Google TV: Coming soon to a living room near you
May 20, 2010 - By Justin E. Gehrke
This morning, Google (GOOG) once again wowed crowds at the I/O conference with the announcement of its latest venture, Google TV. With the service, Google hopes to extend their reach beyond the consumer’s browser and mobile phone and right into the living room, beginning in the latter part of 2010. Similar to the Apple TV in its conceptual design, Google TV will be built into a unit called the Buddy Box. Powered by the company’s Android software, the box will connect directly to the consumer’s existing television.
The concept is a great one. The trick will be for Google to extend beyond its current (and only) partnership with Sony, to other television manufacturers, who they must convince that loading Google’s software on their televisions will provide an actual Return on Investment (ROI). In Google’s favor is the soaring popularity of the Android mobile operating system, which has quickly proven itself a worthy competitor for the Apple iPhone. Part of Google’s plan to court consumers is providing traditional, operating system-like capability.
How does Google plan to pull off this feat of technical magic? The Google TV will combine traditional TV programming with the ability to search for and watch internet video. Additionally, the device will be able to download and run apps from the Android Market that were originally designed for Android-based smartphones.
The only question is whether the resolution of Android smartphone apps on the Google TV will have that super-pixelation look that many iPad users have cited as bothersome, based on their being designed for the small-screen. Google TV will also include the company’s Chrome browser and allow users to surf the web, in the same place they watch their programming.
As Google’s premier partner in the venture, Sony is banking on the new device’s success to boost lagging sales of the television manufacturer’s high-definition Bravia televisions. The Buddy Box will be manufactured by Logitech, the company best-known for its keyboards, webcams, and mice.
As always, price will be a deciding factor for many. The costliness of the Apple TV has long been considered to be the reason its popularity has never increased dramatically. A good point of reference for Google is the the Roku device. Despite selling more than a million units that provide similar functionality to the yet-to-be-released Google TV, a notable increase wasn’t achieved until the cost of the device dropped below $100. Similarly, convincing manufacturers to build the software into television could be difficult, since ticket prices will likely increase to offset the additional cost to manufacture.
All told, internet capable televisions, set-top boxes, and DVD/Blu-ray players have yet to attract a significant portion of their respective market shares. One thing is certain. If any company can conjure up the technical and public relations magic to take internet TV mainstream, it’s Google.
More Information:
