Google announces Google TV with Sony, Intel, Logitech, and Best Buy as partners
As you probably know by now, the big news of the day involved the official unveiling of the Google TV platform on day 2 of the Google I/O developer conference. As we’ve previously reported, Google teamed up with Sony, Intel, and Logitech to create a new hardware/software platform based on Android in an attempt to deliver the convergence of the web and television – something many companies have tried for years now.
For this posting, we’ll focus on what you need to know about the platform. I’ll provide my own editorial thoughts on the Google TV platform in a separate posting.
So what exactly is Google TV?
It’s an Internet-enabled TV platform based initially on Android 2.1 that attempts to bring together web content with television content in a seamless environment.
On the software front, you’re presented with a simple search toolbar (after all this is Google we’re talking about here of course) that allows you to search for the content you’re looking to view on your television screen. Type what you’re looking for and Google TV will show you the different pieces of relevant content that matches what you’re looking for – whether the content is available through normal television programming, through the built-in DVR, or via the web.
Don’t feel like searching for a piece of content? You can opt to use a more traditional program guide to see what’s currently available or coming up. There’s also a traditional home screen (traditional with regards to other media center like applications out there – aka Boxee, Windows Media Center etc) that allows users to easily organize their favorite content, and personalize their TV viewing experience.
Online web content is available thanks to the inclusion of Google’s Chrome browser. Want to watch a video from Hulu? No problem – just stream it via Chrome to your television screen. Want to purchase a video from Amazon’s video on demand store? Chrome will bring you to Amazon’s website to purchase and view the content.
The inclusion of Chrome also means you get the “full web” directly on your television set. Yes that means you’ll be able to read all the news and gossip from around the web to your heart’s content. This also means you’ll be experiencing the same web you would experience on a desktop or notebook PC. Want to read the New York Times website in its full glory? No problem. Want to read your favorite blog without wondering if the format or layout will be different? Again – no problem. AND just like a desktop web browser, you’ll be able to bookmark your favorite sites, shows, etc so you can quickly find them later on.
Chrome won’t be the only way you’ll be able to enjoy online content of course. Since we are talking about the Android platform here, you know apps will play a key role. Google expects most Android apps to work on the TV platform – assuming of course the apps don’t require mobile phone specific features. (Let’s not get into how weird it’ll be to interact with an app originally designed for mobile devices but now displayed on a TV screen and viewed from 10 feet back). The company is calling upon developers to start designing Google TV ready applications. The Google TV SDK and TV Web APIs are expected by early 2011 while Google TV itself will be open sourced by the summer of 2011.
And yes, since we’re talking about Android, Google TV will indeed support Flash – I know what you’re thinking, great, I get to play Flash games on my TV screen now.
Back to the television front, Google TV also offers DVR functionality – allowing you to record television shows in advance. You’ll also be able to do things like picture in picture viewing – reading a web page while viewing a television show in a smaller picture. Oh yes – you can also use an Android-powered smartphone as a remote for a device powered by Google TV…
Which leads us to talk about the hardware front. Google TV will be available in a variety of form factors – from a standalone set-top box manufactured by Logitech, to being directly integrated into Sony television sets, Sony Blu-ray players, and even a DISH network set-top box.
On the inside, Google TV will be powered by an Atom-variant processor and will feature a discrete graphics processor, HDMI input and output, Bluetooth connectivity, IR (for controlling an external cable or set-top box), Wi-Fi, and Ethernet. Input wise, the platform will feature a keyboard and pointing device manufactured by Logitech and will support Harmony universal remotes.
If you already have a new TV set and a new Blu-ray player, but you’re interested in the Google TV platform anyhow, then you’ll probably want to check out the Logitech standalone set-top box referred to as a “companion box”. According to PC Magazine, the box is about the size of a netbook and will support additional peripheral add-ons such as an external 720p webcam.
Interestingly enough, the box is also functionally equivalent to the Logitech Harmony 900 remote which means you can use it to control your other home theater devices such as your TV, receiver, Xbox 360, etc. The box will come with a controller that combines a keyboard and remote control. As mentioned earlier, the box can also be controlled by an Android powered handset (as well as via an iPhone app).
Spec wise, the companion box is powered by an Intel CE4100 “Sodaville” SoC (System-on-a-chip) Atom processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, and features 4GB of RAM, 802.11n Wi-Fi, two USB ports, Ethernet, two IR headers, a pair of HDMI 1.3 ports, and S/PDIF output.
Are you more interested in what Sony will be offering when it comes to the Google TV platform? Well Sony’s product line will be known as “Sony Internet TV” and will initially feature a standalone TV model and a set-top box unit incorporating a Blu-ray drive. Both products will launch in the fall of 2010 here in the U.S.
To top this all off, you’ll be able to purchase Google TV powered devices from Logitech and Sony directly from Best Buy later this year.
UNFORTUNATELY you guessed it – there was NO mention of price.
Now the real question is – do you want it? Or heck.. do you really need this?
[Read Google’s announcement on their blog]
[Read Logitech’s press release]
