buy TVs, set-top boxes, DVD players, and even remote controls that can surf the Web, access related content, and even buy products seen on television shows -- all with one or two clicks of the remote control.

Yahoo, which has struggled in recent months as it fought off an unsolicited buyout bid from Microsoft (MSFT), has teamed with Intel to make Internet TV a reality.

Yahoo and Intel have been working for two years to build a platform for Internet TV that won’t seem intrusive to the viewer. Intel, for its part, has developed a new semiconductor called the Intel Media Processor CE 3100, which is designed specifically for Internet TV and can go into a multitude of devices -- whether it’s the TV, DVD player or remote control.

Eric Kim, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Digital Home Center, said the semiconductor is being priced to hit the “sweet spot” of consumer electronic products.

Yahoo and Intel, which have the backing of a wide swath of industry players -- including Toshiba, Blockbuster (BBI), Comcast (CMCSA) and Twitter -- envision a TV Internet that can be accessed by clicking a button on a remote control. The content would be displayed in small applications called Widgets that wouldn’t take up too much real estate on the screen and can be expanded upon by clicking the remote control. 

Yahoo and Intel will rely on content providers to create applications for Internet TV, but consumers could see things like the ability to download movies, buy goods, track stocks or sports teams, and get news updates.  

“Wouldn’t it be great to watch a movie and find out who the actress is and what else she’s in... or get the soundtrack?" posits Barry.

This isn’t the first time technology pundits have hyped Internet TV. It was only a few years ago that every company in the PC industry -- including Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) , Dell (DELL), Microsoft and even Intel -- touted media center PCs, which are basically servers that act as a hub to send all your digital media to your TV.  While there’s a market for media center PCs, it has basically remained a niche.

What’s different this time around, said executives and industry watchers, is widespread adoption of broadband Internet access, coupled with content on the Internet that people actually want to watch. Also, the technology to enable real-time Internet content on the TV has come down in price, making it more viable for the consumer electronics industry to build it into their devices. 

It doesn’t hurt that U.S. households by February will have to have TVs capable of handling the digital signal, not to mention the fact that consumers are multitasking when watching their favorite shows and sporting events.

“The Consumer Electronics Association has research that almost half of Americans watched Internet...while the Super Bowl was on,” said Richard Doherty, research director at market research company Envisioneering. “On any given hour, Nielsen says 20% of viewers are also surfing the Web.”  

Doherty thinks this time around the technology companies will be successful. He said the products have to be cheap enough, and since Internet is already being built into TVs, it makes sense to see the market flourish.