Google TV to hit screens by end of year
Joseph O'Halloran ©RapidTVNews | 07-09-2010
Search giant Google has confirmed its march into the TV arena with CEO Eric Schmidt confirming in a keynote at IFA in Berlin the launch of Google TV in the US before the end of 2010.
Even though the news come hot on the heels of the launch of Apple TV, Google’s approach is diametrically different being network rather than device focused, opening up a TV service to what it believes will be a vastly growing universe of network connected TV screens, either wired or wireless.
In what will surely come as a relief to content owners who are already experiencing the IT company encroach on their territory with advertising, Schmidt revealed that Google does not have the ambition of becoming a content producer and would instead try to develop a partnership ecosystem that encompass content owners as well as CPE makers. "It is very unlikely that we will get into actual content production," Schmidt said in Berlin.
On a technical note, Schmidt revealed that on launch Google TV will run on suitably configured TV sets, Sony Blu-ray players and Logitech STBs. It will embrace the Android operating system including support for the Android app store, using its market leading search technology for TV applications. In addition Google TV users will also be able to use Android-powered smartphones and the Apple iPhone as remote control devices. This detail may become crucial as analysts predict that the service may be challenged by its user interface.
