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I Want My GTV

Posted by samzenpus on from the have-some-google-with-your-google dept.

theodp writes "The NY Times reports that Google and Intel have teamed with Sony to develop a platform called Google TV to bring the Web into the living room through a new generation of TVs and set-top boxes. The three companies have tapped Logitech for peripheral devices, including a remote with a tiny keyboard. Based on Google's Android operating system, the TV technology runs on Intel's Atom chips. Google is expected to deliver a toolkit to outside programmers within the next couple of months, and products based on the software could appear as soon as this summer."

14 of 198 comments (clear)

  1. GTV on PS3? by blankoboy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So does this mean we'll be seeing GTV coming to PS3? No, of course not, SONY will want to sell us another set top box for extra $$$ and we'll want to work extra hard to pay for it too!

    1. Re:GTV on PS3? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Intel just wants to sell chips, google wants to sell ads, and sony wants to rent movies from their existing store, but who actually has an interest in the device itself? It sounds to me like the companies involved only care how they can leverage the device, not making it something that consumers actually want

    2. Re:GTV on PS3? by FlyingBishop · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This is real convergence. A PC that is also a TV. I want that. I don't know if this is going to be the perfect expression of that, but if they can build a set-top box for $50 (and that sounds like it could be coming soon) I'd pick one up in a heartbeat.

    3. Re:GTV on PS3? by Yvan256 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Maybe it's another case of Sony (Hardware) vs Sony (Entertainment).

    4. Re:GTV on PS3? by Orange+Crush · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Another one? I already have six. Roku player (Netflix, Amazon), Vudu player (Bought before I got Netflix and the box, waste of money), DVR/Cable Box, D-link media lounge (also a waste of money, but streams video from my computer to the living room reasonably well), Wii, Netbook . . . Every damn one of them duplicates the same essential functionality, most run Linux variants, and all could be easily combined into a single device that does it all (this is happening with newer TVs and BluRay players).

      Screw it. I refuse to buy another damn box to plug in to my TV unless it actually consolidates functions.

  2. Oh great, Sony by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If Sony's consistent behavior in the past is any indication, it will be encrypted, region-locked, proprietary, and it will only work with some weird storage or media type that only Sony makes. It will also require you to install a rootkit on your TV and let them search all your media files for pirated songs and movies before you can use it. And you'll have to submit a DNA sample and retina scan to buy one, of course.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Oh great, Sony by cbope · · Score: 2, Insightful

      2005 called and wants it's memory back.

      You do realize that Sony has been moving _away_ from proprietary formats for the last couple years? Honestly, Sony bashing on /. has become almost as much of an art as Apple and MS bashing.

    2. Re:Oh great, Sony by nine-times · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well... it's willing to walk away from China rather than being hacked.

    3. Re:Oh great, Sony by DerekLyons · · Score: 4, Insightful

      But if that company is willing to walk away from China, instead of compromising

      Let's wait until they actually do walk away from China before making grandiose claims about them walking away from China, k?

    4. Re:Oh great, Sony by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 2, Insightful

      With Google's resources, Sony needs Google a lot more than Google needs Sony (Imagine how many hardware manufacturers would jump at an exclusive right to make hardware for a GTV style product)...

      Well, a lot of them, but what you're missing is that very few of those hardware companies are also major content producers, holding title to thousands of movies and dozens of ongoing TV shows. Building a set top box that streams content over the internet is not trivial, except in comparison to the task of getting content providers to license their shows in an affordable and not completely useless and annoying way.

  3. I don't get it by doti · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why not a computer with tv reception already?

    --
    factor 966971: 966971
  4. Re:Internet on TV? Really? by mdwh2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The article is talking about "Internet on TV" in the sense of accessing webpages or applications on a TV, which for the most part doesn't seem to be taking off anytime soon.

    Things like Hulu are "TV on Internet" - so putting that on a TV is "TV (on Internet) on TV", so it's hardly surprising that that might have more of a market. It's pretty obvious that TV via the Internet ought to win long term, and there's a market for a TV/box that makes this easy for the living room TV, rather than just watching it on a web browser on a computer. (Similar to how hard disk recording first appeared on computers, but now it's commonplace on cable/satellite set-top boxes as standard, which makes it much easier for most people.) Perhaps this is Google's end intention, and things like browsing the web or running applications are an added bonus.

  5. Re:ASIDE from Youtube and Hulu?! by Pojut · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You haven't watched any HD content from Netflix or Youtube, have you?

    --
    Living With a Nerd
  6. MS v GOOG by coaxial · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And when Microsoft wanted to do this, everyone cried foul. Now that Google wants to do this, it must be good, because they're not Evil(tm).

    No thank you. I want a future not dominated by one company bent on tracking and selling me.