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Introducing Google TV
But Thursday at Google I/O 2010, the company made the big announcement of Google TV, while Sony and Logitech followed suit with the first Google TV products. Dish Network also said it will offer a Google TV-powered DVR recording feature on set-top boxes.
Devices for Google TV will be sold at Best Buy.
Google TV
Roughly two out of three people watch TV. So it's no surprise Google wants a piece of that pie. "Video should be consumed on the biggest, best, and brightest screen in your house, and that's the TV," says Google.
So how do they plan to bring the web to the TV without compromising video or content? A search-driven experience centered around discovery and customization. Media aggregation helps as well, with Hulu logos being thrown around like candy, which might be the most intriguing aspect of the whole ordeal.
All of this is going to be based on Intel's CE4100 Atom processor running a version of the Android OS, Chrome browser, and Flash 10.1. Devices will have a WiFi network connection, HDMI, and QWERTY input option along with standard remote controls.
Sony Internet TV
Sony will launch its Sony Internet TVs and Blu-ray players with Google TV in the fall of 2010. Models have yet to be announced.
Sony chairman, president and CEO Howard Stringer says:
"I am delighted to announce the unique alignment of Google's rapidly growing, open source Android platform with Sony's unparalleled expertise in the field of TV design and technology. The addition of 'Sony Internet TV' will further bolster Sony's comprehensive TV lineup and will fuse new levels of enjoyment and interactivity into the TV experience."
Read: Sony's Google TV Partner Press Release
Logitech Google TV Companion Box
Logitech will introduce a Google TV Companion Box. This settop box will bring Google TV to anyone not looking for a new TV or Blu-ray player containing Google TV.
The most intriguing aspects of the Companion Box are the planned QWERTY Harmony remote (still under development) and Harmony app for iPhone/iPod Touch and Android devices. The Companion Box also has an IR blaster that gives it all the powers of the Harmony 900. Price and release date weren't announced.
Logitech president and CEO Gerald Quindlen says:
"We committed to Google TV early on because it aligns with our strategy to support open platforms that enable new immersive experiences in the digital living room. While Google TV enables seamless discovery of all your content, Logitech enables seamless control over how you experience that content. We look forward to continued collaboration with Google and the developer community to create new Google TV experiences that have yet to be imagined."
More: Logitech Google TV Website
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Article Topics
News · Product News · Displays · TVs · Sony · Google · Google Tv · Logitech ·About the Author
7 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
Another 3 years and it will have cable card support. Another 10 and it might work directly with satellite, no thats Microsoft. Maybe this is the kick in butt that Microsoft needs to get with the program. It would be nice to see a company finally make a product that developers can work with, as well as something that actually integrates with all their other products.
If it works this easy it is by far the coolest invention since the in-wall speaker or apple tv or vudu or hulu.
This definitely the coolest thing I’ve seen for our industry in a long time. It’s almost like Google just looked at everything cool about TV and online video and said, “yeah, let’s finally make all that crap work the way it should”. And since the pS3 is more than capable, I surely hope they make it happen, good idea Peter!
Yeah, one of the best tech brands out there is publicly holding hands with two of the worst CE companies around! Throw Bose in with Sony and Logitech and you can have a trifecta of crap-in-a-box. Thankfully for them, the average consumer doesn’t know any better. It would be nice if Google can pull many of the streaming sources together in one interface regardless of who they shack up with.
umm apple tvish ?
Google TV is Apple TV-ish in the same way that Megan Fox is Rosie O’Donnell-ish.
I would hope to see Sony’s PS3 support Google TV