TCL Corporation, Hisense Electric Co and Sichuan Changhong Electric Co launched China Smart Multimedia Terminal Technology Association Friday, with the aim of setting up industry standards for Smart TV technology, including common interconnections, applications and operating systems.

Smart TVs are a new category of television, using an Internet connection to offer more content such as web browsing, applications and live channels. But even though the industry is growing, there are no specific standards for it in China yet.

"Cooperation among domestic electronics companies is good for them to be more efficient," Luo Qingqi, an electronic appliance expert and director of Pa Le Consulting Corporation, told the Global Times.

Luo also emphasized that policy makers should provide opportunities to let companies combine or cooperate with each other. "It's a vulnerable point, because lack of technology is the main factor affecting the whole industry in China," he said.

"It's a growing trend for electronics companies to cooperate in more fields. Even competitors will work together, which is a common phenomenon overseas," Zhang Bing, chief researcher of TV electronics with consulting firm DisplayResearch, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"There is no huge gap between domestic and international companies in the development of Smart TV. It depends on what kind of applications the companies will adopt. Cooperation is helpful for formulating standards in the Smart TV industry, and there should be more companies participating in the association in the future," Zhang added.

Li Dongsheng, chairman of TCL Corporation, said the association could provide specific technology standards for smart multimedia products, making it easier for consumers to choose different products.